Written by Owlet CEO, Kurt Workman

When my son Ashton was born, I was 24 years old and had only a few pennies to my name. Luckily, we had great support from family and friends that helped us through baby showers and with other gifts. But my wife and I had some hard trade-offs to make when it came to building out the rest of our son’s nursery. One of the purchases we felt was important was a video monitor so we could see Ashton, even when we weren’t in the room.

Reflecting on that experience led us to the design for the Owlet Cam. Safety and innovation were of the utmost priority. Below are 9 reasons why I think you should consider the Owlet Cam over other options.

1. Stay connected wherever you go

The Owlet Cam connects directly to your smartphone so you can literally see your baby from anywhere. In fact, I’m writing this on my way to the airport and I just checked on my 4-month-old son who is now 30 miles away. The peace of mind it brings to connect with your loved ones while at work, traveling or away on a much-needed date with your spouse is priceless.

2. Grows with your child

One of the most frustrating things about buying all of your nursery essentials is realizing that most of the clothes, toys, and gear will only last you the first year. That’s a lot of money to spend just to put everything in a closet one year later! The Owlet Cam conveniently converts to a nanny cam or even a home security cam even after your baby is past that one year mark. The flexible mounting system makes traveling with the Owlet Cam easier than ever. Place the Cam above Baby’s crib or it can simply be set on a countertop in your kitchen. We have three Owlet Cams in our home including one for Baby, one in our older children’s room and one downstairs.

3. Actually more secure than traditional baby monitors

Owlet uses the same encryption technology that banks do to send data. Our connection is peer to peer which means we’re not streaming live video data to the cloud. The Cam’s wireless signal is actually more secure than a traditional baby monitor!

4. As mobile as mobile gets

Being tethered to a traditional display can be frustrating but the one thing that I’m never without is my phone. Whether working out in the yard or down in the basement, my phone is by my side and using the Owlet App allows me to see and hear my little one from anywhere.

5. 1080p HD picture quality

I use my video camera to do two things—first to make sure that my kids are okay and second to see whether they’re awake or not. With many other baby monitors, the picture quality is so bad that they don’t even tell you the resolution you’re getting. There’s nothing more frustrating than squinting at a bright screen in the middle of the night trying to see what’s going on. Owlet offers full HD 1080p picture quality with clear night vision so you won’t be left wondering.

6. Designed to be the safest camera on the market

When I set up a baby monitor, I try to get the best angle possible of my child. The problem is that the cord needs to be 3 feet away from the crib, which doesn’t always allow for the best view. The Owlet Cam comes with a cable guard kit so you can safely mount the camera right above the crib. It even comes with a safe cable container that you can wrap any excess cord into. Not only is it designed to be safer, but it also looks a whole lot better!

7. It doesn’t look like R2D2

Why is it that I think of Star Wars when I look at most baby monitors? We know how important it is for you to have a nursery and a home you are proud of. Owlet’s award-winning design fits into the nursery and your home.

8. Bird’s eye view

Most baby monitors don’t come with a safe option to mount above the crib so, in addition to the poor image quality, you’re left with a poor angle. Using the cable guard kit, you can easily and safely mount the Owlet Cam above your baby’s crib to get the perfect viewing angle of your little one.

9. Sound & motion notifications

You’ll never miss a moment thanks to sound & motion notifications that are sent right to your smartphone. The Cam will let you know if it detects noise or busy baby wiggles so you can check the video stream in the Owlet App and see if Baby needs your attention. It’s a great tool to save you a few trips to your baby’s room.

Learn more about the Owlet Cam, here!