If anxiously sitting up watching your baby sleep is causing you sleepless nights, a smart baby monitor could be the perfect solution. Allowing you to discreetly check on your baby without waking them, a smart monitor will also alert you instantly if your baby wakes or needs your attention during the night.
With features such as two-way talkback, remote panning, infrared night vision and sleep insights, you can learn more about your baby’s bedtime routine and sleep soundly as a result.
What should you look for in a smart baby monitor?
With so many smart baby monitors to choose from, making your choice can be a little overwhelming. Here are some features and functionality that you may want to look out for when making your choice:
- Motion and sound alerts: Unlike traditional baby monitors that would only alert you to sound, smart monitors offer both motion and sound notifications, sending instant alerts if your baby moves or cries during sleep.
- Night vision mode: Most smart baby monitors have a night vision mode, meaning even when the lights go out you can still maintain a clear view of your baby and their surroundings.
- Two-way communication: A two-way talk-back function can allow you to remotely soothe and talk to your baby from another room, providing comfort and reassurance to help them settle back to sleep.
- Breathing or heart monitors: Some smart monitors include the ability to monitor breathing and pulse rates, either using AI technology or separate sensors and pads.
- Thermometer: With an inbuilt thermometer and/or humidity checker, some smart monitors can observe the temperature of your baby’s surroundings, alerting you if your nursery becomes too hot or too cold.
- App compatibility: In addition to a parent unit, most smart baby monitors also include a mobile phone app which can be used to monitor your baby from both inside and outside the home. Some smart monitors are entirely app-based, meaning you do not need an additional parent unit or screen.
- Lullabies or white noise: While they’re by no means essential, built-in lullabies or white noise sounds can be a useful aid for your newborn’s bedtime routine, helping settle and soothe or create a familiar environment for them when they wake.
How we tested
To bring you the ES Best pick of the best smart baby monitors, we reviewed each monitor for the range of features, ease of set-up, image/sound quality and battery life (if applicable). We also explored wider consumer reviews to gain a better understanding of the pros and cons of each design.
Best smart baby monitors at a glance:
- Best for remote pan, zoom and tilt: Leapfrog LF2936HD 5.5” Smart Monitor - £200, Argos
- Best for versatility: Lollipop Baby Monitor - £166, Amazon
- Best for insights: Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor - £379.99, John Lewis
- Best value for money: Maxi-Cosi See Baby Monitor - £89.95, John Lewis
- Best for newborns: Hubble Nursery Pal Deluxe Parent Unit & Portable Camera Baby Monitor - £199.99, John Lewis
- Best for night light features: Vtech RM7766 HD Smart Pan And Tilt Smart Monitor - £170, Argos
- Best for heart rate tracking: Owlet Smart Sock - £269, Amazon
Leapfrog LF2936HD 5.5 Inch Smart Monitor
- Best for: Remote pan, zoom and tilt
- Screen size: 5.5”
- Night vision: Yes (full colour)
- Power source: Parent unit mains or battery powered, camera mains powered only
- Two-way talkback: Yes
- Network-based: Yes
- Lullabies/Sounds: Yes
The Leapfrog LF2936HD smart monitor offers complete visibility of your baby in their cot, no matter how much they may wriggle during the night. With an 8x zoom, 360 pan and 94-degree tilt, you can easily adjust the viewpoint to follow your baby’s movements, without risking waking them from their slumber.
The parent unit with a Full HD 1080p 5.5” touchscreen, provides a clear, high-definition view of your baby at all times, with a choice of plugging in at the mains or the ten-hour battery life should you wish to move it around the home. You can also view your baby in real time via the LeapFrog Baby Care+ app on your phone, even when outside the home, however, it’s worth noting that you will only receive notifications when the app is in use.
It can take a little while to become familiar with the touchscreen menu system, especially when accessing additional features such as the nightlight and lullabies, however, the Leapfrog L2936HD offers crisp, clear audio and full-colour infrared night vision, with a non-grainy view of your child's face even in low light conditions. With a high level of sensitivity, it can send instant sound and movement notifications to alert you if your baby needs your attention.
We love the warm ambient glow of the camera’s built-in nightlight, while the thermometer and humidity checker can ensure a safe sleep environment for your baby. Should they wake unexpectedly during the night, the two-way talk-back feature allows you to comfort and reassure them, alternatively triggering one of ten built-in lullabies to soothe them back to a calm and comfortable night’s sleep.
Buy now £200.00, Argos
Lollipop Baby Monitor
- Best for: Versatility
- Screen size: N/a (uses mobile app)
- Night vision: Yes
- Power source: Mains only
- Two-way talkback: Yes
- Network-based: Yes
- Lullabies/sounds: Yes
If it’s versatility you’re after, this unique 1080p full HD camera makes an excellent choice. Syncing with your phone via the compatible Lollipop app (available on both iOS and Android), it allows you to keep a close eye on your baby without the need for a separate parent unit.
Small and portable enough to be used for travel, the flexible silicone design is really easy to set up in your nursery, attaching around cot bars, wall mounting at height or free standing on a nearby table top. It’s powered by the mains, so while you don’t need to worry about battery life, you will need to be within close range of a plug or charge point.
With a modern design that doesn’t look out of place in your child’s nursery, the Lollipop Baby Monitor is available in a choice of three colours including pink, blue and yellow. Boasting clever features such as two-way talkback and ‘true crying detection’ it can even notify you if your baby moves out of a predefined area inside the cot.
As long as you have a decent Wi-Fi connection, the audio is crisp and clear and the picture quality is really quite impressive, with non-grainy infra-red night vision. You can even stream multiple cameras simultaneously to your view on the app - a practical choice if you are the parent of multiple children.
It is worth noting that some of the more advanced features, such as downloading video footage, breathing detection and sleep analysis require a subscription to access. There are also no remote pan or tilt options included with this camera, so you’ll need to move it manually if you want to adjust the view.
Buy now £166.00, Amazon
Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor
- Best for: Insights
- Screen size: N/a (syncs to mobile phone)
- Night vision: Yes
- Powered source: Mains
- Two-way talkback: Yes
- Network-based: Yes
- Lullabies/Sounds: Yes
It may be the most expensive smart baby monitor on our list, but the Nanit Pro (an upgrade to the previous design Nanit Plus) offers impressive features such as a breathing monitor and insights that easily make it worth the investment.
Sold with either a wall mount or floor stand, this 1080p HD camera can be angled directly over the cot to achieve a clear overhead view of your baby whilst they sleep - an angle that can’t easily be achieved with traditional baby monitors. With no additional parent unit, it syncs real-time video and audio directly to your smartphone using the Nanit app, with the option to share access with multiple users as required.
With sound and movement notifications, high-quality infrared night vision and zoom, the built-in temperature sensor will notify you if your baby’s sleeping environment becomes too hot or too cold. We also rate the addition of two-way talk, lullabies, nature sounds and white noise which can comfort and reassure if your baby wakes or becomes fractious during the night.
Something unique to Nanit Pro however are the insights, which come free for the first 12 months before reverting to a (relatively affordable) subscription model. Using the included 0-3 month breathing band, insights can monitor your child’s breathing and alert you if 20 seconds pass without movement. They also provide valuable information such as sleep duration, and number of overnight wakes and highlight trends, helping you understand and learn more about your baby’s sleep routine.While we would love it if the insights feature was simply included free of charge, the initial 12-month access can certainly support you through the initial newborn haze.
Buy now £379.99, John Lewis
Maxi Cosi See Baby Monitor
- Best for: Budget-friendly
- Screen size: N/a (syncs to mobile phone)
- Night vision: Yes
- Power source: Mains
- Two-way talkback: Yes
- Network-based: Yes
- Lullabies/Sounds: Yes
If you’re looking for a high-quality phone-based baby monitor but are on a more limited budget, the Maxi-Cosi See is certainly worth considering. Part of the Maxi-Cosi Connected Home Smart Nursery collection, this small and discreet modern camera blends seamlessly into your baby’s nursery setting.
The See Baby Monitor connects to your phone for high-quality 1080p HD live streaming of your baby, with full encrypted access to keep you and your family safe.
Intelligent smart sensors with adjustable sensitivity levels can instantly alert you if the camera is triggered by movement or sound. You can even set up optional alerts for temperature and humidity, allowing you to adjust your baby’s clothing should the room drop in temperature during the night.
While there is a slight audible hum when the camera realigns, you can remotely trigger pan, tilt and zoom to maintain a reassuring real-time view of your baby. Should they wake, the two way-talk function allows you to comfort your baby through the camera, or play one of the five lullabies or two white noise sounds.
For the smart home fans amongst you, you’ll love that Maxi-Cosi See works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, as well as syncing with other items in the Maxi-Cosi Connected range including the Maxi-Cosi Soothe Light & Sound night light (sold separately).
Buy now £89.93, John Lewis
Hubble Nursery Pal Deluxe Parent Unit & Portable Camera Baby Monitor
- Best for: Newborns
- Screen size: 5 inches
- Night vision: Yes
- Powered source: Mains or battery
- Two-way talkback: Yes
- Network-based: Yes
- Lullabies/Sounds: Yes
The Hubble Connected Nursery Pal Cloud offers the element of choice when checking in on your newborn, switching between the 5” HD screen on the portable parent unit or viewing in real-time via the Hubble Connected app on your phone.
Setting up the Hubble Nursery Pal is really intuitive, with step-by-step instructions that guide you through pairing the parent unit and camera, before downloading the app onto your compatible device. You need to create a family account, but you can then securely share access with another parent or caregiver, allowing them to check in on your baby even when they can’t physically be there.
With a choice of a magnetic mount or stand, the Hubble boasts loads of valuable features to make your life easier, including remote pan, tilt and zoom, a built-in temperature sensor and two-way talkback, lullabies, audiobooks and white noise to comfort your baby when they wake.
While the infrared night vision is not quite as clear as the Leapfrog LF2936HD, the audio is clear and responsive. We love the addition of sound-sensitive lights that can visually alert you when your baby is crying even when the volume is off or at low volume, while the seven-colour nightlight can create a calming ambience in your child’s nursery.
Our only major niggle with the Hubble was the battery life on the parent unit, which was a bit disappointing at around six hours (and much less than the Leapfrog and VTech baby monitors featured), As such, we’d be far more likely to keep this plugged in on the bedside than rely on the battery alone.
Buy now £199.99, John Lewis
Vtech RM7766 HD Smart Pan And Tilt Smart Monitor
- Best for: Picture quality
- Screen size: 5 inches
- Night vision: Yes
- Powered source: Mains and battery
- Two-way talkback: Yes
- Network-based: Yes
- Lullabies/Sounds: Yes
We were really impressed with the picture quality on the VTech RM7766 HD Smart Monitor. With a large 5” high-definition screen and full real-time HD video quality achieved via the Android or iOS app, it offers quick and easy adjustments that can follow your baby’s movements as they move around the cot.
With an impressive 24x digital zoom and a wide viewing angle of 135 degrees, you can always have a clear view of your baby (including expressions and fine detail), even in nurseries where the camera is located further away from the cot. The night vision is non-grainy and clear and there’s even the option to record short clips and capture video footage without the need for a subscription model.
While the parent unit is a little on the large side, the strong battery life of around twelve hours makes this baby monitor easy to move around the home. We found the menu relatively intuitive and easy to use, with sound, motion and even temperature detection alerting you if your baby is waking or the room is getting too hot or too cold.
We love the multicoloured night light on the camera itself, creating a warm and comforting glow that can help you navigate through night feeds and nappy changes without fully stimulating your baby. With two-way talkback and a choice of five sounds and five lullabies, there’s also a variety of ways you can remotely soothe your baby back to sleep during overnight wake-ups.
Buy now £170.00, Argos
Owlet Smart Sock Baby Monitor 3
- Best for: Heart rate tracking
- Screen size: n/a
- Night vision: N/a
- Powered source: Rechargeable battery
- Two-way talkback: No
- Network-based: Yes
- Lullabies/Sounds: No
The lack of a camera with this baby monitor makes the Owlet Smart Sock a bit of a curveball choice, that said, if you’re feeling anxious or regularly awake watching your baby sleep, it can provide some much-needed reassurance that your baby is safe and comfortable during the night.
With two sock sizes in the pack (suitable until approximately 18 months), the soft and stretchy Owlet Smart Sock is worn under your baby's clothing, making direct contact with their skin. Using pulse-oximetry technology, it can monitor your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels as they sleep, notifying you instantly if the readings fall below Owlet’s pre-programmed levels.
Once positioned, the contact starts taking your baby’s observations, while the Bluetooth base station will visually glow green as a visual confirmation that everything is as expected. With around sixteen hours of battery life, you must remember to pop it back on the base station to charge it back up between sleeps.
Like many movement pads and motion sensors, there is the potential for false alarms.
You must position the sock correctly, and truthfully this can take some practice. If your baby is particularly wriggly during the night, the sock has the potential to dislodge.
That said, we love the peace of mind that the Owlet offers, with 30-day sleep trends that can help you learn more about your baby’s habits and sleep routine. While there’s no camera included, the Owlet Monitor DUO camera is also available as an optional extra.
Buy now £269.00, Amazon
Verdict
Whilst it doesn’t come cheap, the Leapfrog LF2936HD 5.5” Smart Monitor takes our pick as the best smart baby monitor you can buy today. With full-colour night vision and complete flexibility via remote pan, tilt and zoom, you can keep a close eye on your baby all night long via the parent unit or mobile app.
