Introduction
Every parent knows both how stressful and rewarding having children can be, especially when they are babies. At night time, putting them to sleep and leaving the room can be a sigh of relief, but also a source of worry. Having a quality Wi-Fi baby monitor can help with peace of mind, allowing you to remotely view and keep tabs on your child while they sleep, and respond if they start crying or otherwise are in need of a loving touch.
Baby monitoring technology is a key innovation of the 20th century that has made parenting a little bit easier. In days gone by, top rated baby monitors were merely glorified, always-on walkie-talkies, with audio capability only. These days, there are baby monitors with cameras, as well as baby movement monitors that are motion-controlled, all of which stream video to a cell phone, tablet, and/or computer interface. The advances in technology are great but can leave parents a bit overwhelmed in trying to figure out which is the best baby video monitor.
Fortunately, we’re here to help. Below, we highlight a few of the top rated baby monitors and highlight the features that make them stand out, as well as their pros and cons. These are listed in ascending order of price. With any of these Wi-Fi baby monitors, you can rest easy knowing a reassuring glance at your baby is just a screen away.
Cocoon Cam Plus – Baby Monitor with Breathing Monitoring
Overview
The Cocoon Cam Plus Baby Monitor offers a number of innovative features not found on most other models of Wi-Fi baby monitors and does so at a very affordable price compared to other brands and models.
Features
Some of the key features of the Cocoon Cam Plus baby monitor include:
- 1080p HD video streaming, along with night-vision mode for night/low light conditions
- Two-way audio – hear and talk to your baby remotely
- Optical zoom to remotely zoom in and adjust the picture
- Remote viewing through the included app
- Alerts to your smartphone if your baby’s breathing changes, they are crying, waking up, or other customizable conditions
- Breathing monitor technology that is contactless – no need for sensors or other devices attached to the baby
- Technology that has been validated by top pediatricians and reputable universities
Pros
- Feature-packed baby monitor with a camera that incorporates contactless breathing monitoring technology that is novel an reliable, validated by doctors
- One of the more affordable models we’ve reviewed
- Includes most standard features like HD video, two-way audio, and an included app
- Well-reviewed, with a 4.5/5 score on Amazon
Cons
- No web interface for viewing the video, only app-based/smartphone option
- No video storage/recording features
- Some consumers report network disconnects, and that the camera beeps when disconnected which can disturb the baby
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Safety 1st HD Wi-Fi Streaming Baby Monitor Camera
Overview
The Safety 1st Streaming Baby Monitor Camera offers a good mid-range mix of features, ease of installation and use, and a reasonable mid-range price. Plus, it’s from Safety 1st, which is a recognized and well-known, reputable company in the areas of health and safety gear.
Features
The Safety 1st Streaming Baby Monitor Camera includes features common to most wireless baby monitors, such as:
- HD video (720p) streamed to the app on your smartphone
- Customizable alert settings based on movement, sound, or other events
- Two-way audio, so you can hear or talk to your baby remotely
- Quality optics with a 130-degree wide field of view and 5x digital zoom
- Night vision mode, with 12 infrared LEDs
- Portable audio unit with up to 12 hours of battery life
- Cloud video storage and multi-camera system options are included
Pros
- 720p video instead of 1080p means less buffering issues when streaming
- Good to excellent optics and related criteria compared to many other baby monitors with camera
- Included onboard encryption and added security firewalls for peace of mind
- Generally well-reviewed, with a score of 4/5 on Amazon
Cons
- Many users report the device is slow to connect to networks and disconnects often
- The 720p video is lower quality than the 1080p offered on many other models
- The included app doesn’t work on many tablets, only smartphones
NETGEAR Arlo Baby 1080p Monitor
Overview
The Netgear Arlo Baby Monitor is truly the Cadillac of baby monitors and one of the best video monitors for your baby on the market in terms of features and integration. While it is costlier than many other models, the additional features, as well as the reliability from a well-known company like Netgear, set the Arlo apart.
Features
The Arlo has all of the common features present in most other high-end baby monitors with Wi-Fi, as well as some additional features that you will not find anywhere else, including:
- A full 1080p video, two-way audio, and night vision features like many other models
- A dizzying array of customization options for alerts and updates, as well as controls and remote viewing via the company’s app or through a web browser
- Cloud storage of recorded video for 7 days for free, with additional storage plans available for a fee
- A multi-colored LED night light
- The ability to play lullaby tunes from the device, as well as white noise, nature sounds, or custom, recorded tracks including parents’ voices
- A number of comfort sensors including temperature, humidity, and volatile organic compounds/air quality sensors, to ensure baby is safe and comfortable
- Integration with Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and others via IFTTT technology adds this camera to your overall smart home/management system
- The cute rabbit-like design makes this camera more accessible and appropriate for child monitoring than some other designs and can be customized into other “animals,” colors, patterns, and designs
Pros
- Truly a feature-packed Wi-Fi baby monitor with everything you could possibly need
- Works as a stand-alone baby monitor with camera, or can be integrated into an existing Arlo or other smart home systems
- Rechargeable battery (micro USB interface) means the camera can be moved/have mobility around the house and does not need to be fixed in one place
- The air quality sensors to monitor temperature, humidity and VOC content are a nice touch for extra peace-of-mind
- Full-service playback of lullabies, nature sounds, white noise, or pre-recorded parent’s voices are also a nice touch that even most other high-end baby monitors similar to the Arlo do not include
- Well-reviewed with a 4.3/5 across almost 250 consumer reviews on Amazon
Cons
- Some users have had connection issues and software glitches, especially when using the company’s app on older iOS devices
- Some users also reported a blurry picture or other issues, though these reviews are intermixed with those praising the device and how great it is, so there may be some consistency/quality issues
- This is an expensive device, despite all the features that are included. That being said there is no expense too high for our baby’s quality care.
Nanit Smart Baby Monitor
Overview
The Nanit Smart Baby Monitor, much like the Netgear Arlo, is one of the most feature-packed, high-end best video baby monitors on the market today. Of course, it has all the features of more affordable models and then goes one step further with various sensors and options not found anywhere else.
Features
The Nanit Smart Wi-Fi Baby Monitor’s feature list includes:
- HD video and one-way audio
- Infrared/night mode and digital zoom features on the video stream
- Cloud and local streaming in parallel
- Advanced monitoring suite including room temperature and humidity sensors
- Statistics and data on sleep patterns and other observations available
- Included app for streaming to smartphones, customizable notifications, and alerts
- Onboard ceiling-directed night light
Pros
- A solid mix of features
- Considered highly reliable by most reviewers with 4.4/5 stars overall score on Amazon
- Data and statistics can be used to help better adjust temperature, humidity, and other elements to help baby (and parent) sleep better and longer
- All typical features of comparable baby monitors are included
Cons
- Expensive compared to other units reviewed and available, though well packed
- No two-way audio functions
- Can be a significant drain on phone batteries when in monitoring use
