Best baby monitors: audio, video or wearable?

A baby monitor should do one thing well: tell you what you need to know without demanding attention. The right type depends on your home, your sleeping arrangements and how much information you actually want.

Audio monitors

Simple, reliable and inexpensive. A good audio monitor gives clear sound, a strong range and long battery life. For small homes, and for parents who find a video feed keeps them awake, audio is often the better choice.

Video monitors

A dedicated parent unit with its own screen and a private radio link is the most popular option. Look for a genuinely useful night vision picture, remote pan and tilt if the cot is in a large room, and a screen that dims or sleeps so it does not light up the bedroom. Screen size drives much of the price difference.

Wi-Fi and app-based monitors

These stream to your phone, which is useful when you are away from home or want to share access. Because they route through your network and an app, check the security and account model, and remember that a phone-based monitor competes with everything else on your phone for attention.

Wearable and sensor monitors

Wearables track measures such as movement, heart rate or oxygen level and alert you through an app. They can be reassuring for anxious parents, but they are consumer wellbeing devices rather than medical equipment, and they do not replace safer-sleep guidance. Treat them as extra information, not as a safety net.

Practical checks before buying

Whichever type you choose, look at range in a home like yours, battery life on the parent unit, whether the camera can be wall mounted safely with cables out of reach, and whether a second camera can be added later. Prices on monitors move a lot between retailers, so compare before you buy.