VTech vs Infant Optics: two cots or one monitor that lasts
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Our verdict, if you don’t read another word: in the VTech vs Infant Optics choice, buy the Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO for one child and a monitor that lasts, and buy the VTech if you have two cots in one room and want a camera on each. We use both. The Infant Optics is our 5 out of 5. The VTech is our 4, and it is the one we bought specifically for two children sharing a room.
One note on scope. We cover baby monitors as gear. A monitor is a convenience device and not a safety one. Anything touching safe sleep, or two children sharing a room, is a question for the AAP and the CPSC rather than a blog.
The quick verdict
The Infant Optics is the better monitor. The VTech solves a specific problem better. That is the whole comparison in two sentences.
Buy the Infant Optics if you have one child or one cot to watch, if you want a monitor with no WiFi at all, or if you want it to keep working for years. Buy the VTech if two children share a room and you want to see both at once on one screen, or if you want the option of phone access later.
The one difference that decides it: one camera or two
The Infant Optics is one camera that pans, tilts and zooms from the handset. To check a second cot, you swing the camera across. It works, but you are choosing which child to look at.
The VTech runs two cameras side by side on one 5.5 inch parent unit. With one camera over each cot, you see which child is awake at a glance without touching anything. That is why we bought it, and it replaced a second handset and a second charger on the nightstand.
One catch on the VTech: on split screen you see both cameras but hear only the one you have selected, and you switch by hand. In a shared room that matters less, because both cameras are listening to the same room.
Side by side
| Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO | VTech WiFi Baby Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 5 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| Connection | No WiFi, FHSS | WiFi and FHSS, works without WiFi |
| Cameras on screen | One, pan, tilt and zoom | Two, side by side |
| Screen | 5 in | 5.5 in |
| Resolution | 720p | 1080p |
| Zoom | Optical zoom lens | Digital, the best we own |
| Noise reduction | Yes | No |
| Battery | User-replaceable, like new after 2 years | 5000 mAh, an evening unit |
| Biggest annoyance | The smallest screen of our monitors | Kickstand tips over, loud lullabies |
Our ratings are a judgment about living with each one, not a score added up from this table.
Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO: the better monitor
A dedicated monitor with no WiFi, no app and no account: a dome camera with an aluminium lens hood and a 5 inch handheld screen. The standard and optical zoom lenses swap in seconds, the noise reduction filters out fans and air conditioning, and the parent unit’s battery is user-replaceable.
What we like
- No WiFi, no app and no account
- Optical zoom lens in the box, swapped in seconds
- Noise reduction that filters out fans and air conditioning
- User-replaceable battery, still like new after two years
What we don't
- One camera, so two cots means panning between them
- A 5 inch screen, the smallest of our monitors
- No room temperature readout
The full review is our Infant Optics baby monitor review.
VTech: the one for two cots
A 5.5 inch parent unit running two cameras side by side, at 1080p with starlight night vision, two-way audio, soothing sounds, sound detection, and motion and audio alerts. It has both WiFi and its own FHSS link, so it works fully without WiFi, and the app is an option rather than a requirement. It carries a 5000 mAh battery and is an evening unit that lives on a charger overnight.
What we like
- Two cameras side by side on one screen, ideal for two cots
- The sharpest picture we own at 1080p, and the best digital zoom
- Works fully without WiFi, with the app as an option
- Quick to set up, and range holds around the house
What we don't
- Split screen plays sound from one camera at a time, switched by hand
- The off-centre kickstand makes the large parent unit tip over
- Lullabies come back through the handset far too loud
The full review is our VTech baby monitor review.
Which one fits your house
If you have one child in one room, buy the Infant Optics. You do not need a second camera, and you get the noise reduction, optical zoom and replaceable battery that make it our top pick.
If two children share a room, buy the VTech. Seeing both cots at once beats swinging one camera between them, and that is the job we bought it for.
If you never want a camera on your WiFi, buy the Infant Optics, which has no WiFi at all. The VTech works without WiFi too, but the option is there.
If you think you might want phone access later, buy the VTech. You can run it offline now and connect it when you need to.
If you want the sharpest picture, the VTech is 1080p against 720p. If you want detail when you zoom, the Infant Optics’ optical lens holds up better than digital zoom.
The bottom line
The Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO is the better monitor, our 5 out of 5, with no WiFi, optical zoom, noise reduction and a battery that outlasts the usual sealed cell. The VTech is our 4 and the right buy for two cots in one room, with two cameras on one screen and the sharpest picture we own, held back by a wobbly stand, single-camera audio on split screen and lullabies that are far too loud. For another two-camera option, see HelloBaby vs VTech, and for the no-WiFi monitors we own, the best non-WiFi baby monitors.
Frequently asked questions
Is the VTech or the Infant Optics baby monitor better?
We rate the Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO 5 out of 5 and the VTech 4. The Infant Optics is the better monitor overall, with no WiFi, an optical zoom lens, noise reduction and a battery you can replace. The VTech is the better choice for two cots in one room, because it shows two cameras side by side on one screen, and it has the sharpest picture we own at 1080p.
Does the VTech work without WiFi like the Infant Optics?
Yes. The VTech has WiFi, but its cameras also talk to the parent unit over their own FHSS link, so it works fully without ever joining your network. We have never connected ours. The Infant Optics has no WiFi at all, so there is no option to connect it.
Which is better for two babies in one room?
The VTech. It shows a camera over each cot side by side on one 5.5 inch screen, so you can see at a glance which child is awake. The Infant Optics is one camera that pans, tilts and zooms from the handset, so you swing between cots instead of seeing both. On the VTech's split screen you hear only one camera at a time, and switch by hand.
Which has the better picture?
The VTech is sharper at 1080p and has the best digital zoom we own. The Infant Optics is 720p, but its optical zoom lens holds detail when you zoom in, where digital zoom crops. On a 5 inch and 5.5 inch screen read from across a room, both are clear.