The Best Video Baby Monitors, According to Parents Who've Tried Them

The Nanit checks off all the baby monitor must-haves and then some. It features two-way audio, a night light with gradual dimming and an upgraded 1080p HD camera equipped with night vision. Parents particularly love the company’s sleep analytics, which you get for free for the first year (after that, subscribe for $5 a month).

“The Nanit Insights that come with the monitor for the first year are legitimately useful,” says Christine Mattheis, What to Expect's Editorial Director. “They help you understand your baby's sleep patterns by logging when the baby wakes up and falls asleep. I used other apps that offered similar analysis, but I had to enter the wake [and] sleep times manually.”

Christine also raves about the the Nanit’s video quality, saying it provides “crystal clear picture that can be viewed from anywhere.” Leah Rocketto, What to Expect’s Associate Commerce Director, echoes Christine’s sentiments, adding that she loved being able to see her daughter when she was home with her husband or a babysitter. Leah also appreciated how easy the Nanit app is to set up and use. 

“We have a few different people who watch my daughter, including my tech-challenged mother, so it was nice that getting every one set up was as simple as installing an app and synching the devices one time,” Leah says. She adds that because there is no limit to how many people can connect to the camera, caregivers don’t have to log in and out when someone else is in charge.  

The app also offers split screen functionality, a first for a smart monitor. This means you can view two cameras on the same screen at the same time: Ideal for parents of two kids with two Nanit cams, since you can keep an eye on both little ones at once.

I didn’t invest in the Nanit until I had my second baby, and I regret not buying it sooner. It’s been game changing to simply pull up the app to see what’s going on in my sons’ room. I also love that I don’t have to have the app displayed to know what’s going on: I can enable background audio, allowing me to keep an ear out for them while I use other apps. And because the white noise options are so good, it also doubles as a sound machine.

My husband and I are especially addicted to the Nanit app’s video history mode: This lets you scroll back through the video footage to find answers to questions like Why did they both wake up at 3 a.m. last night? and Who woke the other one up first this morning? You can also save past video footage, which has been a surprising perk — we’ve saved many funny moments, such as our boys chatting together before bed, that we would have never known about otherwise.

The Nanit is incredibly travel-friendly for a Wi-Fi monitor. I’ve brought it with me on countless trips — it packs up into a compact travel case, is dual voltage and the flex stand assembles in seconds. (Just keeping in mind that it’s still a Wi-Fi video monitor, so unfortunately the video stream is affected if you’re in an area with unreliable Wi-Fi.)

The Nanit has few faults, but many parents do find it frustrating that the sleep tracking features don’t work if you’re using the flex stand. If the sleep analytics are a big selling point and you don’t think you’d install the over-the-crib wall mount or floor stand, that’s just something to keep in mind.

Wi-Fi: Yes

Camera Resolution: 1080p HD video

Camera Range: N/A

Night Vision: Yes

Screen Size: Syncs to an app

App Enabled: Y 

Although it’s not officially marketed as a baby monitor, more and more parents are turning to the super affordable Wyze camera to keep an eye on their babies. The Wi-Fi home cameras have excellent video quality and many of the same features you’d look for in a dedicated baby monitor for a fraction of the price.

Much like the other monitors on this list, Wyze has two-way audio, motion and noise alerts, and an app that can be viewed by multiple caregivers. The color night vision is particularly good, reviewers say. Some parents also appreciate that this monitor is compatible with Alexa and Google Home, so you can use voice assistant and sync it to your other smart home gear. And because it’s so compact and easy to set up, it’s great for travel, too.

Although it’s high-tech, Wyze is definitely a more minimalist camera in terms of features offered. If certain baby-specific features are important to you — think sleep tracking, preloaded lullabies or white noise — this wouldn’t be the best video baby monitor for you. Some reviewers also note that the camera light can be brighter than some baby monitors.

Wi-Fi: Yes

Camera Resolution: 1080p video

Camera Range: N/A

Night Vision: Yes

Screen Size: N/A

App Enabled: Yes

Wi-Fi video monitors aren’t ideal for travel, as securing reliable Wi-Fi isn’t always possible. Not to mention, most video baby monitors that do use Wi-Fi won’t work in a hotel room, since those types of connections typically require you to sign in on a website first.

Enter the HelloBaby monitor, a top pick among the What to Expect community that happens to be excellent for travel. This is a small, handheld monitor that has all the features you’d want in a high-tech video baby monitor: night vision, two-way communication, room temperature monitoring, remote pan-tilt-zoom functionality, and the ability to play a selection of lullabies. Reviewers say it’s blissfully easy to set up and use, too.

"The big selling point is definitely the price point — it's on the lower end for video baby monitors, which I definitely appreciate," says Robin Hilmantel, What to Expect's Editorial Director, Special Projects. Aside from the price, Robin greatly appreciates that the handheld monitor's display is nice and big but "not so much so that it would be hard to travel with."

HelloBaby also allows you to add an additional camera, making it a good travel option for those with multiple children. The fact that it’s so well-priced for all of these features, and is particularly affordable for a video monitor, is a great bonus. 

HelloBaby doesn’t share their camera resolution and some parents, including Robin, say that the image quality isn’t as crisp compared to some of the pricier monitors on the market. Additionally, Robin says have to click into the menu options to change the volume, which isn't ideal. But all in all, most parents say that they were impressed by the quality of HelloBaby’s monitor, calling it anything but basic.

Wi-Fi: No

Camera Resolution: Not listed

Camera Range: Up to 1,000 feet

Night Vision: Yes

Screen Size: 5 inches

App Enabled: No 

If you’re looking for a video baby monitor that offers high-tech features in a mid-price range, the Eufy SpaceView is an excellent choice.

In terms of features and functionality, the Eufy can compete with the best of them, but at a fraction of the cost. It has night vision, two-way audio, preloaded lullabies, up to 15 hours of battery life and you can connect up to four cameras. Parents say the audio and video quality is very good, and many appreciate the ability to pan and tilt the camera. When your child graduates to a “big-kid” bed — and you want to make sure she’s staying in it — you can switch out the lens to get a wider view of the room.

“I have the Eufy and love it,” says Sarah Darby, What to Expect’s Senior SEO Content Strategist. “I was specifically looking for a closed circuit baby monitor because I am riddled with anxiety and that's why we went with the Eufy. The picture was very clear, the sound was great — I could even hear it over my own sound machine.”

Like Sarah, Jeanne Beacom, Campaign Performance Manager at What to Expect, wanted a non- wi-fi monitor, and appreciated that the Eify was “a self-contained system.” 

“We didn't think we would need a monitor since we live in a small apartment, but we did get this one once she moved out of our bedroom,” Jeanne says. “The camera does exactly what it needs to do, and I love that the video comes through in color during the day.”

Functionality is far more important than appearance, of course, but for what it’s worth, countless reviews do mention how modern and sleek the Eufy SpaceView is, saying it just feels like a substantial, high-tech monitor — which is especially impressive given its price.

Another pro for the Eufy: It’s great for travel. Olivia DeLong, What to Expect’s Senior Editor, has tried several monitors when traveling and felt the Eufy “had clearer sound and picture, and less connectivity issues.” She adds that it was easy for everyone on the trip — grandparents included — to set up. 

Depending on the size of your house and where your baby will be sleeping, something to keep in mind is that the Eufy’s camera range (between 460 to 600 feet) is smaller than some of the other non- Wi-Fi monitors on this list.

Wi-Fi: No

Camera Resolution: 720p

Camera Range: Up to 600 feet

Night Vision: Yes

Screen Size: 5 inches

App Enabled: No

If deciding between a Wi-Fi monitor that’s app enabled versus a non- Wi-Fi monitor with a parent unit is making your head spin, you might consider the VTech RM7766HD. This monitor uses Wi-Fi, so multiple caregivers can access the camera via the app, but it also comes with a handheld parent unit if you prefer to use that instead. The result is a video baby monitor that gives you the best of both worlds and tons of flexibility when keeping an eye on your baby.

Camera resolution and range on the VTech RM7766HD are excellent, and the monitor offers all of the features you’d expect in a top video baby monitor — night vision, two-way audio, white noise and lullabies, the ability to monitor temperature and humidity, vertical tilt and horizontal pan — and it’s in the mid-priced range for a video monitor. Reviewers also like how easy the monitor is to set up and that the parent unit has great battery life.

Just keep in mind that although there are some sleep insights on the app, they don’t compare to those offered by the Nanit or Miku. So if you’re after those kinds of analytics, this may not be the best video baby monitor for you.

Wi-Fi: Yes

Camera Resolution: 1080p

Camera Range: Up to 1,000 feet

Night Vision: Yes

Screen Size: 7 inches

App Enabled: Yes

What to Expect community members with two or more kids overwhelmingly recommend the Vava. The brand’s split screen model comes with two cameras that can either be set up in the same room (if multiple children are sleeping in different corners or you want two angles of your baby’s crib, for example) or in different rooms. But the Vava also has the ability to sync up to four cameras — so while it is an initial investment, if you think you’re going to have more than two kids, you can continue using this same monitor for many years to come.

Once you’ve installed both cameras, they appear on the split screen simultaneously with 24/7 audio and automatic night mode. Parents appreciate the camera’s zoom function and full-angle mobility, which is particularly useful once you have a toddler who might be inclined to roam her room at night. It runs on a battery that should last up to one full day, ideal if you want to take the camera with you anywhere in the house without worrying about monitors (it has a range up to around 900 feet). You can also opt to use it in audio-only mode if you’re in a situation where you need to extend the battery life.

Downsides? There’s no app, if that’s a feature that’s important to you. Compared to some other video monitors on the market, some parents also say that the camera stand is a little less sturdy. But overall, reviewers rave about the sleek look and feel of this monitor.

Wi-Fi: No

Camera Resolution: 720p video

Camera Range: Up to 900 feet

Night Vision: Yes

Screen Size: 5 inches

App Enabled: No