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7 best baby monitors for peace of mind

22 Jul 2020

While most parents could easily watch their baby sleep all day, the reality is that it’s not always possible. That’s where having a baby monitor comes in handy.

Parents can rest easy knowing they can check in on their baby without waking them, and they can hear their little one’s cries.

Baby monitors have come a long way since the first one appeared in the 1930s. The monitors today can live stream audio and video, monitor room temperature and play lullabies to your baby. But what baby monitor features do you actually need for your baby?

The Tell Me Baby community has rated the best baby monitors they’ve tried and shared their opinions on what has, or hasn’t, worked for them.

Based on baby monitor reviews, we’ve put together a list of the best baby monitors our community loves. You can also look at our baby monitor comparisons to find the top-rated baby monitors.

Shop baby monitors.

1. Oricom Secure870 3.5″ Touchscreen Monitor w/ Starry Lightshow

Oricom Secure870 3.5″ Touchscreen Monitor with Starry Lightshow features a 3.5” touchscreen and motorised pan-tilt camera so you can check on your little one from anywhere in the home. It also includes light show, lullabies, white noise, and nature and womb sounds to help make sleep-time easier.

Read Oricom Secure870 3.5″ Touchscreen Monitor w/ Starry Lightshow

2. Cubo Ai Plus Smart Baby Monitor

The first baby monitor to apply A.I. technology to baby safety, sleep, and memories. It features covered face detection, danger zone, cry detection, auto photo capture, and more family-focused features.

One reviewer wrote: “I love the updates it gives you about babies night sleep, and takes cute pictures! Playback is really handy too, so you can record special moments.”

3. VTech BM2100 Safe & Sound Digital Audio Monitor

Grey/White VTech BM2100 Safe & Sound Digital Audio Monitor baby & parent unit showing "TALK" on display

This VTech monitor is a popular choice for Tell Me Baby community members.

One reviewer wrote: “With the price, you’d think this was a subpar product compared to the expensive ones in the market. But really, you get pretty good quality and range and battery life for a lower price range!”

4. Uniden BW 3102 4.3″ Digital Wireless Baby Video Monitor

A wireless baby monitor that delivers both video and audio, Uniden BW 3102 4.3″Digital Wireless Baby Video Monitor comes with two cameras and a Digitally Encrypted System. It has a walkie talkie function and the video stream can be accessed on a smartphone anywhere in the world.

One parent wrote: “The sound on this one is excellent. I hear every noise in her room, and the power-saving mode allows me to still hear noise but have the screen blackout.”

5. Motorola Wi-Fi Monitor with Touch Screen MBP854

The Motorola Wi-Fi Monitor with Touch Screen MBP854 features remote pan, tilt and zoom functions. It can also be connected to any smartphone or tablet for multiple viewing points. Not to mention, infrared night vision and two-way communication.

One reviewer wrote, “The screen is large and picture clear which is a good feature. When our son was born, we bought a second camera for his room, and we use the same monitor as a split screen so we can view both babies sleeping, which is awesome!”

6. Lollipop Smart Wi-Fi-Based Baby Camera

A Wi-Fi camera with a cute design, the Lollipop Smart Wi-Fi-Based Baby Camera features infrared LED for night vision, 4x digital zoom and a high-quality, made-in-Japan lens.

“No need to buy a white noise machine when you have the lollipop camera as it has one built into it that you can even set a timer on,” writes one reviewer. “I love that you can check in on your phone whether you’re at home or not, especially if you’ve left dad with the little one!”

7. KODAK CHERISH C525 Smart Video Baby Monitor

Another popular choice for reviewers, the KODAK CHERISH C525 Smart Video Baby Monitor features a 5-inch widescreen display HD Camera, two-way audio, night vision and remote Pan/Tilt/Zoom.

One reviewer wrote: “I love the fact it can run with or without Wi-Fi which makes it easy to travel with but also will still work if the Wi-Fi is out for whatever reason. Also that both the camera and parent unit can run off an internal battery for hours is a huge plus for me.”

What to look for in a baby monitor

First, weigh up if you really need a baby monitor. If you live in a small apartment, the chances are that you might not even need one. It’s easy to get caught up with the belles and whistles a baby monitor can provide, but will you use them all?

We recommend writing a list of features you think will be useful for your family and go from there. Those features could include a decent sound range, a movement monitor that lets you know if there hasn’t been any movement for a certain amount of time, night vision, a wide camera view, and battery life, to name a few.

Types of baby monitors

Audio baby monitor

A simple yet effective way to listen out for your baby’s cries, an audio baby monitor is essentially a one-way walkie talkie.

Video baby monitor

A video baby monitor sends a video feed to another device. Not all video devices deliver sound, so double-check that before buying if that’s something you’re after.

Wi-Fi baby monitor

A Wi-Fi baby monitor uses your Wi-Fi network to send a signal that can be viewed anywhere as long as the device is connected to the internet. Be warned, they can chew through a bit of data though, so check your internet plan.

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