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New parents, here’s a tip: You might not even need a baby monitor. A healthy, hungry baby can shriek in tones piercing enough to bend metal, let alone your poor eardrums. Nevertheless, baby monitors can provide high-quality audio and crystal-clear video streams from the camera directly to a separate parent unit, your smartphone, tablet, or all three. This means you can move freely around the house while keeping a close eye on the baby as they sleep or play contentedly in their crib. Here we take a look at the most intuitive baby monitors available online and rate them on design, features, picture, and audio quality to highlight just how well they work at keeping a watchful eye on your bundle of joy.

For more of our favorite baby gear picks, check out our Best Strollers and Best Baby Carriers buying guides and our Gift Guide for New Parents.

Updated May 2023: We’ve added new baby monitor picks from Simshine and Infant Optics.

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