There are hundreds and hundreds of different baby gear for your new bundle of joy, and if you are feeling overwhelmed about making the right decision, you aren't alone. Today we are chatting about baby monitors and how to find the right one for your family. Thanks for joining us. This is Newbies.

She's gorgeous.

Um, it's a girl. Surprise, the whole family's here. So when are you having the next one? It's just poop. Ready for another? Wow, you look really tired. Ready to go back to work? Yellow poop, seriously?

Did you sterilize this? Sex now? You've got to be joking.

You should sleep when the baby sleeps.

She doesn't look anything like you.

I thought you already had your baby. I did. Babies don't come with instructions, so there's Newbies, helping new moms and new babies through their first year.

Welcome to Newbies. My name is Kaile Garcia and I'll be your host today. If you haven't already, be sure to visit our website at newmommymedia.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, which keeps you updated on all the episodes we release each week.

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It's also an easy way to learn about our recordings. Our expert today is Elad Erdan, CEO of BabySense. So thank you for joining us. Please tell us where you are located, and who's a part of your family.

Hi, Kaile. Really happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me. So my name is Elad. I'm here in New York City with my two children, Ethan and Romy.

They're nine and six, so I'm both a very proud dad and the CEO of BabySense, the leading children safety company that supports over two million families, uh, globally. So as someone who knows what it means to be worried for my kids, I'm so happy that I can help parents understand which monitor will best meet their needs.

Yay. I love that. I love that your kids are kind of close together, around three-ish years, so I'm assuming you used baby monitors for both of them. You know, and you might have switched it up. I'm excited to talk about what led you to being the CEO of BabySense and your experience with different baby monitors.

But first, before we get into the questions, let's take a quick break and then we'll jump into it.

Welcome back. Today we're discussing baby monitors. So first, I know we were talking a lot before the break about baby monitors, your pathway to fatherhood. Tell us, what was your journey becoming a parent, and how was baby monitors tied to that, you know?

Yeah, for sure. Um, you know, I think everyone will agree becoming a parent is, uh, an amazing ride, but honestly, those first few weeks, even months, are a blur of pure exhaustion and second-guessing everything.

Um, we've been all been there, I guess, at 2:00 a.m., tired, overwhelmed, and just deeply caring about this tiny human being. So living through those sleepless night, I guess, with my own kids is exactly what drives me, how I lead Babysense today. We're building tools for parents like us.

I think that's so important, and I love a father's perspective too.

Did your wife, um, breastfeed at all, or did you guys choose to formula feed? How were nights like specifically? 'Cause that's-- I mean, I know people use baby monitors during the day. That's when I use them for naps, but sometimes people have them on all at night as well. Anyway, how was the first few newborn days with both of your kids, and did you guys use baby...

Did you, you know, formula feed? Did your wife breastfeed? What was that journey like?

So it was kind of a combination for, uh, both of them. Uh, I think the labors went really different, uh, so we had two different very, um, experiences. Um, I think that for us, baby monitoring came in only a f- a couple of weeks or even months later, and it became especially crucial when we wanted to kind of to move the baby from our room to their own room and start to build this, like, healthy, uh, kind of like a sleep, um, you know, kind of behavior and to create this, like, sleeping window.

So I think that Gave us kind of the confidence and the reassurance we needed to feel safe and to feel, oh, okay, it's okay to put the, the baby in the other room and let them sleep. I think that, that where it kicked in for us.

It's so interesting, um, and speaking from like the mother's perspective, but that is so true, is it's hard.

You grow this tiny, cute little baby and then you're told, right? You know, you need to co-sleep, not bed share, but have the baby in their own room, you know, in a bassinet or a crib, you know, in the same room as parents. And so, and then it's like, okay, it's time to move them, and it's so much stress and anxiety that comes with it.

Are they breathing okay? You know, did they turn? You know, are they on their tummy? And if, uh, you know, you're always told if they turn on their own it's okay, but still, is it okay? You know, you're checking, you're going up to their room checking all the time. So how did the baby monitors for you give you and your wife a peace of mind?

Yeah, that's actually a really good question. I think that a good monitor is basically your ticket, um, I don't know if it makes sense, but it's your ticket for like taking a deep breath while your baby sleeps. It gives you the quiet confidence that your baby is completely safe, and also I truly believe that when parents get a little rest and clarity, and I said it as a man, and obviously it, it makes sense for everybody, but I feel like the whole environment in the home gets so much better because you can function much better and it impacts your relationships and the way that you can support, in my case, uh, my wife and, and the entire family.

So I think that creates like the, you know, it's the first step, uh, to be, uh, to show empathy to everybody. So for me, that was an enabler for You know, like, uh, a reality I can manage, like, uh, day-to-day life.

I so agree. And so what led you to be the CEO of BabySense? Like, what was your calling? Did you just try a bunch of baby monitors and it didn't work?

Or you know, tell us that story of how you became CEO of BabySense.

Yeah. So let me first tell you how the company started, and I think that then it really explains my, my path because I haven't found it. It was founded back in the early '19s, where infant crib safety was, um, let's say far from guarant- guaranteed, even in the most developed countries.

Like every single year, there were thousands of, uh, tragic crib incidents in the, in North America, in Europe, in Japan, in Australia, and our founders back in the day saw this gap and they essentially said, "Hey, someone needs to step up," like, "Someone needs to take responsibility and solve the problem." So that's what drove the company back then, and it's the same founding mission that drives us today, ensuring every, every child is safe and every parent feels reassured.

So when I got together with the founder and they were looking for like, you know, the guy that will come and take it, the company to the next step, I was like, yeah, I completely connect to the mission and I wanna be involved with, you know, I wanna be in charge and I wanna lead children's safety and also parents', um, uh, peace of mind.

That was very, very, um, strong mission for me, and I deeply connected immediately.

I love that so much. And so what's something that surprised you about the baby gear industry? Because I feel like even-- It's definitely geared towards, you know, late 20s, early 30s, even late 30s, honestly. Um, but there's just so much out there and so many different opinions.

What surprised you specifically about this industry?

Well, I, I was shocked with like, by, by how much baby tech actually creates unnecessary worry with ongoing constant meaningless pings and complex graphs. Like when I joined the company, the first thing I was like, oh my God, too much information, uh, f- from the get-go.

And also I think that parents today are super smart. I'm 39 and like I'm looking ri- right now on parents and it like, you know, not that long ago and, uh, for me, and I see the new parents, I'm like, oh my God, they know about everything about data privacy and they wanna know their nursery stays private and secure.

Um, and I also think that the trust is huge here. Like in this category, you cannot fake it. If a monitor doesn't deliver total peace of mind, word spreads fast. So you need to really know that your product work well and they do what they need to do.

That's so important. And I think, yeah, yeah, I li- I'm a big c- like looking at comments, looking at reviews.

I definitely go down that rabbit hole when I do try to buy a new baby gear for my kids. And so what type of questions should parents be asking when looking specifically for a good baby monitor? I know you said when something doesn't work, word spreads, right? So what are some things that they should keep in their mind when they are in, shopping for something new to put in their nursery?

Yeah. Um, I appreciate the question, and that's a good one. I think that the first thing I could do to help the listeners is try to narrow it down to maybe only three questions, uh, because there are many that you can ask, right? So , I'll try to choose , my three. So I, I think that the first one is essentially the, what I call the 3:00 AM test.

You need to ask yourself, is this hardware going to work flawlessly at 3:00 AM when you need it the most? Now, through surveys that we conducted, and that's interesting, um, we found that about one in every three parents who buys a relatively in- ex- inexpensive monitor ends up throwing it away and getting a reliable monitor down the line.

So that's an interesting one. The second question is, - Does this monitor gives me the actionable clarity or it's just going to overwhelm me with extra noise like, like I've said before? And the third one, which, which might be the most important today and might be the one decision point that parents are having, is the connection type question, right?

Do I want a rock solid hack-proof direct connection or a non-Wi-Fi in, in simple words, or am I looking for the flexibility of app access so I can check it from anywhere? And for this third question, uh, Kaile, I always tell parents that there is no single right answer, right? Like it's entirely about the family specific setup because I, I, I think that a lot of parents automatically default to, "I want an app on my phone," because that's how we control everything else in our lives.

But when you're dealing with a nursery safety, you have to look at who actually on the ground caring for the baby because if it's a grandparent or a babysitter coming in, right? Asking them to download the app, manage the user permissions, or troubleshoot a Wi-Fi network at 10:00 PM creates friction. So I think I will start with these three, th- three questions and, uh, I actually wonder what would be your questions

Yeah, no, I, that definitely spawned my memory, honestly, is we we did, we bought a cheap, , baby monitor with my first and hated it.

It was not good. Yeah, and it was the one, it was like one of those Amazon ones that y- you know, you go to the app or whatever, and my husband would download the app, and it just didn't work for us. We didn't like it. On our baby registry, , we had a more expensive one that we loved, and so yeah, you definitely hit the, hit the nail on the head with that.

I guess we liked it, and I know baby monitors can be very expensive. I've seen them upwards of like eight, $900, , especially when there's multiple setups, right? Like you have two kids who are a baby and a toddler, and you want one in the living room and all of that stuff. So why, and you know, like I mentioned earlier, we swapped our monitor to a more expensive one, a baby- a better one.

Why, in your opinion, especially with Baby Sense, is buying the more expensive models or baby monitor might be worth it in the long run, especially if this is your first kid, right? And I love talking about hacks with parenting because it's an investment in the family, right? Baby monitors don't just break after 30 days.

You know what I mean? They don't, they really stay good for a while, and so why would buying a good monitor be beneficial in the long run?

Yeah, that's a very good question, and actually a question that I kind of had to think myself for my own. And obviously today I have kind of a better perspective being the CEO of Baby Sense, but I think it is somehow betting on your sleep, right?

Mm-hmm. Like higher quality means typically rigorous testing, safety standards, uh, something you can really rely on every single night. Now, you know, like funny enough, um, we actually got some incredible news in the company this past, uh, week. Both Wire Cutter and The Bump named Baby Sense as the best local monitor for 2026.

But what really blew, blew me away was reading the reviews, right? Two different teams that tested, uh, dozens of different models both said the same thing. Both highlighted something like, "This is the monitor you can bet on working at 3:00 a.m., and it worth every single dollar." So for me, that completely validates why we're in terms of quality.

So it is definitely one of these five to 10 items where I would invest and make sure that I get A very reliable one, but I don't think you must go to the 300 or 200 and more, of course not the $500. I think that you can add up your journey with a wonderful product and super reliable under the $200. And I also think that this is where we try to be.

Uh, we wanna be accessible to everyone, to all parents

And so, yes, absolutely agree and love that. Um, what-- so for people who are listening, because I will say we, like when I mentioned with my first, we had a very cheap monitor. She was contact napping, and we co-slept very long, honestly. So we didn't really need a baby monitor, a good one in the beginning.

But for people who are in the market, right? They don't like their current baby monitor, or they were like me and baby's now six, seven months and sleeping through the night, um, what types of baby monitors are out there? You mentioned earlier with the, you know, the ones that have the app or the te- where, where you can see like the different temperature in the room, um, when baby moves.

Can you explain some of your guys' most popular baby monitors that are a little bit different and are unique to what a family needs?

Yeah. I think there are three main types or categories for baby monitors that parents could, could choose from. The first one, which is in our case, it's our legacy product, is a breathing motion monitor, which is essentially a monitors that in our case go, uh, goes under the mattress, so it's a contact-free one, but there are more options in the market, right?

And essentially what it does is to monitor the micro movements of the baby or the heart rate or the oxygen level, depends on the company, and there are a few products there. That's something very re- ensuring that allow you to understand the vital signs of a baby. Then when we're going to the video monitoring, it would typically divide between two product categories.

The first one is the local monitors, the, the same one I mentioned, the, the Wirecutter, uh, award we just won. Um, this is the one that works basically on radio connection, so it's a non-Wi-Fi. It works with an FHSS connection that gives you a rock solid video that doesn't depend on the internet. Um, essentially, people would sometimes think because it's not a smart Wi-Fi monitor, it's a dumb, uh, device, but not necessarily.

It has a great video quality. It gives you some very advanced features, and that's a great option for you if there's someone at home being with the baby and checking in from far away is, um, not something that you need. And then the third option would, must be the Wi-Fi smart monitors. Uh, in this category, you typically be able to monitor the baby also from far away using an app, so you don't have a dedicated parent, uh, display unit Um, and typically with internet comes more features, um, like, um, cry analysis or, um, face covering features or, uh, a, a kind of like a defense zone.

You can define an area. Obviously, we're thinking of products that starts with a baby when they're babies, but you know, they grow with the family. When a baby becomes a toddler and they can scroll out of a room, you can use the monitor to monitor this and alert you if, uh, they leave their safe zone. Um, yeah, I guess these are the main three groups.

Um, there are different price levels, so it would go all the way from $40 to $400, um, but many different options for every family.

You answered that perfectly. And I guess really kind of a fun question that I thought of, especially since you said that your oldest is nine, right? Um, how has baby monitors changed in the past 10 years?

Because we have a lot of listeners who had kids, you know, in their early 20s, and they, you know, have more kids. They have, like, a large age gap, and now they're in their mid-30s and they're pregnant again or have their baby, um, and things have changed, you know? Yeah. Things have changed. So what have you seen?

Yeah. I

think it's incredible. I think it's incredible to see how technology improved parents' life, right? Um, we went from, like, blurry video to- Yeah ... crisp full HD displays, uh, where you can see every single detail. I think that, um, some of, like, the innovation, uh, in this space includes the split screen mode, that now you can watch two kids in two different rooms at the same time.

Um, you know, actually for us, I know, like, for one of our, uh, models, the BabySense Pro, that is compatible to up to four cameras, what is so interesting to see is parents buying the, the two cam option, and then after a year they come and they buy the third camera, and then they come and buy the fourth camera, right?

So my recommendation also for first-time parents would be to buy the two cam option. Sometimes you would even place the two cameras in the same room, one kind of above, like a bird eye, um, like, you know, height, uh, and another one that shows, like, the wide room. So I would start with the two cameras so I have the split screen option.

Also for my second and third child, that would be my recommendation. And I think that also, um, the zero contact, uh, tech, I think that we now have non-contact movement technology under the mattress, so you don't have to use a wearable gad- gadget that touching the baby. That's also, uh, kind of new. Um, and I think that now also monitors now have the smart room climate sensors, so...

Or, uh, soothing the, the night light, so, and lullabies. So today a ba- a good baby monitor, which actually serves also as a sound and light machine. Um, yeah, that would be some of them. I can keep, I, I can go on, right? But, uh.

No, I-- This is so fun. I absolutely love talking about baby gear and baby technology 'cause it's grown so much.

Even my oldest is three and a half, and I've seen, you know, some of my favorite, um, companies that I follow, they come up with new and better things. And I love that you said that now some baby monitors have a sound machine included. Like, that's amazing. Yes. It's just a one-stop shop. It's awesome. Okay. Well, before we get ahead of ourselves, we'll take one of our last breaks, and then I wanna talk more about BabySense.

Welcome back to Newbies. We are continuing our topic. So tell us about BabySense. We've talked a lot about it. What would you say to someone who hasn't checked you guys out, right? I mean, I love that you even brought up reviews that you guys recently, you know, were told about, which is amazing.

And so what is BabySense? What exactly do you sell, and do you ship worldwide?

For me, first of all, BabySense is not a monitoring company, it's a baby safety company. Um, it's still built on the same very simple vision from day one, keeping every child safe and giving every parent the true reassurance.

Um, today, not like in the '90s, we're a team of over 100 passionate people, and we have had the privilege of protecting more than two million families around the globe. Um, yeah, beyond the US, we operate heavily across Europe, Australia, Japan, uh, where our safety technology isn't just used in homes, by the way.

It is trusted in, uh, maternity facilities, hospitals, childcare centers. So we're essentially, you know, uh, supporting parents from, from day one. Um, yeah, I'm super proud- Oh, how

awesome ...

of working in this company. For me, it's a dream come true, and, uh, every day is significant. And, you know, we keep getting like these emails once a week or so from, uh, parents, typically mo- moms, I would say, that thank us for saving the lives of, of their babies.

So what, what can I say?

I think that's so amazing. You know what's interesting too, is I've been obviously preparing to interview you. I've been doing some research, hitting all of your, um, websites, and then I'm now getting targeted ads, and I'm like, "Do I need a new baby monitor?" Like I'm getting hooked.

It's very, it's very compelling, and I love the safety aspect because for so many moms, and we have episodes on that about postpartum anxiety and, you know, sleep deprivation. And so once baby is sleeping, this could be an added safety measure to, for mom and dad to get more sleep knowing that they're safe and secure.

Um, last question really for you is, you know, I would love to, what are your some, what are, if you could recommend some of your favorite products for people to look at right now, maybe as we're almost wrapping up this episode?

Yeah. So, um, obviously I mentioned our legacy product, the non-contact- Mm-hmm ... the non, uh, contact movement monitor, which I've spoke about a lot.

And I think I also spoke about the, the full HD video monitors, uh, the non-Wi-Fi version. Um, we very recently launched the touch monitor line, which offers a smart Wi-Fi dual monitor. What I really likes about it is that it has both the seven-inch, uh, uh, touchscreen display unit, but also it connected to the app.

So essentially it allows you to move from a non-Wi-Fi to a Wi-Fi mode whenever you need. And it also allows you to monitor the kid and for your husband to monitor the babies from far away. I know he's in the Marines, so I think it's a great solution that brings the good of, uh, both world and also allow people not to compromise.

Because I do know, I'm speaking with pregnant and new, new, uh, parents all the time, and people tell me, "Hey, I just, you know, essentially I took the non-Wi-Fi, but I'm kind of regretting for it," or the opposite. So I'm happy that we're able to come with innovation and bring a solution that really makes it easy, um, makes it easy on parents, and that's essentially why we wake up in the morning and going to work.

Oh, how great. I love that, making it easier on parents, 'cause parenthood is the best, but it is oh-so hard. It really is, especially when you're in the trenches with the littles. Yay. Well, thank you so much for joining me on this episode. It was so helpful. I love it. I love talking about baby gear. I think it's so fun, honestly, and I love talking to people who are passionate, right, about babies, baby safety, um, parent safety, right?

'Cause getting low sleep is not, not safe. Um, anyway, thank you so much for joining me.

Sure. And thank you for having me. Of course. That was a pleasure.

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