The 11 best baby monitors: video and audio monitors chosen by parents

This high-tech modern monitor features an impressive high-definition, 7-inch colour LCD screen with 1080p high-definition video which allows you to watch baby on the parent unit, your smartphone or your tablet. Mum testers found the app very easy to use, with one commenting. "It has an easy-to-use parent unit and app and a pleasant nightlight with variable brightness and various colours."

The camera also has the capacity to pan up to 360 degrees side-to-side, tilts up to 182 degrees up and down, and zooms up to 10 times for maximum visibility of your baby giving you the clearest view of your little one no matter what room they're in. Parents particularly loved these extra features including the built-in temperature sensor, with one mum commenting, "I liked the ability to see the temperature and capture pictures/ video of my baby. It has excellent zoom and range plus a clear picture."

The baby monitor will also help your child get to sleep thanks to the soothing melodies and soft ambient sounds, including a trickling stream and white noise – an added feature parents found really helped relaxed their little one before bedtime. This monitor is an updated version of the VTech RM7764HD.

While parents were impressed by the camera quality and zoom function, some did comment that the range was limited at times when it came to the connection between the parent unit and monitor, meaning it might not be so suitable for larger houses where you're regularly far away from your sleeping baby.

If you're looking for a more compact design, you may want to consider a previous model such as the VTech VM924 which has a 5-inch screen or the even smaller 2.8-inch screen on the VTech VM3250.

We tested this product as part of the Mother&Baby Awards 2024, where it won Gold for Best Baby Monitor. Read our full review of the Vtech RM7766HD.

For checking in on your baby when on the move, you might want to consider this portable and wireless YOO video monitor. The Babymoov YOO Go Plus 5" Video Monitor features their unique Sleep technology mode, which activates the clear screen only when a sound is detected meaning it will automatically turn on when a baby is fussing or crying.  

Testers liked that the camera and screen are also battery-powered for even more freedom. No need to position your monitor according to the closest plug socket, and no more electrical cables for little hands to touch. One tester commented, "I love the fact that you can change the camera independently and don’t have to rely on having a power socket close to your child’s sleeping in order to plug in a camera." Furthermore, you have the option of connecting up to four camera's to the monitor meaning you can keep an eye on different rooms at once - ideal if you have more than one little one to keep an eye on.

Thanks to the different attachment accessories that come included with the monitor, it's also a great baby monitor for taking away with you on your travels and mums agreed. One tester said, "the different types of attachment are handy for everyone’s situation. This meant you can easily take it away with you with the clip feature and move around the house with it, with ease."

The Babymoov YOO Go Plus 5” Video Monitor was awarded Silver for Best Baby Monitor at the Mother&Baby Awards 2024. Read our full Babymoov YOO Go Plus 5” Video Monitor review.

The Nanit is a truly smart baby monitor, ideal for using if you want a bit more information from your monitor. It allows parents and guardians the ability to see what their baby is doing in real-time as well as recording so you can rewatch it later. The smart part comes in when it sends sleep data directly to your smartphone. It means that wherever you are, you can see what is going on in your baby’s crib.

But this isn’t just any smart device: it is one of the most advanced baby cameras available, something our testers loved. As well as alerting you when your baby wakes, this technology also tracks sleep patterns, breathing and room temperature. Our mum tester Hannah loved how much peace of mind this monitor gave her. "If I had this product when my first baby was born, it would have saved me hours of stress worrying about his breathing and if he was safe" she said.

This monitor also features a two-way audio system, which allows you to talk to your baby and hear them crying or making noises. Our mum tester Hannah loved this feature, "I found this feature very useful as sometimes using the voice feature gave my baby enough reassurance to re-settle himself without me having to go into the room."

We also love how safe and well-built this baby monitor is to use as it mounts to the wall meaning all wires and leads are safely tucked away from your baby's reach.

The Nanit Pro Camera & Floor Stand was awarded Bronze for Best Baby Monitor at the Mother&Baby Awards 2024. Read our full Nanit Pro Camera & Floor Stand review.

This baby monitor gives you the capability to tilt, pan, and zoom the camera so you can get a clear view of what's going on in your baby's room making it ideal for older babies who might be moving around a little more. This along with the zoom was a feature our parents loved as it meant they didn't have to go into baby's room. Mum April says, "the camera is easy to use because once in position, you can change the direction and magnification of the lens from the handheld console. This makes my life easier because if I decide I want to centre the camera differently on the cot mattress, for example, if he is snuggled into a corner, I can change my view of him without having to enter his room (with the monitor in my hand) and manually adjust the view. This has been a helpful feature that I was keen to try out with this model."

There's also several extra features parent testers loved including the temperature sensor that keeps you informed of the temperature of your baby's room. Plus, the adaptive night light and projection light on the baby unit which helps soothe baby to sleep. You can choose from 7 different colours of night light or project a starry night onto the ceiling, and even set it to automatically switch on if the monitor detects noise. One mum however did find that their house wasn't suited to the projector night light. Mum Samantha said, "We haven’t used the projection as we live in a barn and the ceilings are too high for the projection to reach, however, it is a nice extra feature to have."

One stand out feature all parents commented on was the picture quality and how clear it was. "The picture quality in day/night vision are extremely clear and the screen size on the monitor is great." Commented mum Samantha.

This baby monitor won Bronze in the 2022 Mother&Baby Awards Best Baby Monitor category. Read our full VTech 5463 Baby Monitor review.

This award-winning monitor has the capability to alert you to your baby's sleep habits including their safety through the night including covered face and roll over detection so that parents can quikly step in when they need to, giving you much needed peace of mind. Mum tester Chelsea said "The Cubo Ai has changed my life with my baby as it has made me less anxious about putting my baby to sleep in their own room." Another mum tester Anna said, "the covered face and baby rollover function is good and worked well. We don’t have many things in the cot, which can cover our babies face; however, we tested it, and it was very sensitive to the movements."  They also loved how clear the video quality was as well as the adorable design that fits perfectly into any nursery.

As well as impressive safety tech, this baby monitor provides parents with sleep analysis so they can clearly see how well their baby has slept. Mum tester Anna said, “The analytics were good for seeing how our baby sleep, and I think it would help parents leave a baby to see if they can self soothe as it determines how long it takes for a baby to go back to sleep."

Mums found the added nightlight a welcome feature during night feeds and helping to soothe baby. They also liked the fact you could turn the camera alerts off when you wanted to which was a welcome adjustment as they became more confident with baby's sleeping patterns, allowing parents to have more undisturbed night of sleep.

This baby monitor won Gold in the 2022 Mother&Baby Awards Best Baby Monitor category. Read more Cubo Ai Plus Smart Baby Monito reviews.

The Maxi-Cosi See Baby Monitor is a baby monitor that connects to your mobile phone device easily so that you have peace of mind that your baby's always safe and sleeping comfortably. This was feature our parents loved as they didn't need to think about another device to add to their collection as their phone worked as the monitor. "Being able to set up this monitor and then use my phone to keep an eye on my baby made life much easier," said mum tester Anisha. You also have the option of activating calming lullabies and white noise from your phone too, a welcome feature when baby stirs in the night.

All ten of our parent testers agreed that they were happy with the picture quality of this product in both day and night vision mode. "The picture quality was brilliant, it was clear and not pixelated," commented mum tester, Emma.

The stand out feature of this monitor however was the sleek and stylish design, with mum tester Louise commenting, "the design of this product is great and it looks good in the nursery,". Anisha agreed, saying "the camera itself isn't huge and looks great, so it compliments any room that it's in."

Two of the main downsides was the blue light which shines when the baby monitor is on as many parents found it was a little too bright and the noise the camera made when it moved about, as some parents found it disturbed baby.

Read our full Maxi-Cosi See Baby Monitor review.

Being able to talk to your baby and calm them as they stir in the night is a must-have feature for many parents, and it's easy to understand why. Mum Shona says this feature as well as the moving camera were very easy to set up with her phone and allowed her to get on with her day. "I was amazed by how I could move the camera with a simple swipe of the monitor or press option to speak to baby. I was able to get on with my everyday tasks comfortably around the whole house and able to watch my little man on the way." Shona commented.

Speaking of the high-definition camera, mums were impressed how good the quality remained through day and night, even in a pitch black room, with mum Jodie commenting, "It worked well in a pitch black bedroom and I loved that you could move the camera remotely which meant you didn't need to fiddle with it in the dark next to his head."

Other notable features include the room temperature reading, lullabies, soothing sounds and bedtime stories. Another feature our testers weren't too keen on was the games that can be played on the display screen – an element they found pretty pointless with mum Carly saying, it was "unnecessary, as I would never allow my baby or toddler to play with the monitor".

While our mum testers were impressed in the most part, one area they wish could be improved was the battery life of this monitor, which didn't last all that long without needing to be plugged in. This however didn't put our testers off, with mum Mari commenting, "I think the battery life, once charged in the monitor, is better than another monitor that we have used, and the camera quality is also better especially in low light," 

Read our full Hubble Connected Nursery Pal review.

The Owlet Smart Sock does more than monitor your baby. This monitor tracks your little one's heart rate and oxygen levels all from your smartphone. Mum tester Samantha felt assured in the knowledge that her baby's health is in safe hands, commenting, "I felt like this product gave me peace of mind knowing that if my baby's breathing and oxygen was to fall below the normal range, the owlet base would alarm and notify me - the product comes with an app that you can download easily to your phone or tablet making the information generated each time you use this monitor very interactive." The smart device works by using pulse oximetry, wrapped in a tiny sock, and notifies you immediately if their levels leave preset zones.

Battery life was something that seriously impressed our parent testers, as not only did it last well, it also charged pretty quickly too. Mum tester Kimberley said, "battery life is also impressive, it easily lasts the night and then recharges in 3 hours."

The main downsides some of our parent testers found was that the sock could be oversensitive at times and they had some issues connecting it to their WiFi, so it's worth checking it's compatible with your home set up before purchasing.

And while it might be on the more expensive side of things when it comes to baby monitors, mums felt it was worth it just for the peace of mind it provided. Mum tester Kimberley adds, "Yes, it is pricey at £269 but this soon becomes a small cost for the peace of mind it gives." 

Read our full Owlet Smart Sock review.

The Lollipop's adjustable and bendable stems make for a quick and easy setup in any nursery and are also very easy to install according to our mum testers. "One of the best features is how easy it is to set up really quickly and in any room" commented mum Susie. Mums also loved the quality of the camera, even when displayed on the phone and it was easy to link to the app. The multi-streaming feature supports navigation between multiple camera live views. Instead of owning many tablets, with everything laid out on one single iPad or iPhone, parents can watch all cameras simultaneously and never miss out on anything.

Our mum testers also praised how good this monitor was for crying detection, with tester Amy highlighting the peace of mind provided by notifications for crying, while mum Caity appreciated the ability to monitor her child from a distance without constant app monitoring.

Thanks to the durability, easy set up and quality, parents found it was easy to take with them when staying away as it was suitable for a variety of different spaces at any angle.

The biggest downside by far was the monthly payment you have to make for the use of the app. Our testers felt strongly that this should have been included with the use of the app as these costs really added up.

Read our full Lollipop Baby Camera review.

This baby monitor won Silver in the 2022 Mother&Baby Awards Best Baby Monitor category.

The Babymoov YOO Moov 360° video baby monitor is an award-winning video monitor for parents looking for easy-to-use yet modern technology. All parents who tested loved the quality of the camera, seamlessly adapting between dark and light mode and loved how easy it paired up with their device. The main downside with the camera was its size as mum tester Kasia points out. "The camera itself is quite bulky, takes some space when you take it with you for a weekend away, which we often do." Kasia says.

You can easily calm your baby with the two-way intercom as well as the baby selection of sounds. While some parents liked that it lit up when it's operating, some parents found it disturbed them and their little ones with the light. Mum tester Ellen said, "I love that the camera has a night light and that you can change the colour and even play music. The signal is very good- we have an old house with thick walls, however, it was no issue picking up the camera on the monitor."

Some of our testers did find some downsides with this product from the limited battery life, the lack of safety features compared to other models when considering the hefty price tag. Mum tester Chelsea said, another monitor "I have found a lot more features and accuracy with another monitor. For example, the features that have been a win for me on another monitor as being alerted when baby rolls over etc, as these are key moments when safe sleeping could be disturbed."

Read the full Babymoov YOO Moov 360° Video Baby Monitor review.

For added peace of mind, it's understandable why you might be considering a baby monitor with a sensor pad. The Tommee Tippee Dreamee Video Baby Monitor features this advanced CrySensor technology to alert you to your baby's cries, and the movement sensor pad monitors their subtle movements in those early months for when you need some added reassurance. Mum Siobhan loved the added sense of reassurance, commenting, "As a mum when you put your baby to bed you want to feel your baby is safe and this monitor allows you to see, hear and be alerted as to any dangers. It also gives you the opportunity to sleep better knowing you will wake to their sounds and feeling like your baby is right beside you."

The camera is also very impressive with a 360 degree infrared camera to provide a wide-angle view of baby allowing you to tilt, pan and zoom large screen with the addition of a very high-quality picture. Mum tester Jessica loved this. "I absolutely love the coverage on this camera! I can move it to see not just any part of my babies cot but also her room which is so reassuring." She commented.
It also features a long-distance range for times when you're outside enjoying the garden or if you have a larger home.

The two-way talkback and the lullabies were a hit with our mum testers. Mum Charlotte commented, "The two-way monitor means you can talk to your baby to soothe them without entering the room and the automated playing of lullabies is a really good feature, which helped soothed my daughter back to sleep many times."

Read the full Tommee Tippee Dreamee Sound, Motion and Video Baby Monitor review