7 of the best baby monitors on the market right now

After nine months of pregnancy, shower planning, and nursery decorating, your little one has finally arrived. From the moment you leave the hospital though, there’s something very important on your mind: to keep them safe at all times. Caring for your newborn isn’t always an easy feat, considering that you’re constantly on the move, running on little sleep, and attending to their needs around the clock.

Baby monitors can help make baby care less stressful for new parents. These small devices can help you watch your newborn’s activity at home, so you’ll know if they’re crying, cooing, moving, or sleeping. You’ll be thankful that you can keep tabs on your infant, just in case they are fussy, hungry, or need some TLC during the day or night.

There are many different types of baby monitors, including audio, digital, movement, video, and wireless network monitors. Audio monitors works best for hearing purposes only. Digital monitors offer additional security and sound quality, because you won’t have to worry about your baby’s cries transferring to a nearby receivers. Movement monitors track your baby’s activity in their crib, so you’ll know if they switch positions or can’t fall asleep. For the high-tech surveillance experience, a video monitor gives you live footage of your little one. Wireless network monitors allow you to use your laptop, smartphone, or tablet to watch your baby’s activity.

With all the baby monitor options out there, it can be hard to find the right fit. Plus, you might be dropping major bucks on a baby monitor if it comes with high-tech audio, footage, and security features. Before your drop major bucks on a baby monitor though, there are some things you might want to consider.

Receiver location: Where will you be using your baby monitor at home? It’s important that you consider how many receivers you’ll need in key living areas. If you’re only planning on using a baby monitor in the nursery, you might just need one receiver for your bedroom. On the other hand, if you would like to be able to hear your little one in the living room, kitchen, or playroom, having multiple receivers on hand can be super helpful.

Sound quality: When your baby needs a feeding, diaper change, you want to attend to them ASAP. Baby monitors should have good sound quality and minimal interference issues. You don’t want your neighbors’ devices messing with your monitor conversations. To avoid this problem, look for monitors that have a strong signal, less gigahertz (GHz) frequency, and digital enhanced cordless telecommunication (DECT) technology. These features can help reduce muffling for monitors.

Alert features: Observing your newborn can be stressful at times, but some baby monitors come with core alert features to help you out. Opt for monitors that have light-up sound indicators, so you can see alerts for your baby’s sound activity. Plus, it helps if a monitor cancels out unnecessary noise, so you can rest easy and not mistake a nursery fan for infant cries.

Safety: Safety is a top priority when you’re taking care of your infant. Even though the point of a safety monitor is to keep an eye on your little one, you have to make sure that they can’t hurt themselves with any equipment. Don’t place any cords, wires, or devices in your baby’s crib. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises not to buy any baby monitors that claim to reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Warranty: When you buy a baby monitor, you’ll want to see what’s covered under its guarantee or warranty. This can come in handy if there are defects in materials or workmanship.You don’t want to waste time or money on repairs or replacements.

Whether you’re looking for a device to hear your baby upstairs or a vitals reader, there is a baby monitor out there to suit your parenting needs. Here are our top seven picks for the best baby monitors.