The 7 best baby monitors without WiFi for dads

Monitoring our children while they sleep (or don’t sleep) is nothing new. The first baby monitors were invented in the 1930s, inspired by the Lindbergh kidnapping case. With many of these products, I have to say, technology doesn’t seem to have advanced much since then. The Infant Optics DXR-8, which we use for both my five-year-old and my one-year-old, has images that look like they were filmed with a potato—and it’s still considered one of the best optical devices in its class. It also has the battery life of one of those insects that live half an afternoon in late August before they mate and die. Still, the DXR-8 serves its purpose. Both of my children are alive and well, blissfully unaware that Mom and Dad are treating them like Big Brother while we sit on the couch watching old episodes of Top chef.

Baby monitors without WiFi come in a wide range of prices, quality and usage options. Some parents I know still use the walkie-talkie-like, audio-only baby monitors that my own parents used in the 1980s, while others use high-tech versions that are incredibly advanced. The model you choose will suit your lifestyle—and of course, your overall parental anxiety. Here are some of the best baby monitors without WiFi available.

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