The 5 Best Baby Monitors of 2026

Local-video monitors

We tested the Babysense HDS2 Video Baby Monitor in late 2023, and we found plenty to like, including a range of nearly 1,000 feet, optional noise cancellation, lullabies, and white noise. The zoom quality is good, and you can pair up to four cameras, just as with the MaxView. However, this model’s audio didn’t sound as good as that of the MaxView, and talk-back sounded echoey. The camera itself looks and feels like a clumsy extra-large version of other monitors, and the display kickstand has just one setting. In night-vision testing, we also preferred the MaxView over this model.

At around $60, the Babysense Video Baby Monitor is the cheapest video baby monitor we’ve tested, but its 2.4-inch screen is tiny, and the picture quality was mediocre in our 2021 tests. This monitor’s components also felt cheap and fragile in comparison with our budget pick’s display unit and camera.

The Eufy SpaceView and Eufy SpaceView Pro were previous picks in this guide, but our testing in late 2023 ruled them out in favor of newer models. The biggest issue is their range, which extends to just 460 to 600 feet, while most monitors can reach a solid 1,000 feet. It also takes multiple steps to access the zoom function — although that may be by design, since the zoom makes things as clear as mud at nighttime. Talk-back made us sound like we were using a tin can, and the noise-cancelling feature can’t be turned off. One of our staffers struggled for weeks to add another camera to her existing setup (which actually shut down both of her cameras for a time) and still continues to get a firmware-update warning months later. In addition, the SpaceView Pro’s temperature was 7 degrees warmer than the actual temperature in our tester’s child’s room. And we’ve seen a growing number of complaints that the SpaceView Pro stops holding a charge over time.

The Infant Optics DXR-8 was our runner-up pick in a previous version of this guide, prior to 2022, and it was our main pick in a version before that. These days, other models have outpaced it in image quality, battery life, and range, and its price of $150 or so is too high for what it offers.

The Infant Optics DXR-8 Pro was another previous pick in this guide that doesn’t perform to the level of newer monitors. It has a 720p camera (most are now 1080p optional) with slow-to-respond pan-and-tilt functionality. Though it offers easy-to-use navigation buttons and a nice, slim display unit, its zoom is not powerful, and its night-mode video looks pixelated. It also lacks extras such as a night-light or sounds.

We tested the Momcozy Video Baby Monitor BM01 in fall 2023, and at first it seemed like a great contender, with a 1080p HD display, a two-camera split-screen option, and an intuitive display unit. But the zoom feature wasn’t as good as what we saw on our picks, and although this model has a useful wide-angle lens, our attempt to read large print from 10 feet away was a fail. Without a night-light or white noise in the base, the price seemed high.

We were hoping to love the Motorola VM36XL during our most recent testing, since it boasts a feature that other models lack: a portable and rechargeable baby camera that you can move from room to room, which is useful for both the newborn days (bassinet sleep versus crib practice) and the later toddler years (bedroom versus playroom surveillance). However, during our testing we were let down by a charge of just three hours on the parent unit, as well as poor-quality zoom and an unintuitive, clunky display. Motorola has since changed the parent unit to a touchscreen, but we have not tested it.

We researched but did not test a long list of local-video baby monitors because they were too expensive, had too few (or overly negative) owner reviews, weren’t well reviewed by other experts, came from manufacturers we’ve had bad experiences with in the past, or just didn’t meet enough of the criteria we look for in a great baby monitor. That list includes the MoonyBaby Trust 30 (currently unavailable); the Motorola Connect40, MBP33S, MBP33XL, and the MBP36S; the Panasonic KX-HN4001W; and the Summer Infant Pixel Zoom HD (currently unavailable).

Wi-Fi video monitors

We tested the Eufy Baby Monitor 2 and were disappointed that the app — like the majority of Wi-Fi baby monitor apps — lacks an always-on audio feature to keep streaming the audio feed on your phone once you’ve left the app’s home screen. And bafflingly, although the Eufy Baby Monitor 2 records sound-triggered clips and captures short “temperature change” clips, it does not record (or pick up on) motion clips. We suspect that most people would prefer to see their child rolling or standing, rather than a video of what their baby looks like should the temperature in the room happen to go above 75 degrees. This model does offer a clear video stream, and the app is generally easy to use, allowing you to adjust the camera remotely and track sleep events on a calendar view.

Testing the Owlet Cam 2 was a real headache. Every other Wi-Fi monitor we tested that listed 2.4 GHz as its required internet connection was still able to work on a dual-band internet connection. Because the Owlet Cam 2 couldn’t connect to a dual-band router, we had to relink every smart device in our home just to set up this one camera. Aside from that major pain, we’ve seen multiple reviewer comments noting regular app glitches and video-loading issues, although we didn’t experience those problems personally. The video quality wasn’t nearly as crisp as what we saw from many of the other monitors we tested. Finally, pairing this monitor with Owlet’s Dream Sock resulted in a false alarm when the sock moved overnight.

The cute Lollipop Baby Monitor has an unusual bendable stand that can support the camera on a flat surface or wrap around furniture. We were impressed by its amazingly clear video quality, and it was one of only three Wi-Fi monitors we tested in 2022 that offered a handy always-on audio function for you to continually play the camera’s audio feed while you use other features on your phone. But the Lollipop monitor’s app is difficult to navigate for all but the simplest functions, and it has a pricey tiered-subscription model; we also had bad experiences with the app’s customer support. Beyond that, the app doesn’t support two-factor authentication, raising security and privacy concerns.

We researched but didn’t test the iBaby Care M7. Unlike most Wi-Fi monitors that we tested, it allows you to pan and tilt the cameras remotely. But we read multiple complaints in app reviews about the app crashing or being generally unreliable, and we were concerned about the company’s potentially lackadaisical approach to security.

We researched but opted not to test the Bebcare iQ Smart HD Baby Monitor due to its low number of owner reviews — many of which were negative.

We decided not to test the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor, as it has a separate humidity and temperature dongle that attaches to its main unit and just begs to be lost, and half of its iOS app reviews are one star, with complaints about trouble connecting to the app or frequent crashes. The company is now offering a new model, the CuboAi Smart Baby Monitor 3, but due to similar negative reviews that say the app is unreliable, we have decided not to test it. .

We didn’t test the costly Miku Pro Smart Baby Monitor because it puts a heavy emphasis on tracking breathing, which is not one of our criteria for the models in this guide. We saw many owner comments complaining about connectivity issues with its app in 2022.

Wi-Fi and local-video monitor hybrids

We tested the Chillax BabyMood Pro Monitor in late 2023 and were disappointed with the poor video quality and the crackly audio, as well as how the camera sometimes remained connected to the display screen for only a few seconds. In addition, the video was delayed by at least five seconds, showing me walking past after I’d sat back down at my computer.

We tested but don’t recommend the LeapFrog LF930HD because it is so similar to the VTech RM7766HD, our also-great Wi-Fi and local-video hybrid pick. (VTech is LeapFrog’s parent company.) Although the LeapFrog and VTech monitors are about the same price, the LF930HD lacks some of the key qualities that prompted us to make the RM7766HD a pick, including a user-friendly interface.

The VTech RM5764HD has a nice-looking 5-inch screen and a 1080p camera that can pan and tilt remotely. But in our testing, this model was prone to disconnections and wireless-interference problems when working in local-only mode. It also no longer seems to be available for purchase. We didn’t test the RM7764HD, the 7-inch version of this monitor, so we’re not sure if that model has the same problems. Our hybrid pick, the VTech RM7766HD, is a newer Wi-Fi and local-video model from the same company, and it’s the better choice.

We researched but didn’t test a few other hybrid monitors, mostly due to poor or concerning customer reviews, including the Kodak Cherish C525 and the Motorola PIP1510Connect, PIP1610HDConnect, and PIP1610HD.

Audio-only monitors

We tested the IKEA Undvika Baby Monitor in late 2023 because of its $40 price tag and nifty charging base with a nesting parent monitor. The monitor vibrates when the unit detects sound, which we found helpful, but in a large house the sound went crackly fast. Considering that this model lacks night-light and sound-machine options, we believe that you can find better monitors for even less money.

We also tested the Motorola PIP12, a new travel edition of Motorola’s audio monitor, in fall 2023. The neatest feature is how the two units snap together for slimmer storage (inside the matching bag). And the quality of the audio was solid in our tests. However, for the price, which is higher than that of the Motorola PIP11 we like, this monitor doesn’t improve on audio in a measurable way, and it doesn’t have temperature, night-light, or white-noise features. We were also slightly annoyed to find that the units can’t be snapped together while charging.

The VTech DM221 was a pick in this guide for years, and it has excellent reviews on Amazon. However, in a direct comparison with newer options that we tested in fall 2023, the DM221’s shortcomings were obvious. The audio crackled from just a few rooms away, and the monitor felt overly large and plasticky in the hand. I didn’t like the loud announcement to keep the monitor and cords away from the baby every time it powered up (you can just imagine that announcement jerking a sleeping child awake), and it has noise cancellation on by default unless the sound is at the highest setting.

We researched but did not test other audio monitors, including the Philips Avent Audio Baby Monitor DECT SCD502/10 (currently unavailable) and the VTech DM1111, because the reviews were not great.

Additional reporting by Andrew Cunningham and Harry Sawyers. This article was edited by Rachel Hurn and Kalee Thompson.