Best Baby Monitors 2025: Our Favorite Audio and Video Cams, Tested by Parents

Baby monitors have come a long way since the audio-only, walkie-talkie style devices our parents used a generation ago. You can still pick up great audio-only models for very little money, but today’s smart versions offer features such as infrared night vision, motion sensors, temperature sensors, calming night-lights, white-noise generators, and music. Many will even connect to smartphones and Wi-Fi networks to bring even greater versatility and utility.

To help you decide which is the best baby monitor for you, we’ve tested a wide selection of monitors, focussing on all the essential functions, such as battery life, reception range, and video/sound quality.

You’ll find our favorite models in the at-a-glance list below, and you can click the product names to skip to the mini reviews further down the page.

Best baby monitors: At a glance

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How we test baby monitors

All of our reviewers are parents of young babies and children. They use all of the products in their own homes, recording how well each monitor performs at keeping tabs on their little ones while they nap, play, and sleep at night. So, our little testers include sleepy newborns and active toddlers, as well as babies who are just beginning to move around independently.

As well as noting the quality of the audio and video, and how easy the product is to install, we check out any additional features they might have, judging them on value for money and aiming to include monitors across a wide range of price points.

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The best video and audio baby monitors you can buy in 2025

1. CuboAi Plus Sleep Safety Bundle: Best smart baby monitor you can buy

Price when reviewed: $347 | Check price at Amazon

One of the biggest selling points of the CuboAi monitor is how straightforward it is to set up and pair with your smart device. It’s also one of the most aesthetically pleasing models: the glossy white camera is shaped like a cute baby bird with a faux wood finish. Its wide-angle, 90-degree rotatable lens will give you a bird’s-eye view of the baby’s crib wherever you choose to place it. There’s a night-light on the top and a built-in speaker at the rear for soothing lullabies and white noise, and two-way talkback too.

The HD image quality is fantastic, both in daylight and at night, as is the crystal-clear audio. You can also record and take photos using the CuboAi, and the monitor can be integrated with smart home devices, including Alexa and Google Home. Like all smart monitors, it connects to your phone or tablet via an app. As you would expect for the price, there’s a wealth of functions that make this an excellent choice, particularly for first-time parents, including a cry-detection feature that alerts you with a little chirp, covered-face and rollover detection, and a brilliantly accurate temperature and humidity sensor. It comes with a year’s access to the CuboAi Care Premium Plan, but if you wish to continue using some of these features beyond that first year you’ll have to take out an annual subscription.

This Sleep Safety bundle also includes a sleep sensor pad – a slimline, wireless, water-resistant pad that slips neatly under your baby’s mattress to monitor their breathing. But if you’re just after the monitor and crib mount alone, you can pick this up for $279, which we think is more than worth it.

2. Vtech VM3254: Best budget video monitor

Price when reviewed: $59 | Check price at Walmart

Featuring a parent unit with an impressive full-color 2.8in screen, this affordable baby monitor looks like one of those cool little personal photo cameras we used to carry around back in the days before smartphones. It takes no time at all to get used to this easy-to-use system, with intuitive controls that allow you to pan the camera in all directions, talk to the baby through the monitor, adjust the volume, and even zoom in if you think you see something suspicious.

The VM3254 has a long-life rechargeable battery, infrared night vision that automatically kicks in when the lights go out, and an audio alert for when the baby starts to move around. It’s wall-mountable, has a night light, can play four lullabies, has a 1,000-foot range, and it even displays the temperature in the baby’s room. At this price, and with all these helpful features, there isn’t much more you could ask for – this baby monitor is incredible value for money.

3. Roar Baby Monitor: Best baby monitor for camping and outdoor use

Price when reviewed: $165 |Check price at Roar

Designed by a father with a love of camping, the Roar baby monitor is designed to be used outdoors or in rural areas where there’s a lack of signal or Wi-Fi coverage. Its reliability makes it useful when going on vacation somewhere remote as Roar’s use isn’t reliant on signal coverage. Likewise, if you like to indulge in a bit of gardening while your child naps, you can safely trim the hedge and deadhead the roses in the knowledge that you’ll be able to still hear every sound from their bedroom. It’s essentially a set of rugged-designed walkie talkies that’s both shower- and drop-proof.

The monitor is powered using rechargeable lithium batteries that offer a 20+ hour life. They transmit at 2W (the maximum power legally allowed without a licence), allowing the units to clearly transmit up to 1,000ft without any Wi-Fi or phone signal. However, if you plan to use the monitor while camping, then you’ll need to recharge the battery most nights via the USB. Elsewhere, you’ll find stainless steel clips in the box that enable you to attach the monitor to your belt in true Bear Grylls style. Finally, the parent handset has a talk-back button so you can soothe your child if they become unsettled, or let them know you’re on the way to them.

The only real downside to this monitor is that it’s currently only available through the brand’s website so you won’t find it in any retailers.

4. Maxi-Cosi See Pro Baby Monitor: Best smart monitor with parent unit

Price when reviewed: $250 | Check price at Amazon

As a brand synonymous with baby safety and functional yet stylish products, the latest offering from Maxi-Cosi’s home collection doesn’t disappoint. The See Pro monitor comes with a 5in parent screen that can be used without the need for Wi-Fi. There’s also the option to use the Connected Family App on your smartphone too – you’ll be notified on both devices when the baby cries.

The latest See Pro monitor has been upgraded with CryAssist technology, which not only detects your baby’s cries but translates them too, helping parents to figure out the cause of their baby’s fussing. How does it do this? By comparing your baby’s cries against a growing database of cries that have been identified and categorized under five different types: sleepy, fussy, hungry, gassy, and agitated. The monitor will even suggest ways to comfort them. And, while we would always say that nobody knows a baby’s cry like its parent, these soothing suggestions (including the sound programs) are very welcome when you’re out of ideas. A six-month subscription to the app is included, in reality though, you’re unlikely to need it beyond that as you become more familiar with your little one’s noises.

You can choose to mount it on the wall or perch it on a high piece of furniture, and either option will give you a great view thanks to the wide-angle, 30-degree tilt-down lens, and the included wedge mount.

Video and audio are both excellent, and the monitor reacts quickly and efficiently to noise and movement, as well as changes in temperature and humidity. In line with the brand’s stylish aesthetic, we also welcome the See Pro’s sleek design, which will fit into most nurseries and homes.

5. Nanit Pro Baby Monitor: Best high-end smart monitor

Price when reviewed: $300 | Check price at Amazon

If you’re looking for a baby monitor with fantastic picture quality and smart features as well as built-in tips, the Nanit baby monitor is one of the best choices around, evidenced by its high-end price.

Instead of being perched on the side of the crib or on furniture at an angle, the Nanit is designed to be positioned directly above the crib, fitted to the wall without cables. This gives you a Full HD view of your little one no matter where they wriggle and find themselves in the middle of the night.

You can view the footage via the connected app at any time, from anywhere, even if the internet goes down at home. You can use both the monitor and app to talk to your little one, as well as keep an eye on the temperature and humidity in their room.

What really sets the Nanit system apart from other baby monitors, however, is its built-in Personal Sleep Coach. Nanit tracks and analyzes your little one’s unique sleep patterns and provides personal sleep tips, alongside daily updates on their progress.

How to choose the best baby monitor for you

What features should I consider?

When you’re picking out a video baby monitor for your new addition, we think it’s important to consider a few important factors:

Location – First, you’ll want to think about where you’ll place the device’s camera unit for a decent view of the crib. While some monitors – particularly those at the pricier end of the scale – come with stands that tower over baby’s crib, many don’t. If there’s no high-level furniture nearby on which to place the camera for a decent view, you may have to wall-mount it; but make sure the model you choose is wall-mountable and comes with suitable screw mounts. Note, too, that you’ll likely need to get power to the camera unit, which might require an extension cord. Any cables will need to be tacked securely to the wall to avoid being a choking hazard.

Range – Depending on the size of your house, you might need a baby monitor with a range that stretches across multiple floors. Thicker walls can also interfere with weak signals, though this may be more difficult to gauge until you have a monitor up and running. Generally, cheaper models are likely to offer less range.

Temperature – If you would like reassurance about the temperature of baby’s bedroom, then you’ll be pleased to learn that many baby monitors available now come with this feature. There’s a chance you’ll have to pay extra for it, but it will save you from having to buy an extra baby thermometer.

One-way or two-way audio – Consider whether being able to speak to your baby through a two-way audio system will be helpful. Singing your child back to sleep, even through an intercom, might save you from having to traipse up and down the stairs multiple times.

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