The Best Baby Monitors of 2024

We've factored house size, monitor range, and health variables into our best baby monitor picks to help your little one sleep safely.
Best overall
new nanit baby monitor
Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor
  • pro
    1080p HD
  • pro
    Dual-band Wi-Fi
  • pro
    No separate unit to charge
  • Icon Emoji  Fire
Best for screen and app
VTech VM901
  • pro
    1080p HD
  • pro
    2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
  • con
    3-hour unit battery
Best for traveling
eufy baby monitor
Eufy Video Baby Monitor
  • con
    720p HD
  • pro
    2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
  • pro
    15-hour unit battery
Best baby camera
Reolink E1 Zoom
  • pro
    5MP Super HD
  • pro
    Dual-band Wi-Fi
  • pro
    No separate unit to charge
  • Icon Emoji  Fire
Best non-Wi-Fi
Infant Optics DXR-8 Pro
  • con
    720p HD
  • pro
    Closed circuit private video feed
  • con
    6-hour unit battery

SafeWise experts have years of firsthand experience testing the products we recommend. Learn how we test and review

We like the Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor's breathing and tracking technology, crisp night vision, and diverse mounting options.

The Nanit's smartphone app lets you see and talk to your cutie pie from anywhere in the world, but sometimes it's nice to have a separate audio feed from a parent unit. We've narrowed down the best baby monitors on the market so you can find what you need. 

Compare the best baby monitors

Baby monitor
Best for
Price*
Breathing and movement monitoring
Maximum range
View from
Learn more
Best overall
Icon Yes  LightYes

Unlimited

Mobile app
Best for screen and app
Icon Yes  LightMovement only
1000 ft. (screen)
Unlimited (app)
Parent unit
Mobile app
Best for traveling
Icon No  LightNo
460 ft.Parent unit
Best baby camera
Icon No  LightNo
Unlimited Mobile app
Best non-Wi-Fi baby monitor
Icon No  LightNo

984 ft.

Parent unit

*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Best baby monitor reviews

1. Nanit Pro Smart: Overall best baby monitor with camera

Best baby monitor
new nanit baby monitor

*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

One of our favorite smart baby gadgets, the Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor tracks just about everything: sleep patterns, movement, breathing, and even nursery temperature and humidity. Plus, it connects to your smartphone to stream a continuous audio feed—even if your phone's locked.

Honestly, the Nanit Pro would still top our list if that's where it stopped. But the list of features keeps going: it's also a white noise machine, a night light that gradually dims, and a portable nanny cam.

That Nanit Pro is also the safest baby monitor in terms of low EMF levels,1 and is the best smart baby monitor with Alexa integrations since its video feed can be displayed on any Echo Show device.

pro
Pros
pro Sleep-tracking app
pro Temperature and humidity sensors
pro Photo/video saving and sharing
pro Gradually dimming night light
pro Sharp infrared night vision
con
Cons
con No pan and tilt
con App drains phone battery

Unlike other baby monitors—which tend to have standard definition 720p video displays—the Nanit Pro streams in 1080p. It also rocks top-notch infrared night vision and lets you zoom in. 

The Nanit also lets you save and share photos and videos from the app.

We know some parents prefer closed-circuit baby monitors due to privacy concerns, but the Nanit takes safety seriously. It sends data from the camera to your phone using 256-bit encryption. You can also check out our other tips for keeping your cameras safe from hackers to make sure no one's being creepy.

There are just a couple things we don't like about the Nanit Pro: it's a sleep, breathing, and movement monitor only when the baby wears certain clothing and only when the camera is mounted to specific stands. Plus, the app will drain your phone battery.

Nanit's movement, breathing, and sleep tracking functions only work if your baby wears clothing with a special pattern. The camera locks onto this pattern and analyzes its movements to make sure your baby is breathing and moving normally. These wearables cost extra, and since babies aren't known for their exceptionally clean laundry, you'll need to buy several.

Here's a list of Nanit's patterned wearables and accessories: 

Second, the sleep, movement, and breathing monitoring features don't work when the camera is attached to the multi-stand. This portable stand turns the Nanit into a nanny cam and automatically increases its field of view. If your baby naps in more than one area of the home (or often goes to a caregiver's house), grab an extra floor stand instead of the multi-stand.

Learn more in our full Nanit Pro review.

Light Bulb
Wearable-free alternative

The Miku is our runner-up for best smart baby monitor with a camera. It tracks movement, breathing, and sleep without any wearables, gives off low EMF,2 and plays lullabies. The Miku has no zoom capabilities and doesn't work with Echo Show devices.

2. VTech VM901: Best baby monitor with screen and app

Best baby monitor with screen and app

*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Most baby monitors use a closed-circuit parent unit or a smartphone app to display video footage. The VTech VM901 Smart Baby Monitor gives you the best of both worlds.

For example, your babysitter can use the screen, and you can check in on your smartphone app.

pro
Pros
pro Pan-and-tilt
pro 720p on screen, 1080p on app
pro Motion and temperature sensor
pro Lullabies and white noise
pro 4x zoom on screen, 10x zoom on app
con
Cons
con No breathing monitor
con Poor battery life

The VTech VM901 has excellent audio and video quality and even looks great in night vision mode. Everything looks crisper on the app versus the traditional monitor, and you can also zoom in further on the app.

The camera can play lullabies or white noise and alert you if the nursery gets too hot or cold. Other than that, there aren't too many smart features on this baby monitor.

You'll need to charge the VTech parent unit every day because its battery lasts just a few hours at a time.

3. Eufy Video Baby Monitor: Best for traveling

Best for traveling
eufy baby monitor

*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Eufy Video Baby Monitor knows the difference between background noise and your baby's gurgles or whimpers. You won't get alerts every five seconds, nor will you accidentally tune out your baby while listening to a constant audio stream. Plus, with a 15-hour battery life and a portable size, it's good for traveling.

pro
Pros
pro 5 in. screen
pro Remote pan and tilt
pro Two-way talk
pro Room temperature sensor
pro 15-hour battery
pro Lullabies
pro Wall mount included
con
Cons
con Shorter range
con No movement or breathing tracking

This non-Wi-Fi, closed-circuit unit is similar to the Infant Optics Pro in terms of features and specs, but it has a smaller range. The company notes that the parent unit has a range of up to 1,000 feet if there are no obstacles (like walls) in the way. The unit's practical range is around 460 feet, which is sufficient for most homes.

Like the Infant Optics Pro, the Eufy is a pan-and-tilt camera with an optional wide-angle lens, and you can connect a total of four cameras to the parent unit.

Although we haven't had a chance to test this baby monitor hands-on, we're pretty impressed with the quality of Eufy cameras in general. Read more in our Eufy cameras review.

Eufy has several other baby monitors up for grabs. Here are the main differences compared to the basic Eufy Video Baby Monitor:

Coming in from left field is the Eufy Care Baby Monitor 2. Unlike the other Eufy baby monitors, this one's a Wi-Fi monitor that uses your phone as a display. It streams in much higher quality (2K), zooms in closer, and has a slightly wider field of view than the other Eufy video baby monitors. It comes with a wall mount and crib mount.

4. Reolink E1 Zoom: Best baby camera

Best baby camera
Reolink E1 Zoom
$55.99 (sale price)

*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

If you want to skip all the high-priced extras and just get a Wi-Fi camera with crystal-clear video footage, check out the Reolink E1 Zoom. It's a pan-and-tilt camera that records in clear 5MP super HD with 3x zoom and night vision up to 40 feet.

pro
Pros
pro No-contact sensors
pro Pan-and-tilt camera
pro Two-way audio
con
Cons
con Prone to false alarms

The E1 Zoom has two-way audio, but you can't leave it running in the background as with some of the baby monitor apps. This is an all-purpose camera better suited for manually checking in on your little one than for getting specialized alerts. 

Reolink cameras have some of the best visual clarity we've ever seen in cameras under $100, so your little one won't just look like a blob on the screen.

Learn more about our previous Reolink pick for keeping an eye on your wee one, the Reolink E1 Pro, in our review of the best cheap security cameras. Or head over to our review of the Reolink brand to see some of its other top models.

5. Infant Optics DXR-8 Pro: Best non Wi-Fi baby monitor

Best closed circuit baby monitor

*Amazon.com prices as of post date Read full disclaimer.

The Infant Optics DXR-8 Pro is a simple, user-friendly video baby monitor with solid features like two-way audio, a room temperature sensor, and a remote pan-and-tilt capability. You can rest assured that the video feed is completely private, as this closed circuit baby monitor doesn't connect to Wi-Fi.

pro
Pros
pro High-quality night vision
pro Remote pan and tilt
pro Two-way talk
pro Room temperature sensor
pro 6x zoom
pro No Wi-Fi required to use
con
Cons
con Short battery life
con Long charge time
con Loud out-of-range and low-battery alarm
con No movement or breathing monitoring

We like that it comes with multiple, easy-to-swap lenses so you can choose between standard and zoom, or you can purchase a wide-angle lens for about $12 on Amazon. If that doesn't provide enough coverage, you can add up to three additional cameras.

It comes with a wall-mount kit for your baby's room, but you can also purchase a flexible arm to mount it to the crib. The parent monitor unit is lightweight with intuitive controls.

The only downside to this monitor is its less-than-stellar rechargeable battery. You can expect to keep it on the charger for about seven hours for a full charge, and it'll only last about six hours off the charger. We recommend purchasing the external battery pack for all-night coverage.

The alarm feature can also be a hassle—expect a noisy alert if the battery is low or if the monitor gets too far out of range of the camera.

Final word

We think the Nanit Pro Smart is a great baby monitor that matches the budget and expectations of many parents, which is why it earned the top spot in our list. But we found each of these baby monitors to be high-quality and well-reviewed. There's enough variety on this list that you're sure to find the one that meets your needs.

Baby monitor FAQ

We often think of night vision technology as something intimidating that soldiers and spies use, but it’s completely harmless and very useful for a baby video monitor.

Night vision video monitors do the same thing that amplifiers (like microphones or hearing aids) do with sound, only with light:

  1. Light particles enter the camera lens.
  2. The light particles convert to electricity.
  3. They're then amplified, producing a brighter image.

This helps you see your little one clearly even while they’re sleeping soundly in a dark room. They don’t pose any threat to your baby’s health.

Parents are all different, and the best way to determine what’s right for your baby is to consider your own concerns and needs as a parent.

  • Routine: When you put your baby down for a nap, do you listen for their cries or do you tiptoe into the room to look in on them?
  • Location: Does your baby sleep in the same room as you at night, or in a room farther away?
  • Concerns: Do you worry more about their safety or about their comfort and sleep habits?

Answering these questions can help you determine what type of baby monitor will best fit your needs:

  • Basic: You may want a basic health monitor with an audible alarm for when your child is sleeping nearby.
  • Video: Or you may feel more comfortable keeping an eye on them with a video monitor.
  • Affordable: A less expensive and more traditional sound-only monitor might be sufficient if your child is older.

Or you might decide on some combination of any of these.

Unfortunately, yes. As convenient as Wi-Fi video baby monitors are, they can be hacked, so you should take safety precautions if you choose to use one in your home:

  • Use a strong password for the monitoring device.
  • Change passwords frequently.
  • Be sure your Wi-Fi password is strong as well.
  • Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can give you an additional layer of protection.

If you don’t have a reason to access the video monitor from outside your home, we recommend playing it safe and sticking with a camera without a Wi-Fi connection.

Yes. The good news is that the rise in concerns over hacking has manufacturers putting tougher safeguards on video monitor software and programming. Every baby video monitor we’ve featured in this list has those safeguards in place.

How we chose the best baby monitors

To choose the best baby monitors with cameras, we considered video quality, audio quality, night vision, and zoom. We also prioritized baby monitors that provide a live audio stream so parents can know right away when their baby needs them (before the crying reaches ear-splitting levels). 

We also looked at Wi-Fi and closed-circuit units to make sure we could recommend units with a balance of convenience and privacy. Units with low EMF readings from third-party tests also grabbed our attention.

Features like white noise, lullabies, a room temperature monitor, smart home integrations, or a cute design were considered nice to have but not essential. 

To learn more about our research and testing methods, take a look at our methodology.

Related articles on SafeWise


Sources

  1. Wendy Schmitz, Baby Gear Lab, "Nanit Pro Review: Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Levels," March 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022.
  2. Juliet Spurrier and Wendy Schmitz, Baby Gear Lab, "Miku Review: Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Levels," March 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022.

Disclaimer

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

Cathy Habas
Written by
Cathy Habas
With over eight years of experience as a content writer, Cathy has a knack for untangling complex information. Her natural curiosity and ability to empathize help Cathy offer insightful, friendly advice. She believes in empowering readers who may not feel confident about a purchase, project, or topic. Cathy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Indiana University Southeast and began her professional writing career immediately after graduation. She is a certified Safe Sleep Ambassador and has contributed to sites like Safety.com, Reviews.com, Hunker, and Thumbtack. Cathy’s pride and joy is her Appaloosa “Chacos.” She also likes to crochet while watching stand-up comedy specials on Netflix.

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