Best Baby Monitors to Help You Keep a Watchful Eye on Your Little One

Why settle for just hearing baby when you can see them too? Parents everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief when the video baby monitor was first introduced, with a camera in baby’s room transmitting video to the receiver Mom or Dad kept by their side. After all, it’s reassuring to actually see that silence means a sleeping baby rather than Sharpie on the walls. (Yes, in some ways video baby monitors are even more important during the toddler years!) With thousands of Amazon reviewers giving this monitor a near five-star rating, we’re happy to include the Infant Optics DXR-8 Pro video baby monitor on our list of best baby monitors. Parents rave about its crystal-clear picture in both light and darkness, thanks to the high-def video display, and its game-changing interchangeable wide-angle lens for larger viewing areas (sold separately). The DXR-8 Pro also has the ability to pan and zoom across baby’s room without parents having to enter the room and move or adjust the camera. And the range is now an impressive 1,000 feet, cutting down on connectivity issues. All these features add up to make it the best video baby monitor available.

WiFi baby monitors are the latest innovation in high-tech baby gear, and they’re super convenient. A baby monitor with WiFi allows you to connect anywhere that has Internet service or Bluetooth capability—and the monitor can often be controlled remotely using a smartphone or computer. This functionality makes the WiFi baby monitor great for traveling (unless you’re heading to a remote location). Safety tip: No matter what connection you use, be sure that it’s a secure connection to prevent your monitor from being hacked. When you opt for the Miku Pro, our 2021 Best of Baby award winner for the best WiFi baby monitor, nap time becomes a virtually stress-free experience. It’s the only monitor that can register and record baby’s breathing, temperature and movement without a wearable device. Track baby’s sleep stats in real time with the accompanying app, and never wonder again whether an external factor is keeping baby from getting some much-needed shuteye. FYI, embedded security features also mean enhanced protection for your data and privacy for you and baby.

If you don’t have an internet connection—or don’t feel comfortable with the potential for hackers, a non-WiFi baby monitor is likely the right choice for you. Luckily, today’s non-WiFi monitors don’t ask you to settle for second best just because you’d like to remain offline. With the Eufy SpaceView baby monitor (another Best of Baby winner!), you no longer have to sacrifice quality if you’re lacking a high-speed internet connection. This completely offline monitor touts most of the bells and whistles of its connected counterparts, like razor-sharp images, clear sound and even night-vision technology. Expansive pan and tilt capabilities, and an available second lens mean you never have to wonder about baby’s well-being during naps.

What’s better than a baby monitor that can do it all? A baby monitor that can do it all and deliver results to your smartphone, of course! Perfect for new parents or anyone who wants the most peace of mind possible, a smart baby monitor is worth its price tag, providing real-time monitoring and data tracking during baby’s snoozes. The Nanit Pro complete baby monitoring system comes with everything you need. Right out of the box, you’ll receive a camera and monitoring system that boasts sharp images; clear sound using a two-way microphone and ample visibility with pan, tilt and zoom capabilities. Take things to the next level with smart sheets and an accompanying wearable breathing monitor for baby, so you can track breathing rate (of course, don’t exclusively rely on this information). A robust app does much more than just track baby’s sleep stats: The Insights feature gives you customized sleep advice based on baby’s activity—and there’s even a place to store your very own memories, like the first time baby sleeps through the night. Share these moments with friends and family on the app as well.

One of the biggest concerns with a baby monitor is going out of range and not being able to hear baby crying for you. Talk about a case of mom guilt! When shopping for the best long-range baby monitor, understand that the range listed on the box doesn’t account for walls or doors; it’s a line-of-sight range. So, although you may not actually be able to travel 1,000 feet away from baby, you should be able to head to the basement to do laundry or be outside in the yard without worrying about missing baby’s calls. For a long-range video monitor, the Philips Avent SCD-843 provides top-notch video capability and solid features with a range of 980 feet outdoors and 150 feet indoors.

Just because you’re pulling double diaper duty doesn’t mean you need to buy two separate baby monitor systems. If you’re a twin mom or have two close in age, simply look for a monitor that can accommodate add-on cameras. The Babysense Video Monitor comes with two digital cameras right out of the box (and, FYI, it can handle up to four!), making this the best baby monitor for twins—or a household with multiple nappers. With the push of a button, you can toggle between views of your littles, even if they’re in separate rooms. Plus, this monitor features digital pan, tilt and zoom capabilities; two-way communication; room-temperature monitoring and a 900-foot range.

Got multiple littles to keep an eye on? Opt for a monitor with split- or even quad-screen viewing (yes, you can see up to four children in separate rooms all at once!). It allows you to receive images from several cameras on the same screen simultaneously.

It’s hard enough traveling with kids, so when you’re away from home, you’ll want to bring along a baby monitor that’s reliable and flexible. A long-range device is also a plus—especially if baby will be sleeping further away from you than they normally do. For these reasons, the Evoz Vision tops our list as the best travel baby monitor. The WiFi-enabled monitor allows more than one person to check on baby—a nice feature when you’re traveling to visit family and friends; just grant grandparents or sitters access to the app. Another great travel feature: It has an unlimited range. Plus, it uses cry-detection algorithms to distinguish cries from other noises, and will alert you via text message or email when baby cries. Just make sure you’ll have WiFi at your destination.

If security is top of mind for you when it comes to your baby monitor, you’ll want to choose one that invests in and understands the importance of cybersecurity. The Cubo AI is an absolute stand-out when it comes to security. It’s cybersecurity-certified by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), giving you peace of mind that your data is just as safe and secure as your sleeping baby. Strong features like real-time alerts, razor-sharp HD images and built-in sleep-analytics tracking make this one of our favorite top-rated baby monitors on the market.

There are many reasons to look for an audio baby monitor—price and portability are just a few—but for the best audio baby monitor, choose a digital model that uses DECT technology rather than an old-school analog model. You’ll enjoy greater security and less interference. The VTech Safe & Sound DM221 is a digital audio model with great reviews and lots of features at an affordable price point. It functions like a set of walkie-talkies with its two-way communication, and it’s portable to boot—making it one of the top baby monitors for travel.

When video baby monitors first hit the scene, they were all incredibly expensive. Nowadays though, you can get a really nifty option without splurging. The Hello Baby monitor system offers a remote pan-tilt-zoom camera, a 3.2-inch LCD screen, infrared night-vision, two-way audio, room-temperature monitoring and built-in lullabies for $90. Great functionality and ultimate reassurance doesn’t have to break the bank. There’s a reason this baby monitor has more than 12,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.