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Best baby monitors 2024: Which? Best Buys and expert buying advice

See and hear your baby easily with a traditional audio or video baby monitor, or monitor their sleep from your smartphone with a smart baby monitor. We explain all of the options available.
Matthew KnightProduct testing team leader

Don't risk buying a baby monitor that cuts out or lacks basic security to keep strangers from hacking into sound and images of your child.  

The best baby monitors revealed by our tests include audio-only and video , as well as smart wi-fi models that connect to your smartphone. There are options to suit every budget and need. 

We also offer expert advice on the best brands, features worth having and what you should spend. 

Best Buy baby monitors for 2024

Here's our pick of the top-scoring Best Buy baby monitor, the cheapest model to ace our tests, and other high-performing audio, video and smart wi-fi baby monitors. 


Only logged in members can view our recommendations. Join Which? to get access to all our Best Buys and baby monitor reviews. We’ve tested more than 70 models from brands including VTech, BT and Tommee Tippee, but only the very best make a Best Buy.


Top-scoring Best Buy baby monitor

    • best buy
    • Range inside to outside
    • Parent unit battery life
    • Ease of use
    Test score
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    Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time

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Best cheap baby monitor

    • best buy
    • great value
    • Range inside to outside
    • Parent unit battery life
    • Ease of use
    Test score
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    Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time

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Best audio baby monitor

    • best buy
    • Range inside to outside
    • Parent unit battery life
    • Ease of use
    Test score
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    Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time

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Best video baby monitor

    • best buy
    • Range inside to outside
    • Parent unit battery life
    • Ease of use
    Test score
    Sign up to reveal

    Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time

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Best smart wi-fi baby monitor

    • best buy
    • Range inside to outside
    • Parent unit battery life
    • Ease of use
    Test score
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    Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time

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Tables last checked January 2024

The best baby monitor brands

We ask parents how happy they are with their baby monitor brand, so you can get a complete picture of how well a monitor works when new and over time.


Best baby monitor brandWorst baby monitor brand
Average test score70%56%
Customer score83%68%

As you can see, there’s a big difference between the best and worst brands in our tests and in the customer score, which is based on real parents' feedback. See how all the brands score in our table below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the full results of our independent tests and customer scores in the tables below. 

If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

BrandCustomer ScoreAverage test scoreNumber tested
Brand 183%67%3
Brand 279%70%7
Brand 379%n/a0
Brand 479%70%3
Brand 578%56%8
Brand 677%69%16
Brand 776%n/a0

Video: how to buy the best baby monitor

What should I look for when buying a baby monitor? 

  • Picture and sound quality Although you won't be watching Netflix on your baby monitor, you'll want to be able to see and hear your baby clearly. The best baby monitors will have smooth, steady video quality on a parent unit and/or app, and well-produced sound will help you tell a snuffle from a full-on cry.
  • Battery life and range If the baby monitor has a parent unit, you'll want its battery to last a full evening from the mains to maximise convenience. To move around the house or garden while your baby sleeps, it must always get a steady signal without dropping out.
  • Convenience All baby monitors are fully tested for how easy they are to set up and use. We also look at how convenient they are, in terms of well-designed parent units and useful apps to download to your smartphone. Good models will have useful features such as room temperature sensors and sound-sensitive lights. 

With smart monitors, you also need to consider whether the device has good security against hacking attacks and threats to your home privacy. Find out all you need to know in our guide, Could my baby monitor get hacked? 


Types of baby monitor

Audio baby monitor

BT audio baby monitor

These are typically quite inexpensive. They generally comprise two physical parts: one that stays in the nursery (the baby or nursery unit) and one you keep with you (say, clipped to your belt) in the room you're in. You can then listen out for any cries or noises. 

Pros: Cheap to buy, generally simple to use

Cons: Can't see your baby while they sleep

See all our audio baby monitor reviews

Video baby monitor

Video baby monitor

A video monitor also has two parts, but the baby unit has a camera that sends pictures back to the parent unit. This means you can see, as well as hear, your baby. 

Some are quite basic, but more expensive models often have large screens and cameras that can pan around the room or even zoom in. 

Pros: Can watch your baby while they sleep

Cons: Pricier than audio monitors, screen size dictates visibility (and price)

Browse all our video baby monitor reviews

Smart wi-fi video baby monitors

looking at baby on phone using a smart baby monito

Some wi-fi baby monitors have parent units, but you usually monitor your baby using your smartphone or tablet via an app. 

A parent unit on traditional baby monitors will only work in the house and maybe as far as the garden. But a smart wi-fi monitor can work wherever you are, as long as you have a decent wi-fi signal. This means you can check in when you’re at work or away from home. 

Make sure you get one with strong security features and encryption to ensure your feed can’t be hacked.

Pros: Convenient, plenty of options to monitor your baby's sleep

Cons: More expensive than video monitors and you'll need to consider cybersecurity

Find your perfect model using our smart wi-fi baby monitor reviews

Dual baby monitors

dual baby monitor

If you have more than one child, you might want to get multiple monitors connected to the same system so you can supervise their sleep simultaneously. Most models do this by having a split screen on the parent unit, with half the display devoted to each sleeping child.

We don't test dual monitors, but there are various options from brands such as BabySense, Motorola and Vava. 

Pros: Can monitor two children at once

Cons: Can be expensive, split screen can make it harder to tell what's going on

Baby monitors with a motion-sensor mat or pads

Baby monitors with a motion sensor mat or pads

Some baby monitors have motion sensors. Although not generally marketed as such, these are often used as a tool to protect against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death. 

The motion-sensor pads, or mat, can detect even the slightest movements. If your baby stops moving for more than 20 seconds, an alarm sounds and red lights flash. 

Some parents find them reassuring but they can cause worry when false alarms happen. You may find they create more anxiety. 

Infant safety charity the Lullaby Trust says there's no evidence this kind of monitoring can prevent SIDS. We don't test movement sensors or currently recommend them. 


Find the perfect baby monitor for you and your baby with our best baby monitors


How much do I need to spend on a baby monitor?

You can buy a basic audio monitor for less than £20 while a top-of-the-range model with multiple cameras could cost more than £300. An expensive, feature-packed baby monitor doesn't mean it will be the perfect piece of safety equipment for you, so we test its key features, such as battery life and signal strength. 

You can get a Best Buy from £35 and we also now highlight Great Value baby monitors – these audio, video and smart baby monitors have scored at least 60% in our testing, but are also at least 20% cheaper than the average price for comparable monitors we've tested. 


Join Which? to get instant access to all our Great Value baby monitor reviews


Do I need a baby monitor?

baby in a cot

Up to the age of six months, parents will typically be in the same room as their newborn at night, so a baby monitor might not be required. 

But one can be useful for daytime naps in case you want to move around the house to do some chores, or have a lie-down yourself.

Baby monitors and small households

Some households find they can function perfectly well without a baby monitor, as any cries can be heard through an open door or thin walls. Even so, there are still reasons why you might need one:

  • Safety If you have a cat or dog, you may want to shut the nursery door. Also homeowners with thick walls will find a baby monitor essential as their house is effectively sound-proofed.
  • Convenience Gardening or laundry will take you outside, where you won’t be able to hear a crying baby. 
  • Accessibility If you're hard of hearing, the visual element of the monitors, such as sound-sensitive lights or vibration mode, can be a big help. Our lab tests assess how accurate the sound-sensitive lights are and make sure they increase in line with the volume, so you don't miss when your baby needs you.


Why you shouldn't use a security camera as a baby monitor - If you have a small house or not much to spend, don't be tempted to re-purpose a security camera as a baby monitor


Where to buy a baby monitor

When buying a baby monitor, make sure it's from a reputable seller. Check the retailer's returns policy, and pay attention to customer feedback and reviews. For more details on shopping online safely and arranging refunds for faulty products, see our advice on shopping online

Argos, Amazon, John Lewis and Boots are some of the most searched-for baby monitor retailers at the time of writing. We’ve included links to these retailers because of their stock availability, best-value price or warranty options. 

  • Argos – sells a mixture of video and digital audio baby monitors. Prices start at around £20 for basic models and go up to nearly £400. Argos offers same-day in-store collection at selected Sainsbury's stores, and you can bump up your Nectar points when you shop there. 
  • Amazon – has hundreds of baby monitors in stock, but check the listing carefully, as some tech may not be UK models. You should also try to stick to products fulfilled by or sold by Amazon, as it’s much easier to resolve issues direct if something goes wrong. 
  • John Lewis – sells a range of baby monitors from brands including Angelcare, Babymoov and Nanit. Prices start at around £30 and go as high as £300. Most come with a one- or two-year warranty at no extra cost and John Lewis generally scores highly in our annual retailer survey of more than 2,000 members of the public.
  • Boots – stocks a small range of baby monitors, the majority from Motorola, Angelcare and BT. Prices range from £30 to £300, and you can get free home delivery or in-store click and collect. You also get points on your Advantage card. 

Can I buy a second-hand baby monitor?

Woman looking on ebay

If you want to save money, you could buy second-hand. Baby monitors are only really used for a certain period, so they often pop up on second-hand marketplaces such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree. 

As long as they're in working order, there is nothing wrong with saving money by buying a second-hand audio or video baby monitor.

With smart baby monitors, you need to be a bit more careful. Make sure the previous owner has fully deleted their information and account access before you take ownership of the product. 

Also, smart monitors are only supported by the manufacturer for a certain period of time. Do your research before buying, by contacting the company to see if the model you're considering is still supported, and for how long. 


Find out the best and worst baby products based on real recommendations from parents


How to set up your baby monitor safely

Whatever type of monitor you choose, you'll need to consider how and where you place the baby unit near your child – so you can hear and see them while they sleep – and make sure there are no safety concerns.  

  • Don't mount the monitor on the cot – the cables could pose a strangulation risk or parts could become loose and cause a choking hazard. Plus, older children could use the monitor as a foothold to climb out of the cot.
  • The baby monitor ideally should be placed at least a metre (3ft) away from a cot, crib or play area.
  • If you wall-mount the monitor with the required fittings, be careful of any dangling cables, as they could pose a strangulation risk. 

Baby monitor reviews - browse more than 70 reviews offering expertly tested audio, video and smart wi-fi monitors from big brands such as BT, Vtech and more