HelloBaby HB180 Review

HelloBaby doesn't have much information about the company on its website. What we can say is they haven't been on the scene for long, and other monitors we've tested in the past have scored about average.

Performance Comparison

Sound Clarity

The real issue with the HB180 is that it doesn't offer the best sound. Given that a sound monitor's main job is to provide clear and consistent sound, this sub-par performance is disappointing to us. With one of the lowest scores in the group, this makes it a monitor we don't love.

The sound has some static that comes through, and there is chronic white noise despite the sound activation feature, it claims. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep when there is any kind of background noise, then this is likely not the monitor for you.

Ease of Use

The HB180 is easyto use. The user interface on both units are simple and straightforward, with icon-labeled buttons. While there is some menu diving on the parent unit with multiple button pushes for certain features, the main features you'll most likely use in the middle of the night are easy to find.

The setup of this monitor is easy, and the parent and baby unit come paired.

Range

The range is one area where the HB180 excels. With one of the best test results in the group for range at 7 walls and over 170 ft. This is an ample distance likely suitable for most homes. If you need more distance than this, you'll likely need a WiFi video monitor instead.

Battery Life

The parent unit on the HB180 is AAA batteries. It is one of the few that aren't rechargeable, and we think you should consider this carefully moving forward in your selection. Because at least a portion of your day will be spent using this unit away from an outlet, the batteries could frequently die, seriously increasing the lifetime cost of this monitor over other similarly priced units. In our tests, it only lasted 13 hours. This means every 5-6 days, you could be potentially changing batteries if you don't keep it plugged in during nap times. The manufacturer claims an 18-hour run time, but ours started beeping low battery at 5 hours and quit at 13.

Features

The HB180 has more features than we would have suspected, given the straightforward user interface with few buttons.

This monitor has the following features:

• Temperature sensor
• Nigh light
• Lullabies
• Talk to baby
• Sound activation

EMF

Some parents have concerns about the level of EMF emitted by products around their babies. While there is no definitive study on the impact of chronic low-level EMF on developing systems, there have been indications and other related studies that indicate a potential for impact. To err on the side of caution, we recommend choosing the option that meets your needs andhas the lowest levels of EMF. The HB180 EMF is about 0.43 V/m on average at a distance of 6 ft from the baby unit.

To further decrease your little one's exposure to EMF, you can turn the monitor off when you aren't using it, and you can put it as far from the baby as possible to still be useful. With sound monitors, this could easily be across the room from the crib.

Should You Buy the HB180?

We think there are better options in this lineup of sound monitors. In short, there are two award winners with similar prices and better performance in most metrics. Alternatively, for the price, we've tested impressive video monitors with better or similar sound. These factors make the HB180 feel disappointing compared to competitors, which is why we don't think it should be anyone's first choice.

What Other Sound Monitor Should You Consider?