VTech VM343 Review

Tamara By: Tamara | Last updated March 14, 2018

VTech VM343 baby monitor

9.6 / 10

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PROS:

  • Good image quality
  • Simple and user friendly
  • 1000 feet of range
  • Night vision
  • Temperature sensor
  • Decent price

CONS:

  • Lacks features that major competitors offer (mobile app, inbuilt lullabies, recording capabilities, humidity sensor)
  • Camera moves on its own from time to time
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SUMMARY:

The VTech VM343 is a simple but reliable baby monitor. It doesn’t have as many features as its major competitors, but it does its job well. It offers a clear and high-quality image in all conditions, it is expandable up to 4 cameras and it comes at an affordable price. If you don’t mind the lack of a touch screen, inbuilt lullabies or a mobile app and you just want a decent monitoring tool that doesn’t break your bank, the VM343 is definitely a valid option.

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COMPLETE REVIEW

The VM343 baby monitor is manufactured by VTech, a company based in Hong Kong. VTech was founded in 1976 and it currently operates in 10 regions across the Globe (including US, Canada and more). The company develops various electronic products: phones, baby monitors, wireless monitoring systems and more.

VTech takes pride in its environmentally responsible attitude. They claim they strive to reduce their carbon footprint: all their phones have the Energy Star seal and they use sustainable, recyclable packaging materials and soybean ink.

The VTech VM343 is a video baby monitor with a high resolution, 4.3 inch color LCD screen. It promises 1,000 feet of range and comes with infrared night vision.

The monitor unit doesn’t have a touchscreen, but comes with 10 buttons, 5 on each side.

Specs:

  • Monitor unit dimensions: 5.6 x 3.4 x 0.6 in
  • Weight: 7.2 ounces
  • Temperature sensor
  • 9-level sound indicator
  • Pan, tilt and zoom (pan: up to 270 degrees, tilt: up to 120 degrees)
  • 25 frames per second
  • Expandable up to 4 cameras
  • Rechargeable battery

The VM343 is a pretty basic monitor. It does its monitoring job well enough and it won’t break the bank, but don’t expect to get all the fancy, smart features you find in high-end baby monitors.

The VM343 doesn’t have a mobile app so you can’t use it with your smartphone/computer. It can’t record videos or take pictures and it has no humidity sensor, just a temperature one. There are also no built-in lullabies.

What this baby monitor does have is a crisp, clear picture, even in the dark and a promised 1,000 feet range, although too many walls and obstacles may pose a problem. It comes with a rechargeable battery and a low battery alert and on power-saving it can last around 9 hours on a charge. There is a vibrate mode available and a talk-back intercom. The 10 buttons on the intercom let you control the direction, volume, zoom, alerts, screen brightness and more. One thing we found annoying was the fact that the buttons are not illuminated so you might find yourself fumbling with them on dim light or dark.

The 2x zoom and 120 and 270 degrees tilt and pan functions are useful tools, as it is the sound and motion activation mode.

In terms of the camera, we did notice a weird thing about it: it sometimes moves on its own and you might find it in a different position than you left it. That might be caused by radio signal interferences and although it’s not as serious of an issue as it may seem at first, it can be annoying enough, as you have to readjust it from time to time.

If you have more than one child you might benefit of the fact that the VTech VM343 supports up to 4 cameras. If you do use this baby monitor with more cameras, you can choose between the available viewing modes: single view (focuses just on 1 camera), split-screen (you can view all the cameras simultaneously) and the patrol mode (it is the same as the single view, but it switches to a different camera every 7 seconds).

Overall, we consider the VM343 a simple baby monitor, with all the basic features you need, but nothing more. You don’t get a lot of the hi-tech features that come with more sophisticated units, but this baby monitor is easy to use, performs well and it’s a good option for parents who just want to keep an eye on their baby and nothing more.

Pricing

On Amazon, the VTech VM343 goes for $155. The baby monitor comes with a one-year warranty.

Help/Support

Phone: (800) 595-9511

Monday – Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm (US customers)

(800) 267-7377

Monday – Friday, from 6 am to 3 pm, Pacific Time (Canada customers)

Social media: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VTechUSA

You can contact the customer support team via phone or you can use their troubleshooting section on their website. You have to enter your product model number and you can find manuals, troubleshooting tips and other resources.

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Our editorial staff evaluates products and services independently, but Best Review Guide may earn money when you click on links. Read our advertising disclosure.

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