The Best Budget Baby Monitors
Most of these expert-tested parent favorites will cost you around $50.
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A baby monitor is one of the most registered-for items of baby gear and something many new parents wouldn’t want to live without thanks to the peace of mind it can provide. And while it’s easy to drop hundreds of dollars on one, it’s definitely not necessary—there are many more affordable monitors that do a great job of helping you keep an eye on your baby without having to spend a ton.
If you’re unsure how often you’ll use your baby monitor or if you simply want to keep costs down, a budget baby monitor is a good place to start. Many parents also use a less expensive monitor as a secondary option to use for travel or to keep at a grandparents’ or other caregiver’s house.
After testing all types of baby monitors and sifting through feedback from thousands of Babylist parents, we landed on three top picks: the Wyze Cam Pan v3 as the best budget WiFi baby monitor, the HelloBaby for the top video pick and VTech’s DM221 for the best audio-only option. We also included a travel-specific budget-friendly pick.
Why Trust Babylist?
Babylist is the expert in baby; we know baby gear inside and out. We talk with parents face-to-face in our showroom and on our user panels and hear from thousands annually via our Best Baby Products online survey. We know what items millions of expecting parents are adding to their baby registries.
How We Chose Our Best Budget Baby Monitors
Firsthand professional and personal experience. I’m a mom of two boys who are over seven years apart. I’ve used countless baby monitors for over a decade, from $400+ WiFi monitors to $30 audio options, both at home and on family vacations. In my role as Babylist’s gear editor, I’ve tested baby monitors from all of the leading brands. I used both of these experiences to pull together this best-of list.
Baby monitor data. As Babylist’s gear editor, I regularly analyze which baby products our users are adding to their baby registries the most (and which ones they aren’t) and what our team of Merchandising experts—our buyers who are responsible for ensuring the Babylist Shop is stocked with the best and newest gear—is excited about. Studying this kind of data helped us choose which baby monitors to test and which ones to recommend to new and expecting parents.
Feedback and reviews. I reviewed comments and feedback from Babylist’s annual product survey of thousands of Babylist parents, read customer reviews from hundreds of Babylist users and spoke to parents on our Babylist staff about their real-life product experiences.
How We Judged the Best Budget Baby Monitors
Best Budget WiFi Baby Monitor
Pros
- Under $40
- Live HD streaming, audio, night vision and pan/tilt/zoom
- Easy-to-use app
Cons
- Phone app needs to be open to use (no background audio option)
- Defaults to cloud-based storage (SD card sold separately)
No, you’re not seeing things. The Wyze, the home-surveillance-camera-turned-baby-monitor by lots of enterprising parents, is a WiFi-enabled camera with HD video and audio capabilities that costs under forty bucks. And it’s pretty great. If that’s not enough to get your attention, we’re not sure what is.
The Wyze cam is controlled remotely via an app and can be shared by multiple family members. When you’re using it as a baby monitor, you can monitor the live stream in real-time via the app or set up push notifications on your phone to alert you to motion and sound. (You can adjust the sensitivities of the motion and sound sensors along with what time of day you want them to activate, too.) The camera has color night vision and two-way audio capabilities and can pan, tilt and zoom. You get free 14-day cloud storage right out of the box (and can purchase more if needed), and the camera records 12-second video clips. And it works with Alexa and Google Assistant.
“I love the Wyze cam for so many reasons,” says Tonya, a mom of two. “It's affordable, super easy to set up and can be quickly moved to any room in the house. The two-way communication is great for the toddler years and I appreciate the SD card storage option to feel more secure than cloud-based.”
And have we mentioned that it costs less than a week’s worth of lattes?
Additional Specs
Monitor Type: WiFi
Range: Unlimited (WiFi)
Power Source: Camera: electrical outlet; phone acts as parent unit
Mount: Wall or table
Best Budget Video Baby Monitor
Pros
- Easy to use + simple setup
- Good picture quality
- Add up to 4 cameras
Cons
- Limited pan and zoom range
- No volume control on parent unit (need to access via menu)
Almost half of parents in Babylist’s annual favorite baby products survey said they prefer a video-only monitor over a WiFi option.. The HelloBaby is a reliable video choice that tops our budget-friendly list. Many parents use it as their primary monitor at home, but because it’s so affordable, many also rely on it as a secondary option for travel.
“I have the Nanit at home and don’t feel like I’m sacrificing much when using the HelloBaby,” Alex, a mom of two, told us. “It has great sound quality and image and a pretty long range (I’ve sat outside using it). I recommend the brand to friends who need a non-WiFi solution for hotels.”
Like much more expensive video baby monitors, the HelloBaby has a large five-inch LCD screen, night vision, two-way audio and an audio-only power-saving mode. It also monitors room temperature and can play eight lullabies. It’s easy to set up and to use, and you can add up to four cameras to monitor multiple children or rooms.
The HelloBaby does pan, tilt and zoom, but some parents say the range isn’t as great as they’d like it to be. Other users note that the battery life tends to fade quickly (a common issue in many video baby monitors, both expensive and budget-friendly models), but that’s not the norm—most users are pleased with it. And some folks have had issues with the screen darkening/shorting out over time, but rave about HelloBaby’s prompt customer service to resolve the issue.
For another affordable video baby monitor that we love, check out the Motorola VM75 Video Baby Monitor. It’s also extremely user-friendly—just plug it in and you’re basically good to go. And it features tilt, pan and zoom, night vision and two-way audio and has a five-inch screen and 1,000-foot range. You can add up to two cameras.
Additional Specs
Monitor Type: Video
Range: 1,000 ft
Power Source: Camera: electrical outlet; parent unit: electrical outlet or rechargeable battery
Mount: Wall or table
Best Budget Audio Baby Monitor
Pros
- Clear sound transmission, no constant white noise static
- Two-way audio
- Extremely affordable
Cons
- Poor battery life
There’s something to be said for a good old audio monitor. While some parents find extra comfort in being able to see their baby’s every move, for others, the thought of knowing what their little one is up to 24/7 can actually have the opposite effect, causing more anxiety instead of less. An audio monitor is a great solve for that. It’s also the perfect option for travel if you have limited luggage space or simply don’t want to deal with a video monitor.
The VTech DM221 is everything you’d want or need in an audio monitor and nothing more. It picks up even the quietest of sounds really well, but won’t emit the annoying constant white noise that you often hear from other audio monitors. (This is something that, as a new parent, I never even considered when shopping for an audio monitor—and it’s really important.) The monitor also works as a two-way intercom, which we love, especially once those toddler years arrive—we’re all for any feature that saves us another trip into the bedroom. I also like the visual sound indicator on the parent unit so you can visually monitor the noise level when the unit is muted.
Like every rechargeable option on our list, the biggest complaint here is battery life: it’s not great, especially over time. But for under $40, we’re a bit more forgiving.
Additional Specs
Monitor Type: Audio
Range: 1,000 ft
Power Source: Audio base: electrical outlet; parent unit: electrical outlet or rechargeable battery
Mount: Table
Best Budget Baby Monitor for Travel
Motorola PIP12 Travel Audio Monitor - Sugar Plum
From $49.99Pros
- Compact, unique magnetic design—units snap together for easy transport
- 10 hours of battery life (including USB-C charging option)
- Extra-long cord
Cons
- Pricier than most audio-only monitors
While any of the baby monitors on our best-of list will work for travel, Motorola’s PIP12 monitor is specifically designed for on-the-go, with thoughtful features that make using a monitor away from home especially easy.
The first thing you’ll notice about this affordable monitor is that a magnet holds the two units together when they’re not in use, creating a light, compact, ultra-portable (and truthfully just super cool) little bundle. There's no bulk, no loose cords and a monitor that’s easy to toss into your diaper bag or overnight tote and take on your way. (If only other aspects of traveling with your little one were this easy.)
The other standout feature here is battery life. Unlike many lower-priced baby monitors, the PIP12’s battery life is pretty impressive; it boasts 10 hours of use and can be charged with a USB-C cable or powered by AAA rechargeable batteries. Both the parent and the baby units run cord-free, and when you do need to charge them, an extra-long cord for both units is included. The 1,500-foot range is more than enough for most families and the sound quality is really clear. (It’s also similar to the VTech audio monitor on our list in that it won’t pick up constant white noise, just your baby’s noises or any sounds in the room.)
Two other things I really like about this monitor: the two-way communication and the visual indicator that lights up if the sound is on mute and the monitor detects noise in the room. As for cons, there aren’t many other than the price; while still affordable, the PIP12 is more expensive than most audio-only baby monitors. You’ll also need to separate the units in order to charge them, as they won’t charge when magnetically joined.
Additional Specs
Monitor Type: Audio
Range: 1,500 ft
Power Source: Audio base: electrical outlet or rechargeable battery; parent unit: electrical outlet or rechargeable battery
Mount: Table
