REASONS TO BUY
Cheaper
Good battery life
REASONS TO AVOID
Shorter range
Few features
Manual camera adjustment
Anmeate SM24 Review
Somewhat average monitor with no standout features or visuals
Credit: Abriah Wofford
RELATED: The Best Video Baby Monitors
The Skinny
The Anmeate SM24 is a dedicated video baby monitor with a camera and parent unit. It has a quick and simple setup that automatically pairs, and even the most technology-confused folks should be able to manage the user interface. This monitor has one of the lowest prices in the group and a long battery life of over 14 hours. Unfortunately, this option has a shorter range than the average dedicated unit, and the camera is only adjustable manually, which makes it somewhat limited. Also, it doesn't have many features, and some parents may find this lack of features frustrating. Overall, we think for a little more money; you'll be happier with a higher-scoring option from our lineup.
Editor's Note: This gear review was updated on March 25, 2022, with more details to help you find the best monitor.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Anmeate appears to be owned by the same parent company as Hello Baby. The two websites have the same product descriptions and lineup with virtually identical products with different names. Their about us page is identical, and we suspect you'll find the same customer support for either company.
Performance Comparison
The camera to parent unit range is limited with the Anmeate.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Range
The Anmeate SM24 has below average range for the group. The manufacturer doesn't offer a claim for the range of this pairing. In our open field testing, this unit started to struggle for connection around 200 ft; this connection broke altogether at around 600 ft. Indoors, the Anmeate stopped working at 4 walls and 65 feet between the camera and parent unit. This might work for apartments and smaller homes, but given the shorter open field range, we suspect it will struggle more than the competition in most homes (as every home varies).
Night vision image on the Anmeate is fuzzy and lacks some of the clarity we found in the WiFi monitors.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Audio / Visual
The Anmeate SM24 offers average results for audio and visual quality and clarity. The audio has a maximum decibel level of 82.4, with clarity peaking at around 82. It features sound activations with an eco-mode that turns off after about 15 seconds of no sound. It has three settings, low, mid, and high (eco). The sound is hollow overall, and there is some rattle to it, but it is still better than that offered by most of the video competition. It also has sound activation/filtering that helps keep your bedroom quiet when the baby is quiet, and it seems to work well in our tests.
The video quality for the Anmeate SM24 is on par with most of the dedicated competition. None of the dedicated monitors could compete with the WiFi options, which offered excellent visuals similar to real life and had the clarity to see breathing and open eyes. The SM24 is somewhat fuzzy and lacks color trueness in daylight images with a slight green tint overall. The lack of clarity worsens night vision with a bright spot in the center and little visuals around the perimeter. As the zoom feature is digital-only, it only makes things worse. The parent screen is so small; this also contributes to the lack of details you will see.
The user interface on the Anmeate is easy to use and fairly straightforward.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The Anmeate SM24 earned an average result for ease of use. It isn't hard to use, but there isn't much going on here either. Set up is simple and the camera and parent unit automatically pair when plugged in.
The side of the Anmeate parent unit has a power button while the back houses the speaker.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The parent unit interface is simple and includes volume, brightness, zoom, microphone, and menu on the face. The buttons are large and rubber, making them easy to see and feel in the dark. The menu is one level, so there aren't many button pushing or menus inside menus to mess with.
Battery Life
The Anmeate SM24 parent unit has an impressive battery life, around 14 hours under ordinary use. The camera does not have a battery and requires plugging in at all times. While some competition offers a battery backup for power failures, this model does not.
The Anmeate shows the room temperature on the parent unit at the top.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Features
The Anmeate SM24 doesn't offer many features beyond the minimum needed to see your little one in the nursery. You can pair this parent unit with up to four cameras.
The SM24 offers:
The parent unit on the Anmeate has a kickstand for easy set up on your nightstand.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
- Temperature sensor
- Sound activation
- Talk to baby
- Digital zoom
- Kickstand
TEsting the Anmeate from 6 feet from the unit.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Levels
The Anmeate SM24 EMF levels in our tests have an average of 1.67 V/m with the reader 6 ft from the camera. To decrease the exposure to EMF, you can move the camera to the maximum distance from the crib, where it will still function effectively (typically around 12 feet depending on the monitor). This average is on the high side for the video monitors, with the average being closer to 0.89 V/m. If EMF is a concern to you and you are trying to limit or reduce your baby's exposure to EMF, this is probably not the option for you.
Should You Buy the Anmeate SM24?
While one of the better dedicated options in the lineup, we still don't think it is the best thing going and suspect you'll be happier with alternatives, either higher performing dedicated options or a WiFi model.
What Other Video Monitor Should You Consider?
The Hello Baby HB65 offers better video quality and more features than the Anmeate. The range is similar, and the performance in other metrics yielded the same scores for the remaining metrics. If you want more from a monitor and like the idea of WiFi or need it due to a larger home, we think the Nest Cam Indoor WiFi could be a good choice. With superior video quality, this useful long-term solution can keep you monitoring more than a baby over the product's lifespan. Looking for something with baby-centric features? The iBaby Care M7 WiFi has a plethora of features specific to little ones and a straightforward app to use.
—
Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz
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