The first few months of baby being home are incredibly special, and as parents, we don’t want to miss a thing. Thankfully, the best baby monitors in Australia allow you to watch your baby sleep 24/7 without disturbing those precious zeds.
Their first smile, those cheeky moments when they should be sleeping but aren’t, those blissful occasions when they fall asleep within seconds – video baby monitors ensure you don’t miss a thing.
From video monitors with night vision capabilities to models with movement detection technology, there’s a model to fit in seamlessly with every family’s lifestyle and needs, and we’re here to help you find it.
Features to look for in baby monitors
When choosing from the wide range of available baby monitors in Australia, there are many things to weigh up – some technical and others more to do with personal preferences. As our extra set of eyes, they need to be up to the task of alerting us when baby’s not settling, and perhaps play a role in getting your child off to sleep.
We even created a handy baby monitor buying guide to help with the process.
Audio: Good monitors should have a strong sound quality even when the parent unit and camera are at opposite ends of the house. Monitors that use digital enhanced cordless communication (DECT) are more private and you’ll find they have less interference.
Wi-Fi capabilities: Wi-Fi units allow the footage to be viewed anywhere with an internet connection, provided that the monitor is in range and has a good signal and the parent unit (or phone) also has Wi-Fi or in mobile network range.
Range: You’ll need to take this into account when thinking about how far the monitor will be from the parent unit – especially if you have a double-storey or large house.
Infrared camera: For clear pictures at night. You’ll find that most transmit black and white images once the lights go out.
Multi-camera option: The ability to add more cameras later on means being able to view the room from different angles, or set up cameras in other rooms like the playroom or another child’s bedroom.
Camera mount: Depending on your nursery set-up, look for either a clamp or wall mount, or the capability for the monitor to stand on a flat surface.
Screen size: You’ll find video monitor screens are usually measured in inches with some of the latest models boasting screens that are 5”, which is more than 12cm.
Optional features: Most baby monitors allow you to see and hear baby easily, but some units come with additional features that make baby sleep even easier to watch and manage:
- SD card slot to record video
- Password security
- Mains power & battery option
- Pan, tilt and zoom remotely
- Baby breathing monitor
- HD video and audio
- Room temperature monitor
- Visual soundbar
- Music or white noise feature
- Baby heart rate monitor
Here are 13 baby monitors for complete peace of mind
With so baby monitors on the market in Australia, it’s hard to know where to start, so we asked the HUGE Mum’s Grapevine Facebook community which styles and brands they love. In no particular order, here are the brands they recommend.
Oricom
Oricom Secure740 ($79)
The super-sized screen and motion detection make this little unit a high-tech wonder. While the monitor is crystal clear during the day, it comes with an infrared function to adapt beautifully to baby sleep at night. It also lets you know if the room is too hot or too cold, and sounds an alarm if motion or sound is detected.
“Some really good things about this monitor are the big clear screen and the great quality of the picture… even in a dark bedroom. I love that the video camera measures the temperature in the room and displays it at the top of the screen. The range of the monitor is great. I’ve taken the screen outside into my backyard and the range did not drop out”. – Carla T
Vtech Owl
Vtech BM5100 Owl Video Monitor ($299)
The VGA camera with a motorised tilt makes keeping an eye on a wriggly tot super simple. The camera’s infra-red capability allows you to watch little night owls into the wee early hours while lullabies and natural sounds lull them to sleep.
“You can have up to four cameras, there’s a talkback setting, nursery rhymes you can play and a tilt and pan camera.” – Jess M
Tomme Tippee
Dreamsense Smart Baby Monitor ($399)
Get a wide-angle view of your baby sleeping thanks to the crystal clear HD night-vision camera with pan, tilt and zoom. The feature-packed Dreamsense has in-built sensors for sound, light and humidity, pink noise, 3x digital zoom, snapshot function and sleep tracking.
Lollipop
Lollipop Smart Baby Monitor ($169)
The unique design of this sweet monitor means it can attach to all sorts of spots. Pair to your smartphone for a live feed. Use the app to get notifications when bub cries, when the air quality drops or there’s noise in the nursery. The camera can also be integrated with Alexa’s voice controls.
“My boy is starting in his cot tonight after a trail of day sleeps in there. I’m just using a video baby monitor. I have the Lollipop baby camera and it’s amazing!” – Ashleigh P
Kodak
Kodak Cherish C525 Smart Baby Monitor ($149)
It’s no surprise that a camera company knows their stuff when it comes to crystal clear imagery. The Kodak Cherish combines a large parent unit display with clever in-built features for a seriously clever baby monitor. With Wi-Fi and direct connect capability, parents can keep a watchful eye on baby wherever they are.
“The video quality of the Kodak Cherish monitor is incredible – we can see baby so clearly. And I love the illuminated keypad… no more fumbling around with the monitor in the dark!” – Louise W
Oricom
Oricom SC875 Touchscreen Video Baby Monitor ($129)
This feature-packed monitor does a lot more than just watch over sleepy babes. The pan-tilt camera is controlled by the touchscreen unit from anywhere in the house to give you the perfect vision of your babe, and the talk-back and lullaby features help with settling.
“The quality of the picture is so clear, even the night mode is just as clear as day mode. It has a motorised pan-tilt so you can look around pretty much the whole room.” – Ashley W
Nannio
Nannio Comfy Video Baby Monitor ($129.99)
Equipped with smart voice detection activation, the Nannio Comfy automatically activates the camera when sound is detected. The battery life delivers eight hours of screen display and the huge viewing range gives you an extended vision of baby’s space.
Uniden
Uniden BW3101 Monitor ($228.88)
A great video monitor at a great price. Watch your baby sleeping from anywhere in the world thanks to its Baby Watch feature. Talk and soothe your baby remotely with a ‘walkie-talkie’ like function and use the built-in lullabies and night light to assist you with nighttime settling.
“I love my Uniden, I got one that I can add up to 4 cameras, which is great because I can add to it for the new baby.” – Kate A
Cubo Ai
Cubo Ai Baby Monitor ($699)
Clever and cute, the Cubo uses AI technology to detect if baby’s mouth and nose are covered or if baby has rolled over. You’re also able to define a danger zone area, and Cubo will alert you if bub ends up outside of the safe area.
“Absolute love it! Would definitely say it’s worth the money. We live in a two-storey house with very thick walls, do having the notifications is super useful.” – Xenia E
iBaby
iBaby M7 Video Baby Monitor ($229.00)
This adorable little guy looks like something out of Star Wars and is just as high tech. The iBaby can play lullabies and bedtime stories, listen and talk, take pictures, record video and has smart sound and motion alert. It will even let you know when it’s time to change that smelly nappy! As an added bonus there’s a projected moon and light show for babies who need visual calming tools. Use the free iOS or Android app to stream vision on your device.
“We had an iBaby for our first 5 years ago – loved it! I am a nurse, so it meant I could check in on my baby and watch. 360-degree vision and the ability to control it from my phone.” – Lana M
Motorola
Motorola MBP36XL Video Baby Monitor ($250.83)
Motorised pan, tilt and digital zoom combined with a 300 degree viewing angle mean there aren’t many little corners for bub to hide! High-quality sound, a colour display – which can be beamed to the TV with an additional cable and two-way communication all giving you total peace of mind.
“I have a Motorola mbp36s and it’s amazing” – Sheena P
Project Nursery
Project Nursery Smart WiFi Baby Monitor ($165.30)
Pair this clever monitor with your Alexa device and hey presto – you now have a smart nursery! Connects to your smartphone or tablet so you can watch bub from anywhere, and use the remote pan/tilt/zoom camera movements to get a better view.
“Project Nursery is a great monitor, with good range. I have it and have no complaints!” – Chantelle B
Angelcare
Angelcare AC1320 Sound and Video Baby Monitor ($259)
From the tinniest wriggle to the loudest cry, you won’t miss a thing with this monitor. We love it for quick, easy peace of mind around the clock.
Owlet
Owlet Smart Sock ($449.99)
A genius device that records bub’s oxygen levels and heart rate as they sleep – through a sock that attaches to their foot. The data is sent via wi-fi and Bluetooth to the base station and Owlet app for parents to check as and when so you can worry less and sleep better.
“We had the owlet sock, it was the best. I have horrible anxiety and it helped me sleep knowing it was on her foot. I would take a quick peek at her oxygen levels on the app before feeling assured and going to sleep myself.” – Racheal R
This article is curated by our Editors and includes affiliates and/or paid inclusions. See our Disclosure Policy.
Know a baby monitor we should add to our list? Contact us and let us know, we’ve been collating Australia’s best baby products into shortlists for over 14 years and we’re always happy to support new brands and businesses.
Read this next: How to settle a baby to sleep in the cot
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