These are the best baby monitors money can buy and here's why

Best baby monitors tried-and-tested including Vtech, Nanit, Owlet, and Angelcare

A selection of the best baby monitors tried and tested for this buying guide
(Image credit: Future)

The best baby monitors play an important part in helping both you and your baby to sleep soundly. But which one to choose? We've tested a range of monitors - including smart monitors and wearables - to bring you this roundup of the best baby monitors to buy in 2023.

A baby monitor is one of the most important pieces of baby kit you could buy, right up there with the best pram or the best car seat. From tracking your baby's sleep pattern to monitoring their movement and breathing, they aren’t just useful for keeping an eye on sleeping newborns either - many parents continue using a baby monitor during the toddler years when they're useful for keeping tabs on youngsters when they climb out of bed in the middle of the night. 

Whether you use one to watch your little one sleep (bliss...), to listen out for the signs that they’re stirring from a nap, or for reassurance that all is well, the best baby monitors act like an extra pair of eyes and ears, helping to take a little of the mental load away from mums and dads.

Best baby monitors at-a-glance

The best baby monitors


Best baby monitor: what to consider

  • Sound and image quality - If you’re investing in a video monitor, go for one with the best quality camera you can afford and make sure it has night vision for dark, wintry nights. Tilt, pan, and zoom functionality is a useful extra if you’re likely to have two children sleeping in one room as you can scan the room rather than view just one fixed point. 
  • Wall mount - Baby monitor wires must be kept out of your baby’s reach as they are a safety hazard. A wall-mounted monitor is a good solution but you’ll need the DIY skills to affix the mount to the wall. If you choose a free-standing baby monitor, make sure you place the baby unit out of reach - on a shelf or on a changing unit beside the cot is the ideal spot.
  • Mains v batteries - Most baby monitors plug into the wall so consider where the power source is in your baby’s room. The parent unit is usually battery-operated so you can move freely between rooms with it, but check the battery life. If you’re the kind of person who forgets to charge your phone, avoid choosing a baby monitor that needs daily charging.
  • Range - Most monitors have ample range but do check the maximum range for the signal to be sure that it will work reliably if you’re downstairs or in the garden when your baby is asleep or napping. The best baby monitor for a small flat might not be the most practical for a detached house, depending on the range. 
  • WiFi connection - If you choose a monitor that needs to connect to your Wi-Fi, make sure your connection is secure and up to the task. The advantage of this type of monitor is that you can view the video footage from your phone even when you’re out and a babysitter is in charge - but on the other hand, not everyone wants to feel tied to their phone when they’re away from their baby.
  • Extra features - From talkback - so you can soothe your baby via the parent unit from another room using your voice - to music, white noise, and nightlights, many baby monitors have lots of additional features built-in. These can be a real boon or a waste of money depending on whether you'll actually use them. Think about the features you need and don't spend money on extras that don't add real value. 

Which type of baby monitor is best for you?

There are three main types of baby monitors so take some to think about the functionality that is most important to you. For example, there's little point in buying a smart monitor if your phone is always out of battery because you'll need your phone to view the footage. Equally, a movement monitor offers peace of mind to parents who like the idea of being alerted if their baby stops breathing, while other parents find the risk of a false alarm just causes worry. Familiarise yourself with the different types of monitors before you choose which one is best for you.

  • Wearable baby monitors - These hi-tech devices are attached to your baby, usually via an item of clothing such as a sock. They collect a range of data and send it to a dedicated app on your smartphone so that you can track all sorts of data from your baby's heart rate and breathing to their movement and sleep pattern. 
  • Video monitors - As well as capturing audio, a video monitor captures live footage via an in-built camera and streams it to either a dedicated app on your smartphone or to a separate parent unit with a screen. Most parents choose video monitors over audio-only models as they like to be able to see their baby sleeping, rather than just hear when they wake. A video monitor is a handy way to peek at your baby without having to enter their room to check on them, which might startle them awake.
  • Audio-only monitors - This is the most basic (and therefore affordable) baby monitor. It consists of a baby unit that you place beside your baby’s cot which picks up sound, such as your baby's cries, and transmits that sound to a separate parent unit that you keep near you. Audio-only monitors are handy if your baby naps or sleeps in a different room from you and you’re concerned that you might not hear them when they stir or cry out.

Our review process

Our Deputy Editor Heidi Scrimgeour came up with a shortlist of baby monitors based on her product knowledge and industry research. She looked at the latest offering from the market-leading brands - and as a mum of three and a parenting journalist for 17 years, what she doesn't know about baby products isn't worth knowing. 

Next, she selected the final product line-up from a broad range of price points so there's a best baby monitor recommendation here to suit all budgets and needs. Then, we called on our pool of reliable parent testers and assigned each of them a baby monitor to review with their baby. They tested the product rigorously for at least ten days.

We ask our parent testers to give each product a rating out of five for overall performance. We also ask for comprehensive feedback on key factors including design appeal, functionality (how easy is it to set up and start using), reliability, value for money, and how easy each baby monitor is to operate. We used our testers' feedback to create this buying guide and the accompanying in-depth product reviews to help you choose the best baby monitor for your needs and budget.

Read more about how we test and why you can rely on our guidance. 


If you’re kitting out the nursery and dreaming of sleep, check out our guide to the best Moses baskets, and the best bedside cribs once you've chosen the best baby monitor. We've also got expert advice on baby sleep training, and shopping guides on how to choose the best baby sleeping bags and the best baby sleep aids. Sweet dreams!

Curated by
Curated by
Heidi Scrimgeour

Heidi Scrimgeour is a mum of three and an experienced parenting and lifestyle journalist. She originally wrote this buying guide in 2020 before joining Goodto as Consumer Editor in 2021. In June 2023 Heidi rewrote this guide, refreshing the advice on how to choose the best baby monitor and adding some new baby monitor reviews. 

Heidi Scrimgeour
Deputy Editor

As a parenting specialist for more than 15 years, Heidi has written for most national newspapers and for a wide range of consumer magazines, including Mother & Baby where she was the Shopping Editor for six years, looking after regular consumer features including buying guides and gift roundups.