Baby monitors are devices that allow you to have ears, and increasingly much more, on your baby while you are in a different room. Designed for peace of mind, at their most basic these monitors let you hear your baby’s cries and know when baby’s awake. 

There are three main types of baby monitor on the market today. Audio monitors are the original baby monitor. Using radio frequency or digital, they send transmissions from baby’s room to the parent monitor unit. They’re the most inexpensive option and have a limited range, with most working up to about 150 feet indoors.

Video monitors include a nursery camera that feeds to an app or a screen on the parent unit so you can see what your baby is doing. Choices include static cameras to cameras that can pan the room, a feature which might increase the length of use (an extra set of eyes on a mobile toddler is always a good thing!).

The latest monitors track baby’s movements, plus vitals and more. Most in the Movement monitors category use wearables or sensor pads to document baby’s motions and breathing. Some send data to an app so you can have a record of your baby’s sleeping patterns and health info. Movement monitors may or may not include sound and video monitoring components.

Take a look at these top-selling monitors in all three categories.

Product Categories:

1. Audio monitors

2. Video monitors

3. Movement monitors

1. Audio Monitors

Vtech Digital Audio Baby Monitor

$25

• Basic and budget friendly
• Completely digital transmission eliminates background noise and static
• Graphic bars on parent monitor show the level of sound in baby’s room, even when muted
• Includes belt clip

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Motorola Digital Audio Travel Baby Monitor

$80

• Range of up to 165 feet
• Both parent and baby units feature AC adapter plugs instead of batteries
• High sensitivity microphone and out of range alert
• Nightlight on baby’s unit

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Vtech DM221 Audio Baby Monitor

$40

• Digital, static-free transmissions; range of 160 feet (indoors) or up to 1,000 feet (outdoors)
• Parent unit runs on two AAA batteries (sold separately)
• Intercom talk-back feature to soothe baby remotely
• Five LED lights display level of sound in baby’s room even when unit is muted; vibrate mode option

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Angelcare AC420 Baby Audio Monitor

$60

• Range between 262 and 328 feet indoors, includes out of range indicator
• Easy-to-read digital display on parent unit shows temperature of baby’s room
• Gentle glow nursery nightlight
• Portable and rechargeable parent unit

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Philips Avent DECT Baby Monitor

$150

• 160 foot range; digital, secure transmission is private and static free
• Talk back feature allows parents to comfort their child remotely
• Device monitors room temperature
• Room unit features nightlight and plays five lullabies

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2. Video monitors

Babysense Video Baby Monitor

$75

• 2.4 inch LCD HD color screen for secure, high quality, digital streaming; two-way talk back
• 900 foot range (outdoors) with out of range alert
• Digital zoom, pan, tilt; auto infrared night vision
• Multi camera expandability if you want additional monitors

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Labvon Wireless Security Baby Monitor

$47

• Use a smartphone app to pan camera up to 355 degrees side to side and 120 degrees up and down
• HD 1080 pixel real time images available to stream on app
• Alert is sent to your phone if any unusual motion occurs
• Two way talk back so you can hear and soothe your baby 

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AnGeer Wireless Video Baby Monitor

$70

• 2.4 inch LCD color display with zoom
• Two way communication, plus lullaby option 
• 160 foot range (indoor), 850 foot range (outdoor)
• Infrared night vision and room temperature sensor

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Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor

$230

• Three interchangeable lenses (wide angle sold separately) let you customize your view
• Large 3.5 inch LCD color screen 
• Remote pan/zoom/tilt, talk-back function, infrared night vision, room temperature monitoring
• Multi camera functionality so you can have several cameras (sold separately) linked to one monitor

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Nanit Camera

$468

• HD wireless streaming to your phone with zoom and night vision; soft night light projects onto ceiling, not into baby’s eyes
• Over-crib mount allows unobstructed view of baby (floor stand also available)
• Wireless video streaming to your device
• Purchase includes one year of sleep insights and 30 days rolling video and data storage on secure server; additional insights available for purchase

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3. Movement Baby Monitors

Snuza Hero Baby Movement Monitor

$110

• Clips onto baby’s diaper or waistband and monitors abdominal movement
• Vibrates if it detects no motion for 15 seconds (vibration often startles baby to resume movement)
• Parent monitor receives alert if there have been three vibration incidents, alarm sounds at 20 seconds 
• Battery powered

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Angelcare Deluxe Movement and Sound Baby Monitor

$130

• High sensitivity sound monitor and under the mattress Movement Sensor Pad with adjustable sensitivity settings
• Two full-color digital display parent monitor units featuring low battery alert, nursery temperature display, out of range indicator, and more
• Receive an alert if no motion for 20 seconds
• Nursery monitor emits gentle glow for easy navigating in the dark

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Cocoon Cam

$150

• High tech, lightweight HD camera and smartphone app (iOS and Android)
• Uses advanced computer vision technology to relay breathing monitor, HD sound and video, and instant alerts
• Range is anywhere you have a connected device
• No wearables or motion pads

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Babysense 7 Infant Movement Monitor

$130

• Consists of two 8.5 inch sensor pads placed between mattress and crib base
• No parent monitor unit; sounds alarm when no motion has been detected for 20 seconds
• Highly sensitive pads detect even the slightest motion
• Passive no-touch monitoring system is safe for baby; certified medical device in Europe

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Owlet Smart Sock 2 Baby Monitor

$300

• Cotton fabric sock measures baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels and sends alert when either falls below safe levels
• Includes three smart socks plus base station for charging and alerts
• Free iOS and Android apps for real time updates and alerts
• Designed to fit babies from newborn to one year old

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