To be clear, we shouldn’t rely solely on baby monitors to watch our children. “Just as a usual practice, I would advise parents, before they go to sleep, [to] check in on their baby and their child—and even quite frankly older children—that they are in their bed and that they’re safe,” Donna Hallas, PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, director of the pediatric nurse practitioner program at New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, tells Verywell Family. But because we can’t always be in the same room as our babies, we wanted to help find out which video monitors are truly reliable. At the lab and in our homes, we tested ease of use, range, sound and video quality, special features, and power sources—the key things to look for when buying this product. We’ve gathered our favorites to help you purchase the perfect baby video baby monitor for your unique needs. Here are the best video baby monitors. Once you plug in the camera and turn on the monitor, you have to be sure to place it on a perfectly positioned dresser or table because it does not have a stand—the lack of which had us docking it down to a 4.8 out of 5 for ease of use/setup. But after that bit of placement, you’re ready to go. This monitor earned a 5 for range, since the image went up to 100 feet through thick lab walls, making it easy to watch your little one snooze. The sound did get a little spotty at that 100 foot range, which is something to keep in mind. The monitor itself is a very self-explanatory device, with separate buttons for zooming in and moving the camera around. The camera can move 108 degrees vertically and 270 degrees horizontally. A two-way talk system allows you to soothe your little one when they begin to stir. If you need to sneak a peek at your baby in the middle of the night, VAVA Video Baby Monitor automatically switches to night mode to ensure you see your little one clearly in a dark room, earning it a 5 rating for the dark test. Other things we love about VAVA are the fact that it offers several volume levels and light levels, and there are noise indicator lights, so you never miss a sound. You can also connect up to four cameras to one monitor. Price at time of publish: $153 Eufy states that the monitor has a range of 460 to 1,000 feet (in an open space). In the lab, the range was around 100 feet through an industrial wall. One thing we weren’t so fond of was that the audio stalled when panning the room, earning it a 4.9 rating for video/audio quality. But a high point is that the image appears super clear in the dark, which is why we gave it a 4.9 mark in the night-vision test. Other notable features we know parents will love are an instant alert feature that notifies you when the baby cries and a built-in microphone and speakers that let you speak to your little one when they wake up. Additional helpful features include a 5-inch screen, a temperature monitor, a white noise and lullaby feature, and an optional wide-angle lens you can attach for when kids become more mobile. It can also be mounted on various spaces such as the wall or placed on a dresser. Price at time of publish: $157 That clear, consistent video and audio earned a 5 rating, as did the night-vision test, though people buy this monitor for more than just that. The “Smart” part of the name is all about other data, such as the way it gives you updates on the last time someone was at the baby’s side checking on them and when there was a sound coming from the crib. Really curious parents can also watch time-lapse videos the next day to see all the ways their kid slept. To track the baby’s breathing, the Nanit Pro requires a breathing band (included with the monitor) placed around their midsection. The pattern printed on the band allows the camera to see the baby’s chest move—or stop moving. You can also purchase special Nanit sheets separately, and the camera will measure the baby’s growth, using their relative positioning to the sheet pattern. To take full advantage of this monitor’s features like sleep tracking, image and video saving, breath monitoring, and access for more than one user, you must subscribe to the Nanit Insights service. One year of the Basic plan ($5/month) is included with your purchase, but you can upgrade to Premium (starting at $4.17/month) or Ultimate (starting at $20.83/month) levels for extras. Another possible detraction is the fact that this, like other smart monitors, requires the use of your mobile device, which means draining your battery and decreasing your ability to multitask while watching the baby, although you can still listen in on background sound when the phone is locked or using other apps. Price at time of publish: $299 We gave the device a 5 for its dark test because we appreciated that the night vision mode appears in color, which is a huge plus for anyone creeped out by those glowing-eyed green views of their baby in typical night mode. “The only downside is that you have to have your phone unlocked and the app open to hear anything,” our tester said. But you can still receive notifications when your phone is locked, which is helpful. You may want to use a separate iPad or old phone to watch the camera, freeing up your regular phone for other purposes. Another thing to consider is the added fees. To get an unlimited video recording, you must subscribe to the Wyze Cam Plus service for $1.99 a month or $14.99 a year, which also includes 14-day storage for videos. You could also purchase a micro-SD card to store videos without the monthly fee. Price at time of publish: $36 The video was a bit crackly at times during at-home testing, which is why we gave it a 4.5 rating for video/audio quality. This monitor delivered clear images in night vision mode, however, earning it a 5. In addition, a two-way talk function allows you to soothe your baby from afar if they need to hear your voice, and it has the option to play lullabies and sleep sounds. Additional notable features include room temperature and humidity monitoring, sound control, and light sensors. Among the “smart” offerings, sleep tracking allows you to understand your baby’s sleeping patterns, theoretically leading to a better night’s rest for everyone in the home. Parents can also use the Miku Pro to see their baby’s respirations per minute in real time, so you can monitor their breathing without needing to sneak into their room. Unlike with the Nanit, there’s no wearable element required for that feature, nor is there a subscription service required for any of this. The downside is that does all come at a significantly higher cost up front. Price at time of publish: $399 We gave this monitor a 3 for its range, since the video dropped out at about 150 feet through industrial walls, and the audio was spotty at that distance. But if you need to check in on your little one at night, the image in the dark is clear, which is why we gave it a 5 for the dark test. Additional features that parents may appreciate are temperature monitoring and preloaded lullabies. Another plus: The setup is quick, easy, and takes less than 5 minutes. Price at time of publish: $120 The monitor looks like an old iPhone. When your baby is awake, you can put it in “Baby Mode” to play videos and educational games. The Hubble Connected Nursery Pal also offers an app for phones and tablets, so you can monitor the baby from afar and receive motion, temperature, and sound alerts. The app also stores video recordings, tracks your baby’s sleep, and includes the same entertainment content as the monitor in Baby Mode. An 18-month basic subscription to the app is included with purchase, but there’s also a Premium option, starting at $49.99 a year. The range with the monitor was similar to the other non-Wi-Fi devices, reaching about 100 feet through industrial doors. Beyond that, the video stopped working, but the audio remained. Within that 100-foot range, the picture and sound were quite clear. Not to mention the camera delivers very clear images even in the dark, which is why we gave it a 5 for night vision. The camera can sit on a table or be mounted in various positions with an included “grip” mount to give you optimal views of your baby in their crib. Additionally, with the touchscreen, the camera is easy to pan, tilt, and zoom 4x to provide clear views of your baby. Price at time of publish: $191 In our experience, we loved the Owlet’s range (giving it a 5 rating), because once connected to the app, you can access clear video of your baby when you’re at work, in the grocery store, or in another room in the house, making it ideal for parents who want to stay connected while they’re away. Sound and motion notifications alert you when the baby cries or moves, and you can zoom in up to 4x by pinching your fingers on the screen. The HD camera’s 130-degree wide-angle lens ensures a full view of your sleeping (or not-so-sleeping) child. Plus, it delivers a clear picture in a darkened room, earning it a 5 dark test rating. We also like the convenience of listening to the audio on background when the phone is locked or you’re doing other things with it. Like other smart monitors, the Owlet also gives temperature and humidity readings. For a more complete picture of their babies’ sleep patterns, parents and caregivers must pair the camera with the Owlet Dream Sock. The app doesn’t require a subscription to work, but it also doesn’t save video recordings the way other monitor apps do. If you’re not looking for sleep monitoring, this is a pretty good bargain compared to many other Wi-Fi monitors on the market. Price at time of publish: $115 4.5 to 4.7 stars: These video baby monitors are excellent—they might have minor flaws, but we still recommend them. 4.0 to 4.5 stars: We think these are great video baby monitors but others are better. 3.5 to 3.9 stars: These video baby monitors are just average. 3.4 and below: We don’t recommend video baby monitors with this rating; you won’t find any on our list.
What to Look for in a Video Baby Monitor
Ease of Use
If you aren’t great with technology or need a monitor that can be used by grandparents, babysitters, or other caregivers who aren’t as tech-savvy, ease of use must be considered when selecting a baby monitor. Some options include using apps that can be installed on smartphones or digital devices or a parent unit that can be placed somewhere nearby or clipped onto a waistband. There were video baby monitors we tested that were so difficult to connect or even upload to phones in the lab and at home that we eliminated them from our final list. If you are at all worried about this being an issue, consider getting a simpler wireless monitor that doesn’t use Wi-Fi, or buy more than one monitor with the plan to return the ones whose setup doesn’t feel intuitive.
Connection Clarity & Range
Parents should consider whether they want to see their baby in real time or prefer to simply hear their baby’s cries. Video, video and audio, and audio-only options are available at various price points. In the lab, we found that the audio-only VTech DM221 is a reliable, old-school choice or a backup device. Baby monitors use Wi-Fi, cellular, or other wireless connections, which can affect range, lag time, and clarity. Range should also be considered to best determine how far away your room is from the nursery. “I think parents would want to inspect the house to see how far away a monitor can carry, so you know how far it’ll go,” Dr. Hallas tells Verywell Family. ”So wherever they are in the house (kitchen, parent’s bedroom), they can be able to hear the baby.”
Special Features
Several video monitors boast added features to help parents and caregivers stay on top of their baby’s sleep and breathing patterns and send alerts if a baby moves in a specified area of the crib or if the nursery is too warm. Pre-installed lullabies, white noise, and other soothing sounds are also helpful features of some monitors. If you want to be able to snap photos, watch video playback the next day, speak to your baby via two-way talk, or zoom in on them while they sleep, consider a baby monitor with all these added capabilities.
Price
If you only want to peek at your baby once in a while, a basic, less expensive video monitor may be the ideal product. While other features—like zoom lenses and sleep analysis—are nice to have, they typically come with a higher price tag. So consider both your needs and your budget before picking a monitor.
Why Trust Verywell Family
Ambrosia V. Brody is a California-based editor, journalist, and mother to three. She has worked as a professional journalist for more than 16 years. When she isn’t writing, you can find her at the library, Starbucks, or the park with her kids. Additional features, such as two-way talkback, Wi-Fi connectivity, breath monitoring, and being able to adjust the camera remotely, depend on your personal preferences. Ultimately, the best video monitor will allow you to see and hear your little one clearly from wherever you happen to be. There are many additional features that you may want to consider when weighing your decision. For example, some models come with a two-way talkback function, meaning you can offer soothing words to your little one from another room or even when you’re away at work (and your baby is being looked after by another caregiver). For those with the budget, a more expensive video monitor lets you do much more than peek at your sleeping baby from another room. Some monitors allow you to see the room’s temperature, track your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels, provide a night light, and even play your little one a lullaby. If you just want a video monitor to keep an extra eye (and ear) on your sleeping baby while you are elsewhere in your home, then a more basic model may suffice. However, if you want to check in on your baby while you’re out of the house, you will need Wi-Fi connectivity so you can monitor your baby from your smartphone. If you have privacy concerns surrounding connecting your monitor, make sure you look at the encryption and security measures used in your connection, whether it’s Wi-Fi, cellular, or wireless. Consider whether the ability to pan, tilt, and control the camera’s position is important for you. For example, do you want to monitor your baby’s sleep schedule, playback footage, or view high-res imagery? Prioritize the features you want out of a video monitor and go from there.
