If you’re like a lot of parents, you’ll be using your baby monitor almost every day. Baby monitors today are decked out with more bells and whistles than some cell phones, so it’s important to have a clear idea of what you need and don’t need before you even enter a store or go online with the intent to purchase.

The basic purpose of a baby monitor is alert you when your baby is fussing when she is in another room. A no-frills monitor will allow you to control the speaker volume so that you hear it in another room. The best baby monitor for a larger home will be portable, giving you the option to use batteries and move from room to room.

Once you are sure that the basic functions are present, you can start considering which additional features will constitute the best baby monitor for you. A good thing to consider if you live in a crowded neighborhood is a monitor that offers several signal channels and a high frequency to avoid interference. Two-way monitors allow your baby to hear you as well, which you may or may not want. Video monitors allow you to see as well as hear your baby, so you can check to see if your baby is in danger without having to open the door and interrupt a nap. The higher tech baby monitors can even be programmed to ring your cell phone at the sound of your baby’s cries.