10 best baby monitors you can buy for peace of mind
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YOUR new baby will probably stay within ear and eyeshot of you for the first six months of their life, but once they’re older, you may begin to transition them to napping and sleeping in their own room.
From then on, one of the best baby monitors is essential, allowing you to hear them (and in the case of video monitors, see them) if they happen to wake and cry.
Most monitors include two units: one to put in the baby’s room (the baby unit) and one for the parent to carry around with them (the parent unit). In a nutshell, the baby unit transmits sounds and video by radio waves or WiFi connection to the parent receiver. Seems simple, right?
But monitors vary more than you might expect. All monitors on the market are audio monitors, allowing you to hear your baby and usually displaying if baby makes any noise even if the monitor is on mute via a digital display.
Many modern monitors also have built-in video screens so you can see if baby is moving or awake, using infrared so you can spot them clearly even in a dark room. And some gadgets even detect movement using mats or sensors, alerting you if baby appears to have woken up or if they haven’t moved during a certain period of time.
Which style you pick is up to you, although some parents report that movement and video monitors can be stressful to use; if you think you’ll be anxiously checking on baby every 30 seconds, a simple audio monitor might be best.
Some monitors allow you to ‘talk back’ to baby, which is useful for calming babies or talking to older toddlers, and there are models that have nightlights or lullabies built in, or that can gauge temperature and alert you if the room is too hot or cold.
Many monitors also connect to an app, so your smartphone doubles up as the parent unit. You’ll also find monitors designed to work as home security systems, so they’re still handy to have after your baby outgrows them.
A few safety tips for using your new monitor: Never place the baby unit inside your baby’s cot or bed, and ensure the monitor and any cables are out of their reach. Never plug in a monitor where it can get wet or damp. Check your video system has an encoded signal so you have total privacy. Monitors that alert you when you’re out of range or when battery power is low are useful for safety too.
Best baby monitors at a glance:
- Best value: HelloBaby
- Best with movement sensing: Angelcare
- Best security system: Swann
- Best budget monitor: Motorola
IMOU
- IMOU AI Camera, £39.99 from Very - buy here
Pros: Affordable, versatile, 360° view
Cons: One unit design may not suit all parents
Imou’s compact and well-priced AI model is an indoor security camera that doubles up brilliantly as a baby monitor, packing in lots of the features that monitors specifically aimed at child safety offer, including motion detection, a talk-back feature and great night vision.
This camera’s 360-degree view is great, and ‘abnormal sound’ detection picks up a baby’s cries reliably. Everything is controlled from your phone, which may not suit everyone, although we like that you can add up to six phones to the monitoring system, so parents and grandparents can share watching baby.
A good option if you want to keep using a camera when your little one is older to protect your home or keep an eye on pets.
Charging: Corded/USB Video: 1080P Range: N/A Units: 1
Swann
- Swann AllSecure650 2K Security Kit, £499.99 from Swann - buy here
Pros: Works as security system, great visibility, easy-to-use app
Cons: Expensive, not portable
When is a monitor, not a monitor? When it’s an all-encompassing home security system, of course!
Swann’s AllSecure650 is designed to do more than just check in on baby; available as a two or a four-camera unit, this wireless system can be set up all over your home. If you want something that will keep an eye on baby but that you’ll also use once they’re older across your house and garden, this is worth the investment.
The 2k video is a lot clearer than many of the other monitors we tested out and allows you to see baby in colour even at night and the whole system is easy to set up and control via an app.
This wireless system runs on long-lasting batteries. Any downsides as a baby monitoring system? It’s not a design you could travel with.
Charging: battery powered Video: 1080P Range: N/A Units: 1
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BabyMoov
BabyMoov Yoo Moov Monitor, £200 from Jojo Maman Bebe - buy here
Pros: Easy to mount or place anywhere, wide range of vision, seven coloured lights
Cons: Expensive, camera needs constant charge
Got a little one who loves to wriggle, wake or move about at night? The YOO Moov gives a 360-degree view of what they’re up to. You can use the parent unit to tilt the camera around when you’re in a different room to get a clear view of baby.
In testing, we really liked the wide weighted bottom of this monitor, which can be hung on a wall (a wall hanging kit is included) or popped on a flat surface easily, making it good for travelling with, although the camera unit does need to always be plugged in.
While this is one of the pricier monitors we tested, it comes with nice extras including a night light with seven colour options to offer baby a reassuring glow, five lullabies to choose from, talk-back capability and a temperature sensor.
Charging: USB Video: 4’3” Range: 250m Units: 2
EZVIZ
- EZVIZ BM1 Baby Monitor, £99.99 - buy here
Pros: Wireless, attractive design, good alert system
Cons: Batteries not rechargeable
While the looks of a baby monitor don’t matter much to babies, toddlers are likely to love the very cute EZVIZ BM1, which comes in pink with bunny ears or blue with teddy ears and looks more like a toy than a monitoring system.
This rather sweet gadget is also designed to be wireless and touch-safe in case older kids get their mitts on it. It may be eye-catching, but this monitor is reliably efficient, too; there’s a good camera, a talkback function and it sends alerts if it detects crying and automatically plays soothing music, all controlled through your phone.
We like how easy it is to clip to a crib or popped on a table, making it a good choice for travelling, although the battery needs charging frequently.
Charging: battery powered Video: 1080P Range: N/A Units: 1
Babymoov
- Babymoov Yoo Master Plus Monitor, £111.99 from Kiddies Kingdom - buy here
Pros: easy to use, cameras can be added, plays lullabies
Cons: none
There are a massive range of monitors to choose from on the market, which can bamboozle new parents who don’t know what technology they and their little one will get on with best.
If you just want a reliable, uncomplicated video monitor, we thought Babymoov’s Yoo Master was a great all-rounder during testing.
A clear video screen shows baby day or night, the parent unit has a range of 300 metres, which should cover the most palatial of houses, and the monitor also senses temperature, lets you talk back to baby and can play a range of eight lullabies.
You can also add a further camera to the same system if you have an older child in a different room, which is a great feature.
Charging: USB cable Video: 5” Range: 300m Units: 2
Motorola
- Motorola AM21 Baby Monitor, £25 from Argos - buy here
Pros: Portable, long range
Cons: Batteries need replacing frequently, no video
After a no-fuss, no-frills audio monitor? Motorola’s cheap and cheerful AM21 does the job and has a generous 300-metre range.
We found that the microphone on this two-part monitor picks up pretty much any noise your baby makes and the two small and easy-to-carry units make this a good portable option.
In testing, the AM21 worked all over the house and garden, so we were able to get on with chores while our little one slept.
This monitor is battery-powered, so you’ll need to keep on top of keeping it juiced up, but if you’re happy without a camera, this is a good pocket-friendly pick.
Charging: Battery powered Video: None Range: 300m Units: 2
Angelcare AC327 Baby Movement Monitor
- Angelcare AC327 Baby Movement Monitor, £133.82 from Amazon - buy here
Pros: Reliable movement monitoring, works without the mat
Cons: Movement mats don’t suit everyone, camera quality isn’t stand-out
Monitors that pick up your baby’s movement are the Marmite of the parenting world: some mums and dads like the reassurance of always knowing if their baby’s kicks and wriggles increase or decrease, while others find constant updates just make them anxious!
If you like the idea of a baby monitor with a movement pad that you pop under your sleeping child, Angelcare’s monitor is the best sensor we tested, alerting you if baby stops moving after 20 seconds and sending off fewer false alarms than some cheaper mats we tried.
You can also turn the mat on and off easily if needed. A talk-back feature lets you soothe your little one back to sleep and while the camera quality isn’t as good as some of the other more premium-priced monitors we tested, it’s perfectly adequate.
Charging: battery powered Video: 4’3” Range: N/A Units: 2
BT
- BT Digital Audio Baby Monitor, £49.99 from Amazon - buy here
Pros: affordable, visual crying display, talk back feature
Cons: no video, batteries need regular recharging
After a sound-only monitor? BT’s simple moon and stars-themed monitor is one of our top picks.
While there’s no video built into this affordable device, going video-free may suit parents who find checking on baby via audio less anxiety-inducing. A visual gauge shows if baby is crying even if you turn the sound down, so you don’t have to hear every snuffle but know when your little one needs comforting.
Despite being simple, this monitor packs in some nice extras, including a star and moon light display and 18 lullabies to choose from. There’s also a night light, and you can talk back to baby. 50 metres of indoor range and 300 metres outdoors should suit most homes.
Charging: battery powered Video: No Range: 50-300m Units: 2
HelloBaby
- HelloBaby Monitor, £69.99 from Amazon - buy here
Pros: Good price point, great video quality
Cons: Needs frequent charging
Good video monitors with two units can be painfully expensive, but HelloBaby comes to the rescue with this design, which costs well under £100 but delivers the same video quality and night vision as many monitors that are double the price.
A range of almost 300 metres should cover any property and extras include two-way talk and lullabies that you can play to baby remotely.
The batteries on this two-unit design did need regular recharging in our testing, so you’ll need to be prepared to keep on top of that, no matter how sleep-deprived you are!
But, all in all, it's excellent value for money.
Charging: battery powered Video: 1080P Range: 292m Units: 2
Maxi-Cosi
- Maxi-Cosi See Monitor, £71.90 - buy here
Pros: Easy to control from your phone, plays white noise
Cons: You’ll need to have your phone with you, camera quality isn’t amazing
Make your phone a window into how baby is sleeping with this handy and attractive monitor, which is easy to control from your smartphone (or even pair it with Amazon’s Alexa); just download the Maxi-Cosi app and you can check in on your baby by panning, tilting and zooming the camera remotely.
The app will also alert you to movement, sound and even temperature changes in your baby’s room. We liked the lullabies and white noise tracks you can pop on to soothe small ones back to sleep; in testing our newborn fell asleep faster to the white noise options.
We’d have liked a parent unit to be included in case you don’t have your phone handy, though, and while the video is perfectly adequate, other monitors we tested offered better quality.
Charging: USB Video: 1080P Range: N/A Units: 1
Which baby monitor should I buy?
You’ll find battery-powered monitors as well as USB-charged designs for sale, so if there’s a power cut, the former will still work, but you will need to remember to change batteries regularly, so there are upsides to owning either type.
Got a big house? Pick a monitor with a long range of 300 metres, so you’re always within signal reach. Whether you choose a design with audio, audio and video or movement sensors is up to personal preference. If you like the idea of using your phone as the ‘parent unit’, pick a monitor that connects to an app.
When to start and stop using a baby monitor
Most parents use a monitor from 6 months onwards, or from whenever your baby begins to nap or sleep in a separate room to you.
There’s no firm answer on when to stop using one, but many mums and dads stop using their monitor from 2-4 years, when their child reliably sleeps through the night and because, from four years onwards, children can also have some understanding of having their own privacy.
That said, you could use a monitor for longer for peace of mind, for taking on holiday or for use when your child is unwell.
Do I need a baby monitor?
You don’t need a monitor for the first six months of a baby’s life, when guidance is that baby should be sleeping in the same room as you.
After that, you may want to pop your little one down for naps or for the night in their own room in a crib, in which case a monitor is essential to make sure you can hear them if you’re out of the room.
You don’t need a monitor if you live in a small house or flat and are always in earshot of baby, although we’d still recommend one. And it’s a good idea to buy and set up a monitor a few weeks before you plan to use it, to get to grips with how it works.
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