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If you are looking for a baby monitor and you are stuck in choosing between Infant Optics DXR-8 and Summer Infant, help comes. Here you will find all the necessary information and a fair comparison between these video baby monitors. See in detail all the similarities and differences of the DXR-8 vs Lookout Duo, the two most popular models of Infant Optics and Summer Infant.
Baby monitors give parents a sense of security and a peace of mind when it comes to their baby’s safety. However, buying a baby monitor is overwhelming, and sometimes intimidating, due to the sheer number of choices you can pick from. Some parents choose to buy audio-only baby monitors due to it being inexpensive. But some parents need more than just audio from their baby’s room. That is where video baby monitors come in. These kinds of monitors pair a camera and a display so you can see how your child is doing from the other room.
Sound alone does not guarantee that your child is safe all the time. A live video feed from the room of your baby gives you as a parent an additional peace of mind. You can check on your baby from anywhere in the house, or even from the outside.
Most video baby monitors nowadays are expandable to 2 and more cameras, so you can see your baby’s room entirely. Additionally, most cameras are capable of zooming in, so you can see your baby much closer. There are also other amazing features such as night vision and room temperature display.
Today, we are comparing two feature-packed video baby monitors: The Infant Optics DXR-8 and the Summer Infant Lookout Duo. We will first look at the similarities between Infant Optics DXR-8 vs Summer Infant, then we will check the differences between these two models, then we will show their pros and cons and we will end with our final thought which of these two baby monitors is the better choice
Let us now jump into their similarities.
Infant Optics DXR-8 vs Summer Infant Lookout Duo – Similarities
| Infant Optics DXR-8 | Summer Infant Lookout Duo | |
|---|---|---|
| Image |  |
 |
| Screen | 3.5 inches, LCD | 5 inches, LCD |
| Camera expandability | Yes, up to 4 cameras | Yes, up to 4 cameras |
| Zoom capabilities | Optical and Digital zoom, up to 4x | 3-level zoom |
| Interchangeable lenses | Yes | No |
| Night Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Room thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| Two-way communications | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum Range | 700 feet | 1000 feet |
| Dimensions | 19.30 x 13.40 x 6.50 inches | 13 x 8 x 4.5 inches |
| Weight | 2 pounds | 2.5 pounds |
| What’s included | 1 x Display unit, 1 x Camera unit, 1 x Optical Zoom Lens, 2x USB Power Cables, | 1 x Display unit, 2 x Camera unit, Camera stand, No-hole PrestoMount |
| Price | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
Display
Both display units are built with LCD panels for HD and vibrant colors.
Camera Expandability
Both the Infant Optics DXR-8 and the Summer Lookout Duo are expandable up to 4 cameras. Additional cameras are sold separately, however. You can place cameras for every corner of the room so you can see your baby from different angles. You surely will not miss a thing in your baby’s room.
Zoom Capabilities
The cameras included in both products are capable of zooming in. Zooming in lets you see your baby much closer, whenever he/she is playing or needs tending to.
Night Vision
Whenever your child is asleep, even in low-light settings, you can still see them with the night vision feature. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and your baby is in distress, you can check up on them using the display unit. And with its night vision feature, you can still see them even if the room is dark. Fortunately, both devices come with this feature.
Room Temperature Reading
You can also remotely check the temperature of your child’s room. Temperature can also let you know why your baby is in distress. Perhaps, their room is too cold or too hot. Both the Infant Optics DXR-8 and Summer Lookout Duo come with room temperature reading.
Two-way Communications
The two-way communications let you speak to your baby. You can sing a lullaby unit when your baby is crying or you can babytalk them through the display unit. Sometimes just hearing your soothing voice calms your baby down.
Room Placement
Both the camera units from Infant Optics and Summer can be place on either on top of a table or mounted on the wall. This gives them both versatility on how and where you want to place the cameras in the baby’s room.
Infant Optics DXR-8 vs Summer Infant – Differences
Screen size
With our smartphone displays getting bigger through the years, screen size matters especially for baby monitors. With a baby monitor with larger screen, you can place it on the kitchen counter while you are cooking and still can easily see your sleeping baby from afar.
Infant Optics DXR-8
The Infant Optics DXR-8 features a 3.5 inches LCD display. Even with its small size, you can still see your baby clearly. Additionally, due to its small screen size, the display unit itself is smaller too, which adds to its portability.
Summer Infant Lookout Duo
Compared from the offering from Infant Optics, the Summer Lookout Duo has a gigantic screen display. The latter features a 5 inches LCD display. This gigantic display lets you see your baby comfortably even when you are far away.
The Winner Is- Summer Lookout Duo
Interchangeable lenses
Interchangeable lenses give you the versatility of how much of room you can see through the display unit. Use the zoom lens for a much closer image, and wide-angle lens to see from afar.
Infant Optics DXR-8
Only the Infant Optics DXR-8 have interchangeable lenses between the two. You can choose from 3 different lenses, the additional zoom lens, the normal lens, and the wide-angle lens. However, its box does not come with the wide-angle lens, so you have to but it separately.
Summer Lookout Duo
On the other hand, the Summer Lookout Duo is not capable of change the lens of the camera unit. Though it does not have this versatility of changing lenses, the lens attached to it will still suffice your needs.
The Winner Is- Infant Optics DXR-8
Maximum Range
Maximum range of baby monitors tells you how far you can stray away from the camera units. It gives you a good idea when and where the connection between the display unit and the camera unit may drop. However, interferences like physical obstruction may still block the signal between them.
Infant Optics DXR-8
The Infant Optics DXR-8 sports an advertised 700-feet range. Compared to its competitor, the offering from Infant Optics is much lower. This decreased range is definitely limiting the display unit from straying too far from the camera units, especially when it the display unit is advertised as portable.
Summer Lookout Duo
The Summer Lookout Duo stumps the Infant Optics DXR-8 with 1000 feet of range. You can stray away farther from your baby’s room without worrying about dropping connection.
The Winner Is- Summer Lookout Duo
Camera Units
The number of camera units included in the box should also be considered by buying parents because having more than one camera included can save them money in the long run.
Infant Optics DXR-8
The Infant Optics DXR-8 comes with only one camera unit. You can buy more camera units, if needed so.
Summer Infant Lookout Duo
Out of the box, the Summer Lookout Duo comes with two camera units. This means that if you want to buy more camera units, you only need to buy two more. As of the writing of this article, the Summer Lookout Duo is cheaper versus its competitor.. If you are looking for a 4-camera setup, using this deal will save you more money.
The Winner Is- Summer Lookout Duo
Awards given by Online Authorities
Being awarded as one of the best of its kind is a testament of quality of the product. If a product receives praise, particularly from respected authorities, means that people looking for these kinds of products should buy it.
Infant Optics DXR-8
The Infant Optics DXR-8 received a lot of praise from different online authorities such as Techradar, Lifewire, Mashable, and Engadget. TheBump, an authority when it comes to pregnancy, babies, and parenting, recognized the Infant Optics DXR-8 as the ‘Best Video Baby Monitor.’ Its rating on Amazon are stellar as well at 4.5/5.0 stars from over 40,000 reviews.
Summer Lookout Duo
While the Summer Lookout Duo is not as popular as the Infant Optics DXR-8, its Amazon rating is not that shabby with 4.0/5.0 starts from around 500 reviews.
The Winner Is- Infant Optics DXR-8
Camera Control Functionalities
Controlling the movement of the camera gives you plenty of possibilities on how you can use baby monitors. You can focus the camera to anything besides your baby.
Infant Optics DXR-8
The Infant Optics DXR-8 boasts a full-viewing control. It has functionalities such as pan and tilt so you can look around the room.
Summer Lookout Duo
Unfortunately, the Summer Lookout Duo falls short when it comes to this functionality. It is only static, so you need to manually focus the camera directly at the crib of your baby.
The Winner Is – Infant Optics DXR-8
Picture Quality
Picture quality should be one of the main aspects why you should buy a video baby monitor. It is self-defeating if you bought a video baby camera with a horrendous picture quality. Buying an audio-only baby monitor is better in that case. This is the importance of video baby monitors with HD video feed.
Infant Optics DXR-8
The picture quality of the Infant Optics DXR-8 is great. It impressed most of the parents that bought it. The picture quality during the day is spectacular. The night vision is clear as it can be for the camera of this caliber.
Summer Infant
The picture quality of the Summer Lookout Duo will suffice the everyday needs of parents. It is not as great as the Infant Optics DXR-8. But for its cheaper price, it is still solid as a camera.
The Winner Is- Infant Optics DXR-8
Also Read: VTech DM221 vs VTech DM223 – Which Audio Baby Monitor is Better?
Pros and Cons
Just before we deliver the final verdict on the Hamilton Beach 48464 and the Hamilton Beach 48465, we have a few pros and cons of each.
Pros:
- Easy setup
- Long Battery Life
- Full-viewing control
- Interchangeable lenses
- Temperature reading
- Secure 2.4ghz FHSS wireless transmission
- Doesn’t require Wi-Fi connection
Cons:
- Wide Angle Lens sold separately
- Lacks a mobile app support
- Pan and tilt radius is not spectacular
- More expensive than other monitors
- Limited wireless range
Pros:
- Cheaper
- Two camera units out of the box
- No-hole wall mount, no tools required for assembly
- Temperature reading
- Better wireless range
Cons:
- Lesser picture quality
- Battery life is not the greatest
- Doesn’t have full-viewing control
The Final Verdict
While baby’s bedtime usually means a time for parents to relax, oftentimes it also can be worrying to leave your baby in another room. Setting up a baby monitor for your infant is a great way of lifting this worry and feeling at ease. With the addition of cameras and display to traditional audio-only baby monitors, parents can rest easier than ever before.
Video baby monitors are also a great way to avoid accidentally waking your baby up when he/she is catching up on his/her sleep. It is another one less thing parents need to worry about.
Baby monitors available nowadays are packed with different useful features, such as expandability to more than one camera, connection to Wi-Fi, temperature sensors, etc. With hundreds of baby monitors in the market, it can be a hard time for parents to buy what they need. We narrowed it down to two video baby monitors so parents can choose from either, the Infant Optics DXR-8 and the Summer Lookout Duo.
Both the Infant Optics DXR-8 and the Summer Lookout Duo are great for parents planning to buy video baby monitors. While the offering from Infant Optics is more expensive, it brings a clearer and higher picture quality and full-viewing control. It is trusted by millions of parents, after all. However, don’t look down on the Summer Lookout Duo. It is definitely cheaper, but it comes with two camera units out of the box. While the picture quality is not on par with the DXR-8, it will suffice the needs of first-time baby monitor buyers.