We spent 6.3 hours reading reviews from experts and users. In summary, this is what parents think:
✅ 5 reasons to buy
+ For a lot of parents, the range was great. + Users found it easy to set up and it didn’t rely on Wi-Fi routers. + Many parents had a good experience with customer service and were able to organise exchanges or refunds if their baby monitor wasn’t working. + Parents loved that multiple cameras could be monitored and could be used to keep an eye on more than one child (though the VOX monitoring only works on one camera at a time). + Parents appreciated that it had two-way communication which let them soothe their child through the monitor if needed.
❌ 6 reasons NOT to buy
– A lot of parents found the battery life was poor. – Many parents said the image quality on the screen was not very clear, particularly on night mode. – Some parents found the user interface of the touchscreen quite cumbersome to use, especially when sleep deprived. – A few found the range to be variable, some said the range was great but others said it cut in and out, even in close proximity. – The unit beeps when out of range which some found annoying, especially in the middle of the night. – A few found the pan-tilt function would stop working occasionally.
Bottom line:
Overall, the Oricom Secure 850 was a mixed bag with parents. Multiple cameras on the one system made it suitable to keep an eye on more than one child. For most users, the range worked well, but for some, the unit kept beeping ‘out of range’ even when in close proximity. Some parents found the touch screen user interface to be quite unintuitive to use.
However, quite a few parents found the quality to be average, with units failing them requiring warranty exchanges. Video quality was also not the best.
While it’s a popular unit, there are probably other better value for money baby monitors than the Oricom SC850.
Motorised pan-tilt camera, 300 degree horizontal and 110 degree vertical movement Infrared camera for night vision Parent talk back to comfort your baby Five soothing lullabies Soft, comforting night light Temperature sensor Up to 4 cameras can be connected
Parental unit
Large 4.3″ display Digital zoom on parent unit Room temperature display and alert Digital volume control Rechargeable lithium battery included (Parent Unit) Up to 8 hr battery life (with VOX sound detection enabled)
Range
300m (approx)
Audio
Speaker/microphone for 2 way communication with parental unit
Kim is a former sales manager for a leading baby store and loves talking about all things baby. She is also mother of two little ones, Zac & Alana, who keep her on her toes in between reviewing the latest products.
