Your little ones can easily sleep soundly at night with a baby monitors. More importantly, they’ve become extremely intelligent. Whether you are looking for one that tracks everything from a baby’s breathing to a nursery’s temperature, there is a monitor that will suit your needs. What matters most, though, is any monitor that you can keep up with from the nursery no matter where you are.

As we’ve tested a wide range of smart baby monitors over the years, we’ve found the best ones. Video baby monitors are available in a variety of features. Whether you’re looking for high-resolution images directly to your smartphone, special features such as humidity and temperature sensors, or just a device that provides an accurate picture for the lowest price. Here is a closer look at some of the best baby monitors on the market and how to check on a sleeping child.

Baby monitors: what’s the best?

A baby monitor built into a crib is the best we’ve tested out of more than a half-dozen mounted cameras. In addition to clear 1080p video, two-way audio, and lots of sensors, this camera comes with a number of must-have features. You have easy access to all of Arlo Baby’s controls from the app’s well-organized interface. 

Although the Arlo Baby is hard to come by these days — possibly due to supply-chain issues plaguing the rest of the consumer electronics market — it joins a few other entries on the best baby monitor list. The iBaby M6T is a bargain in the meantime while we wait for monitors to come back into stock during the new year. A 720p camera with night vision, two-way audio, pan-tilt capabilities, and two-way communication, even though it’s an older model, is still a capable device. 

The Nanit Plus Baby Monitor offers a good camera so you can monitor your nursery, but its sleep-tracking features are what will make it popular with parents, as they will assist you in figuring out how to get your baby to sleep through the night.

What is the best baby monitor you can buy right now?

This cute baby monitor delivers sharp video to your phone despite its cute looks and adorable bunny ears. A variety of features are included in the Arlo Baby, including a nightlight with a color-changing effect as well as a speaker that plays lullabies. Thanks to a well-designed mobile application, all of this can be managed very easily.

Even crowded nurseries can accommodate the Arlo Baby as it is compact enough to fit in any room. A wall mount is included if wall mounting is more your style. It can also be detached from the charging cable and taken anywhere you’d like to take an impromptu nap, but when we tested this, we only got three hours.

When recording in 720p, Arlo Baby opts to record in 1080p, but you can switch to it if you prefer it. Also, you can fine-tune what notifications you receive by adjusting the field of view. There is a slight delay between when you receive a notification and when you can actually view live video, which we found somewhat laggy. Even at night, the Arlo Baby delivered crystal-clear video.

What to look for when choosing a baby monitor

Finding the best baby monitor for your needs will be easier if you keep these criteria in mind.

Monitor included: 

You can check on your child with the baby cam’s handheld monitor or with your phone. Keeping track of and charging your monitor is another way to stay on top of your battery, while you always have your phone available. It is also more expensive to purchase a camera with a handheld monitor.

Range:

Check the camera’s specs to see how far the signal reaches, and make sure that every room can be covered by it.

Camera: 

Make sure the camera records in the correct resolution. Take note of how wide the view of your child’s room is and how the camera pans and tilts.

Video quality: 

To find out if your baby monitor can deliver clear images, check its reviews. A video monitor is all about watching your child. Night vision is especially important since you’ll be checking in a lot during the night.

Audio: 

You may be able to soothe your baby remotely using the monitor’s push-to-talk feature. You should also look for a feature that allows lullabies to be played.

Life of the battery: 

Plugging in the cameras we tested to the wall will require a power adapter. In contrast, some monitors come with a handheld viewer that can be recharged. Test how long you can go without recharging those batteries.

Features include: 

Your child’s room may have humidity and temperature sensors on some monitors, which can help you keep an eye on other conditions. 

Set up a baby cam as you would any other connected device, and change the default password. (After recent reports of hacked cameras that were being used as baby monitors, here’s a closer look at good password practices.)

What is the best way to test baby monitors?

The baby cams are tested in a child’s room from an elevated position. Twelve, twenty, and thirty-five feet were tested with handheld viewers. A Wi-Fi network is connected to a baby monitor that has Wi-Fi connectivity. Pan and zoom, motion and sound sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, and sleep timers are all tested. Streaming apps and handheld viewers both had easy interfaces. 

We rate products based on their ease of installation and setup. Including whether you need to create an account and whether you have to pay extra subscription fees. We’ve reviewed many monitors with cords sticking out of the back. So design wasn’t much of an issue for me, but parents should use caution when setting up a monitor in order to keep dangling wires and cords out of reach of children.