The Best Baby Monitors of 2024

Unlike other baby monitors—which tend to have standard definition 720p video displays—the Nanit Pro streams in 1080p. It also rocks top-notch infrared night vision and lets you zoom in. 

The Nanit also lets you save and share photos and videos from the app.

We know some parents prefer closed-circuit baby monitors due to privacy concerns, but the Nanit takes safety seriously. It sends data from the camera to your phone using 256-bit encryption. You can also check out our other tips for keeping your cameras safe from hackers to make sure no one's being creepy.

There are just a couple things we don't like about the Nanit Pro: it's a sleep, breathing, and movement monitor only when the baby wears certain clothing and only when the camera is mounted to specific stands. Plus, the app will drain your phone battery.

Nanit's movement, breathing, and sleep tracking functions only work if your baby wears clothing with a special pattern. The camera locks onto this pattern and analyzes its movements to make sure your baby is breathing and moving normally. These wearables cost extra, and since babies aren't known for their exceptionally clean laundry, you'll need to buy several.

Here's a list of Nanit's patterned wearables and accessories: 

• Smart sheets
• Breathing bands (size small included with Nanit cam)
• Swaddles
• Sleeping bags
• Pajamas

Second, the sleep, movement, and breathing monitoring features don't work when the camera is attached to the multi-stand. This portable stand turns the Nanit into a nanny cam and automatically increases its field of view. If your baby naps in more than one area of the home (or often goes to a caregiver's house), grab an extra floor stand instead of the multi-stand.

Learn more in our full Nanit Pro review.

This non-Wi-Fi, closed-circuit unit is similar to the Infant Optics Pro in terms of features and specs, but it has a smaller range. The company notes that the parent unit has a range of up to 1,000 feet if there are no obstacles (like walls) in the way. The unit's practical range is around 460 feet, which is sufficient for most homes.

Like the Infant Optics Pro, the Eufy is a pan-and-tilt camera with an optional wide-angle lens, and you can connect a total of four cameras to the parent unit.

Although we haven't had a chance to test this baby monitor hands-on, we're pretty impressed with the quality of Eufy cameras in general. Read more in our Eufy cameras review.

Eufy has several other baby monitors up for grabs. Here are the main differences compared to the basic Eufy Video Baby Monitor:

• The Eufy Spaceview S is exactly the same as the standard Eufy baby monitor but includes a crib mount for the camera.
• The Eufy Spaceview Pro has a better battery life and includes an alarm clock. It does not come with a crib mount.
• The Eufy Security Video and Audio Baby Monitor is just like the Spaceview Pro, except it isn't a pan-and-tilt camera.

Coming in from left field is the Eufy Care Baby Monitor 2. Unlike the other Eufy baby monitors, this one's a Wi-Fi monitor that uses your phone as a display. It streams in much higher quality (2K), zooms in closer, and has a slightly wider field of view than the other Eufy video baby monitors. It comes with a wall mount and crib mount.

We often think of night vision technology as something intimidating that soldiers and spies use, but it’s completely harmless and very useful for a baby video monitor.

Night vision video monitors do the same thing that amplifiers (like microphones or hearing aids) do with sound, only with light:

1. Light particles enter the camera lens.
2. The light particles convert to electricity.
3. They're then amplified, producing a brighter image.

This helps you see your little one clearly even while they’re sleeping soundly in a dark room. They don’t pose any threat to your baby’s health.

Parents are all different, and the best way to determine what’s right for your baby is to consider your own concerns and needs as a parent.

• Routine: When you put your baby down for a nap, do you listen for their cries or do you tiptoe into the room to look in on them?
• Location: Does your baby sleep in the same room as you at night, or in a room farther away?
• Concerns: Do you worry more about their safety or about their comfort and sleep habits?

Answering these questions can help you determine what type of baby monitor will best fit your needs:

• Basic: You may want a basic health monitor with an audible alarm for when your child is sleeping nearby.
• Video: Or you may feel more comfortable keeping an eye on them with a video monitor.
• Affordable: A less expensive and more traditional sound-only monitor might be sufficient if your child is older.

Or you might decide on some combination of any of these.

Unfortunately, yes. As convenient as Wi-Fi video baby monitors are, they can be hacked, so you should take safety precautions if you choose to use one in your home:

• Use a strong password for the monitoring device.
• Change passwords frequently.
• Be sure your Wi-Fi password is strong as well.
• Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can give you an additional layer of protection.

If you don’t have a reason to access the video monitor from outside your home, we recommend playing it safe and sticking with a camera without a Wi-Fi connection.