7 Best Safe Baby Monitors [Wi-Fi, Video, & Audio Options]

Parenthood is one of the most beautiful things in life, but it can also be one of the scariest!

There are tons of baby products out there that can help make parenting much easier, but one of the best baby products all families should have are safe baby monitors.

These devices act as your additional eyes and ears, and you can either go for video baby monitors or audio monitors when keeping an eye on your little one.

We narrowed down a bunch of the best baby monitors on the market today.

Top Picks for the Best Baby Monitors

1. Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor

Our Pick

With tons of smart features, a multi-cam baby monitoring system, and the option to function without Wi-Fi, the DXR-8 Video baby monitor is one of the best baby monitors on the market.

The video and audio on this Infant Optics video baby monitor are transmitted with a secure 2.4 GHz FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) channel.

This ensures no data is shared on your internet and no other devices have access to the baby monitor camera. You don’t have to worry about any hackers posing harm to your baby with this video monitor!

On top of that, this video monitor also has two-way talk, night vision, and a room-temperature sensor. Although what makes the monitor stand out are its different camera features.

It has a normal lens, a zoom lens with a 2x zoom, and a wide lens to monitor a wider space inside a room. You can also purchase multiple cameras and connect up to four of them to have a baby monitoring system!

Coming with a rechargeable battery, this video baby monitor lasts up to 8 hours with video and around 12 hours for audio-only.

The downside here is that the rechargeable battery is something you’ll always have to worry about. Charging it isn’t that quick either.

Overall, this reliable and safe video monitor is one of the best baby monitor options you can count on to help you keep an eye on your little one!

The wide-angle lens and wide-angle camera features ensure optimal monitoring.

2. Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor

The Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor has one of the best features out of all the video monitors we can recommend.

This video baby monitor operates using WiFi and delivers real-time, encrypted HD video transmission to your phone or tablet.

You also don’t have to worry about any radiation from this Smart Baby Monitor harming your baby!

According to Nanit, the Smart/Wi-Fi Baby Monitor has a directional antenna that keeps WiFi signals away from your baby. This leads to 10 times less radiation exposure that your little one could get from other WiFi devices!

Another high-tech feature of the Smart/Wi-Fi Baby Monitor is its humidity and room-temperature sensor.

Using the app on your phone or tablet, you can also track your baby’s sleeping patterns and have the option to get sleep analytics.

You can also choose to record and store videos on the Smart Baby Monitor app’s cloud storage for an additional fee with this Smart Baby Monitor!

If you want the full sleep-tracking experience, we highly recommend getting the bundle with the breathing band of the Smart Baby Monitor.

This can help keep your baby’s breathing patterns in-check and warn you if something is wrong.

For the cherry on top, these Smart Baby Monitors also have a two-way audio feature, an infrared night vision feature, and you can get it with a wall mount or floor stand.

3. Safety 1st Sure Glow Audio-Type Monitor

If you’re looking for one of the safest baby monitor options out there, then the best baby monitor for you would be the Safety 1st Sure Glow Audio Monitor.

This is the safest baby monitor for two main reasons.

First, this is an analog audio-type monitor that operates at a low-frequency band of 49 MHz. It also doesn’t use DECT or FHSS technology.

Some parents worry about the radiation these kinds of devices emit, so rest assured that you won’t have to worry about that for this baby monitor.

For comparison, most “high-tech” WiFi monitors operate at bands of up to 2.4 GHz and use DECT and FHSS technology.

Even though this technology improves the audio and image quality of the best baby monitors, the radiation they emit when near your little one can be pretty scary.

The second reason why this baby monitor is the safest is that it doesn’t use WiFi at all. You don’t have to worry about hackers lurking around the web trying to hijack this device.

The only chance of this baby monitor being hacked is if the hacker is physically near it and hijacks the device’s frequency waves.

Chances of this happening are even lower than getting hacked via WiFi, so you can breathe easy knowing that your little one will be safe from hackers!

For other features, this baby monitor has a soft night light glow, operates on 4 frequency channels to minimize interference, has battery indicators, and has a range of 600+ feet.

4. Google Nest Cam

Best for Home Security

For parents who use smart devices and technology, it won’t be a bad idea to consider getting the Google Nest Cam and integrate it with your smart home resources.

Not only can you use this to monitor your baby, but you can use it as a security camera for your home security system too!

They offer two bundles aside from the single-camera option. You can get the 3- indoor-camera bundle or the bundle with 1 indoor camera and 2 outdoor cameras.

Whichever bundle you go for, both would be perfect to use as security cameras for your home security system.

Google hardly disappoints when it comes to their technology, so rest assured that this video baby monitor comes from a reliable and trustworthy source.

This video monitor has a night vision mode, a two-way talk feature, and provides a crystal clear, 1920 x 1080 HD video quality. It can even alert you when it detects motion and sound.

To use this camera, you’ll have to download the Google Nest app on your phone or tablet and connect the Nest Cam to your Wi-Fi.

With the app, you can get phone alerts, notifications, added security features, and a 3-hour snapshot history that you can sync with your Google Cloud storage.

As another line of defense against hackers, you can also set a two-factor authentication on the camera, a great feature for parents who want to reduce the chances of getting hacked as much as possible!

5. VTech DM221 Audio Baby Monitor

Best Audio Baby Monitor

If you’re already satisfied with monitoring your little one just by sound, this audio-type monitor is the best one we can recommend.

In fact, this baby monitor is a #1 best seller on Amazon for audio monitors!

The VTech DM221 uses DECT 6.0 technology, providing crystal clear audio transmission while getting rid of any background noise.

The best part about this baby monitor is that it can reach up to 1000 feet of range! You can easily keep an eye on your little one from another room while doing your household chores.

On top of that, this has a 5-level sound indicator on the parent unit. This helps you monitor the noise levels coming from the baby-unit inside your baby’s room.

Since it also has a two-way audio intercom feature, you can also talk and soothe your baby while you’re in another room, which is great!

This baby monitor has a handy night light too. Both units can also run on rechargeable batteries and AC power.

When it comes to audio baby monitors, VTech is one of the best brands any parent can rely on!

6. Snuza Hero Baby Movement Monitor

Best for Sleep Tracking

This isn’t like other audio and video monitors on this list, but it’s a device that’s worth recommending to keep an eye on your baby’s sleep patterns.

From its name, the Snuza Hero is meant to track movements on your baby while sleeping.

To use this device, all you have to do is attach it to your baby’s diaper. You don’t have to worry about any cords, wires, and sensor pads.

After 15 seconds of no abdominal movement, it gives off a vibration to stimulate your baby and cause breathing to resume.

After 20 seconds of no abdominal movement, a sharp alarm sound will go off to alert you.

This baby monitor can detect the slightest movement, so it’ll only work reliably if your baby is sleeping in a dedicated sleeping space like a cradle.

Using this device when co-sleeping, bed-sharing, or when your baby is in the car seat or stroller won’t be the best way to go.

Since this device only monitors your baby’s sleep breathing movements, you might want to use it alongside any other audio/video baby monitors on this list.

7. Eufy Video Baby Monitor

Best Battery Life

Another reliable baby monitor option, the Eufy Baby Monitor, has many features that won’t disappoint.

It has two-way audio, infrared night vision, room-temperature sensor, and it delivers 720P HD videos for real-time coverage.

However, what makes this baby monitor stand out from other best baby monitors on this list is its lullaby player feature!

You can play the built-in lullabies from this device to help your baby fall back to sleep in the middle of the night!

While you’re in another room, it’ll also be easy to notice if your baby becomes fussy. This baby monitor has motion and sound alerts that trigger every time it detects loud sounds and movements.

This baby monitor comes with a high-capacity 2900mAh rechargeable battery. On default mode, you can use this baby monitor for almost the entire day because of its 15-hour battery life!

You can also connect up to four cameras to expand baby’s room coverage, so this is a great pick up for those with bigger rooms. You can even use this as a home security camera system!

What is the Safest Baby Monitor?

To answer that question literally, the SAFEST baby monitor would be the parents’ actual eyes and ears.

The best way to monitor your child is to keep an eye on them and be close to them as much as possible. Being able to act at a moment’s notice would be best!

If you can avoid buying a baby monitor in the first place, that would be the best way to go.

However, for many parents, not having the best baby monitors can be impractical. There are times when you have to do chores, take a rest, or have to focus on doing something else in another room.

Having the best audio and video baby monitors can be a LIFESAVER for a lot of mommies! This is especially true if there are hazardous equipment around your home, like a fireplace.

How Safe Are They?

There is no denying that a baby monitor is a MUST in your baby checklist.

But before you purchase, there are a couple of things you should know about before buying the best baby monitor options on this list.

Most baby monitors today use DECT or FHSS technology. This means they operate on the same EMF (electro-magnetic field) frequencies as Wi-Fi routers, cordless phones, microwaves, and other devices that use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Because of this, a lot of parents are concerned about the amount of radiation their babies are exposed to when using audio and video baby monitors.

This doesn’t help how babies are most vulnerable to outside factors because they still have developing bodies!

The best way to minimize radiation exposure from baby monitors is to go for analog baby monitors that operate on a low-frequency band. A good range would be from 35-50 MHz.

Most wireless, modern baby monitors operate on frequency bands up to 2.4 GHz!

What’s the Safest Choice?

As technology keeps advancing, it’s much harder to find baby monitors that still operate under low frequencies.

In our list, the only analog baby monitor we recommend is the Sure Glow Audio-type Monitor.

We crowned this the safest baby monitor on this list, so this could be the best baby monitor for you.

Are Wi-Fi Baby Monitors Dangerous?

Now that we mentioned how Wi-Fi devices could emit radiation and affect your baby, you might be wondering if Wi-Fi baby monitors are still the way to go.

It’s difficult to criticize devices that use Wi-Fi because it’s one of the most convenient technologies that everyone uses daily.

Let’s face it; you’re probably using Wi-Fi right now to read this article!

However, most research suggests that devices that use Wi-Fi and emit MWR (microwave radiation) are a lot more dangerous to children than adults. MWR has also been linked to cancer!

One study concluded that adults have a small but very real risk to MWR and that children absorb greater amounts of MWR than adults because of their thinner skulls.

Considering that most people use these kinds of devices every day, it’ll be almost impossible to get rid of them or keep them away from children.

If you want to be as safe as possible and not take any risks, there are a couple of practices you can do to ensure that your baby gets the least radiation exposure possible:

• Never put a baby monitor inside the crib. If you’re using a WiFi baby monitor, keep it as far away from your baby as possible inside the nursery (at least 8 inches)
• Position your internet router as far away from the nursery as possible. This is to ensure that the radiation coming from the router won’t reach your baby.
• Avoid using devices when near the baby. If you need to use a device when you’re with your baby, try to keep some distance as much as possible.
• Avoid leaving devices with your baby inside the crib. Most cribs don’t provide much space inside, so leaving a WiFI device there could risk your baby from direct radiation exposure.
• Turn off your devices when not in use. If you’re near your baby and don’t need to use your devices, it would be best to turn them off to eliminate radiation altogether.
• Watch videos offline or use Airplane Mode. If your baby will use a tablet or phone to watch videos (e.g., YouTube), download the video first and then turn off the device’s WiFi. Better yet, turn on Airplane Mode.

Which Baby Monitors Can Be Hacked?

In theory, any device that’s connected to the internet can be hacked. This includes baby monitors, especially those that operate using WiFi.

All it takes is for a hacker to hijack and access your internet router, and he could already hack your phone, tablet, laptop, and other devices that are connected to your WiFi.

Your baby monitor could be the least of your worries in this scenario!

Some manufacturers use secure and encrypted communication channels to prevent hacking via WiFi, so these would be the best video baby monitors for most parents.

An “old-school” baby monitor with a low-frequency band, such as an audio baby monitor that works like an intercom or walkie-talkie, can also be hacked.

Although, hijacking these baby monitors requires the hacker to be physically near them. The likelihood of this happening is lower than that of a WiFi baby monitor.

Keep in mind that chances of these happening altogether are very low, but thinking about a stranger spying on your precious one can give many parents the creeps!

Best Practices to Prevent Your Baby Monitor from Being Hacked

Hackers usually crawl the web to find devices that are poorly secured and easy to hack.

There are a couple of things you can do to ensure that your baby monitor and home is safe from hackers:

• Set up a strong password for your WiFi baby monitor. Make sure to make a unique password that’s different from any other password you use. Adding numbers and special characters would be best.
• Set up a strong password for your WiFi router. Same as your baby monitor, use a unique password that’s different from any other password you use—the lengthier and more unique, the better.
• Make sure everything is updated. Make it a point to update all your devices as much as possible. Some of these updates can help strengthen the device’s security features.
• Enable extra security features. If your router or device has additional security features (e.g., two-factor authentication), it would be best to enable them to add another “line of defense.”

These aren’t guaranteed ways to stop hackers, but they’re the best things you can do to minimize the chances of getting hacked.

Of course, you can just go for an analog baby monitor like the Safety 1st Sure Glow Audio Monitor, but if you decide that WiFi/smart baby monitors are best for you, it would be ideal to follow these practices.

Conclusion

Overall, the best video baby monitor we can recommend is the Infant Optics Video Baby Monitor.

This baby monitor comes with all the essential features you need to keep an eye on your child, and the bonus of operating on a secure channel and without WiFi makes it a safe baby monitor from hacking.

The Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor, on the other hand, is the best baby monitor when it comes to top-notch features.

It operates on an encrypted channel, functions with an app, directs radiation away from your little one, and you also have the option to get the bundle with the sleeping band tracker.

However, when it boils down to overall safety, the Sure Glow Audio Monitor is an easy pick.

Since this is an analog monitor, you don’t have to worry about radiation harming your child. You also don’t have to worry about any online hacking because it doesn’t connect to the WiFi!