Whether you have a newborn or know someone who does, a good baby monitor can be both freeing and reassuring, helping keep an eye on the little ones as they rest.
But with so many to choose from with varying brands, capabilities and prices, it can be hard to know which work best in practice. So we put nine of the best baby cameras to the test across three different categories for travel or home. Here are the ones that delivered.
Price: £139.99
With a sturdy parent unit and two cameras for split-screen capabilities, the Babysense V43 performs impressively pretty much across the board. The parent unit is user-friendly with responsive buttons and a logical, well-labelled menu. The built-in lullabies are a little old-fashioned and tinny, and while it displays room temperature it does not show the time. The Babysense is wifi-free, making it safe from remote hackers. Its 300-metre wireless range means the parent unit, which can be used on battery or mains, can be taken outside ready for warmer months. Notably, none of these features waned or stalled when two cameras were connected during testing.
Settings for each camera can be tailored individually, and switching between camera feeds is almost instantaneous. Up to four cameras can be used with one parent unit with additional purchases. The battery lasts about 10 hours in eco-mode, which pauses sound and video on the parent unit if the camera detects no sound for 30 seconds. A spare or replacement battery costs £5.99.
The base of each camera has a pleasant orange night light, while the lens pans, swivels 360 degrees and zooms quickly and smoothly. The motor, while not silent, did not disturb a sleeping baby. Panning is controlled via the parent unit, meaning there is no need to fiddle with camera angles once initial setup is complete. The cameras can be wall-mounted using the screws and wall plugs included, but easily lifted away for travel purposes.
Verdict: A comprehensive package that offers genuine flexibility, with smooth panning, speedy connection and an impressive range without the need for wifi.
Runner-up: VTECH VM3254
Price: £50
Price: £159.99
Not only does the camera zoom and swivel 360 degrees at an almost imperceptible volume, the parent unit can handle split-screen viewing with up to five paired cameras with additional purchases. There is a fair selection of pleasant-enough lullabies, white noise and heartbeat sounds, plus room temperature monitoring.
Special milestones and events can be captured and stored either on an SD card or in the cloud. The Kodak smart home app for Android or iPhone is easy to navigate and intuitive but the parent unit is less so. While the keyboard can be backlit, which is handy for night-time check-ins, its icons are not labelled and the buttons are fiddly, so you need to learn how to navigate it efficiently. Despite this drawback, the parent unit, antennae and handy flip-stand are sturdy, and the device is neither fragile nor too heavy.
Verdict: Outstanding picture quality sets this monitor above the rest, while most additional features are well executed.
Runner-up: Motorola VM65X Connect video baby monitor
Price: £249.99
Price: £299
The app shows room temperature and humidity, while five buttons allow users to quickly snap a photo, play music, white noise, birds or wave sounds, listen to or talk to the baby and switch on a nightlight.
Verdict: A comprehensive, efficient system that fulfils its myriad promises to reassure even the most anxious of parents.
Runner-up: Owlet Baby Monitor Duo
Price: £389
