The Best WiFi and Non-WiFi Baby Monitors, Tested by Moms

A non-WiFi baby monitor is a great option for parents who don't want to mess around with apps, subscriptions and smart features, but still want eyes on their little one. The Babysense Max View Baby Monitor delivered on this front and plenty of others. I really loved the simplicity of this system—I plugged in the cameras, booted up the monitor and everything started working immediately, no apps to download or finicky connection issues. This no-fuss setup, combined with high-quality hardware and an user-friendly interface, made the BabySense Max View one of the most reliable monitors I tested and earned it a Best of The Bump award for best non-WiFi baby monitor. (See all of this year’s Best of The Bump winners.)

Most baby monitors come with one camera. Not only does this model include two cameras (and you can add up to four in total), but those cameras are of unusually high resolution for a non-WiFi model, offering 1080p HD compared to the more usual 960p or 720p for non-WiFi monitors. Still, the dual cameras didn’t make it complicated—of all the parent units I tested, the BabySense Max View was by far the easiest to use. I never had to open the manual to switch to split-screen or adjust things like volume or the temperature display. With both cameras, I could monitor my nursery as well as the playroom, which was helpful since our nanny moves between the two during the day. It was easy to toggle between rooms or keep both on screen at once. Once my nanny and I were in a groove, I handed off the parent unit so she could supervise naps—no app downloads needed.

When using more than one camera with the BabySense Max View, each can be controlled on its own, which is extremely handy. Even with just one camera, I had a wide, clear view and could pan and tilt remotely to scan nearly the whole room. I could quietly pan to check on my daughter or swivel to the rocking chair to see if my husband needed help during a late-night wake-up. I could even turn on the camera’s built-in night light from the parent unit while keeping the other camera dark—perfect for giving dad a little glow without stimulating our cutie.

We live in a three-story home, and this monitor works on every floor. The only place it occasionally lost signal was the garage, depending on where the camera was. The Babysense Max View was so reliable, I ended up using it full-time when I broke my phone and couldn’t access the Nanit Pro, my usual app-based monitor. That’s when it hit me—when things go wrong, simple is better. With this monitor, I could sleep easily with the peace of mind that the connection wouldn't cut out in the middle of the night or that I'd lose sight of my 7-month-old due to a tech-related error.

Monitor type: Non-WiFi | Video display: 1080p HD | Mounting type: Wall | Max. range: 1,000 ft | Battery life: 12 hours

You’ve probably heard of the Nanit Pro. In fact, chances are you know someone who swears by it. When we surveyed parents in The Bump community, 20 percent called it out by name as their go-to monitor, making it one of the most recommended models in our lineup. Millions of parents trust it to watch over their little ones, and get this: Nanit says they’ve tracked over 2.42 billion hours of sleep. After putting the Nanit Pro through in-depth testing—and seven months of real-life, personal daily use—it’s easy to see why parents love it. Impressive video and audio performance, paired with top-tier encryption and useful features like sleep tracking and insights not only make it a beloved baby monitor among parents, but also earned it a Best of The Bump award for best WiFi baby monitor for the second year in a row.

Day or night, the picture quality of the video is crystal clear. The night vision is so bright I can spot a tossed pacifier without turning on a light, and the daytime colors are crisp and vivid; I can even see details like my daughter’s eyes. This monitor earned a perfect score for both camera and audio quality in testing. With it, I can hear every little sigh, even when the app’s closed with the audio running in the background. When we hired our nanny, I loved that I could grant her customized access through the app. She can view the live feed while connected to our home WiFi, but none of the extra data that other monitors might expose—the Nanit uses 256-bit AES encryption (the same encryption standard used by the US government), and two-factor authentication on the app is mandatory.

The Nanit app is incredibly intuitive, and right when I open it, I see exactly what I care about most: The live video feed, room temperature and (my holy grail) a timestamp showing the last time baby was tended to. It’s taken so much mental load off my plate by keeping track of wake windows for me. I also love the “Day Insights” screen, which gives a clear breakdown of nap start and end times, along with total time asleep. What really surprised me, though, was how fun it became for my husband and me to check the sleep stats each morning—even after a rough night. It felt like a little game: How long did baby sleep, and how many times did we visit her? The sleep tracking genuinely helped us notice patterns in her sleep and wake times, making it easier to plan her days, fine-tune her bedtime and figure out whether dream feeding was really working. To have access to this data, we opted for the Memories plan (which comes to $120 annually), and it’s been worth every penny.

Unlike other smart baby monitors I tested, the Nanit Pro doesn’t include AI-powered extras like cry translation or covered face alerts—and honestly, I’m okay with that. I’m not overloaded with notifications, and because it doesn’t have to use the bird’s-eye view of the crib to gather data, I was able to position the camera for a broader view. I can see my baby in her crib, our rocking chair and even the area in front of the crib where she often plays. We’ve even traveled with our Nanit. It's easy to pop off the wall mount (or floor stand) and bring along to friends' houses or on trips across the US. We’re also planning to take it to Europe and Mexico, knowing it works like a charm as long as there’s a solid WiFi connection at your destination.

Monitor type: Video WiFi | Video display: 1080p HD | Mounting type: Wall | ** Max. range:** Your home’s WiFi signal range and anywhere you have cellular service | Battery life: N/A

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I’m a big fan of a happy medium, and the Philips Avent Premium Connected Baby Monitor nails it. This model gives you the best of both worlds: A secure, direct connection to the parent unit when you’re at home, and the flexibility to check in over WiFi via your phone when you’re not. It’s a total win-win, with well-balanced smart features that really put it over the top. They provide just enough data to give me peace of mind without feeling overwhelmed by alerts. Thanks to this impressive combination, the Philips Avent Premium earned the title of the best WiFi/non-WiFi baby monitor in our Best of The Bump awards.

Getting the monitor up and running took just a few minutes. It snapped into the stand easily, and I could angle it to get a perfect shot of my baby thanks to the manual tilt capabilities. The stand feels sturdy but is intended only for the early stages of infancy before baby can pull themselves up, since it clips onto the crib (not to worry, the cords safely tuck inside the stand). The downside is that the crib mount gives you a bird's eye-view; which means I couldn’t see both the crib and the rocking chair at the same time. Once baby outgrows the stand you’ll need to either wall-mount the camera or set it on a surface, which is what I did in my playroom. I was able to place it on my daughter’s toy shelf and angle it down for a clear view of her play area, or on a higher shelf in the playroom to keep it out of reach.

When it comes to picture quality, the Philips Avent Premium is even better than the Nanit (and that’s saying something!); 1280 pixels compared to 1080 really does make a difference. I could zoom in four times without blurring the image, allowing me to clearly see my daughter’s face and features—and the audio was just as impressive. There was no noticeable delay whether I was listening or using the two-way talk feature. I was able to whisper into the microphone, and it came through clearly without startling my baby. This monitor also comes with five soothing sounds (including white noise) and even when I played lullabies through the camera I could still hear everything from baby’s soft sighs to her full-on pterodactyl screams (you know the ones, parents!).

Similar to Nanit, the Philips Avent app tracks baby’s daytime naps and nighttime sleep, and even goes a step further when it comes to smart features. For example, every unit includes a three-month trial of cry translation. It’s an app-based tool that listens for five distinct types of cries—based on the Dunstan Baby Language theory—and helps decode what your little one might need. While it wasn’t always spot on, it knew when my baby was sleepy at bedtime and I thought it offered good suggestions for why baby might be crying and what to do about it. I don't know that I’d pay for the features beyond the trial (you'll get to know baby’s cries better than any app could) but I could see it being a useful guide for new parents. Of course, there’s no substitute for safe sleep practices (and it’s worth noting, there isn’t an alert if the monitor stops detecting breathing), but with the Philips Avent Premium, I could glance at the parent unit or the app to see the contactless breath tracking and instantly feel reassured, stopping me from needlessly tiptoeing into my daughter’s room just to check her breathing when she’s sound asleep.

As baby is drifting off, the Philips Avent monitor lets you know when your little one is in light or deep sleep. Our nursery is on the first floor, and we’re often in the kitchen making dinner right after we put her down, so this feature helps me keep the volume in check while still prepping our meal. Moreover, in non-WiFi mode, the parent unit worked everywhere in our three-story house, even the garage, and only dropped connection halfway down the next block. My only gripe is that I wish user sharing and guest permissions via the app were more customizable. “Guests” (like my husband and our nanny) can only see the video and don’t have access to room temperature, nap tracking or breath monitoring. But, all in all, the Philips Avent Premium is a great pick if you want that perfect balance of simple and smart.

Monitor type: Video WiFi/Non-WiFi | Video display: 1280p HD | Mounting type: Crib or wall | Max. range: 1,300 ft non-WiFi or your home’s WiFi signal range and anywhere you have cellular service | Battery life: 7 to 12 hours

The Hubble Connected SkyVision AI Pro offers the kind of flexibility that feels made for modern parenting without breaking the bank, making it a standout Best of The Bump choice for the best budget-friendly WiFi/non-WiFi baby monitor. Like the Philps Avent, this is a hybrid monitor that allows you to connect via WiFi using the app, or stick with the included handheld monitor for a reliable, non-WiFi experience. And while we ultimately preferred the performance of the Philips Avent in testing, the Skyvision AI Pro rings up for a solid $150 less, making it a great option for parents who want the hybrid experience at a more affordable price.

The camera quality on the Hubble is amazing for the price, with vivid, true-to-life colors. Tiny details like flushed cheeks or, even in low light, the flutter of eyelids are clearly visible. The camera pans and tilts, but our tester Korin found the frame so wide that she didn’t need to move it often. You can use the app to control a seven-color nightlight and a preloaded library of soothing sounds, lullabies and stories. And if you’re using the non-WiFi mode, you won’t need to worry about poor range. “I used it all over my house and basement, as well as in my yard, and had no issues,” Korin reported. Like other high-tech monitors, the Hubble SkyVision AI Pro takes some time to set up due to its multiple parts, but the process was faster than similar monitors we’ve put together, thanks to the clear assembly instructions. Then, once the monitor is in place, you won’t need to mess with it again.

One of the nicer features of the SkyVision AI Pro is that if offers ‘Dual Mode Technology’, allowing you to use the app and the monitor simultaneously. “It was helpful to quickly see if our daughter was down for bed when she was with a sitter,” Korin says. And the app offers a lot of data on your child, including a detailed history of movements and wakings during the night. “If you don't change the settings you'll get alerts practically any time baby moves. [However,] there’s a privacy button you can push to make this stop,” says Korin. Likewise, you can toggle AI-powered features, such as covered face alerts and an eye wellness tracker, on and off. The Hubble camera isn’t quite as high-res as the Philips Avent and the monitor doesn’t offer the same breathing feature, but it’s still packed with plenty of bells and whistles that parents will appreciate, all at a reasonable price point.

Monitor type: Video WiFi/non-WiFi | Video display: 1080p HD | Mounting type: Crib | Max. range: 1,000 ft non-WiFi or your home’s WiFi signal range and anywhere you have cellular service | Battery life: 7+ hours

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With a price tag that hovers around $40 on many online retail sites, the HelloBaby HB30 is one of the most inexpensive video monitors on the market. (For context, all of the other video monitors we tested were $100 and up!) This Best of The Bump winner for best budget-friendly non-WiFi baby monitor doesn’t have a lot of fancy features, but it delivers detailed video and audio footage at an extremely affordable price. From the get-go, our tester Korin found the HB30 straightforward to set up and use. “I just plugged in the monitor and camera and was ready to go within seconds,” she told us. The only small learning curve is positioning the camera manually to get your angle just right. Once it’s in place, though, you’re good to go, and if baby rolls or scoots, there’s a digital zoom to help you get a closer look.

During the day, the picture quality is surprisingly crisp for a monitor at this price point. Korin was able to make out the cartoon characters on her daughter’s pajamas, including colors. “I wasn't expecting much from the camera quality, given how low-priced this monitor is, but I was pleasantly surprised,” she said. At night or in low-light settings, the picture is a little grainier, but you can still see what you need to. Unlike some monitors that use infrared lights (and cast a red glow), this one doesn’t. So while the night view isn’t quite as bright or crisp, baby’s sleep space stays dark, which is a perk for some families. The audio is reliable too: Korin could easily hear her daughter stirring as she woke up.

The HelloBaby HB30’s battery life is around six hours, which might not get you through the whole night unplugged. To extend battery life, you can use the VOX feature, which turns the screen off after 30 seconds with no noise, and switches back on as soon as there’s a sound. That said, if you plan to keep it on the charger overnight, the shorter battery life is not much of a hurdle. The 2.4” monitor screen is on the small side compared to higher-end models that are normally 5” or more, but it’s still big enough to see details without squinting. According to Korin, “the monitor screen is admittedly tiny, but you can still see what you need to with it.” All in all, the HelloBaby H30 is a fantastic choice for families looking for a reliable non-WiFi video monitor at an affordable price.

Monitor type: Video non-WiFi | Video display: 960p HD | Mounting type: Wall | Max. range: 800 feet | Battery life: 6+ hours

If you want something simple and budget-friendly and don’t need a video feed, the classic VTech DM221 Audio Baby Monitor is the way to go. All you have to do is put the audio monitor in baby’s room, turn on the receiver and take it with you—it’s really that easy. Korin found it super intuitive to use, with clear sound and an impressive range that let her move freely without losing connection. “If having a camera isn’t important to you, this is a great option,” she says. What Korin appreciated most about this monitor was how clearly she could hear every little sound and shuffle her daughter made. “The audio quality is great,” Korin shared, “I could hear this all around my house.” Whether she was folding laundry or doing the dishes, she could easily adjust the volume so she didn’t miss a thing. “Plus, the five-level visual sound indicator let me know if my baby was just rustling around or having a full-on meltdown,” she says. For these reasons and more, the VTech DM221 won best audio baby monitor in our Best of The Bump awards.

For added convenience, this audio monitor is hands-free. The receiver clips right onto your pocket or waistband, so you’re not constantly juggling it while working through your to-do list. With a battery that lasts up to 16 hours, Korin could go nearly all day without plugging it in. When she was in the middle of something, she could use the two-way talk to soothe her baby or chat with her older kids without rushing into the room. There’s even a built-in nightlight in the handle of the baby’s unit. “For under $40, it’s seriously one of the easiest, most low-maintenance monitors out there—I gave it a full 10 out of 10 for setup, battery life and overall value,” Korin says.

Korin isn’t the only one at The Bump singing this monitor’s praises—it’s also the top pick of Daniel Carroll, dad of one and associate director of e-commerce content. “My daughter was not patient after a nap,” he told us. “She never liked going to sleep, and when she woke up, she wanted an adult nearby immediately to get her out of her crib, or she’d quickly be in tears. We were in a small house and didn’t need video monitoring, just to know when nap time was over. VTech’s audio monitor was a workhorse for us—it lasted from birth into preschool, delivering clear sound through thick walls for years on end.” Needless to say, you can count on this straightforward audio baby monitor to be a reliable second set of ears throughout your home.

Monitor type: Audio | Video display: N/A | Mounting type: Tabletop | Max. range: 1,000 ft | Battery life: 16 hours

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The whole point of a video baby monitor is to see your child. And while some end up delivering a slightly fuzzy but good-enough picture, the Maxi-Cosi See Pro 360° Baby Monitor is the opposite. It won a Best of The Bump award for best baby monitor camera because of its incredibly clear picture, even at night and in low lighting. This premium quality can be attributed to its 2K Ultra HD camera and monitor, which is the highest display resolution out of all the baby monitors we tested. With this device, you’ll receive a video feed that looks like it was shot by a professional. “The monitor has an impressively crisp picture and I appreciate the large screen,” our tester Korin says.

That mighty resolution is packaged into a small camera that can be easily placed on a dresser or mounted on a wall over your child’s crib (with mounting hardware included). Korin told us setup was a breeze. You simply position the camera in the right spot, plug it in and then plug the receiver in on your end. “It was quick and easy, and parents can do it without reading the instructions (although those were clear too),” she explains. Just note that you’ll need to hold down the power button for a full five seconds to boot up the video feed, which Korin said took time to get used to.

The buttons on the monitor’s receiver are intuitive and easy to follow. You can tilt and pan as needed and enjoy features like two-way talk, a temperature and humidity detector and seven soothing sounds. Korin was also won over by the receiver’s impressive battery life. “I left it unplugged one night and was able to use it again during naptime without plugging it in again,” she told us. Plus, it’s surprisingly durable. “My 4-year-old got a hold of it at one point, pushed a lot of buttons and dropped it, and it still worked well and looked brand new afterward,” Korin shared.

In addition to the top-notch receiver, this hybrid baby monitor syncs with an included app that uses the brand’s CryAssist technology to help translate baby’s cries using AI, determining if your little one is sleepy, fussy, gassy, agitated or hungry. It’s hard to say how accurate this is, but it could be a major help as new parents navigate that early learning curve. Overall, this is a high-end, high-quality monitor with a razor-sharp camera and smart features to supplement.

It’s worth noting that this monitor’s high resolution comes with a couple of drawbacks, though. It uses more bandwidth, which can bog down your internet connection and cause lag, freezing or even prevent the video or audio feed from loading. Taíno Bendz, an expert in mindful and intentional technology usage, says that unless you need to see very fine details or have a large room, this level of resolution might be overkill for some parents. However, if premium video footage is a must-have on your monitor checklist, the Maxi-Cosi See Pro 360° Baby Monitor will definitely tick that box and then some.

Monitor type: Video WiFi/non-WiFi | Video display: 2K Ultra HD | Mounting type: Wall | Max range: 600 ft non-WiFi or your home’s WiFi signal range and anywhere you have cellular service| Battery life: 10 hours