8 best baby monitors for peace of mind while your little one sleeps, from video to audio models

For the first few months of your baby’s life, it may feel that you’re completely attached at the hip to them. With contact naps aplenty and no real routine in place, those newborn days are a joy of closeness.

Over time though, as your baby settles into more of a consistent routine and (let’s be honest) you’re ready to reclaim a little more of your evening back, it’s probably time to start thinking about a baby monitor. A good baby camera or monitor will leave you feeling confident that you can see and hear your baby well, while not in the same room.

If you’re happy with just being able to hear your baby, there are some great audio-only options. More common are the traditional video monitors, with the camera in the nursery and a separate viewing screen which stays with the caregiver. If you’re willing to splash out a little more, a smart camera could be more your scene. These connect through Wi-Fi via an app on your smartphone or tablet, which means you can check in on your baby even when you’re not in the house.

For an even further level of monitoring, wearable elements – like wraps or socks – allow you to monitor more than just your baby’s crying or movements, including their breathing, oxygen levels or temperature. We have to note that while these can be a welcome addition for new or anxious parents, keep in mind they’re not medical devices and are often not 100 per cent accurate.

Whether it’s a simple, affordable audio-only option you’re keen on, or if you’d prefer a bells and whistles set-up with soothing features and remote viewing, we’ve got you covered.

How we tested

We tested each camera and monitor over the course of a few nights for both naps, nighttime sleep and observing play. Our little helper is seven-months-old and just beginning to move around independently while in the cot alone. Prices range on average from £29.00 to £399, offering varying features. We chose nine of the best to suit every parent’s budget, to give a great view of your child, day or night.

The best baby monitors for 2022 are:

• Best overall – Cubo AI sleep safety bundle baby monitor: £369, Cuboai.com

• Best for extra features – Nanit pro camera baby monitor: from £299, Nanit.com

• Best for tracking heart rate – Owlet smart sock 3 baby monitor: £289, Owletbabycare.co.uk

• Best for crying babies – Tommee Tippee dreamee sound, motion and video baby monitor: £169.99, Tommeetippee.com

• Best for awkward spaces – Lollipop baby monitor: £166, Amazon.co.uk

• Best for audio only – Vtech DM1212 audio baby monitor: £29.99, Currys.co.uk

• Best for active babies – Babymoov 360° yoo moov motorised video baby monitor: £199.99, Babymoov.co.uk

• Best parent unit – Motorola VM65X smart baby monitor: £220, Argos.co.uk

Cubo AI sleep safety bundle

This monitor is billed as the first baby monitor to apply AI to your baby’s sleep, safety, and memories, suitable from newborn up to toddlerhood. Its AI safety detection promises to look out for baby’s face being covered, being stuck rolling over, crying, and also generates a sleep analytics report, auto-captures unique movements, and more. A lot on offer – and we found that it held up the promises pretty well.

The bundle we tested came with a sleep sensor pad as well as the Cubo Ai plus camera, which detects micromovements and will alert parents to those ceasing. Aesthetically, the beautifully designed baby monitor comes in the shape of a glossy little bird, an attractive addition to any nursery. With a 1080p high definition camera, we found the camera quality really clear whether we were viewing nighttime sleep or daytime naps.

Something a little niche we enjoyed is that the night vision is clear, even without the camera using a visible red light. We’ve found that this light, which is often used by other cameras, can be distracting and sometimes, we think, scary for our baby.

The insights, too, were helpful. They may not go to the same level as other smart cameras, but it gave us all of the necessary information we needed, such as the time our baby went to bed, their longest sleep period, time to fall asleep, and caregiver visits.

The only thing we think could be improved upon is the addition of a separate parent unit, to avoid having to use your phone. However, although it’s pricey, we think it’s a sound investment from birth to beyond.

Buy now £369.00, Getcubo.com

Nanit pro camera

This smartphone app-controlled camera offers a great visual of your baby in their sleep space, when used with the periscope-like floor stand. It’s well-designed and comes with handy cable tidies to avoid unsightly wires.

As well as a good visual, day or night, the app offers insights into your child’s sleep, keeping track of how long they spend awake or asleep in the cot, and alerting you to any sound or movement. We appreciated that we could set the sensitivity of this, so we were not alerted each time our baby shifted in sleep. We also liked that you can set a boundary to the edges of your child’s cot, so that even if you’re getting in and out of bed, the camera will not pick that up as movement. We didn’t notice many technical difficulties, bar a couple of seconds delay, depending on the Wi-Fi performance. ​

The monitor also has two-way sound, sleep aids such as white noise, lullabies and wind sounds built in, a temperature sensor, and the ability to connect to Alexa smart devices. Another fantastic feature is the nightlight, which is aimed upwards to avoid harsh light – a perfectly gentle way to guide us through a late-night nappy change.

Something to consider though, even after spending a wad of money on the kit, you’ll need to pay an annual fee to get in-depth insights or a playback of your baby’s activity

Buy now £299.00, Nanit.com

Owlet smart sock 3

We tested the Owlet baby monitor duo smart sock, which is a camera monitor linked to an intuitive smartphone app, which is also receiving data from the smart sock attached to our baby’s foot. For use from birth to up to five-years-old, the sock uses infrared light to measure our baby’s pulse in their foot, meaning we could check our baby’s pulse and oxygen level wherever we were.

We appreciated the extra data of the smart sock, but personally, it was difficult not to obsess over it or feel on high alert at all times, especially if the sock slips off – which did happen a couple of times. This could set you at ease in the early days, but just remember that this smart sock is not intended to be a medical device, but can be nice to have if you do want some extra reassurance.

There’s no camera included with the sock, for this you’ll need to buy the duo: a bundle of the Owlet camera and smart sock, or alternatively buy a different brand of camera altogether.

Buy now £289.00, Owletbabycare.co.uk

Tommee Tippee dreamee sound, motion and video baby monitor

On first glance, this baby monitor and parent unit could be excused for seeming a little simple in design. However, on using the unit, we were pleased to see that the visual we got was impressive. It’s possible to tilt, pan, and zoom the camera remotely to adjust what you can see without disturbing the baby.

Helpfully, as the baby grows and becomes more active, the Tommy Tippee dremee auto-motion tracking will automatically follow their movements in the cot. It’s perfect for older toddlers that shuffle from one end of the cot to the other.

If you’re not a fan of getting up in the night, the cry sensor listens for the baby’s cries during the night, and responds by playing music to help settle the baby back to sleep. There’s a selection of lullabies and natural sounds, but you can even add your own music.

The night vision afforded by this camera is clear and easy to see when our baby is awake. For extra peace of mind (although not needed to use the camera unit) was the included movement sensor pad. It is sensitive and can detect even small movements, intending to alert you if your baby was still for a prolonged period of time, or if there was a sudden big movement in their sleeping area. It can be adjusted for sensitivity, but it was sometimes hard to remember to hold the alarm lock before picking up our baby, which set it off a couple of times.

Buy now £169.99, Tommeetippee.com

Lollipop baby monitor

This mid-range baby monitor arrives in a sleek box, and looks like something out of War of the Worlds. You can choose between three colourways for a pop of fun in your nursery, and put the unit…pretty much anywhere.

The base of the baby monitor is a moveable, malleable silicone structure to twist around cot bars or into a steady base. The camera is no-frills and has no extra features, but with a downloadable app and easy placement of the unit, we think this one is great for travel and new or awkward spaces. We couldn’t tilt or pan the camera remotely, so perhaps not one for active babies, but the night vision is clear and the sound quality is decent.

Camera data is stored for a week in the free version of the Lollipop app, or you can upgrade for a fee to have longer data storage. For everyday video monitoring, we felt that the free version was enough.

Buy now £166.00, Amazon.co.uk

Vtech DM1212 audio baby monitor

Not the most striking or flash of baby monitors, but useful and worthwhile nonetheless, the Vtech DM1212 is a budget buy that works well without breaking the bank. We found that the audio was clear and sensitive enough to alert us over the sound of the TV in the evenings and we liked that we were able to set a temperature alert, lest the room get too warm or cold for our baby.

The two-way audio set (just like a walkie talkie!) is mains powered, so we didn’t need to worry about batteries running out at night, but you’ll need to be able to place the baby unit close enough to the child to pick up sound with the length of cable you have. The parent unit can use two AAA batteries to move around the house, but we found these were used up quite quickly. We liked the extra features of lullabies and a projecting night light, both of which can be turned on or off via the parent unit.

Buy now £29.99, Currys.co.uk

Babymoov 360-degree yoo moov motorised video baby monitor

Our baby has just begun to shift around in her sleep, and we often find she isn’t quite where we left her when we put her down. The Babymoov 360-degree yoo moov gives a clue in the name – it’ll give you a 360-view of your child at all times. With a camera and separate parent unit, there aren’t any insights to be found, but we found that the picture was crystal clear and we were able to move the camera easily, should our baby wriggle around in her sleep space.

We liked that we had a separate parent unit, although we had to keep an eye on how much charge it had, especially when moving around the house with it. The vox feature was handy; it meant that we didn’t need to keep an eye on the camera at all times – it alerted us to any noise or movement. We also enjoyed that this camera has a night light of varying colours, and can play music if desired.

Buy now £199.99, Babymoov.co.uk

Motorola VM65X smart baby monitor

This camera is another that streams live to your smartphone or tablet through a downloadable app, but we enjoyed the 5in parent unit so that we could view our baby’s room at all times. The parent unit itself is attractive and some efforts have gone into making it look a little more aesthetically pleasing. We liked that the unit could be battery or mains powered, allowing us to take it with us around the house if needed.

As for the camera itself, its pan, tilt and zoom function meant we could adjust the view of our baby’s room at any time, and we found the picture to be clear enough to spot any movement. It’s not the best image, nor sound though, and for the price you could find it wanting – however, it will definitely do the job.

Buy now £220.00, Argos.co.uk

Baby monitor FAQs

Do you need a baby monitor?

While you do not necessarily need a baby monitor, the gadgets can help to give you peace of mind that your little one is safe and sound when you’re not in the same room.

You’ll most likely need one when your baby moves into their own room or if they nap in a different room to where you are during the day.

Audio vs video: What type of baby monitor is best?

There are many different types of baby monitor on the market, but the two most popular are audio and video. So, which one should you buy?

Audio monitors allow you to listen in on your baby when you're not in the room and some models also have a visual representation of the level of volume too. This type of monitor usually comes with two separate units: one that stays in the room that your baby sleeps and another that stays with the parent. These can be either wired or battery-powered, depending on how much flexibility you need.

Alternatively, video monitors allow you to both see and hear what your baby is up to for greater peace of mind. Just like an audio monitor, they feature two units: one with a camera that stays in the room your baby is sleeping and another for the parent which has a screen for easy viewing. Some cameras can be mounted to the wall, while others will need to be placed on a flat surface.

Other features that can be found on both audio and video models include a night light, “two-way talk” –which allows your baby to hear you so you can comfort them from a different room – and the ability to play songs to soothe your restless baby.

When to stop using baby monitors?

There’s no specific age where it’s recommended to stop using a baby monitor. Some parents might stop at six months, while others continue past a first birthday. It’s really up to you as a parent in the end, but most parents will have stopped using them by the time their child is three or four years old. At this age, children will start to be aware that they’re being watched and are usually well-equipped to spend the night in their own beds. But before this, some parents want to keep it on hand to check their child is actually sleeping during naptime or not climbing out of their crib.

Can baby monitors be hacked?

A baby monitor that’s connected to the internet does have the potential of being hacked. But there are ways to make using them safer, just like you can for a laptop or smartphone, such as securing your wireless router by using a strong password and disabling remote access. You can do the same for your baby monitor and registering your monitor with the manufacturer could also help, as they’ll send you software updates that might fix potential security risks.

The verdict: Baby monitors

The Cubo AI, although pricey, wins out in our books, with its aesthetically pleasing design, clear-cut picture and helpful insights. We enjoyed the flexibility and the ease-of-use of the Lollipop camera, and didn’t think we could go far wrong with the Babymoov 360-degree yoo moov for when our baby begins to bounce around the cot a little more.

We’ve come a long way from ‘pink for girls and blue for boys’, these are the best kids’ gender-neutral clothing brands to shop from