The best baby monitors
A clear picture at 3am and a battery that lasts the night: the video monitors new parents rely on.
A video monitor lets new parents check on a sleeping baby without creeping in and waking them. It's one of the most useful things to buy for a new arrival, and a welcome present for parents who haven't got one yet.
Most here work without WiFi, pairing the camera straight to a handheld screen, which keeps things simple and private. One adds a phone app for checking in from further away. The idea is older than you might think: the first baby monitor, Zenith's 'Radio Nurse' of 1937, was designed by the sculptor Isamu Noguchi.
What matters
- A screen of 5in or more, and night vision.
- Pan and tilt, if the baby moves around the cot.
- Battery life that lasts a full night.
- WiFi and an app only if you want to check in from elsewhere.
#1 of 5
Best overall
HelloBaby HB6550 Video Baby Monitor (5in, pan and tilt, no WiFi)
£50–£75 Price range
A camera you can steer from the sofa, turning 355° and tilting 120°, so you can follow a toddler who's wriggled to the end of the cot. Up to 30 hours on a charge in power-saving mode.
What owners say: Owners find the picture and sound clear enough to catch small noises, and like that it works out of the box without WiFi.
A closer look: Put the camera on a shelf or wall bracket with its cable well out of the baby's reach: makers say at least a metre from the cot. Switch to ECO mode at night and the screen sleeps until the baby makes a sound.
- 5in colour screen, split screen for a second camera
- Remote pan 355°, tilt 120°
- Up to 30 hours in ECO mode
- Room temperature alert, 8 lullabies
- No WiFi or app: works straight from the box
Best for: Following a wriggly toddler
- Screen
- 5in
- Camera
- 480p
- Phone app
- No
- Pan and tilt
- 355° pan, 120° tilt
- Battery
- Up to 30 hours (ECO)
- Range
- Up to 300m (open space)
- Temperature sensor
- Yes
#2 of 5
Best with an app
JeeBer 2K WiFi Baby Monitor with 5in Screen (VB805PRO)
£75–£100 Price range
The sharpest picture here at 2K, on a handheld screen and on your phone, so a parent at work or a grandparent babysitting can both look in. Cry and motion alerts go to the phone too.
What owners say: Owners rate the image quality highly, especially in low light, and like having both the screen and the app.
Heads up: Setup needs a 2.4GHz WiFi network (most home routers have one); once paired, the screen and camera keep working even if the WiFi drops.
A closer look: Set a 'virtual fence' round the cot in the app and you'll get an alert if a toddler climbs out of it. The camera has a privacy button on top for when you don't want it watching.
- 2K (3MP) camera, 3x zoom
- 5in parent screen plus phone app
- Pan 330°, tilt 135°
- Cry and motion alerts, temperature, lullabies
- Up to 18 hours on the parent unit
Best for: Checking in from work
- Screen
- 5in
- Camera
- 2K (3MP)
- Phone app
- Yes
- Pan and tilt
- 330° pan, 135° tilt
- Battery
- Up to 18 hours
- Range
- Up to 500m
- Temperature sensor
- Yes
#3 of 5
Biggest screen
Blemil 6in Video Baby Monitor (BL9064, no WiFi)
£30–£50 Price range
A 6in screen, the largest here, and a big 4,000mAh battery, with cry detection that lights the screen when the baby wakes. No WiFi, no app, nothing to set up.
What owners say: Owners like the big screen and the battery life, and find it connects reliably across the house and garden.
Heads up: The parent unit's speaker isn't the loudest, so keep it close by at night rather than across the room.
A closer look: The bigger screen makes it easier to see breathing and small movements in the dark, which tired parents appreciate at 3am. It's also a handy monitor for an older relative's room.
- 6in IPS colour screen, 720p camera
- Cry detection
- 4,000mAh battery, 16–30 hours
- Remote pan and 2x zoom
- Two-way talk, night vision
Best for: Seeing detail at night
- Screen
- 6in
- Camera
- 720p
- Phone app
- No
- Pan and tilt
- Remote pan, 2x zoom
- Battery
- 4,000mAh, 16–30 hours
- Range
- –
- Temperature sensor
- –
#4 of 5
Best for audio-only nights
VTech VM924 Video Baby Monitor (5in, pan and tilt)
£50–£75 Price range
From a name parents know, with a handy trick: switch the screen off and it keeps listening, with sound level lights and 29 hours of audio-only use, then flicks back on when the baby cries.
What owners say: Owners find it reliable and easy to use with a good-sized screen, though some find the picture only average.
A closer look: Many parents run it in audio-only mode overnight and check the picture only when the lights show noise. The parent unit vibrates too, handy if you're in a noisy room.
- 5in colour screen
- Pan 270°, tilt 105°
- Up to 17 hours video, 29 hours audio only
- Up to 300m range
- Temperature sensor, 5 lullabies
Best for: Parents who sleep lightly
- Screen
- 5in
- Camera
- 480p
- Phone app
- No
- Pan and tilt
- 270° pan, 105° tilt
- Battery
- Up to 17 hours (video)
- Range
- Up to 300m (outdoors)
- Temperature sensor
- Yes
#5 of 5
GHB 5in Baby Monitor with Camera (720p, no WiFi)
£30–£50 Price range
A simple plug-in-and-go monitor with a sharp 720p picture, a room temperature sensor and four lullabies you can play from the parent unit, plus feeding reminders for the early weeks.
What owners say: A newer model: early owners rate it well for how quickly it sets up and how clear the picture is.
Heads up: It's a newer model, so fewer owners have used it for long, and the camera doesn't pan: aim it at the cot when you set it up.
A closer look: Use the feeding reminder to space night feeds without checking the clock. Mount the camera high and angled down for the clearest view of the whole cot.
- 5in screen, 720p camera
- Automatic night vision
- Two-way talk and 4 lullabies
- Room temperature sensor
- Feeding reminders, VOX mode
Best for: A simple fixed view of the cot
- Screen
- 5in
- Camera
- 720p
- Phone app
- No
- Pan and tilt
- –
- Battery
- –
- Range
- –
- Temperature sensor
- Yes
How they compare
| Feature | #1HelloBaby HB6550 | #2JeeBer VB805PRO | #3Blemil 6in | #4VTech VM924 | #5GHB 5in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best with an app | Biggest screen | Best for audio-only nights | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| Price | £50–£75 Price range | £75–£100 Price range | £30–£50 Price range | £50–£75 Price range | £30–£50 Price range |
| Screen | 5in | 5in | 6in | 5in | 5in |
| Camera | 480p | 2K (3MP) | 720p | 480p | 720p |
| Phone app | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Pan and tilt | 355° pan, 120° tilt | 330° pan, 135° tilt | Remote pan, 2x zoom | 270° pan, 105° tilt | – |
| Battery | Up to 30 hours (ECO) | Up to 18 hours | 4,000mAh, 16–30 hours | Up to 17 hours (video) | – |
| Range | Up to 300m (open space) | Up to 500m | – | Up to 300m (outdoors) | – |
| Temperature sensor | Yes | Yes | – | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Following a wriggly toddler | Checking in from work | Seeing detail at night | Parents who sleep lightly | A simple fixed view of the cot |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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