Our Verdict on the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 Baby Monitor
The Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 video baby monitor is a straightforward and affordable option for parents living in smaller houses. It isn’t the best in the wireless video category, but its large 5” monitors and wide-angle camera make it more convenient. You can also pair up to 4 cameras simultaneously, so you can keep the same system even with more than one child. The signal range and video quality are disappointing, but it’s a compelling option for the price point.
Continue reading our review of the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 for the in-depth results.
Our Rating: 8.8 / 10
Summary
We like:
- One of the widest camera in our testing.
- Also one of the largest display size.
We don’t like:
- Video quality is disappointing.
- Resolution of the large display is below average.
- Range doesn’t extend very far.
Where to buy it: Check latest price on Amazon
Alternatives:
- The Eufy SpaceView is just a little bit more expensive but comes with lullabies and a prettiest design. It’s the best Plug & Play monitor on our list at the moment (check price).
- The Nanit Plus Smart Camera if you want the best WiFi video baby monitor with high-resolution video quality and personalized smart insights to help improve your baby sleep (check price).
- The Lollipop camera if you want a budget-friendly WiFi monitor with great video quality. It’s one of our favorite monitors of the year as well (check price).
Overview: Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 Baby Monitor
Health & Safety
6/10
Privacy
9/10
Range
7/10
Audio Quality
8/10
Video Quality
7/10
Battery
9/10
Features: Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 Baby Monitor
Infrared Night Vision
YES
VOX
NO
Multiple Camera
YES
Two-Way Talk
YES
Play Lullabies
NO
Room Temperature
NO
Humidity
NO
Remote Pan and Tilt
NO
Remote Zoom
YES
Nightlight
YES
Video Recording & Snapshot
NO
Our Hands-on Review of the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 Baby Monitor
The large monitor display is what makes the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 shine. It’s not a touchscreen, but it definitely gives you a better view than most of the other brands who have standard 3.5” displays. The large display makes the 4x digital zoom function more practical as well. Unfortunately, Summer Infant kept the same resolution than smaller screens for this display (320 pixels by 240 pixels.), resulting in a below average picture quality.
By default, the camera has a large field of view than most of the other models in this category, giving you more options to play with the camera’s position in your baby’s room.
Audio and Video Quality
The audio quality with the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 is about average. While you’ll hear your baby clearly, the talkback function experienced delays and crackles during our tests. It’s similar to what we’ve experienced with other mid-range models and doesn’t seem to be caused by the distance from the camera as we were close by.
The video, however, is below average and disappointing as it doesn’t take full advantage of the large display. The picture quality of the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 tends to rapidly drop as you move away from the camera. Coupled with the low display resolution, you end up with an image that’s disappointing for a baby monitor of this price.
You can adjust the volume and brightness of your display easily. And you can completely turn off the video picture on your display when you go to bed if you want. A row of LEDs on the parent unit of the baby monitor allows you to see the sound level in your baby’s room. That way you know if your child is crying even if you’ve turned off the audio.
The camera on the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 offers infrared night vision so you can clearly see your baby even in the dark or low light. The camera will automatically switch to night mode if the light is too dim in your baby’s room.
Signal Strength
The range on the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 is slightly below average. The baby monitor uses a wireless 2.4 GHz FHSS signal that can reach up to 600 feet / 180 meters outside, but realistically 70 feet / 20 meters inside with up to four walls separating you from your baby. Depending on your house’s layout, you might struggle with the signal quality in some rooms.
Battery Life
In our testing, the battery life on the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 was one of the best, probably because it offers fewer bells and whistles. It’s plenty enough to be used unplugged during nap time and when your baby goes to bed in the evening until you go to sleep. So about nine to ten hours in total with the screen on. You can bump that up to 12 hours with the screen on standby. You will need to plug it at night to recharge while you sleep however as the battery takes about 6 hours of charging to be full. Your monitor will start beeping when its battery is almost spent.
Two-Way Communication
The Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 has an option to talk to your baby through the camera’s speaker if you want. The two-way talk function can easily be accessed by pressing and holding the microphone button on the parent monitor. The sound only goes to the camera that is currently selected, so don’t risk waking up your child in the other room.
Expandable with Up To 4 Cameras
You can easily pair up to four cameras with the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0. It’s ideal for families with multiple children. The add-on cameras are sold separately (you can buy them here on Amazon). The add-on cameras are exactly identical to the one that comes bundle with the parent unit.
Trading Features for Simplicity
The Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 is one of the easiest baby monitors to use. It will take you just a few minutes to set it up, the monitor should automatically recognize the camera and you’ll be good to go.
The monitor itself is straightforward: on/off, nightlight, zoom, volume, and a menu button. The menu itself is very easy to use. The Trade-off is that you don’t have some of the advanced features that the competition offers, such as pan and tilt, room temperature, or playing lullabies through the camera unit.
Security: Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 Hacking
Because the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 uses an encrypted FHSS radio signal, risks of hacking and security breach are minimal. It’s impossible for someone to hack into the Summer Infant via your WiFi connection, they would need to be within signal range. They would also need to be able to decrypt the secured signal.
Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 Health and Safety
The Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 camera connects to its parent unit through a wireless 2.4 GHz FHSS connection. It means that an electromagnetic field (EMF) will be constantly emitted from the camera to the monitor in order for you to receive an audio and video feed. We recommend that you read our article on electromagnetic field if you want to understand what it means in terms of health and safety for your baby.
In our testing, the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 camera produced an average EMF reading of 2.54 mG when placed 6 foot / 1.8 meters away from our baby’s bed. This is the minimum approximate distance for most baby monitor cameras. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you limit your exposure to 0.5 mG to 2.5 mG at a time, so this is very close to the range’s limit. The further you place the camera away from your baby, the less EMF they will be exposed to.
Note that the parent monitor also emits EMFs. When placed at 3 foot / 1 meter from you, it will produce an average of 2.52 mG. Most parent will sleep with the unit on their bedside table, but we recommend you move it further away.
Summer Infant Wide View 2.0: Most Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: Can I talk to my baby through the device?
Answer: Yes. You just need to press and hold the microphone button on the monitor while talking to speak through the device in your baby’s room.
- Question: Can I see more than one camera at a time?
Answer: No. While you can add up to four cameras to one parent unit, you will be able to see only one camera at a time. The Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 does not have a split screen mode.
- Question: What are the lights on top of the Summer Infant display?
Answer: The green single light means that the monitor and camera are turned on. It will turn red when the battery is nearly empty. There is the light bar next to it that goes from orange to red to help you see if there is noise coming from your baby’s bedroom when you’ve turned off the volume.
- Question: Can I hear the audio from all the cameras at the same time?
Answer: No. You can only hear the audio from one camera at a time. But you can easily switch the camera from your monitor or use the auto switch option to automatically rotate from one camera to the next.
- Question: Does the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 have an iPhone App?
Answer: No. The Wide View 2.0 is not a WiFi baby monitor, so you will need the parent unit to see and hear your baby. Have a look at our review of the best WiFi baby monitors if you want to be able to pair it with your iPhone or Android phone.
- Question: Can it be voice-activated?
Answer: No. The Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 does not has a VOX mode.
- Question: Can I speak to only one camera at a time?
Answer: Yes. When you use the two-way communication feature, your voice only goes to the camera that is currently selected.
- Question: Can the Wide View 2.0 baby monitor cameras be purchased separately?
Answer: Yes. You can use up to four cameras in total with your parent monitor. You can purchase the additional add-on cameras sold separately on Amazon.
- Question: Can I pair one camera with two receivers?
Answer: No. You can pair up to four cameras with one receiver, but not the other way around.
- Question: What is the Summer Infant baby monitor warranty?
Answer: The Wide View 2.0 comes with a standard one year warranty. We recommend you contact Summer Infant if you experience any issue with your model after purchase. You can call them during normal office hours or email their customer support team. Their response time was relatively quick and comprehensive.
- Question: What is Summer Infant’s customer service number?
Answer: If you’re calling from the US, you can contact Summer Infant by phone: 401-671-6551. You can also email their support team from anywhere in the world at [email protected]. Their email support center should get back to you within 24 hours.
Summer Infant Wide View 2.0: What’s in the box
Wondering what’s in the box? Here’s everything that will be included in the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 package:
- 1 x Parent monitor unit
- 1 x Baby camera unit
- 1 x Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack
- 2 x Power adapters
- 1 x Wall Mount Kit with Cord Security Clips
Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 User Manual
You can download the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 baby monitor user manual from here.
Other Summer Infant baby monitors models
- Summer Infant PANORAMA: a more expensive option from the same brand that comes with room temperature and remote pan and tilt functionality.
- Summer Infant In View Digital Color Video Baby Monitor: the older version of the Wide View 2.0. It looks a bit dated and has less features. We don’t recommend it at its current price.
Alternative Options
- The Eufy SpaceView is just a little bit more expensive but comes with lullabies and a prettiest design. It’s the best Plug & Play monitor on our list at the moment (check price).
- The Nanit Plus Smart Camera if you want the best WiFi video baby monitor with high-resolution video quality and personalized smart insights to help improve your baby sleep (check price).
- The Lollipop camera if you want a budget-friendly WiFi monitor with great video quality. It’s one of our favorite monitors of the year as well (check price).
Samantha is a busy mother of four, who loves finding the best products to help in raising children. She graduated from BYU in Marriage and Family Studies. When she isn’t writing or testing new products, you can find her playing board games with her kids and teaching them creative strategies.
