When it comes to choosing the best baby monitor, you'll likely have a number of requirements on your list - from ease of use, reliability, and a broad selection of useful features.
As well allowing you to watch your little one sleep, there are baby monitors available that will read the temperature and humidity levels in your baby's room (or even track your baby's body temperature), offer talk-back features, meaning you can comfort a wakeful baby without entering the room, or even play soothing lullabies and white noise to help lull your baby to sleep. Some baby monitors can also be app-controlled and even pair with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa. Even if you are on a tight budget, there are reliable options available that offer a surprising amount of functionality for the price, such as excellent picture quality, sleep tracking, crying detection, and WiFi-connectivity.
If you're not sure which product to buy, we've rounded up the best baby monitors you can buy in 2023. This list has been compiled based on exclusive feedback from our parent testers and their first-hand experience of using these baby monitors in real life situations. Our experts have tried and tested a whole host of new baby essentials, everything from the best prams and best cot mattresses to the best baby bottles, so we can help you find the right options for your family, without the hassle.
Which is the best baby monitor to buy?
Our Consumer Editor and parent tester agree that overall, the VTech RM5754HD Smart Video Monitor is the best baby monitor you can buy in 2023, coming in at just under £200. Noteworthy features include night vision mode, two-way talkback, and a temperature and humidity sensor. This monitor can also play lullabies and white noise to soothe little ones back to sleep.
If you're considering spending more than £300, the Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor is our recommendation for the best baby monitor in the premium price category.
And if you're keen to find a more affordable baby monitor that still boasts excellent functionality, we'd pick the Lollipop Smart Baby Monitor.
The best baby monitors - reviewed by parent testers
The Vtech RM7767HD Smart Video Baby Monitor is packed with useful features that we'd expect to see on a premium model - yet it's significantly more affordable than other smart monitors. That's why this is our top choice as the best baby monitor we've reviewed.
The camera (which is full HD and comes with wall-mounting accessories) offers excellent picture quality and has adjustable tilt, zoom, and 360° pan functionality, which means you won't miss a thing during nap time or at night. You can choose whether to watch the video footage of your baby's room on the parent unit - which has a large LCD screen - or on your phone via the MyVTech Baby Pro app. We love this feature for being able to check in on your baby when they're at home with a babysitter and you're not there.
This monitor also has temperature, sound, movement, and humidity sensors so you can make sure conditions in your baby's room are optimal for sleep. Night vision mode means you can still see your baby clearly on even the darkest of nights. But there's also a gentle night light if you need to see your way to your little one's side.
Topping off the reasons why this has the No.1 spot in our roundup of the best baby monitors is the talkback feature - you can use the device to talk to your little one. That's truly useful for soothing a tired but wakeful baby back to sleep without disturbing them by entering their room. Lullabies can help babies sleep and this monitor has five to choose from, plus five ambient sounds to help your baby drift off, all-in-all a great teammate alongside the best swaddle for a great night's sleep.
Tried and tested by: Mum Jenny and her two-year-old, Logan
Jenny found the comprehensive offering impressive. "I like the fact that this baby monitor comes with both a very large parent unit and a smart app that I can access on my phone,' she says. 'The smart app gives you free live remote access to the camera so I can keep a close eye on Logan at all times - even when I'm out and he's with a babysitter."
The Vtech Smart Video Baby Monitor also has excellent picture quality and a colour night vision mode - proving that the best baby monitors aren't necessarily the most expensive ones. "I really liked this feature as it meant I could get a good picture of Logan in the dark," says Jenny. "It has 10 x zoom capability from the smart app and 8 x zoom from the parent unit and I can move the camera around easily on the screen using my fingers, so I can keep a very close eye on my child."
- Read our full Vtech RM7767HD 7″ Smart Video baby monitor review
The Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor is a step up from the Nanit Plus, which we've reviewed before. This is an expensive option so it won't appeal to everyone but it's one of the best baby monitors you can buy if you're looking for a premium model with an array of features that you won't find on less expensive devices.
Download the app and you can pair the camera with your smartphone to get high-resolution stills and video direct to your device. It has data encryption for security and you can add multiple users which means a partner or the baby's grandparents can coo over the footage too.
The Nanit app will alert you with sound and motion notifications if your child moves so you'll know when they need attention. And if you choose the floor-standing option you can also get a bird's eye view of your child's cot. You can zoom in on this picture and with built-in night vision, you'll always get a sharp image.
Tried and tested by Rachel and her three-month-old daughter, Freya
Freya says this baby monitor is a particularly good choice for anyone keen to analyse their child's sleep data. "The insights on how well your baby has slept and for how long could be very useful if you're trying to establish a good sleep routine," she says. "The app also tracks baby developmental milestones - including your baby's height - and collates all the information in a digital scrapbook. This could be lovely to look back on as it's hard to remember much when you're sleep deprived in the early days!"
- Read our full Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor review
The Lollipop Smart Baby Camera is a contemporary baby monitor with lots of useful features packed into a sleek design. It's a smart baby monitor that's ideal for gadget lovers but you have to download an app to your smartphone to use it, so it's perhaps not the one if you're trying to reduce your screen time.
Additional features, such as the ability to monitor your baby's breathing, cost extra and have to be paid for via a monthly subscription but even without these, the Lollipop Smart Baby Camera is a reliable Wi-Fi-enabled option that's ideal for keeping tabs on your baby using the latest tech.
We like the minimalist look of this smart baby monitor and the pastel-coloured silicone finish gives it a fun and quirky look. You do need to plug it into the mains so factor that in, and it requires excellent Wi-Fi plus you'll find you spend a lot of time playing around with the app, although that's easy to navigate.
- Watch our mum tester's video review, below, of the Lollipop Smart Baby Camera
Reviewed by: Mum Charlie and baby Seb tested the Lollipop Smart Baby Camera.
As well as viewing the live feed from your baby's room on your tablet or smartphone, you'll get an alert if your baby cries. You can also use a data history mode to track patterns in your baby's schedule.
'Aesthetically, it looks great - it has a long stem and then a round camera on top - much like a lollipop, of course,' says our tester, Charlie, who put it to the test with her baby, Seb. 'It's pretty lightweight, too. The stem can be bent and twisted into various positions, so you can loop it around the side of the crib, affix it to shelves or ledges, or put it anywhere you want to with a good view of your baby.'
A feature we love about the Lollipop Smart Baby Camera is that you can choose to stream your baby's audio and video signal within your local WiFi network, meaning no one else can access it unless they have the app and your password to log in.
Overall, Charlie was really impressed with the Lollipop Smart Baby Camera and has already recommended it to friends - especially those returning to work or planning trips who want the peace of mind that comes with being able to peek at their sleeping baby when they're away from home.
- Read our full Lollipop Smart Baby Camera Review
The Angelcare Ac327 Baby Movement, Sound, and Video Monitor is the best budget baby monitor you can buy. For significantly less cash than premium devices, it comes with everything you need to keep tabs on your baby - plus extra value with the addition of a reliable movement sensor for further peace of mind.
The zoom and pan camera gives a good view of your baby and the large full-colour LCD display on the parent unit has easy-to-use touch controls. While this isn't the highest resolution camera footage you can get, this monitor does a more than adequate job of giving you a clear picture of your baby in real-time.
The parent unit has an open-field range of up to 250 metres, which is more than enough for the average home. It comes with an ‘out of range indicator’ so you know if you’ve stepped too far away to keep monitoring your baby. It also has infrared night vision so you can easily see footage of your baby when the black-out blinds are down.
Tried and tested by Kate and her five-month-old daughter Tilda
Our tester, Kate found the monitor easy to set up, without too many cables or fiddly parts. Inside the box is both a wall mount and a magnet stand so you have options in terms of where to place the camera in your baby's room. Kate felt the cable for the camera could possibly do with being a little longer. However, she found the overall design of the unit slick and says it worked well in her baby's nursery. "The camera's crisp white finish makes it unobtrusive and versatile plus it will blend easily with any nursery decor."
The Angelcare AC327 has the benefit of a movement sensor that comes with the device. This has SensAsure technology and can be placed under the cot mattress. It tracks the movements of your baby’s chest as it rises and falls. It also tracks every wriggle and turn so you know how your baby is sleeping at all times. Kate liked the fact that she could track her baby’s breathing without attaching any devices to her child's body. The alarm to the parent unit sounds after 20 seconds of no movement, and she didn't report any false alarms.
The Kodak Cherish C525 Smart Video Baby Monitor lets you view video footage of your baby on both its accompanying five-inch parent unit and on a smart app via your phone or tablet. The parent unit means you can turn your phone off at the end of the day but still have the ability to view your child. It comes with rechargeable batteries and WiFi connectivity so you can use it freely around the house or take it with you on holiday.
Tried and tested by Alex Sexton, mum to five-month-old Oli
Our tester was impressed by the picture quality. "As it’s made by Kodak we expected the image to be great quality - both in daylight and when viewing in the dark and it was, particularly at night due to infrared night vision," she says. "Additionally, you can take photos using the app, which is a nice feature when your little one is sleeping in a funny position and you want to capture the moment."
Alex found the set up a little time-consuming as it had a software patch, but this was easily fixed. "I think this may have just been a user fault as friends who have the same camera didn’t have the same problem," she adds. "Once I set it up correctly it was very smooth to use. Although I got some noisy feedback when I turned the monitor on in the same room as the camera."
Overall, our tester feels the tilt, pan, and zoom functionality make this monitor stand out from others she has used. "I can imagine these features will be very useful as Oli gets older and moves around more," she says. "The vox function is also invaluable. The ability to turn down the sensitivity setting means you aren’t disturbed every time your child moves or if they are a noisy sleeper - which Oli most definitely is."
- Read our full Kodak Cherish C525 Video Baby Monitor review
We have previously tested the Owlet Smart Sock but the newer Owlet Baby Monitor Duo model has added camera functionality, so we decided to put it to the test. It means you can see and hear your baby as well as track their heart rate and oxygen levels using this baby monitoring system.
Setting up the Owlet Baby Monitor Duo was relatively straightforward. Firstly, your baby needs to wear the sock provided, which comes in a choice of colours - mint, deep sea green, or dusty rose. The camera then needs to be positioned at the optimum height so you can see your baby clearly. Finally, you need to download the Owlet Care app and link your smartphone to the camera.
Tried and tested by Naomi, who is mum to three-month-old Jonah
"At first, I found the numerous boxes to open rather overwhelming, but once I downloaded the app and followed the clear set-up instructions things fell into place," says Naomi.
"It's really handy having the dedicated Owlet app on my phone. And I like the fact that it will send you notifications if it detects movement or sound. This is useful when my phone is on mute. I found the sock readings really interesting to see and I think it would be really useful if you have a poorly baby as you can see the heart rate and oxygen levels clearly."
This certainly proved true for one dad who definitely believes this to be one of the best baby monitors as it saved his son's life.
- Read our full Owlet Duo Smart Sock + Cam review
The digital feed on the Babymoov YOO Moov baby monitor goes straight to the 4.3-inch parent unit. While it doesn't have an accompanying app or smartphone control, we found the picture quality sharp with a good view of your child. It also has a multi-coloured night light, lullabies, a temperature sensor, a walkie talkie function and a Voice Activated Alert mode.
Tried and tested by Alex, mum to five-month-old Oli
Alex thinks this is one of the best baby monitors to buy if you have a second child in the room and want to keep tabs on two children at the same time. "The CCTV camera gives you a 360-degree motorised view of your baby," she says. "This good range makes it easy to see them wriggling around in their cot or, hopefully, sleeping soundly. The camera moves easily and almost silently so I didn't have to worry about it waking Oli up. I think this is particularly reassuring if you have a baby that wakes easily at the slightest noise."
- Read our full Babymoov YOO Moov Video Baby Monitor review
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The Cubo Ai Smart baby monitor is designed for children up to five years old and features a host of nifty technology to safeguard your tot. The camera provides a 1080p High Definition video stream of your child directly to the dedicated smart app on your phone or tablet and will alert you if they move or make a sound. Should your child’s face become covered or if they roll over in their sleep, clever A.I tech provides alerts directly to your smartphone.
In addition, the app provides sleep analytics so you can track your baby's every move throughout the night and get to know their sleep routine, which will help with any baby sleep training you might decide to do. When they are a bit older, you can use the camera as a toddler cam and the app will alert you if your child has moved from a certain ‘safe’ zone in your home. For instance, if your child was about to enter the kitchen, you would get an instant notification on your smartphone.
Tried and tested by Daniel, who is dad to two-year-old Arlo
Daniel was a little overwhelmed by all the parts needed in setup. "You can choose to attach the camera to the cot or place it on the floor stand, and while you don’t need tools to set up the camera, it did take a little while to put it together," he says.
Thankfully, the camera was quicker to use and easy to pair to the app on Daniel's smartphone, giving him a clear picture and informative alerts on Arlo’s sounds and movement. "But the first night we used it, the camera disconnected and wouldn’t reconnect and this was frustrating," he says.
"However, I think it was something to do with our WiFi connection. Once it was paired up again I was able to access all the features on the app, which gave me a live video stream that I could access as and when I wanted, with a chronological display of auto-captured photos and videos as Arlo moved around throughout the night."
- Read our full Cubo Ai Plus Smart Baby Monitor review
The Hubble Connected Nursery Pal Premium allows you to monitor your child and get high-definition footage direct to your smartphone. You can also use the handy parent unit that comes with a 300m wireless connectivity range. The remote pan, tilt and zoom feature means you can control the angle of the camera from your smartphone or the parent unit, while infrared night vision gives you a clear view of your child when night falls.
Useful design features include the ‘privacy protector’ on the camera. This means you can flip down a shutter on the camera so that the live stream footage is temporarily blocked. A protective bumper on the parent monitor means it's also resistant to bumps and knocks. Finally, a flashlight on the back of the parent unit is a nice touch and gives instant light when it’s dark.
Tried and tested by Hannah, who is mum to 5-month-old baby Noah
Hannah enjoyed using the wide range of features on this baby monitor. "I like the flexibility of this model as you can access the camera footage on both a smartphone and parent unit," she says. "This means I don't have to worry about downloading the app on the babysitter's or my mum's phone when they are looking after Noah. I also think it has a good range of lullabies, white noise, and stories you can play to soothe baby. In particular, Noah liked the Hubble version of Twinkle Twinkle."
The parent unit is unique in that it also doubles up as an ‘interactive baby tablet’. "Noah is a little young to appreciate this now," says Hannah. "However, I think it will be useful when he's a bit older to keep him occupied while I change his nappy or just need a few hands-free moments."
- Read our full Hubble Connected Nursery Pal Premium review
Like the Angelcare AC327, the Tommee Tippee Dreamee Sound, Motion and Video Baby Monitor features a movement sensor pad. It also has the functionality to play lullabies and sounds to soothe your baby. The camera has tilt, pan, and zoom functionality. This means you can get a wide view of your baby and enjoy a full picture of the nursery. Additionally, the night light works automatically when the light level falls.
Tried and tested by Jenny, mum to two-year-old Logan
Our tester Jenny felt the parent unit is a decent size at 4.3 inches and gave her a good view of Logan’s cot. She found the sensor easy to install and was impressed at how accurate the technology is.
"The movement sensor mat features a lovely star and moon design on it, but this seems wasted as the mat is meant to be hidden under the mattress," she says. "I like the reassurance the sensor mat provides and the fact that the camera isn’t too noisy and only transmits when the baby makes a sound."
Jenny found the settings on the parent unit intuitive to use. She could customise how she viewed all the information and choose easily between the six lullabies and nature sounds. "It even has a feeding reminder, which would be particularly useful during the newborn stage of parenthood," she says. "The only thing this monitor lacks is smart capability, so you could get information directly to a smartphone as well as the parent unit."
With smart app control, an HD camera, and a large 5" parent unit, the BT Smart Video Baby Monitor is a great all-rounder. It delivers a clear colour picture straight to its dedicated BT smart app and to the parent unit.
In addition, it has a 'talk' button on the parent unit so you can soothe your baby via your voice without entering the room. Night vision mode gives you a clear view of your child when it's dark. Furthermore, it also plays five lullabies that can be accessed by scrolling through the control menu.
Tried and tested by Hannah, mum to 5-month-old baby Noah
Our parent tester Hannah enjoyed using this baby monitor and liked how easy it was to set up. In particular, she likes the fact that it's compatible with Alexa and Google Home. This means she can ask the monitor to play a lullaby or check her child's room temperature when she has her hands full. Not sure what is the ideal room temperature for babies? The Lullaby Trust advises that 16-20°C is the best room temperature to keep your baby comfortable and safe.
- Read our full BT Smart Baby Monitor review
The Motorola PIP1010 is a brilliant buy if you're looking for a reliable Wi-Fi video baby camera at an affordable price. It allows you to keep an eye on your baby - from another room in the house or from anywhere else in the world - via the free nursery app in HD on your smartphone.
You'll receive both sound and motion alerts to your phone (or tablet) and you also have the option to control what you see via the camera, thanks to the remote motorized pan, tilt and zoom functionality. This is a handy feature if you have more than one child sharing a room as it means you scan the room to check in on individual slumbering siblings.
This Motorola monitor has a range of up to 300m while the parent unit has a power-saving mode and an out-of-range indicator. The camera can be wall-mounted in your baby's room and features infrared night vision so that you can see your baby on even the darkest of nights.
There's also the option to play up to 10 lullabies via this baby monitor, so you won't need to invest in a cot mobile.
Tried and tested by mum Lynn and baby Mia
Our tester found this an easy monitor to set up and start using. She likes that it offers two-way audio so that you can soothe your baby from another room using just your voice, plus it monitors the temperature in your baby's room too so you'll know if your little one is getting too hot or too cold.
'One very good feature that I found useful during a spell of warm weather was the in-built thermometer, which meant I could keep an eye on the temperature while my daughter was sleeping and ensure she was comfortable,' says Lynn. 'I also really like the two-way talk feature; it came in very handy when I was out of the house and Mia was with her grandma or dad. I liked being able to talk to them through the camera and seeing my daughter in real-time.'
- Read our full Motorola PIP1010 Connect Review
The Maxi Cosi See Baby Monitor is a beautiful blend of high-tech gadgetry and stylish design. If you're never far from your phone, have excellent Wi-Fi connection and want a device with lots of extras at an affordable price, this is hands down the best baby monitor for you.
It's a smart baby monitor, which means you pop the camera unit beside your baby's bed and it connects (via Wi-Fi) to an app that you download to your smartphone or tablet. You can then use that device to watch a live stream from the camera, meaning you can keep a close eye on your baby day and night.
A major advantage of choosing this monitor is all the extra features you get. It's packed with functionality that we'd normally see on much more expensive baby monitors. Sound and movement no