Baby monitors are one of the safest ways to keep an eye on your little one. Gone are the days of tiptoeing silently in the room to see if the baby is napping, only to accidentally wake them up.
With the right monitor, you won't have to peek in the room to see what the baby is doing. A baby monitor gives the parents peace of mind and reassures them with a view of the child, no matter where they are.
In order to get the best baby monitor, you need to consider your child's needs and any other additional features that will make you and your baby feel comfortable and confident.
However, finding the best monitor for you and your baby can be challenging. This is why we have reviewed the best baby monitors in this article, including their pros and cons, and we have a list of essential features to consider before buying a baby monitor.
5 Best Baby Monitors
1. Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor- Best For Zooming In
- 2020 Award Winner: Babylist Best Baby Monitors Of 2020 *(Awarded On January 8, 2020)
- Perfect Size & Weight Ratio - No Large Batteries To Power Energy-Hungry Large Screens. The Dxr-8 Is Light-Weight And Portable, Designed For True Mobility Around The House. 10-Hr Battery Life On Power-Saving Mode, 6-Hr With Screen On.Care & Cleaning: Spot or Wipe Clean
- Full Viewing Control - The Dxr-8 Is A Baby Monitor With Camera Features Such As Pan/Tilt/Digital Zoom And Interchangeable Lens. Fit The Zoom Lens To See Even Closer, Or Zoom Out With The Wide Angle Lens. Expandable Up To 4 Cameras
- Robust And Mature Hardware - The Dxr-8 Is Fine Tuned And Refined Over Years Of Iteration From Feedback Of Real Users. Trusted By Over A Million Parents, Our Award Winning Monitor Is Backed By Vigorous Testing And Quality Control
- Range Up to 700 feet (line of sight, no obstruction)
The Infant Optics DXR-8 video baby monitor, a What to Expect award winner, boasts its interchangeable lens feature, which means one can swap the lenses to fit their needs.
It has an excellent zoom lens that helps you have a closer and detailed view of the baby, especially if you want to place the camera far away from the crib. There is also a wide-angle lens that can help you see the entire room, especially when the baby grows older.
The monitor can work with up to four cameras which is great for parents or guardians that have to keep an eye on multiple kids or different rooms. Furthermore, this video baby monitor has a great battery life of up to 12 hours in audio mode and 8 hours when the display screen is on.
There’s also a room temperature display that helps in monitoring the temperature. Other features that make this baby monitor stand out are the two-way audio, camera tilt and pan abilities, an alarm function, and night vision.
2. Google Nest Cam for Home Security- Best For Home Monitoring
- 24/7 live stream video in full 1080p HD over Wi-Fi. Check in from anywhere at anytime. Send clips to family or friends in 1920x1080 resolution.
- Night vision featuring 8 high-power infrared LEDs provide light for clear video in the darkest conditions.
- Mobile alerts and notifications let you know as soon as your camera spots activity. Take action or save the event for sharing later. 3-hour snapshot history makes sure you don't miss a thing.
- Industry-leading security means that your video feed and information is well protected. Enable two-factor authentication and take your account protection to the next level.
- Free trial of Nest Aware for 30-days. Experience 10-day video history intelligent alerts and activity zones. Keep the service starting at $6 per month for your Nest devices after the trial ends.
The Google Nest Cam isn’t designed to be a baby monitor instead, it is a home protection device. You might be there wondering why this is our second pick of the best baby monitor.
This is why, most of the time, while you're away, you not only want to monitor your baby but also your nanny. It is a great video baby monitor to help check on your baby as well as your home. This Google Nest Cam helps you monitor your whole house, especially when you have gone out.
You can stream a live video from your smartphone, and you can also rewind to view activities that happened in the last three hours. A significant motion and sound sensor that sends you an alert to your phone or an email in case something fishy is detected.
3. Nanit Plus - Smart Baby Monitor- Best for Sleep Statistics
- ALWAYS BE CONNECTED: Get a crystal clear HD bird's eye view of your baby, day or night from anywhere on your iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, or Echo Show device. Hear or speak to your baby with two-way audio. Listen while using other apps or even when your screen is turned off with background audio. Receive real-time sound and motion notifications with adjustable sensitivity. Plus, monitor the temperature and humidity of the nursery to ensure they're comfortable.
- SLEEP TRACKING & GUIDANCE: Nanit gives you your baby's sleep stats each morning, plus a timelapse highlight reel of their sleep, so you can rewatch their entire night in seconds. Get personalized, science-backed sleep guidance and tips from the world’s leading pediatric sleep experts, right in your Nanit app.
- MAKING MEMORIES, MADE EASY: With Nanit Memories, your Nanit camera captures your baby’s finest moments automatically right in your app. Celebrate fun moments and growth milestones every step of the way, wherever you are. Share with friends and family, and hold onto their Memories forever.
- SAFE, SECURE, AND HSA/FSA APPROVED: 256-bit encryption keeps your data safe, and two-factor authentication keeps your account secure. Invite the whole parenting team to access your camera, and with user permissions, you can control exactly what each user can see and do. Use your Health Savings Account or Flex Spending Account to purchase Nanit. Nanit includes one year of Nanit Insights sleep tracking and video history. Nanit comes with a 1-year limited manufacturer's warranty.
- AWARD-WINNING: CES 2020 Innovation Award, 2020 Business Insider's Best Video Baby Monitor, 2019 Forbes' Best Baby Monitor, 2018 TIME's Best Invention.
The Nanit Plus Smart Baby monitor helps in keeping track of your baby's sleep. The sleep data shows how your baby moves during sleep. The monitor, therefore, analyzes the data and gives you insights into the sleep patterns of your baby.
It features an app that provides specialized sleep coaching tips based on the baby’s sleeping patterns. It streams both audio and video on the baby monitor and your phone, so you can easily check on the baby while you're in another room or away from home.
This monitor features two-way audio, smart sensors, and night light. Furthermore, it comes with a breathing band to detect the baby’s breathing motion and alert you in case of any irregularities.
4. VTech DM111 Audio Baby Monitor- Best For Audio Monitoring
- Best-in-class Long Range ** The VTech DM111 Audio Baby Monitor's dependable long operation range covers up to 1,000 feet, lets you go about your day and stays connected with your baby from another room or even from the yard
- Upgraded Rechargeable Battery ** Parent Unit includes a built-in rechargeable battery that supports up to 8 hours of portable operation. With the belt clip, the Parent Unit can be attached to your pocket or shirt
- Easy Set-up Plug & Play ** Simply connecting power for both units and allow 1-min for the units to link to each other
- Easy to Use ** The speaker volume on the parent unit is easily controlled by pressing the up or down arrow keys. When the parent unit is in mute, the visual sound indicator will still indicate the sound detected from the baby unit
- 5-level Sound Indicator ** A set of five LED lights on the parent unit indicates the level of sound in your baby's room so you can visually monitor noise level with the receiver muted
If you're looking for an audio-only baby monitor, then you should consider getting this Vtech DM111. It is not only affordable, but it also comes with excellent abilities, including a crystal clear sound transmission, a range of up to 1000 feet range, rechargeable batteries, and a parent unit that comes with a backlit display.
The Vtech DM111 baby monitor features a two-way talk through a built-in intercom, unlike many audio monitors. It also has a vibrating option, and it lights up to sound detection which is a handy feature.
It helps in eliminating the white noise from analog monitors, ensuring you clearly hear the sounds. This monitor has a 5-level sound indicator that shows the sound level in your baby's room to help you monitor the noise level.
5. Motorola Halo Video Monitor - Best Flexible Baby Monitor
- MONITOR FROM ANYWHERE - Our video infant monitor allows you to check on your little one, whether you're at work or just in the kitchen. Simply connect to the Hubble app on your smartphone.
- CRISP & CLEAR DISPLAY - View a real-time video feed of your little one's room on the parent unit's 4.3" color screen. Its infrared night vision feature gives you a clear video feed at night time.A camera can only be registered to one Parent Unit at any one time
- STAY ON TOP OF BABY'S HEALTH - The Hubble Baby Smart Sleep Assistant keeps track of your baby's hours of sleep, as well as the number of feeding times, diaper changes, and pumping sessions.
- MAKE BABY FEEL SECURE - Did your baby wake up on the wrong side of the crib? This monitor can function as an intercom, thanks to 2-way speakers. Calm your baby with your voice wherever you may be.
- SOOTHE BABY TO SLEEP - Our Wi-Fi baby monitor is fitted with a night light (7 different colors) and lightshow projector, which casts images onto the ceiling above the crib, helping your little one fall asleep.
The Motorola Halo Baby Video Monitor gives a flexible monitor that provides an excellent overhead view that helps you see your baby when in another room or away from home.
Are you having a hard time deciding between a handheld and smartphone monitor? Then, you don't have to worry anymore, because this Motorola Video monitor works with both.
If you're out, you can use your smartphone to watch the baby, and if you're in a different room, you can use the traditional handheld way to monitor.
The monitor comes with a Huddle Smart Sleep Assistant that gives baby facts and sleeping data, sleep and parenting tips, tracks the milestones, etc. You can easily attach it anywhere in the room without the need for a stand or mount.
What to Consider Before Buying a Baby Monitor
1. Camera Quality
If you're in search of a video baby monitor, then you'll want to get one with excellent camera quality. This means you have to be keen on the camera features, including a clear image and video quality, a tilting lens to view the surroundings, and digital zoom to get an up-close view.
Choose the one with the best video features such that you will be able to clearly see every part of the baby on the LCD color display screen. For best results, consider a baby monitor that can display a video quality of 1080 HD video and above.
2. Screen size
Video monitors come in different screen sizes, with some having larger screens while others have smaller screens. The larger screens are the greatest for viewing since they offer a clearer image, while the smaller screens are not the best, depending on your phone's size. However, the ones with smaller screens are considered to be easily portable.
3. Range
The range is how far you can be from the room and still get to monitor your baby. This allows you to view the baby's noise or movement without being in the same room.
Simply, the higher the range, the higher the distance you'll be able to be away from the monitor without losing the connection. Some of the baby monitors have a range of up to 1000 feet which is considered good enough.
Choosing the range that's best for you will depend on the square footage of your home. If you stay in a home that has multiple floors or thick and plaster walls, then this is a crucial factor for you.
4. Battery-Life
The Battery life will help determine how long you will be able to use the monitor before having to charge it. Most baby monitors a battery life that lasts from 8 to 10 hours, which is enough for a full workday or a night's sleep.
It is important to note that video or WI-FI baby monitors may consume a lot of power because they use both video and audio features. Also, it is crucial to find a baby with rechargeable batteries to avoid the costs of buying batteries.
5. Types of Baby Monitor
i. Audio Baby Monitors
These baby monitors will only allow you to hear your baby and lack a display screen to see your baby. Furthermore, some of these monitors may include two-way audio, such that you can also speak or sing to the baby.
Most of them have a crystal clear sound, low battery use, and have a great range. However, many of these monitors may lack features like heart monitoring or temperature sensing.
ii. Video Baby Monitors
They often include audio and video, such that have a built-in microphone, speaker, and a color display screen to monitor your baby. The microphone and the speaker allow a two-way talk. Some may need a mobile app to achieve the same functionality.
Video monitors will allow you to see your baby's real-time footage, unlike an audio monitor where you only get to hear. Moreover, most of these monitors come with additional features, including digital zoom, night vision, and storage space for the videos.
iii. WI-FI Baby Monitor
A Wi-Fi baby monitor is a device that connects to your internet network to help you monitor the baby. They are controlled by a mobile device, with most of them having both audio and video features.
You need to use a voice assistant or a mobile application for the monitor in order to monitor your baby's activity. As a mom, you also get to see the real-time footage even you're far from home. You can also store the videos using the mobile app or cloud storage.
iv. Movement Monitors
These monitors will allow you to know if the little one hasn't moved for more than 20 seconds. It comes with a motion-sensitive pad that you put under the baby's mattress. This pad is sensitive enough to differentiate between the baby's breathing and other movements.
6. Additional Features
i. Temperature Checker
Some baby monitors come with built-in temperature sensors that enable you to know if the nursery is too cold or too hot. It is recommended that the temperature should be between 68 degrees and 72-degrees Fahrenheit. However, if you get one without this feature, you can always use a thermometer instead.
ii. Night Vision
If you're planning to use the baby monitor during the night, then it is essential to find one with a night vision to enable you to see the baby even in the dark.
The best baby monitor features a sharp night vision to view your baby in a black and white view from the display screen. Some baby monitors will also have enable night vision automatically when it detects darkness which is great if you forget to turn the feature on.
iii. Motion and sound sensors
The best baby monitors have sound and motion sensors that detect when your baby moves or makes noise. When the baby monitor detects a sound or motion, the display screen will light up or send you an alert to notify you.
With these sensors, the parents can have peace of mind without having to keep an eye on the baby all the time. They are immediately alerted when the baby wakes up, and they don't have to wonder how long they have been awake.
iv. Interconnectivity
Interconnectivity means that the baby monitor that allows you to have more cameras and also more than one monitor displays. The more eyes or ears, the better.
v. Remote adjustments
Some monitors have the ability to adjust the security camera view, which is a great feature.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) on Baby Monitors
1. What is the best baby monitor for 2021?
The best baby monitor for 2021 is the Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor because of its interchangeable lens feature and excellent zooming abilities.
2. At what age can you start using a baby monitor?
You can start using the monitor in the first few months to know if he is awake. However, when the baby is six months and above and sleeping throughout the night, you can choose to stop or use the baby monitoring system during specific times to help your baby to develop healthy sleeping habits and also the mom to get a better night's sleep.
3. How secure is a baby monitor?
A baby monitor is generally secure. However, with the rise of security concerns for baby monitors, you need to ensure that your monitor is safe from hackers by;
- Ensuring your Internet network is has a strong password.
- Updating the monitor's software regularly.
- Find ways to better storage options like encrypting the footage and store on the cloud.
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