Best Baby Monitors of 2025

Below, you can read reviews of the top baby monitors in CR’s ratings. A majority of the top models we test are nonconnected—only two allow you to monitor the feed remotely using your smartphone, and we describe the pros and cons of connected baby monitors below. We also highlight the lone audio-only option in our ratings. 

As for budget, these baby monitors range in price from roughly $40 to more than $400, but our testers find little correlation between cost and performance. You can get a solid pick for under $100.

In addition to our top picks on this list, we also tested baby monitors from Infant Optics, Kidsneed, Lollipop, Miku, Owlet, and Safety 1st. 

To evaluate security for baby monitors, our testers use the same protocol that we employ for wireless security cameras. We start by evaluating each company’s public documentation, such as privacy policies and terms of service, to see what claims the manufacturer makes about the way it handles customers’ data. The tests include inspection of the user interface and network traffic from each camera and its companion smartphone app to make sure it’s using encryption, adhering to manufacturer policies, and not sharing your data with irrelevant third parties. Additionally, we attempt to find security vulnerabilities that cybercriminals could exploit.

In our broader baby monitor testing, only the Nanit Pro, the Owlet, and the Motorola VM64 (a model with both a separate display and smartphone capability) earn strong scores for security. However, all three still fall short of CR’s top-rated security cameras based on other factors. 

Common security problems include less-than-secure log-in rules, meaning the device doesn’t require a complex password or multifactor authentication. In fact, Motorola, Owlet, Lollipop, and Safety 1st don’t even support multifactor authentication, which provides important protection against anyone who tries to access your account using a stolen password. 

In the case of the Safety 1st WiFi Video Baby Monitor, we uncovered a vulnerability that could have allowed an outsider to gain full control of the device. After Consumer Reports contacted the company, Safety 1st pushed out a software update that resolved the issue; we’ve confirmed that the update was effective.

Other companies contacted by CR have addressed relatively low-risk security vulnerabilities. The lone exception is Lollipop, which has not responded to repeated inquiries from us. Without describing it in detail, we can say that the Lollipop vulnerability could allow a sophisticated, determined attacker to remotely take control of certain device functions.

On the privacy front, only some of the manufacturers provide clear information in the user documentation on how they collect and use data, and how long they keep it. Just four companies—Motorola, Nanit, Owlet, and Safety 1st—say they’ll let you get a copy of the data they’ve collected as you set up and use their baby monitors. On a more positive note, all the companies other than Miku say you can contact them to have them delete the data they’ve collected. 

Overall, just one internet-connected baby monitor—the Nanit Pro—scores highly enough on security and privacy, in combination with its other scores, to earn an overall CR recommendation.

Connected baby monitors that use your smartphone display are convenient. If you’re out on a date night, you can check in on your baby directly, instead of asking the caregiver for a report.

However, monitors with a display of their own have an advantage when it comes to security. The video feed stays local, and there’s no way to access it from outside your home. That means the feed is less likely to get hacked—something that has happened from time to time on connected models, though it’s rare. It also prevents the manufacturer from accessing the video and other information that can be gleaned from the device. 

Consumer Reports tests baby monitors primarily on ease of use and the quality of the video feed. But we put the internet-connected baby monitors through additional evaluations to look for potential risks. Most of them receive middling marks for security against potential hacking and for privacy (how the companies collect and handle data from the devices).

If you opt for the convenience of a baby monitor with smartphone connectivity, here are some easy steps you can take to make it more secure.

Use a complex password. Some baby monitors allow you to use a short, six-character password, but our privacy experts recommend that you use at least eight characters with a mix of letters, numbers, and other characters. (See our password manager ratings and buying guide.)

Enable multifactor authentication. Only the Miku and Nanit baby monitors offer this feature, which CR’s data security experts say should be standard on any important connected device or online account. MFA can prevent someone who gets your password from logging in to your account. Once you’ve set it up, you’ll get a warning if someone with your credentials tries to log in from a new device.

Routinely update the device’s firmware. The Miku and Motorola models we test can perform automatic updates, but the models from Lollipop, Nanit, and Owlet require you to do it manually. Our experts suggest that you check for and perform firmware updates once a month to keep on top of security fixes and enhancements.

Device security is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to baby monitor safety—it’s also crucial to install these devices correctly. Some parents, hoping for a better view of their sleeping child, may inadvertently install a baby monitor in an unsafe way.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns parents never to put a baby monitor in a baby’s crib or mount it on the crib rails. And most important, make sure electrical cords are at least 3 feet away from the crib to reduce the risk of strangulation, even if you have a very young infant. A few of the models that we test come with a plastic conduit that can help secure the cord.

The manufacturers of the Miku and Nanit monitors we test claim these products can track a baby’s breathing or movements and send a smartphone alert. Additionally, the Owlet baby monitor we test comes with a sock that is supposed to monitor the baby’s breathing and oxygen level. Consumer Reports did not attempt to evaluate any of these functions.

Here are four useful features found in many baby monitors.

HD screen resolution: All the video monitors we test have color cameras (and screens, for the nonsmartphone models). Some models with an infrared mode can work in the dark, though they transmit in black and white. They range in resolution from a grainy 320p to a high-definition 1080p, but even the low-res models are adequate to see what your child is doing.

Two-way talk: The monitors all have two-way communication that not only allows you to hear a baby’s noises but also enables you to talk back in a way that might reassure your little one. 

Multiple cameras: All the models we test, except the VTech, allow you to buy additional cameras and monitor them from a single display (this is often referred to as a split screen), which can be useful if you have more than one small child. 

Temperature sensors: Many models we test can measure and report the temperature in the child’s room. Some also add a humidity reading, which might be useful, say, if you’re running a vaporizer or humidifier in a sick child’s room.