This $99 video baby monitor has a voice-activation feature that even the pricey smart monitors don't

• With a parent unit or Wi-Fi access, the VTech RM5754 offers a long list of features for a video baby monitor that costs just $99.
• The baby monitor offers night vision, app support, a physical monitor, and other common features, but it also has a special feature that even more expensive monitors don't always offer.
• VOX, or voice activation, eliminates listening to static and white noise, and it's my favorite feature on VTech's monitor.
• Like most budget video baby monitors, the audio and picture quality isn't the best, but it's good enough in most cases.

My 1-year-old sleeps best to the Disney "Frozen" soundtrack. The problem is, there's only so much "Let It Go" streaming through a baby monitor that a parent can take. VOX, or voice activation, is a feature common in audio-only baby monitors. It only plays audio when the noise level in the room increases, drowning out the background noise. The problem is, few video monitors offer the feature, but the VTech RM5754 does.

Even though it retails for $99, the VTech video monitor includes several features that are difficult to find on budget models. While the picture and sound quality are what I expected from a budget option, the peace and quiet of VOX, motion and temperature alerts, and smartphone compatibility made the VTech one of my favorite budget monitors after testing nine different monitors.

I received an editorial review unit of the VTech RM5754 monitor and tested it for about a month with my 1-year-old. While the $99 monitor didn't impress quite like the expensive smart monitors I tested, the list of features pushed the VTech to the top of the list of budget-friendly options.

Design and specs

• 1080p HD camera with night vision
• Wide-angle, 110-degree lens
• Parent unit with a 5-inch screen
• Optional Wi-Fi (iOS and Android)
• VOX
• Motion alerts
• Temperature alerts
• Built-in white noise machine
• Two-way talk
• Night light with auto-on option
• 650-foot maximum range

What it's like to use

The VTech RM5754 is simple to use — I just plugged the camera in, charged the parent unit, and was up and running in minutes. The monitor is so quick to set up that I even brought it along for naps at grandma's house.

Wi-Fi only apps have logistical issues like granting the babysitter access, while traditional monitors with parent units have more limited reach. The VTech balances out those cons by including both options within one system.

The app wasn't quite as straightforward to use. Like any Wi-Fi monitor, there are a few more steps to get it connected.

I preferred the parent unit, which also has the VOX feature and a better audio experience. But the app is an option for getting alerts, taking a video or photo remotely, and checking in past the range of the parent unit.

But one of my favorite parts of this video monitor is that it has VOX. The feature can be set to activate both the audio and the monitor when sound is detected or to keep the monitor on continuously. Unfortunately, the option is hidden inside the menu and goes unmentioned in the user manual. I used the monitor for two weeks before realizing the feature was even there.

What makes it stand out

The VTech RM5754 has a surprising number of extras for a budget monitor. Motion alerts will send a smartphone notification or beep on the parent unit if the baby starts to stir, a feature normally reserved for smart monitors. Built-in thermometers are easy to find, but temperature alerts are not. The VTech even doubles as a white noise machine, with options for lullabies, white noise, or nature sounds.

But perhaps one of the best features of the VTech is that, despite all of that, it's still a very affordable monitor. A majority of video monitors that cost less than $100 are not from name brands. Well-known companies are more likely to quickly correct any security vulnerabilities, Deral Heiland, IoT Research Lead for cybersecurity company Rapid7, told Insider Reviews, while small or unknown companies may not even release security patches at all.

The cons

One of the biggest downsides of this VTech monitor is that the audio has quite a bit of static. With the VOX, it's not a huge issue because I only hear the static if there is sound in the baby's room. The VOX, however, isn't available on the app and I couldn't stand to listen to the static and constant, clock-like ticking noise from my phone.

While the video quality is good enough to see whether or not the baby is sleeping, motion is a blur. Especially with the night vision, my son looked rather ghost-like when he was moving around. The camera also lacks a remote pan and tilt to see around the room or adjust the position of the camera without going into the nursery.

The VTech app also performed poorly on an older device. The app regularly crashed when I tried to adjust certain settings on my iPhone 7, but after I updated my phone, I no longer experienced those crashes.

Connectivity with the parent unit was also a bit inconsistent. I walked to the farthest point in my 1.5-acre yard without dropping the connection, but got random weak signal messages in the house, including when powering up. Once that happens, I have to get within a few feet of the camera to activate the connection again, which could be problematic for reconnecting while the baby is sleeping.

The bottom line

The VTech RM5754 isn't perfect, but it's the most full-featured budget video monitor that I've tried yet out of nearly a dozen options. The audio quality has some static, but VOX makes that flaw forgivable. Wi-Fi allows for access away from home, as well as features that traditional video monitors don't offer.

I found the Vava video monitor a bit more reliable, with better audio, more detailed video, and remote pan and tilt, but it's more expensive and lacks my favorite feature, VOX. Few $100 monitors have the list of features that the VTech RM5754 monitor offers, making it a worthwhile option for budget nurseries.

Pros: VOX, optional Wi-Fi and app, sound, movement and temperature alerts, affordable

Cons: Occasional dropped connections, some static in audio, app doesn't run well on older devices, lacks remote pan and tilt