How good is the audio?
The Babymoov Yoo-Moov delivered excellent, interference-free sound quality at a sensible volume during testing. There are six different sound levels that you can change by going through the menu, however our testers noted that they would have preferred a dedicated volume button to make the sound easier to adjust, as on the BT Smart Baby Monitor.
The talk-back audio was also clear both ways, which meant that they were able to chat to their eight-month-old baby remotely and settle her successfully on several occasions without actually needing to go to her cot.
One thing the Babymoov Yoo-Moov monitor is missing, though, is a sound indicator, which may be off-putting for parents who think they would rely on visual alerts to be able to detect sound while watching a movie or listening to music with headphones on. If you’re hard of hearing, you may find a monitor with a visual sound indicator, such as the comparably-priced Summer Infant Baby Pixel baby monitor, more suitable for your needs.
That said, the Yoo-Moov does use voice-activated alerts (VOX), a technology that has two benefits: one is to alert parents if their baby makes a sound and the second is to help preserve battery life.
When your child is asleep, VOX in the Yoo-Moov will send the parent unit into sleep mode but keep the microphone active. This means that the monitor will then turn itself back on when it detects sound from your child, which can be very reassuring for parents who don't want to have to stand with their ears glued to the parent device.
There are three VOX sensitivity levels on the Yoo-Moov, which gives parents the choice to decide whether they want the monitor to come on if their baby makes a loud, moderate or slight noise.
How about the signal?
As with the other Babymoov monitor we tested, the Babymoov Premium Care (also a 2020 Mumsnet Best winner), Rachel and Bobby were impressed with the Yoo-Moov's signal strength which remained strong throughout the house and into the garden without seeming to be affected by either walls or ceilings.
This is good news as, while the Yoo-Moov does boast a 300-metre range in open spaces, Babymoov advise that you actually divide this number by three in order to gauge a realistic prediction. This basically means that you're looking at a range of about 100 metres if you're using the device in an average-sized two-storey family home.
If you do stray out of range, the out-of-range alarm will beep to let you know.
How long does the battery last?
Bobby timed how long the parent unit's battery took to run out of charge, and found that the Yoo-Moov lasted between six and seven hours.
It lasted longer than some of the other video baby monitors we tested, such as the Summer Infant Baby Pixel (which didn’t quite last five hours) and, for many babies, six to seven hours is probably enough to get you through the night.
Of course, you can use the VOX function to preserve some of the battery life (there is, unfortunately, no dedicated power-saving mode) or leave the parent unit plugged in at the mains overnight, but many parents will find the latter far from ideal.
When the battery is low and the parent unit needs recharging, the battery level indictor will flash red. Orange will indicate an empty battery. Once recharged, a green LED light will show.
How does it look?
Our testers liked the compact parent unit with its teal buttons and simple design. The large camera may not be to everyone's taste though, and Rachel and Bobby felt it didn't look particularly at home in their baby's nursery, especially when compared with other devices they tested, such as the more subtle BT Smart Baby Monitor.
That said, their baby wasn’t at all perturbed by its presence.
What’s the Babymoov Yoo-Moov like to use day-to-day?
Rachel and Bobby liked the clear and responsive menu interface, but found the volume controls a little difficult to access and to navigate with the controls.
Of course, it’s the 360-degree camera that's the main draw though. Our testers found this very easy to move and control, and thought it would be simple for anyone to get the hang of, even those unfamiliar with using techy kit at home.
The silent, motorised technology with pan, zoom and tilt functionality worked as promised giving a 360-degree view of the cot without waking the baby up. The remote control function, with the parent unit used as the controller, was our tester, Bobby's, favourite feature as it was fun and easy to use. However, he felt that it wasn't really necessary day-to-day family life and, overall, would have preferred this monitor to have had a smaller camera.
Picture quality was strong close up, but became a little blurry when the parent unit was further away in range. The night vision mode was clear enough for our testers to see their daughter's face in the dark, but less sharp than on the Summer Infant Baby Pixel (Mumsnet's Best Video Baby Monitor 2020). Brightness levels can also be altered if necessary.
All in all, Rachel and Bobby enjoyed using the Yoo-Moov at home as the parent unit is compact and easy to carry around. Although the USB charging makes the monitor travel-friendly, the size of the camera makes it difficult to pack in a suitcase, along with all the other essentials needed for newborns and toddlers.
Are there any extra features?
We were impressed by the Babymoov's range of extra features and felt it offered enough to justify the price. It includes five lullabies and a temperature indicator, which means that parents won't need to splash out on a separate nursery thermometer to make sure that their baby sleeps safely and soundly.
There are also multi-coloured changing nightlights that appear on the base of the camera. These rotate through seven different colours which Rachel and Bobby's baby enjoyed looking at and seemed to find relaxing. Their toddler, on the other hand, found these much more distracting than sleep-inducing.
For parents with more than one child, the Babymoov Yoo-Moov can be used with up to four cameras. We didn’t try out linking an extra camera to the parent unit as we weren't sent a sample, but it’s a handy feature if ever you need to monitor multiple rooms.