Our Verdict on the Roar Outdoor Baby Monitor
The Roar outdoor baby monitor is a wireless, audio-only baby monitor that is water-resistant and extremely durable. We were impressed by the audio on the device, as well as the range and battery life!
As a result, we think that you’ll love this outdoor audio monitor to provide the reliability and durability you are looking for when spending time outdoors with your family.
If you’re looking for a video baby monitor or a baby monitor with all the bells and whistles, we recommend reading our Best Baby Monitors article to identify what baby monitor will meet your needs.
Our Rating: 8.5 / 10
Summary
We like:
- Long battery life.
- Durability: water-resistant and drop proof.
- Lightweight.
- Excellent audio and volume.
- Easy to set up and use.
- Range: 1000 feet!
We don’t like:
- No additional baby features.
- A little pricey.
Where to buy it:
- Check latest price with Roar (*if you sign up and subscribe to their newsletter they will give you 25% off your first purchase, or use the code GETOUTSIDE25).
Alternatives:
- The Nanit Pro smart camera if you want the best WiFi video baby monitor with improved video quality and insights to help improve your baby’s sleep (check price).
- The Eufy SpaceView is the best Plug & Play monitor on our list at the moment. It comes with a dedicated parent monitor, a high-resolution video quality and the prettiest design (check price).
- The Lollipop camera if you want a budget-friendly WiFi monitor with great video quality. It’s one of our favorite monitors of the year (check price).
P.S. We received a review unit of this product from its manufacturer. We are, however, not paid or compensated for our review. To remain impartial in our tests, we use objective ranking factors and put each product in the hands of real parents for a few months before we publish our review. Read how we test to learn more.
Everything that we review is independently selected by our team. We only recommend products that we use ourselves with our kids. To support our website, we may receive a small commission if you buy something through our links. These commissions come at no extra costs for you. Read our earnings disclaimer to learn more.
Overview of the Roar Outdoor Baby Monitor
Health & Safety
9/10
Privacy
8/10
Range
10/10
Audio Quality
10/10
Video Quality
N/A
Battery
10/10
Features of the Roar Outdoor Baby Monitor
Infrared Night Vision
NO
VOX
NO
Multiple Camera
N/A
Two-Way Talk
YES
Play Lullabies
NO
Room Temperature
NO
Humidity
NO
Remote Pan and Tilt
N/A
Remote Zoom
N/A
Nightlight
NO
Video Recording & Snapshot
N/A
Our Hands-on Review
The Roar outdoor baby monitor was created by Austin De La Cruz who was looking for a sturdy baby monitor he could use while camping: one that didn’t rely on WiFi or electricity, but also had decent range. All he found was flimsy options with poor range or an insufficient battery life. After 2 years of rigorous testing, Roar Baby Monitors was born.
Roar is an excellent audio-only monitor that is easy-to-use, lightweight and an excellent option for families that spend time outdoors. It is water-resistant and tough enough to handle being dropped, the devices are durable yet lightweight (weighing only 198 grams).
The 1000 foot range works great and provides flexibility in different outdoor situations. However, in our opinion, the battery life is definitely the strongest selling point.
Audio Quality
The audio quality exceeded our expectations: it was clear and is competition for the other audio monitors we’ve tested. The volume is loud enough and can easily be adjusted, with the volume up/down buttons being two of the four available buttons.
The Roar baby monitor includes a headphone jack, allowing you to hear the baby with headphones even while performing the noisiest of activities (like mowing the lawn). In addition, it includes a microphone and micro-USB jack.
Range and Signal Strength
The range is further than any other non-WiFi monitor we’ve tested, and is consistent up to 1000 feet. When the parent unit is out of range from the child unit, the parent unit will beep 5 times. The baby monitor uses a 400-520MHz frequency range, and transmits at 2-watts (the maximum power legally allowed without a license, which allows for the units to clearly transmit up to 1000 feet).
At one point during our testing, we experienced a little interference with the parent device and found the cause to be other electronic devices close by the child unit. It was only a small amount of static feedback, and the user manual recommends moving other electronics 3-5 feet away (which is a typical safety recommendation as well).
Battery Life
In our testing, the battery life was impressive! It lasted over 20 hours on a single charge! The battery takes about 3-4 hours to be fully charged (our first charge took just over two hours), and will turn green when it is fully charged.
When the battery is depleted on the child unit, the parent unit lets you know by beeping 5 times. When the battery unit on the parent or child unit is 25% or lower the light on each unit turns red.
The user manual does suggest recharging the battery after each night to ensure it will cover your next use. Also, the Roar baby monitor battery is replaceable and the battery can be easily removed by pushing the latch near the battery cover; just reach out to Roar customer service for help on obtaining an additional battery (support@roaroutside.com).
Two-Way Communication
The Roar baby monitor does provide a two-way communication feature and allows the primary parent unit to communicate with the secondary child unit by pressing the PTT button and speaking into the microphone.
Security and Hacking
The Roar baby monitor uses radio signal, risks of hacking and security breach are minimal. If you want to read more about keeping your baby monitor secure read our article on preventing hacking.
Health and Safety
The Roar baby camera connects to its parent unit through a wireless connection, which means that an electromagnetic field (EMF) will be constantly emitted to the monitor in order for you to receive an audio feed. We recommend that you read our article on electromagnetic field if you want to understand what it means in terms of health and safety for your baby.
Note that the parent monitor also emits EMFs. Most parents sleep with the unit on their bedside table, but we recommend you move it further away.
What’s in the box
Wondering what’s in the Roar outdoor baby monitor box? Here’s everything that will be included in the package:
- 1 x Parent unit
- 1 x Child unit
- 1 x USB outlet charger
- 1 x Dual micro B charging cable
- 2 x Rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries
- 2 x Stainless steel belt clips
- 2 x Attachable wrist straps
Alternative Options
- The Nanit Pro Smart Camera if you want the best WiFi video baby monitor with improved video quality and insights to help improve your baby’s sleep (check price).
- The Eufy SpaceView is the best Plug & Play monitor on our list at the moment. It comes with a dedicated parent monitor, a high-resolution video quality and the prettiest design (check price).
- The Lollipop camera if you want a budget-friendly WiFi monitor with great video quality. It’s one of our favorite monitors of the year as well (check price).
Most Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: Can I talk to my baby through the device?
Answer: Yes, the Roar baby monitor allows two-way communication to the other unit by pressing the PTT button.
- Question: What is the best way to clean the Roar baby monitor?
Answer: We recommend using a toothpick or a warmed up piece of Fun-Tak to clean out the small holes when they get a little dirty.
- Question: Is the Roar baby monitor waterproof?
Answer: No, but it is water resistant with a IP54 rating, which means they are protected for 5 minutes against splashes from all angles.
Megan is a wife and mother of three, as well as an experienced foster mother. She loves building and testing new products, and helping identify what works best for readers and clients. She has her degree in Computer Software Engineering and has been a Product Lead with over 8 years of experience designing, building, testing, and selling products to companies ranging from sole proprietors to the largest retailers in America!
