The 6 Best Baby Monitors of 2025

Best Overall Video Monitor

Eufy S340

Read the Review

Who this is best for: The Eufy is a good choice for families who want the best video images and lots of features, who don't mind using a smartphone for monitoring. This monitor has a smart sock that tracks vitals like sleeping patterns, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation levels. The sock communicates with a base station that will alert you if the vitals thresholds are passed when wearing it.

Why we love it: We love the sound activation feature that keeps the monitor quiet at just above the ambient sound in our tests. The noise cancellation and sound activation create relative silence and a slight white noise that can help parents fall asleep and stay asleep.

Should you buy it? The Eufy S340 is a do-it-all baby monitor with a little bit of everything and a whole lot of all the things. This feature-packed monitor provided the clearest images for night and day video and relies on the internet for connectivity. This makes it a great choice for tech-savvy families, but it is expensive and could be harder for a grandparent to use. Overall, we love this video monitor, and it could be a one-stop shop for many families.

Read more: Eufy S340 review

Eufy S340 Owlet Dream Duo 2

Best App-free Video Monitor

Babysense MaxView

$160 at Amazon

Who this is best for: The Babysense MaxView is a straightforward option that works right out of the box without the need for the internet or setting up an account on yet another app. If you want a basic camera with good sound features that lets you see what is happening in the nursery with enough detail to make decisions, this is one of our favorites. It is so easy to use that even a grandma or temporary caregiver can master the features they need in minutes.

Why we love it: We love how easy this option is to use in a sea of tech gadget choices that have all the bells and whistles. While loads of features and functionality can be fun, like a shiny new toy, we've found most parents end up not using most of the features and really just want good video and sound to alert them when their baby cries.

Should you buy it? The MaxView is a dedicated video monitor that comes ready to use with a paired parent unit. It offers better videos for a dedicated option and sound activation with an intuitive menu system. This monitor doesn't offer the best video, and it lacks features like tracking of sleep and vitals that come with other higher-end WiFi options. However, if you want simplicity and a peek into the nursery without the fuss, this is a go-to choice.

Read more: Babysense MaxView review

Babysense MaxView HelloBaby HB6550

Best One-and-Done Monitor

Owlet Dream Duo 2

$319 at Amazon

Who this is best for: The Owlet Dream Duo 2 is a good choice for those who find peace in knowing as much information as possible about their baby's experience and nursery. If you are the type who will find better sleep knowing your little one's heart rate, oxygen saturation, sleep patterns, or even just the nursery temperature, this is the monitor for you. However, if you are an anxious sort who might lose sleep watching vital signs, it could be best to look elsewhere.

Why we love it: We love that this could easily be the only and last monitor you need to buy, no matter what your monitoring goals might be. This unit includes a 1080p camera with better-than-average video, the quietest sound activation and noise cancellation features, and vitals and motion tracking via the sock sensor. No matter what stage of babyhood your little one is in or what type of monitoring you want, the Owlet truly does it all.

Should you buy it? The Owlet is a cool monitor that does just about everything but the dishes and laundry. This option includes video, sound, movement, and vitals tracking. In our tests, the camera offered good daytime images and clear but less crisp night images. However, it is expensive and there are cheaper options that offer the same types of features. It also has a relatively quiet alert system, which could be a problem for heavy sleepers. These hiccups aside, we think it is a compelling option for those who want a product to rule them all.

Read more: Owlet Dream Duo 2 review

Owlet Dream Duo 2 Lollipop

Best Overall Sound Baby Monitor

VTech DM1211

$53 at Amazon

Who this is best for: The VTech DM1211 offers impressive range, making it suitable for those with larger homes or several walls between the nursery and parent unit. Unless you plan to move to WiFi video monitoring, this option has the best range. This monitor is also a great choice for those who plan to head to the nursery with every cry.

Why we love it: The VTech is a straightforward sound monitor with impressive performance in our tests. It includes a nursery component and two parent units. It's easy to use, and its features increase the overall usability, with functions like sound activation and sound filtering.

Should you buy it? All things considered, we think the VTech DM1211 delivers a superior performance, making its few drawbacks seem insignificant. We think it's perfect for most families and can easily solve your need for a top-ranked sound monitor. If you are the kind of person where less is more and extensive details could increase anxiety, then the DM1211 should make your shortlist.

Read more: VTech DM1211 review

Best Budget Sound Monitor

TimeFlys QQ Portable

$33 at Amazon

Who this is best for: The TimeFlys QQ Portable is an adorable sound monitor with a straightforward design and user interface. It is a great choice for those who need a travel monitor or have a limited budget. It could easily be an add-on or good for a caregiver's house. Some parents might find it is enough for everyday use, but we think the real sweet spot is monitoring away from home.

Why we love it: The TimeFlys includes sound activation and sound filtering to transmit only the relevant sounds to the parent unit. This budget-friendly option offered good sound quality without robotic sounds or disruptive static.

Should you buy it? This monitor's Achilles' heel is its limited range, falling short of other sound monitors. While it doesn't excel in all aspects, the TimeFlys QQ Portable is above average and affordable. Given its budget-friendly price, it would be a good potential backup monitor or travel companion.

Read more: TimeFlys QQ Portable review

Best Wearable Movement Baby Monitor

Snuza Hero SE

$120 at Amazon

Who this is best for: The Snuza Hero SE is a movement monitor that is perfect for those who want to monitor movement indicative of breathing and might not want the anxiety of having more information than necessary. It is a fairly budget-friendly choice that is significantly cheaper than the vitals tracking options and perfect for travel or pairing with a sound monitor of your choice.

Why we love it:The Snuza Hero SE is a simple wearable that is easy to use, portable, and had few false alarms during our testing. While it is not a replacement for safe sleep practices, it could provide some parents with increased peace of mind for a better night's sleep without breaking the bank.

The Snuza Hero SE is a wearable movement baby monitor that clips to your baby's diaper. While it is only accurate until your baby can roll over and is kind of bulky, we think it is an economical solution to movement monitoring that is easy to use, very transportable, and economical compared to other types of movement monitors.

Read more: Snuza Hero SE review

How We Tested

Our baby monitor testing is exhaustive. Since 2012, we have run more than 5,600 individual tests on more than 106 monitors across all monitoring categories. Our tests show a significant difference between monitor performance, range, ease of use, and features. To help you find the best baby monitor for your home and little one, we purchase every monitor, accepting no manufacturer freebies to ensure unbiased, independent, hands-on testing results.

Our baby monitor testing generally consists of multiple rating metrics (style dependent):

• Range tests
• Ease of Use tests
• Sound Quality (if applicable)
• Video Quality (if applicable)
• Expected Reliability (if applicable)
• Battery Life
• Features
• EMF (informational only)

Movement monitors also include testing and investigation concerning reliability and portability. Each baby monitor is also tested for EMF levels it emits.

Each rating metric contributes to the overall score by a specific weighting based on the baby monitor category. Weighting is based on how important we believe the metric is and how much it might influence the decision-making of most families. Weighting varies from category to category; for example, sound quality is more important for audio monitors and image quality is more important for video monitors. Our extensive monitor testing and rating process means we are in a unique position to help you find the best monitor for your needs.

Why Trust GearLab

BabyGearLab has tested over 100 different baby monitors in our quest to find the absolute best products available. Our founder, Dr. Juliet Spurrier, a board-certified pediatrician, heads our product selection team with an eye for performance, quality, and functionality. Since the beginning, Bob Wofford, Senior Review Analyst and father of 7, created our test procedures and is constantly modifying and updating our processes to adapt to ever-changing technology and features. Bob has been testing monitors since 2013. Wendy Schmitz, a Senior Review Editor and mother of 2 joined baby monitor testing in 2014, bringing her scientific background to the team. The monitor team is rounded out by Senior Review Editor Abriah Wofford, who began testing baby monitors in 2017. With over 23 years of combined experience using and testing monitors from the video, sound, and movement types, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more experienced group of experts than this team.

How to Pick the Best Baby Monitor

If you want to monitor your baby while catching some Zzzs, there are a few different monitoring types to consider depending on your goals or what information you hope to receive. Traditional baby monitoring informed parents when their baby was crying or needed assistance. Over time, monitoring has evolved into watching your baby or knowing when they stop moving predictably. Knowing which products do what can help you determine what kind of product is the best choice for your family.

Type of Monitors

There are three basic types of monitors and a handful of cool options that do their best to do everything. Depending on your needs and monitoring goals, you can use a simple sound monitor, but if you want all the bells and whistles with all the details, then a movement monitor that includes video is probably more your bag.

Video Monitors

The most addictive, popular, and fun way to monitor your baby is a video baby monitor. What was traditionally considered a luxury is now commonplace, with prices often similar to or cheaper than sound monitors. This monitor style gives you a peek inside the nursery to hear and see what is happening to determine your baby's needs better than an audio-only monitor. Most video products work well in the dark and have adequate sound, so you can see and hear all the details.

Some options are “dedicated” with a camera that talks to a parent unit it pairs with. Others use WiFi to send information from the camera to your personal device (smartphone/tablet). WiFi-enabled options are great for larger houses where range might be an issue, and they're also useful for viewing your little one while away from home. While video capability isn't mandatory for getting a good night's sleep, it can provide more information to help you determine your baby's needs before you get out of bed. This could potentially increase your sleep time. If you want an addictive monitor for peeping on your bundle of joy, this is the monitor type for you. If more information is potentially anxiety-inducing for you, then the video monitors that track vitals could be too much information, and you can save money by skipping them.

Sound Monitors

The traditional baby monitor is a straightforward sound monitor that transmits audio from the baby's nursery to the paired parent device. This review includes our favorite sound monitors cherry-picked from years of hands-on testing.

As this type of product transmits only sound from your baby's room, you use the sound to determine if your little one needs you. If you're looking for a straightforward monitoring solution for staying in contact with your baby, then a basic sound monitor is really all you need. Many parents have relied on this type of baby monitor to keep tabs on their little ones at night and during nap time.

This kind of monitor is also a potential option for travel since it requires little setup, does not generally require WiFi, and provides adequate monitoring for most situations.

Movement Monitors

If you have concerns about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and want reassurance that your baby is moving regularly enough to indicate breathing, then selecting one of our favorite movement monitors is the way to go. Movement products sense the type of normal movement associated with a baby's breathing. These products attempt to discern when your baby has not moved within a prescribed period (typically 20 seconds) in a way that is indicative of breathing. This lack of movement could potentially indicate that they are not breathing. While this may seem like a no-brainer for parents worried about SIDS, these devices aren't foolproof and do NOT protect against SIDS. They have not been approved by the FDA as a medical device and are known to have false alarms where the baby is fine and then suddenly awakened by a loud (in nursery) alarm.

While this baby monitor type is intriguing, we caution parents that it is not a substitute for safe sleeping practices and doesn't prevent SIDS. However, if you are willing to accept possible false alarms, it can provide another layer of monitoring that helps some parents achieve an increased peace of mind. Be forewarned; movement sensing is only useful until your baby can roll over. At that point, they become unreliable with an uptick of false alarms (in our experience), even if the manufacturer claims otherwise. We considered various movement options, including mattress sensors, wearable products, and oxygen saturation monitors, and our favorites are included in this review.

Those that track other vitals, like heart rate and oxygen saturation, can often work for significantly longer past the rollover stage. Which option is best for you will depend on your situation and how you plan to use it. A video or mattress option isn't as good for travel as the diaper clip, but a diaper clip might not give the alerts or in-depth information you desire. It is important to remember that you can forgo this kind of monitor altogether if having all of this information will cause stress and less sleep for you or your baby.

Mattress Pad Sensors

The most reliable kind of movement-sensing product is arguably the mattress pad design. This type of product goes under the mattress (typically on a hard surface) and is only compatible with certain kinds of mattresses. These products relay messages to a nursery-located device that then alerts parents on a parent device or with a loud audible alarm in the nursery (model dependent). The problem with this kind of monitor is it will wake your baby if the alarm goes off. While it startles infants that have perhaps stopped breathing (which is good), a false alarm will wake a peacefully sleeping baby (who is breathing fine) for no reason. It is also a dying breed of monitor, with only one left in our review.

Wearable

A wearable movement baby monitor attaches to your baby's diaper, clothing, or as a sock (depending on the model). Most wearable baby monitors alert inside the room with only a few options relaying to a parent device (smartphone or other device). In our experience, many wearables have frequent false alarms or high Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Levels (which we try to avoid), though in fairness, these numbers are dropping every year. The Snuza Hero SE is a cost-effective wearable with a unique vibration feature and very low levels of EMF, making it an exception to this general rule. If your bedroom is a far distance from the nursery, and you may not hear an in-nursery alarm, then you should seriously consider buying a sound or video monitor to help relay the alarm directly to your room. Otherwise, your little one could be startled awake and unable to self-soothe without your assistance, and you'll be unaware, or they may need your help, and you won't know. The Eufy S340 and the Owlet Dream Duo 2 are both app-driven sock-style wearables with a push notification to your smartphone and an alert/prompt to a base station near your bedside.

Can One Product Do it All?

Yes and no, it depends on what you want the device to do and what levels of EMF or subpar metric results you will accept. If you are looking for video and sound, you're in luck; all of the video monitors have both. If you'd like sound and movement monitoring, none of the current movement products come with sound alone, only video and sound. Suppose you want movement (or vitals), audio, and video in a single product (package). In that case, you have more options than ever before, including wearable vital monitoring socks and a wearable band that is “read” by a camera (Nanit Pro Complete).

Because movement monitors only work for about six to nine months (though some sock options work longer now), have false alarms, and can't replace safe sleep practices or reduce the occurrence of SIDs, we think parents should choose a video product and forgo the movement if their budget is tight. You might also consider a WiFi video baby monitor with a sound monitor backup. The sound monitor doesn't need the Internet to work, so you won't miss a monitoring minute even if your Internet goes down. They typically offer better sound quality and features like sound activation for a quiet baby monitor. This setup would allow you to hear your little one via a good-quality sound product and then peek in on them via your video option if need be.

How Long Will You Use It?

The lifespan of your potential device depends on your needs and the type of device you choose. Movement products have the shortest lifespan with efficacy for only 6-9 months old or when your baby starts rolling and moving. On the other hand, sound and video products can often work for years, well past toddlerhood. Video products arguably have the most extended lifespan because they can help keep tabs on older children as they nap and play. WiFi cameras have an extended lifespan, as some of them can graduate to watching a babysitter or for security purposes. If the duration of use concerns you, WiFi video products should be your go-to choice to get the most bang for your buck.

Making a Choice

Finding the best and most suitable baby monitor for your baby can be simple when you narrow the options using key considerations designed to keep you on track and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed or choosing a monitor you aren't happy with.

First, Pick Your Type

After some consideration, many parents determine that an audio-only monitor will meet their needs. These parents know they will respond to the baby's nursery each and every time their little one cries. They don't require viewing capabilities, and using a sound option is the least expensive way to find a quality baby monitor with high functionality. It is cost-effective and relatively portable. However, if you need or hope to view your little one from your bed or another location, a video monitor is the only way to go. Buying a WiFi-enabled monitor means fewer range limitations. You can see your baby away from home, typically with 720-1080p quality images. WiFi also provides the potential for future use as a security or nanny cam; this provides added value you might not have considered (but maybe should). Some of the camera options are so inexpensive that they cost less than sound-only options!

Alternatively, monitoring your infant's movements is a luxury that most parents don't “need,” even if they may want it or feel peace using it. It can also supply a potentially false sense of safety, which concerns us. If you're worried about SIDS, studies indicate that placing your baby to sleep in their own bed in your room (using safe sleep practices) can go a long way in preventing SIDS and is potentially more effective than video monitoring. This plan also has the advantage of being nearby for nighttime feedings and the breathing checks many new parents conduct. Choosing a bassinet may be a better solution for SIDS paranoia than a movement product or other baby monitor types, at least in the early months of infancy. However, if your heart demands a movement monitor to feel at peace, we encourage you to pair it with a sound or video device to ensure that you hear the alarm that often only goes off in the nursery itself.

Second, Determine Your Range

A baby monitor's range can be the determining factor in if it will work in your home. Depending on the distance from your room to the nursery and your home type or interfering appliances, you could be limited in the products that can work. If your house is large or has more than a handful of walls (typically between 4-5) between the two rooms, you'll likely be stuck using a WiFi option (assuming you have the Internet). If your home is smaller or has fewer walls, then a wider variety of products will be possible. Many wearable movement monitors work in the baby's room and do not rely on communicating with a parent's device. However, if your room is out of earshot, you'll never hear the alarm, making the unit practically useless without pairing it with a sound monitor. If you think range might be an issue in your home, we recommend choosing your product carefully and purchasing from retailers like Amazon that traditionally have a generous and simple return policy. Also, don't let the baby monitor sit in the box; you'll want to try it right away and return it immediately if it doesn't work well where you plan to use it. Do not believe the manufacturer's range claim! Our test shows that most manufacturer claims are wildly inaccurate.

Third, Prioritize Your Features

Once you figure out the kind of baby monitor you need and have estimated your indoor range (with wall count), you can review the potential competitors and their features. Budget-friendly options typically lack loads of features but are still highly functional. If you want more baby-centric features such as nightlights, lullabies, and talk-to-baby, they will cost more and often make the product more challenging to use. The one feature we feel is almost non-negotiable is sound activation. This functionality (when it works well) keeps your baby monitor silent when your little one is silent, increasing your chance of sleeping well.

Conclusion