Watch Me, Mom! The Best Video Baby Monitors of 2020

Life with a newborn is sleepless nights, dirty clothes and dreams of hot showers. And when that dream of a shower becomes reality, you’ll need an infant video monitor to let you keep an eye on your baby, even from afar.

Why Choose an Infant Monitor with Video Capabilities

Any parent with the intention of stepping away from their safely sleeping baby should consider purchasing a video baby monitor. Even with plans to room share, there will be times baby is sleeping and parents are busy in the other room. Or, you know, do frivolous things such as take a shower or switch laundry in the other room. As much as we would love to, it isn’t realistic to dote over our sleeping beauties every second.

A video baby monitor gives you the opportunity to still keep an eye on your baby, even from a different spot in the house, offering parents peace of mind as well as convenience. If you hear a slight sound, you may run into the question of if you really want to risk going in to investigate and waking up the baby that took two hours to settle? With a video monitor, all you have to do is take a quick peak to see if baby is still sleeping soundly.

Video monitors typically track your baby’s motion and display it either through a parent unit, or directly to your phone. Many video monitors can also be switches so they only display audio, with the video monitoring shut off. You’ll also want to decide what kind of video streaming service you’d like–some monitors use WiFi to display the video, while others do not.

Track Your Baby Quietly: What to Look for in a Monitor

When shopping for a video baby monitor, there are basic criteria that should be considered. These little pieces of tech can be pricey and are not something you want to buy more than once. A good monitor is an investment.

Ask yourself: How many extra features do I really need? The answer depends on your family’s lifestyle and how you intend to use the monitor. Some features may not be important to you, like the ability for two-way communication. Do you want to sing your baby lullabies through the monitor or are you OK to just go in and calm your little one in person? Before ruling out the two-way communication option, remember it may come in handy for parents to talk back and forth. One could be changing a diaper, while the other is doing the dishes. Additionally, you could continue using a video monitor long after the baby stage, so the two-way system might come in handy later as your child grows.

Ask yourself: Do you want a separate parent unit or a monitor that streams directly to your phone? While the convenience of streaming to your phone is nice, not all parents want that option, because it will require WiFi to work.

Ask yourself: How important is screen size and resolution? Do you want to see every dimple and drool drop that falls down baby’s cheek or are you OK with just getting a general idea of where baby is in the crib? Is a touch screen important to you or are you okay using the buttons on the side of the screen? Some video baby monitors also come with the option to add an additional camera or cameras.

One of Truly Mama’s moms shares her experience: “Personally, this is one of my deepest regrets with purchasing an infant monitor. We did not expect we would require a second camera just 15 months after our first child was born. If you’re considering having multiple children, definitely find a monitor with at least the option to add additional cameras.”

Let’s Talk Safety

Video baby monitors with Wi-Fi capabilities can be a great option, but do come with some considerations. Some parents love this feature and the ability to connect with their baby directly through their smartphone. (This may be especially handy if you work outside of the home and want to keep an eye on your baby with a caregiver.)

A Wi-Fi monitor will also give you the option to play back footage. This is useful if your intention is to set up a nanny cam. But others parents may prefer to steer away from a Wi-Fi option because there have been reports of some baby monitors being accessed outside of the network. Do your research and determine what you’re comfortable with, and if you choose a Wi-Fi enabled video monitor, verify that you have a secure, closed connection and that the WiFi can be shut off for the times you’re not using it.

Truly Mama’s Best Baby Monitor Picks

Now that you know what features to look for, it’s time to start shopping! What video monitor you ultimately choose is based on individual family needs, but to help you get started, we recommend the following video baby monitors.

You know all about the Owlet sock, and the same medical-grade technology for parents at home went into the Owlet baby monitor. Perhaps the coolest feature of the Owlet Monitor is that uses just your phone as the parent monitor–so you don’t have to haul around yet another screen with you to keep an eye on your baby. Plus, the video stream uses AES 128-bit encryption and TLS connection to WIFI for safety so only you (and whoever else you allow access to) can see it. 

The Owlet monitor also pairs with the Owlet sock so you can see all of your baby’s monitoring information in one place through the app. But, you don’t need the sock to use the video monitor–you can use it on its own too. 

Owlet Baby Monitor Features: 

• Owlet Cam’s 1080p video
• Coordinating Owlet app
• Secure, encrypted connection
• 2-way talk
• 130-degree angle (to see the whole room)
• Background audio–lets you listen to your baby’s audio while you still use your phone for other tasks
• Night vision
• 4X zoom

Beware the Battery

While the Owlet has many convenient features, be aware that you will need at leat 2.4 gHZ WiFi in order to operate it. And some parents have cautioned that the app can be a battery-drainer, so if you plan on using it a lot, take that into consideration. 

Easy to Use, Easy to Set Up

“We bought this camera after having previously bought and used Zebora baby cameras because they were cheaper. After about two months, and three returned Zebora camera later, we had a friend recommend Owlet cameras. NEVER TURNING BACK!… These cameras have great audio, night vision, and high picture quality. As far as the security of the cameras, I’m no expert, but we haven’t had any issues. Also, they aren’t bulky and don’t distract our babies with a weird red light when they are trying to sleep. They come with easy to install cable guards and a mounting plate which is awesome because our two-year-old yanks every electrical cord down every chance she gets. The box is it comes in is pretty snazzy too. We’ve gone through two different brands of cameras, and so far Owlet is the best quality. It is so intuitive and easy to set up and it pairs flawlessly with the owlet sock and app. Definitely recommend!” —Amazon.com review

This mid-range monitor boasts a 2018 Popular Mechanics Best Baby Monitor award and over one million parent users, which is not too shabby indeed. But the reason I’m convinced that the Infant Optics monitor was made by a real-life parent is because it comes with an extra hand-held monitor and charging cable. 

I can not stress enough to you how baby monitors are like phone chargers or spare socks: one always seems to go missing, so I am so impressed by this feature. I have spent countless hours of my life searching for the handheld parent monitor on our baby video monitor, so trust me when I say this is the best feature you could ever ask for in a video monitor. 

Smart Features

• .4GHz channel with FHSS technology (no data shared on the Internet)
• Lightweight and portable
• Can be used with up to 4 cameras
• 12 hours audio-only mode, 8 hours with live screen
• Zoom feature (can also buy a separate lens for enhanced zoom capabilities)
• Night vision
• Remote thermometer
• 2-way talk
• 12-hour audio only batter life
• Alarm
• Remote pan and tilt

Back to Basics

“I like this monitor because it’s not connected to WiFi and does all the things that I need it to do simply…” Amazon.com review

Modern, crisp, and clear–this baby monitor really focuses on features that parents and caregivers need. It has multi-functional capabilities, like zoom, two-way talk, and connectivity up to 4 different cameras so you can full multiple views of one room, or different rooms where your baby will be spending time. The different sound level functions are a helpful feature on this monitor, as it allows you to change the sound levels you want to hear as you baby grows–for instance, you may want to hear everything when your baby is a newborn, but feel more comfortable to set it to only pick up louder cries for the toddler stages. 

The Details:

• 5 inch 720P IPS display
• 7 different sound levels
• 2X and 4X zoom
• Room temperature monitoring
• 2-way talk
• Night vision
• Audio-only mode available
• 480ft-900ft transmission range (900 in an open area only)
• Rechargeable 4500mAh large battery 

Price Point

This monitor is a bit on the higher end of the price point, but with features like a 5-inch display and panoramic views, as well as 4-camera capability, you are getting what you pay for. It’s a very sleek monitor and would lend well to modern, minimalist style nurseries. With 86% of reviews on Amazon in the 5-star range, it seems to be a popular choice with parents too. 

Amazon Review

“The screen is larger and much clearer on this monitor than my old one! I love the feature that you can adjust the camera direction from the handheld monitor without having to go in the child’s room, and it has a nice zoom feature. The battery lasts nap time and overnight without being plugged in. Another nice feature is you can program the screen to turn off after either 1, 3 or 5 minutes and just have the sound part going.” —Amazon.com review

This mid-range-priced monitor packs a lot of handy features into one streamlined package. Perhaps our favorite feature of this video monitor is how easy it is to set-up: it’s literally as simple as plugging the monitor in to get started. 

HelloBaby 3.2 Inch Video Baby Monitor Features

• 3.2 inch LCD display
• Digital encryption technology
• Wireless
• Remote control camera
• 2-way audio 
• Room temperature monitoring and alert
• Night vision
• Lullaby
• Can be used in audio-only
• Parent handheld monitor uses rechargeable battery
• 960 ft. transmission
• Auto-mute function

Freeze Frame

The Amazon listing for this monitor does mention that sometimes the parent monitor video feed will freeze from time to time, but it’s “normal,” which strikes us a bit odd, but hey, at least they’re being honest, right? 

User Review

“Love it! Works great. I can go all the way down the end of my driveway with no static and picture is perfectly clear! I like that it has the power saver option, so screen powers down then any movement or noise it comes back on and the sound is clear! I use it once she falls asleep so that I can shower and get some chorus done around the house.”–Amazon.com review

This baby video monitor goes so far beyond just monitoring your baby while they sleep–it’s truly an innovative piece of technology designed for the next generation of “smart parenting.” The Nanit Plus actually tracks and analyzes your baby’s sleep habits and patterns and comes with a full year of an included sleep coach to help your baby sleep better. It tracks:

• How many times a caregiver came into the room
• How long your baby slept
• How long it took your baby to fall asleep
• Baby’s sleep efficiency 

And just how does the Nanit accomplish all of this? Well, it pairs with a specially-designed black-and-white breathing band that helps the camera “see” your baby’s breathing, so it doesn’t require a sensor. You can use the band with the baby swaddle during the early months, and then on a regular sleeper as your baby grows. 

Based on what the monitor analyzes, it will generate suggestions for you to improve your baby’s sleep, such as putting your baby down to sleep earlier so you don’t miss her sleep-time cues. 

And if that wasn’t enough, the Nanit also snaps pictures of your baby and auto-creates a photo album with special memories of your baby so you can have those precious moments preserved forever. Another really cool feature of the Nanit is that has a built-in directional antenna in the camera, so it automatically redirects WiFi and frequency waves that would normally flow in the direction of your baby. 

Nanit Plus Features

• Can be mounted to wall or use a floor stand
• HD video
• Analyzes baby’s sleep
• Sleep coach for 1 year
• Auto memory book
• Alexa-enabled (so you can prove to your SO just how many wake-ups they missed last night, ha!)
• Soothing nature noises
• Alerts your phone if it detects problems with your baby’s breathing

Buyer Beware 

The Breathing Band is sold separately, and using the sleep coach feature past your baby’s first year will cost you extra. 

What Do Parents Think? 

“Love this monitor! Sleep and breathing tracking is amazing! Picture quality could be better IMO but still decent! I love that it has a travel mount so you can take it with you places (although travel mount doesn’t track breathing or sleeping). Since it is a smart phone app monitor it is nice that you are able to use other apps while the sound in the background of the monitor is still going. As I type out this review I am listening to the monitor (sound machine noise). Absolutely worth the price! I will get a second one for the next baby!”–Amazon.com review

Placement: Keep Those Cords Concealed

Once you’ve found the best video baby monitor for your newborn, we’ll leave you with one parting note on safety as you think about finding the optimal camera placement. It’s important that cords aren’t within reach, because even small cords can pose a potential danger to your baby. Safe sleep practices recommend baby be alone on their back in a separate sleeping area, like a crib, with all cords and cameras out of reach.

And here’s a suggestion from a Truly Mama mom to help secure those pesky cords out of the way: “To mount our camera, I found double sided 3M tape on Amazon. The camera is safely mounted in a high corner at the foot of baby’s crib. The cord is safely tucked away behind a shelf and cannot be accessed by little ones.”

FAQs

Do baby video monitors have radiation?

The short answer to this is, yes. Any type of transmitting device–whether that’s your phone, a radio, or a baby monitor–uses frequency waves to transmit signals to the receiver. For instance, many of the monitors use a .4GHz channel or a 2.4 GHZ channel, which is the same that a microwave uses.

Are baby monitors safe?

There is limited data about the impact of the frequency waves on infants, but if you are concerned about the radiation risk, we recommend the Nanit, because it comes with a special directional antenna that redirects any waves from your baby. You should also always read and follow the set-up instructions for your baby monitor, because they note the exact distance you should install the monitor away from your baby. 

Do I need a baby monitor?

You don’t “need” a baby monitor, but as is the case with many products, like baby bouncers, they can certainly make life easier for busy parents. If you would like to keep an eye on your baby while moving around the house, or even when you’re gone and a caregiver is watching your baby, they can provide great peace of mind.