I was sitting in the middle of the nursery, thinking about where to place this baby monitor. After different trials and errors, I finally found where to mount the baby monitor. Here’s what I learn in my quest to find the best place to put my video baby monitor.
First, you should always aim to mount the baby monitor to the wall. It’s safe, and it gives you the perfect bird view of your little baby nest. Placing your monitor on a shelf is also a great solution. It gives you the ability to remove it from the room and keeping it out of your kid reach. Find out more about how to safely install a monitor into a nursery.
Here are the most essential products to mount a baby monitor!
Fix your baby monitor to the wall
The safest place to install a baby monitor is on the wall. When you mount the monitor to the wall, you or your baby have less chance of knocking it down and break it.
Also, you will have a better view of the entire nursery and the crib.
To hold the baby monitor to the wall, you have different options:
Baby monitor wall mount
Many video baby monitor will come with a wall mount option. It could be built-in the monitor or an extra piece you get inside the box.
Some monitor where made to be installed on the wall. They will come with a secure and easy to use wall mounting system. Look at the nest cam for example.
Other have a more basic mounting system. It could be a simple hole in the bottom of the base. In this case, I suggest you add a double face tape to secure the monitor to the wall.
How to mount a baby monitor on the wall?
At first, you want to find the best spot to install your monitor. This spot will give you a complete bird view of the crib.
It’s also nice to see the play area, the doors, and windows. You will be able to tell if the curtains are still open or if your cat is still in the room.
In my son nursery, I have placed the baby monitor at the top of the wall. Like a security camera. I manage to tilt it down and get a good view of the entire crib, plus the play area.
Pro tips: Avoid drilling extra holes in the wall by using a ladder and try to find the best angle while holding it.
You baby monitor will need to be plugged into an electric outlet. Make sure it can reach the outlet. Using an extension cord is not recommended. They are just so tempting to play with for toddlers. They can insert toys in it or wrap it around something.
Securing all wire to the wall is essential. The loose wire is a strangulation risk. I know your baby is probably still too young to walk around and reach for, but I suggest you do it now. Many parents will wait before baby proofing the room, and they will probably forget too. Your kid safety is worth the extra effort.
To secure the wire, you can use a cord cover. It’s a hard plastic tube that you fix to the wall and run the wire inside. You can also use the same system for the cable running along the floor.
The best place to run the wire is in the corner, behind a library or a long curtain.
If you don’t like the look of a wire running along the wall, you can go the extra miles and run it inside the wall. This will definitely look better plus been safer for you kid.
Before you mount your baby monitor to the wall, you must consider the fact that after the monitor is fixed to the wall, it will be hard to take it down. This could be a problem if your baby is sleeping outside of his room. Could be while visiting friends or while on vacation. For us, it was not a problem because we add an extra pair of monitors that was available.
If you prefer not to fix it permanently to the wall here’s the other mounting option you could consider.
Check out this list of all the items you need to mount a baby monitor to the wall.
Install your baby monitor on a shelf
Placing your baby monitor on a shelf is not just convenient, it’s also safe.
It’s convenient because you don’t have to attach it to the wall or your furniture. You can move it around the nursery or take it into another room in a minute. This is a good option when you need to have access to your monitor.
You could want to change the angle of the camera, to have a better view of the crib at night or the play area during the daytime. Yes, some video monitor can move the camera remotely, but they tend to be more expensive.
Also, you probably want to buy only one monitor. This means that you will need to take it with you while visiting friends with your baby.
It’s safe because your kid can’t reach the shelf and start playing with the monitor. But, don’t place it over the crib, because the monitor could fall into the bed.
If you don’t already have one in the nursery, you have the possibility of buying a small shelf or get a shelf design for baby monitors.
Check out this list of all the items you need to mount a baby monitor
Small shelf for baby monitor
A small shelf can be found at any hardware or home decor store. You can get a cheap corner shelf at home-depot for under $10. I would recommend securing the monitor with two face tape. Or maybe using a baby monitor clip or stand.
Baby monitor shelf
Baby monitor shelf is also easy to find on Amazon, and they are cheap. They are specially designed to hold a baby monitor securely. They will also have a hole to run the wire trough. Also, most of them have a security feature to keep your monitor in place without using tape.
Place your baby monitor on the furniture
Maybe you are staying temporarily at a place for the night. Could be for vacation or a rental… anyway you can’t mount your monitor to the wall, and there’s no shelf in the room. Well, your last option is to place the monitor on a piece of furniture.
Changing table / Dresser
My first choice will be to place the monitor on the dresser, next to the crib. This is what we did at first when we got our first baby monitor.
The changing table or the dresser is high enough to have a good view of the crib through the bars.
If you place it beside the changing pad, make sure your baby can’t kick it off the dresser or start to play with it. It could be dangerous for the safety of the monitor and your baby 😉
Mount it to the baby crib
Most parents think about the crib when they first want to install a baby monitor. Most baby proofing expert will tell you not to fix a monitor to a crib. There are too many ways for it to go wrong.
First, there’s an extreme danger of having your baby reach for the monitor wire. Almost every year, families lose a child because of a wobbly cable they forgot in their baby’s room. Make sure the cable is 100% secure, and there’s no free area where your kid can put his finger around the wire.
Second, your baby could think it’s a toy and start playing with it. At best, you will have to replace the angle every night. At worst, your expensive camera monitor will get broken. Make sure the monitor is well attached and not removable. For this, you could use a baby monitor clip.
Finally, baby monitors emit a small amount of radiation. Like any other electronic device in your house. It normal. But, it’s not recommended to let your baby sleep beside a baby monitor every night. Experts don’t know what it’s doing to their growing brain. Personally, I don’t want to find it the hard way.
When installing a baby monitor to a crib, there are many precautions you must take. It’s possible to mount a monitor to a crib safely.
If you want more information on how to safely mount a baby monitor to a crib, read this article I wrote.
4 types of baby monitor holder
At first, when I heard about baby monitor holders, I was thinking that it was just another useless gadget parents are buying. I just hate to buy something and end up giving it away because I don’t use it. I also hate cluttering my home with useless stuff 😉
Here’s the different baby monitor holder you can get and why they are useful.
1. Baby monitor camera stand
Baby monitor stand will hold your monitor in place and keep your camera in the same position. Stands are perfect for mounting a baby monitor to a shelf or a flat surface (ex: dresser/changing station).
2. Flexible tripod for baby monitors
Tripods are great to hold a baby monitor to anything. Most tripods have flexible legs that can wrap around things. I even saw a mother installing a baby monitor to a curtain pole using a flexible tripod to hold to the horizontal bar.
3. Universal baby monitor mount
Universal mounts are suitable for any model of baby monitor. My favorite is the one with a flexible arm and a clip. They work great to attach a baby monitor to a surface while still be able to change the camera angle easily.
4. Baby monitor mount kit
Mount kit will look and work like a shelf. They are made to mount your baby monitor to a surface, like a wall, ceiling or even the side of a library.
Here are the most essential products to mount a baby monitor!
How close should baby monitor be?
The critical thing to do is make sure your baby monitor is located at least three feet away from the crib, bed or play area.
Install your monitor far away, and secure in the wire so your little explorer can’t play with it.
Also, make sure it is not over the crib or anywhere over your kids head.
I would advise never to place a monitor inside a crib.
We place our monitor across the nursery and with the loudest setting we could hear everything inside the bedroom.
Also, baby monitors emit signals, and those signals could be harmful to your little baby. Experts are still evaluating the risk of exposer to an electronic device for young children and the effect on the development of their brain. Personally, I don’t feel comfortable taking the risk with my kid, and I hope you do the same.
Baby monitor cord safety
As 2002, 7 kids die of strangulation because of baby monitor cords. Plus, 3 were nearly strangled. To prevent more death or injuries, baby monitor manufacturer urges parents to take the safety measure needed to secure the monitor cord.
When you install your new baby monitors, don’t neglect to secure the monitor wire. You should do it on day 1. Because you never know when your kid will be more active, start to explore his room and find it.
Here are some safety tips you must know:
Baby monitor cord cover
You can buy at the hardware store or on Amazon, plastic cover for baby monitor cords. They are the same cover they use in hospital or schools to hide the wires (example for TV).
You just stick it to the wall and run the wire inside. You can paint over, the same colors of your wall to make it blend with your decor.
Baby monitor cord clip
At first, you might think of stamping the cord to the wall or use cord clip. You should avoid clips because they are choking hazards. You kid could play with it, they could become loose and the next thing you know you are at the hospital with your kid. They are better than nothing, but if you can get the cord cover its safer.
How to hide baby monitor cord?
Cord covers are handy, but they are design friendly. The Pinterest look of your nursery could be affected by that plastic cover on the wall.
Maybe you could place the monitor or the furniture in a certain way that a library or the curtain will hide the wire.
You could run the wire inside the wall. You will have to drill one hole behind the monitor on the wall and another one at the bottom of the wall. You attach the monitor cord to a fish tape, and you slide it from top to bottom.
How to hide a baby monitor?
Having a video baby monitor could feel like a security camera. When you decor a kid room, you want to create a warm and welcoming space. Security camera creates the opposite feeling.
That’s why you could want to hide your baby monitor.
Some monitors, like a nanny cam, are video cameras hidden in plush toys. They are made to be hidden, and you only have to place them in a library or on a shelf.
You can also create your own DIY version by hiding the camera inside an object. It could be inside an artificial plant, a stuffed toy, a box of tissues or directly into a bookcase.
By making you monitor more discrete or invisible, you will be able to keep that warm and welcoming feeling in the room.
Now you know where and how to place your monitor into the nursery safely
When installing the baby monitor you want to have the best view possible of the entire nursery. Also, you want to make sure it secure and not a danger to your kid. You also have different options to blend it into the bedroom decor.
Before installing your monitor, did you check if the signal was strong enough to cover your entire home?
P.S. After trying different mounting options in my kid’s room, I found the best solutions to have a good view and secure the monitor from an accident. Here are the most essential products to mount a baby monitor!