Travelling with Your Baby Monitor: A Complete Guide

Taking a trip with your baby—whether it's a weekend away, a visit to grandparents, or an extended holiday—doesn't mean giving up the peace of mind your baby monitor provides at home. With a bit of planning, you can use your monitor effectively in hotels, holiday rentals, and when visiting family. This guide covers everything you need to know about baby monitoring on the go.

Should You Bring Your Monitor?

Before diving into the how-to, consider whether you actually need your monitor while travelling. In many situations, you might be close enough to your baby's sleeping area that a monitor isn't necessary—when staying in a hotel room, for example, you may be just metres away at all times.

Situations where bringing a monitor makes sense:

• Staying in multi-room holiday houses or cabins
• Visiting family where the baby will sleep in a different room
• Large hotel suites with separate sleeping areas
• Camping in caravans where you might be outside while baby sleeps
• Anytime you'll be more than one room away from your sleeping baby

WiFi Monitors While Travelling

WiFi monitors offer flexibility when travelling since they work wherever you have an internet connection. However, they also present unique challenges.

Using WiFi Monitors in Hotels

Many hotels offer WiFi, but connecting your baby monitor may not be straightforward:

• Captive portals: Many hotel WiFi networks require you to accept terms on a web page—something baby monitors can't do
• Network restrictions: Some hotels block IoT devices for security reasons
• Bandwidth limitations: Congested hotel WiFi may cause video lag or disconnections

Using Mobile Hotspots

An alternative to hotel WiFi is using your smartphone as a mobile hotspot:

• More reliable connection than many hotel networks
• Your familiar network that your monitor can connect to easily
• Works anywhere with mobile coverage
• Be mindful of data usage—video streaming consumes significant data

Check your mobile plan's hotspot data allowance before relying on this method for extended trips.

Dedicated Monitors for Travel

Non-WiFi monitors that operate on their own frequency (DECT or FHSS) are often simpler for travel since they don't require any network configuration.

Advantages for Travel

• Work immediately without network setup
• No dependency on WiFi availability or quality
• Typically more compact and travel-friendly
• No data usage concerns

Considerations

• Limited range may not cover larger properties
• May experience interference in locations with many electronic devices
• Need to carry the parent unit rather than using your phone

Packing Your Monitor

When travelling with your baby monitor, pack strategically:

• Carry-on for flights: Pack the monitor in your carry-on luggage to prevent damage and ensure it arrives with you
• Include all cables: Don't forget power adapters for both camera and parent unit
• Protective case: Use a small padded case or wrap the monitor in clothing to prevent damage
• Mounting supplies: Bring adhesive hooks or a portable stand for temporary mounting
• Power board: Useful when outlets are limited

Setting Up in a Temporary Location

When you arrive at your destination, setting up the monitor is your first task once the baby's sleeping area is arranged.

Quick Setup Tips

Assess the space: Identify where the baby will sleep and look for suitable camera positions. Check where power outlets are located.

Temporary mounting options:

• Adhesive hooks (Command hooks work well and remove cleanly)
• Placing the camera on existing furniture
• Portable tripods or clamp mounts
• Bookshelves or wardrobes at an angle toward the sleeping area

Test before baby sleeps: Check the view on your parent unit, test night vision, and ensure you have adequate range to wherever you'll be spending time.

Specific Travel Scenarios

Hotels

Most standard hotel rooms don't require a monitor since you're in the same room. For suites or family rooms with separate areas:

• Place the camera on the desk or TV unit facing the portacot
• Use your mobile hotspot if hotel WiFi is problematic
• Bring a dedicated monitor for simplest setup

Holiday Rentals

Vacation homes and Airbnbs often work well for baby monitors:

• Check WiFi details in advance if using a WiFi monitor
• Arrive early enough to set up and test before baby's first sleep
• Take note of distances between rooms for range considerations

Visiting Family

When staying with relatives:

• Ask about their WiFi network name and password in advance
• Check if they have baby monitoring equipment you could borrow
• Connect your monitor to their network on arrival, giving it time to set up before baby's sleep time

Camping and Caravanning

For camping trips:

• Battery-powered or rechargeable monitors are essential
• Dedicated (non-WiFi) monitors work best without reliable power or internet
• Consider range—caravan parks can have significant distances
• Protect the monitor from temperature extremes

Audio-Only Monitors for Travel

If portability is paramount, audio-only monitors offer the lightest, simplest travel option:

• Very compact and lightweight
• Long battery life
• No network setup required
• Affordable enough to keep as a dedicated travel monitor

The trade-off is losing video capability, but for short trips where you just need basic awareness of your baby, audio monitors are perfectly adequate.

When Travelling Without a Monitor

If you decide not to bring a monitor, you can still maintain awareness of your sleeping baby:

• Use smartphone apps designed to work as makeshift monitors using an old phone as a camera
• Stay within earshot whenever possible
• Take turns checking on your baby regularly
• Consider the accommodation layout when booking—adjoining rooms or suites with open layouts

Remember, generations of parents travelled successfully before baby monitors existed. While monitors add convenience and peace of mind, they're not strictly essential for safe travel with your baby.