We like the Nanit Smart Pro 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.
Baby monitor | Price* | Breathing and movement monitoring | Maximum range | View from | Learn more | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor Camera |  Yes | Unlimited | Mobile app | View on Amazon | |
| Best movement detection |  Babysense 7 Camera Bundle | Yes
| 960 ft. | Parent unit | View on Amazon | |
| Best for budgets |  VTech Video Baby Monitor | Movement only
| 1,000 ft. | Parent unit | View on Amazon | |
| Best non-Wi-Fi monitor |  Infant Optics DXR-8 Pro |  No
| 984 ft. | Parent unit | View on Amazon | |
| Best audio alerts |  Eufy Baby Monitor | No | 460 ft. | Parent unit | View on Amazon |
*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
With temperature and humidity sensors, sound and motion sensors, a gradually dimming night light, and an app that tracks sleep patterns, the Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor has just about everything—almost.
Sleep-tracking app
Temperature and humidity sensors
Photo/video saving and sharing
Gradually dimming night light
Sharp infrared night vision 
No pan and tilt
App drains phone battery This video baby monitor doesn’t have two-way communication or pan-and-tilt capability. But you can save and share photos and videos, and it rocks top-notch infrared night vision. Most impressively, it generates sleep trends and tips customized to your child.
It’s definitely one of the pricier monitors, but we like that it can also act as a traditional monitor so you can hear your baby even when your phone screen is locked.
Unfortunately, the app can also drain your phone’s battery, and the only way to avoid getting noise and movement alerts is to unplug the camera.
Nanit also recently launched a line of baby wearables that don't require sensors on your little one's skin. The new line includes the following products:
The Nanit cam scans the unique pattern on the fabric to track your baby's breathing, movement, and/or growth.
Another popular accessory is the Nanit Multi-Stand, which makes it easy to take the camera with you when traveling.
If you love the Nanit but don't like the wearables, check out the Miku. Comparable to the Nanit in nearly every way, it tracks breathing and movement without special PJs. The Miku's main downside is its price: nearly $400 on Amazon.
*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
The Babysense 7 is used by medical professionals throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia. It has two pads that fit under your crib mattress to monitor your baby's movements without coming into contact with your baby.
It will alert you with an alarm if your infant hasn't moved in 20 seconds.
No-contact sensors
Pan-and-tilt camera
Two-way audio
Prone to false alarms Because the Babysense plugs into the wall (cords are safely tucked away from little hands) and the monitor attaches to the crib, there are no batteries to charge or additional units that can be misplaced.
The only downside to the Babysense is that it's prone to false alarms, but you can avoid them by adjusting the sensitivity as your child grows.
Babysense now sells pan-and-tilt cameras and parent units. We think the split-screen bundle pack offers the best value. Our only complaint is that the alarm for the movement sensor isn't part of the parent unit. But it blares loudly enough that it will wake you from a deep sleep, so you don't have to worry about not hearing it.
*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
One of the most budget-friendly monitors available is the VTech Video Baby Monitor. It has all the simplicity of a traditional monitor, with a boost of modern technology in the form of two-way talk, digital sound (no white noise), and a 1,000-foot range.
You can set the parent unit to a silent alert, giving you light cues or vibration when sound is detected.
Affordable
Two-way talk
Temperature sensor
Limited features
Small screen
Limited zoom You'll need to charge the VTech parent unit every day because its battery lasts just 9 hours. The screen is also incredibly small, (2.8 inches x 2.8 inches). With just 2x zoom, it can be hard to see what your baby's doing at night.
This isn't a pan-and-tilt camera, so it may not work for a crib-climber.
*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 monitor doesn't connect to Wi-Fi.
High-quality night vision
Remote pan and tilt
Two-way talk
Room temperature sensor
6x zoom
Short battery life
Long charge time
Loud out-of-range and low-battery alarm
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.
*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.
5 in. screen
Remote pan and tilt
Two-way talk
Room temperature sensor
15-hour battery
Shorter range
No movement or breathing tracking This non-Wi-Fi 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.
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.
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:
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.
Answering these questions can help you determine what type of baby monitor will best fit your needs:
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:
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.
We studied the most important features parents look for in baby monitors and then compared that with the top products available. We considered price, features, and user reviews to bring you our favorites. Whether you want to track your baby's movement or your baby's breathing, we found the top options across the board.
To learn more about our research and testing methods, take a look at our methodology.
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.
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