Leapfrog LF2936FHD Baby Monitor review: "Good signal, great video!"

Price on writing: £230

Read next: Find out how the Leapfrog compares with more of the best baby monitors in our fully reviewed guide

How we tested the Leapfrog LF2936FHD Baby Monitor

Dad-of-two Phil put the Leapfrog LF2936FHD Monitor through its paces over a rigorous testing period of four weeks with his three-month-old baby. During this time Phil used the monitor as a means of keeping an eye on the baby while his wife slept in the same room so that he'd be able to intervene if baby stirred without waking mum. The monitor was also extensively reviewed by another parent-tester, Bethan, who tested it with her one-year-old to monitor sleep during naps and overnight.

-Parent-tester Phil

How easy is the Leapfrog LF2936FHD to set up for first time use?

According to Phil, the monitor was "fairly easy to set up, the connection between the camera and the screen is linked automatically, so that works straight out the box."

-Parent-tester Phil

-Parent-tester Bethan

Related: Read more parent-tested reviews with our guides to the best cribs, travel cots and cot beds

What are the instructions like?

"Instructions come in a booklet - they’re clear and simple for setup. They’re also necessary though for settings after setup. Most of the settings are managed through the monitor touchscreen, with options identified with symbols that aren’t always intuitive. [I would prefer to] have a space with some text for a title to flash up when you move around." -Parent-tester Phil

What is the Leapfrog LF2936FHD like to use day-to-day?

Bethan was impressed with the multi-talented nature of the monitor, which includes pan, tilt and zoom, a touch screen display, white noise and two-way talk among other things.

According to Phil, there are "a lot of settings" when it comes to using the monitor on a day to day basis, which can become a little complicated. He added: "The camera connects automatically to the touchscreen parent unit, but can also be connected to a mobile app through Wi-Fi, which enables you to view and control the monitor from your phone."

He added that the touchscreen unit also allows for two-way talk back through the monitor. The monitor is sound and movement-sensitive and can be adjusted for sensitivity (though Phil added it "couldn't distinguish between baby moving and a cat creeping under the cot!")

Read next: Make bedtime more peaceful with the best white noise machines, blackout blinds and night lights

How does the monitor look?

With a nightlight built into the base of the camera, the LeapFrog LF2936FHD offers a sleek, smart design. "It's a nice clean look," said Phil, "but if you're looking for a camera that doesn't look like a camera, this isn't it!"

How sturdy is the LF2936FHD Monitor?

Due to the need to move the baby's cot around at night, Phil found that he hasn't had to use the included wall bracket, and the family are using their own stand for the LeapFrog monitor.

-Parent-tester Phil

Related: Find more baby bed essentials with the best Moses baskets, swaddles, cot mattresses and mattress protectors

How is the video quality on the LeapFrog LF2936FHD?

Designed to offer 1080p Full HD colour and colour night vision to boot, the LF2936 is right up there with the top-notch baby monitors when it comes to video quality. Phil said, "It's very clear and definitely better than the previous average baby monitor we had before - you wouldn't need more."

-Parent-tester Phil

Bethan added that the picture quality was "really good" and that all the features were "awesome."

What is the audio quality on the LeapFrog LF2936FHD?

Said Phil: "The audio is fine. It's not really stand-out but you can hear and understand speech in the room easily. Given we’re basically just listening for crying or rustling, it’s fine with that. The microphones are almost too sensitive sometimes - it can pick up sound from other rooms (e.g. it’s picked up feedback from the monitor screen itself, which is a bit silly!)"

Whats the signal strength like?

Many Mumsnetters are concerned about the risks of using WiFi-dependent baby monitors, both from a cyber security perspective and worries about the router going down. One of the unique selling points of the LF2936FHD is that Wi-Fi is an optional feature, which, for Bethan in particular, was a benefit in all ways except when it came to signal strength. As Bethan's house is relatively long, she found that without WiFi it struggled to reach between her baby's room at one end to her living room downstairs and at the opposite end of the house. Connected to WiFi, however, the monitor's signal strength was much improved and she found it could be used anywhere in the house.

What stands out about the LeapFrog LF2936FHD Baby Monitor?

Read next: Is your baby ready to move on from their cot? Discover the best toddler bed, toddler bed guards and bunk beds, tried, tested and loved by parents

How is the range on the LeapFrog LF2936FHD Baby Monitor?

The monitor purports to have a signal range of up to 300m. Phil said that while the Wi-Fi connection obviously depends on the signal strength of the Wi-Fi, he's tested the direct connection between the camera and parent unit by taking the later out of the house and walking down the street with it.

"It cuts out at around 50m, but that's obviously going through several walls, etc. I could believe the range of 300m so long as it's within clear line of sight."

Does the LeapFrog LF2936FHD represent good value for money?

At £230, the LeapFrog LF2936FHD very much occupies the middle ground of baby monitor pricing, particularly compared with the more budget options from sister brand V-tech and the premium Nanit Pro and Owlet monitors. Phil said that while the LeapFrog "isn't a lot more expensive than comparable alternatives" he wasn't blown away by its value for money.

Related: The best bed sheets, mattresses for kids and best mattresses according to Mumsnetters

Overall verdict

While Phil was overall quiet pleased with the performance and quality of the LeapFrog LF2936FHD Baby Monitor, particularly its "really simple set up and great connection" and "good signal and great video," he did have a few gripes which prevented him from giving a five star review.

"The menu system for the settings on the touchscreen is not very easy to understand or user friendly. And the notifications sent to the screen by the movement sensor are quite irritating as they appear as a pop-up notification banner which always seems to obstruct the view of the baby's face, so you have to wait for the message to clear before you can see if they're moving because they're awake or just shuffling around."

Overall, Bethan was very impressed with the monitor and said that the video quality was a huge improvement on her previous monitor (priced at around £80). The only fault she could find with the monitor was its signal strength when WiFi was disabled.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet Baby & Child product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing – this includes recommendations from the Mumsnet Talk boards. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage,

About the author

Jenny Wonnacott is a Content Editor for Mumsnet, specialising in writing, editing and optimising pregnancy, baby care and general parenting-related content. As a parent of three primary school-aged children, Jenny is passionate about making Mumsetters' lives easier through rigorous research of all items recommended in reviews, features buyers' guides.