A quality baby monitor can feel like a parent’s only option to confidently separate from their child, especially in the early days. But it’s easy to feel ill-prepared to choose which one is right for you, especially when there are a zillion bells and whistles (government-level surveillance! pre-recorded lullabies!) that don’t make sense until you’re in it. (Bring on the sleep training and nap routines.) That’s why we did the research for you. Here, our top baby monitor picks for every nursery need.
The Best Baby Monitors for Your Nursery
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Published Sep 7, 2020
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Best Closed-circuit: Eufy Spaceview Baby Monitor
Value: 18/20
Functionality: 20/20
Quality: 19/20
Aesthetics: 18/20
Peace of Mind Factor: 20/20
TOTAL: 95/100
Why We Love It: This handheld monitor features a crystal-clear video display day or night, but it’s the 330-degree camera pan that really makes it a stand-out. It was possible to locate our wiggly toddler, no matter the sleep position he found himself in. Better yet, the range—up to 1,000 feet—means you hardly ever get a “no signal” alert. And when the battery runs low, you still have at least another 10 minutes before it fully dies and you have to find a charger. (Trust me, that’s a nice option to have.) Other features worth mentioning: The incredibly accurate temperature gauge (a savior for panicky parents) and the 5-inch monitor size (like we said, you can see everything!).
Best Wifi-enabled: Nanit
Value: 17/20
Functionality: 20/20
Quality: 19/20
Aesthetics: 20/20
Peace of Mind Factor: 19/20
TOTAL: 95/100
Why We Love It: Not only is it a breeze to install, with sleek childproof wire coverings included for when your kid starts chewing everything in sight, the Nanit baby monitor is reliable and intuitive—a godsend for when you’re functioning on minimal sleep. Sure, it’s an investment, but you get your money’s worth thanks to the clear picture that you can view from anywhere in addition to useful features like the option to get remote alerts about how your baby is napping with her sitter or two-way audio that makes it possible to talk to sing a lullaby from anywhere. There’s also an optional breathing band that monitors your baby’s breaths per minute and integrates seamlessly with the app.
Best Audio-only: Vtech Dm221
Value: 20/20
Functionality: 19/20
Quality: 17/20
Aesthetics: 16/20
Peace of Mind Factor: 17/20
TOTAL: 89/100
Why We Love It: Maybe your kids are older. Or maybe you just don’t see the need for a video monitor when it comes to keeping tabs. This audio-only monitor is better than some of the options out there with picture displays. That’s mainly due to its top-notch sound quality and digital elimination of background noise. (If it picks up the sound of street traffic going by, it will be faint.) It’s also rechargeable and portable with a range of 1,000 feet.
Best Wearable: Owlet Monitor And Smart Sock
Value: 17/20
Functionality: 18/20
Quality: 19/20
Aesthetics: 19/20
Peace of Mind Factor: 19/20
TOTAL: 92/100
Why We Love It: The polar opposite of audio-only parents, the Owlet Monitor and Smart Sock combo takes keeping watch over your newborn to the next level. Simply slip the sock—a wrap of sorts—on your infant’s foot and it will automatically sync with the app providing you with detailed information about everything from your baby’s heart rate to their oxygen levels throughout the night. (You can also access sleep data about their night.) But that’s not all: This WiFi-connected monitor offers a clear picture of your baby wherever you are and pings you the minute it recognizes a sign of distress. (FYI, this isn’t meant to be a substitute for following infant sleep protocol.)
Best Multi-camera: Motorola Lux65 Connect
Value: 16/20
Functionality: 17/20
Quality: 17/20
Aesthetics: 19/20
Peace of Mind Factor: 18/20
TOTAL: 87/100
Why We Love It: Two kiddos, one baby monitor—that’s the goal. This baby monitor is up for the task with a split-screen feature that allows you to watch both cribs at once without having to toggle back and forth. (Or you can use both cameras in one nursery to catch a view of your infant sleeping from multiple angles.) Keep in mind that you can only hear audio from one camera at a time, but if that’s a problem, there is an option to use the baby monitor’s “scan” feature to automatically rotate views…and sound. One other feature worth mentioning: The option to pre-record your own lullabies or “sh-sh-sh” sound to play when you’re away.
Best For Newborns: Lumi By Pampers
Value: 16/20
Functionality: 18/20
Quality: 18/20
Aesthetics: 18/20
Peace of Mind Factor: 19/20
TOTAL: 89/100
Why We Love It: In the early days, your life revolves around two things: diapers and sleep. This combo baby monitor allows you to track both when you affix an activity sensor to your infant’s diaper that keeps tabs on wet diapers and sleep cycles via an app. The baby monitor part? A camera with stellar video quality is part of the connected sleep setup, allowing you to view your infant, monitor room temp and track upcoming developmental leaps. (So that’s why your two-month-old’s sleep was off.) Keep in mind that the Lumi by Pampers diapers start from newborn and go up to size 4 (or 37 pounds).
Best Splurge: Miku
Value: 18/20
Functionality: 18/20
Quality: 20/20
Aesthetics: 20/20
Peace of Mind Factor: 19/20
TOTAL: 95/100
Why We Love It: This Wi-Fi-enabled baby monitor brings government-level surveillance (for real—the founder used to work for the Department of Defense) to the crib, providing you with a data-driven picture of your infant’s sleep habits so you can track everything from breathing patterns to the humidity levels in your nursery at a glance. But what sets this device apart is the “intelligence,” so to speak: The wall-mounted device not only provides jittery parents with real time updates on motion and room temp via a paired mobile app; it generates detailed sleep reports so you get a full picture of your child’s nighttime health. (Bonus: The camera is so high def, this monitor offers you the option to save photos and videos of your baby snoozing. A nice perk!)
