By Ashley King

Parents with very little time on their hands have found baby monitors extremely useful. These devices give mothers and fathers some freedom of mobility since they don't have to be with the little one all the time to ensure his or her safety. The trouble is that there are such a number of baby monitors of various kinds on the market, that it's hard to choose one which best suits parents, especially new ones.

Here are a few qualities that you should look for in a good monitoring device, whether you choose audio, video, digital, or analog.

1. You should ensure that sound is perfectly clear, with minimal static or disturbance. This is the basic factor that will help you keep - well, not an eye, but an ear! - on your child's activities. Reception should be of the best quality.

2. One way in which you can keep an eye on your child while you are working is to have a baby monitor that comes with a compact and portable receiver that can be comfortably carried around. Many modern baby monitors are equipped with ultra small receivers.

3. Another useful feature of a baby monitor is a clip you can attach to your belt, making it easy to carry the monitor around conveniently. If this is your intention, test it properly to make sure the reception is good everywhere in the house and that the device can handle rough usage every day.

4. A light alarm that activates whenever it picks up sound is another useful feature for those times when you might be preoccupied with loud noises such as the sound of the television or vacuum.

5. A low battery indicator will warn you in plenty of time before the battery runs out. If the battery on your receiver is dead and you don't notice, you'll have a sense of false security, and your child could be in danger.

6. Choose the right range or bandwidth for your needs. If you have a large house, then you'll need a wider range. A smaller house or apartment might not need as much range especially if you live in an area where there could be a lot of interference such as cell phones and other monitors that could disrupt the signals.

7. Are you considering a wireless monitor? You should know that you might have problems with the signal of such a device. If the people you live next door to own a device like yours, there may be interference - you may even hear what is going on in their baby's room! Your signal may also get disturbed by cordless phones, so go in for a model with anti-disturbance features or extra security during use.

8. The combination of sound and visual monitoring in a video baby monitor is also possible nowadays due to technological innovations. However, even though the video option does seem like a great idea, it isn't possible or practical to sit and stare at the screen constantly. Consequently, excellent sound quality should not be sacrificed for supplementary features.

As far as baby monitors are concerned, the most expensive one is not necessarily the most useful. Go for a baby monitor that is durable and strong enough for daily use, and, most importantly, the baby monitor should have all the requirements you want to ensure your child's safety.