Babies spend between 12 and 18 hours napping on and off in their first few years of life. Whether you’re working from home or doing some housework, a video baby monitor is a great way to get some peace of mind while your baby naps. Not only does it let you hear and see your baby at all times, but it can also alert you when something isn’t right.
Since a baby monitor will ultimately become your third eye, it’s not the kind of product you should buy on a whim. It’s important to look into the video monitor’s specs and reliability. For that reason, we’ve put together a guide to help you choose the best video baby monitor for your nursery.
Our Top Picks:
- Best Overall: Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor
Jump to Review - Best For Safety Alerts: Cubo Ai Plus Smart Baby Monitor
Jump to Review - Best Non-Wifi Baby Monitor: VTech VM819 Video Baby Monitor
Jump to Review - Best For Health Metrics: Owlet Dream Duo
Jump to Review
Wi-Fi vs. Non-Wi-Fi Baby Monitors: Which One Do I Need?
The choice between a Wi-Fi and non Wi-Fi video baby monitor ultimately depends on your needs. With a Wi-Fi baby monitor, you can essentially access live video footage from anywhere using a mobile With a non-Wi-Fi baby monitor, you’re limited to the range of the baby monitor. Typically, you can only use a non-Wifi baby monitor inside your home.
Wi-Fi baby monitors are an excellent choice for people who want to view video footage from outside of their home, or even while out of the country. They tend to come with a wide range of features, including sleep analytics that can be useful for tracking your baby’s sleep patterns.
Non-Wi-Fi baby monitors, on the other hand, are useful for monitoring your baby while at home. Instead of your phone, you rely on a provided handheld device with a screen. If a non-Wi-Fi baby monitor has a 900-foot range, you will lose access to real-time footage beyond this range.
Non-Wi-Fi baby monitors are an excellent choice in terms of data security. Without WiFi in the mix, you don’t have to worry about hackers or data breaches. You also don’t have to rely on WiFi, which is useful for remote locations or even camping. Provided that the monitor is charged, you can essentially set it up anywhere.
The 5 Best Video Baby Monitors in Canada in 2025
Here are our reviews of the best video baby monitors available in Canada this year.
Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor
The Nanit Pro is our favourite Wi-Fi based smart baby monitor. With excellent HD quality video, 2-way audio communication, breathing tracking, alerts, and more, the Nanit Pro Smart is robust in features. It also omes with a user-friendly mobile app that lets you view your baby cam’s footage from anywhere.
Compared to the Nanit Plus, the Nanit Pro offers signifcantly better video resolution (1080p) and an improved nightlight. It also features some minor design improvements.
In order to track your baby’s breathing, the Nanit Pro comes with with a breathing band that your baby wears while they sleep. The breathing band will not only track your baby’s breathing motions, but it will send you alerts if needed.
If needed, the Nanit Pro lets you add additional cameras and view up to two video streams on the same screen. This Split Screen view is unique to Nanit Pro and very useful for monitoring two babies at the same time.
As a Wi-Fi baby monitor, it can be used anywhere with Wi-Fi access. This makes it useful for large homes or even basements, provided that the WiFi range reaches.
With your purchase of Nanit Pro, you’ll have free access to Nanit Insights for one year. Nanit Insights provides you with data on your baby’s sleep, personalized tips to optimize your baby’s sleep, and saved nightly recaps that can be used to optimize your baby’s sleep quality over time. After the first year, you will have to pay anywhere from $8 to $40/month for continued access to this data.
That said, if you’re looking for a smart baby monitor that provides you with video as well as useful health information, the Nanin Pro is an excellent choice.
Cubo Ai Plus Smart Baby Monitor
While the Cubo AI Plus is not the most feature-rich baby monitor out there, it’s one of few that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to keep your baby safe. If enabled, the monitor will automatically alert you if your baby has their face covered, has rolled over, or is crying. It also offers excellent video resolution and two-way audio.
The monitor also lets you set danger zones and will send out an alert when bypassed. For example, if your child exits the crib, an alert can be triggered. The monitor will record a short clip of what happened, if ever such an event takes place.
Cubo is Wifi-based and can be installed in three different ways: as a floor stand, tabletop stand or even mounted onto your baby’s crib. Its cute bird-like design is a modern and stylish addition to a nursery room.
For the data enthusiasts out there, the Cubo app provides you with detailed sleep analytics so you can keep track of your infant’s sleep patterns over time. The app can be shared with up to 7 family members and can be connected to multiple cameras. Family permissions can be restricted individually so not everyone has access to the same level of data.
As a bonus, the Cubo AI Plus comes with a built-in nightlight and a selection of lullabies that can be controlled through the app.
The only downside with Cubo is that you can’t control the camera through the app. This means you can’t zoom in or adjust the angle via the app. If your nursery room is large or if you have multiple infants in the same room to keep an eye on, you might need to purchase two cameras.
VTech VM819 Video Baby Monitor
The VTech VM819 Video Baby Monitor is one of the best non-Wi-Fi video baby monitors on the market in Canada. With its 2.8″ LCD screen, 2-way communication, 19-hour battery life, and 1000-foot range, it’s perfect for monitoring your baby within the scope of your home. Costing just over $100, the VM819 is an excellent value.
As a non-WiFi baby monitor, the VTech VM819 is very easy to set up. It also means you’ll be dealing with a handheld display, as opposed to an app on your phone. The only potential downside is that you will have to be within a 1000-foot range of the monitor in order to view real-time video footage. For a non-WiFi baby monitor, however, this range is impressive.
While it’s not known for its excellent audio or video quality, the VTech VM819 is easy to use, with controls for volume, audio communcation, zoom (up to 2x), and more. Best of all, its 2.8″ display boasts a battery life of 19 hours. With the scren turned off at times, the VTech can last even longer.
Thie VM819 is particularly convenient for its portability. It’s lightweight and can easily fit into your pocket. Since it doesn’t require Wi-Fi to operate, it’s convenient for using in Internet dead zones, such as your backyard or a cabin.
Like most baby monitors out there, the VM819 lets you communicate with your baby with the click of a button. It also lets you play a selection of lullabies and ambient sounds.
Owlet Dream Duo: Baby Monitor Cam & Dream Sock
Owlet takes baby safety technology to the next level with its Wi-Fi Baby Monitor and Smart Sock Duo. In addition to a baby monitor cam, Owlet’s Dream Sock tracks your baby’s heart rate and oxygen level, while providing you with real-time data. Since audio and video can be misinterpreted, the addition of these key metrics provide a higher degree of reassurance on your infant’s well-being.
As a Wifi-based baby monitor, Owlet provides remote access to your data at all times through the Owlet App. This makes Owlet a reliable choice for parents who are less frequently at home.
This complete Owlet kit includes 3 washable smart socks that are designed to fit your baby until they reach 30 lbs. It also includes the Owlet Cam, a 1080p resolution cam that offers reliable night vision capabilities and encrypted recordings.
While the smart sock offers unparalleled data to your baby’s health metrics, a downside is that you will have to remember to charge it regularly. The battery lasts up to 18 hours on a full charge, so keep in mind that a newborn baby would require the sock to be charged daily. Luckily the sock is easy and quick to charge.
HelloBaby 3.2″ Non-WiFi Baby Monitor
The HelloBaby wireless video baby monitor is another non-Wifi video baby monitor worth considering. It’s also one of the most affordable video baby monitors out there. While it’s not perfect, it offers a bigger LCD display than the VTech and a decent range of features that will cost you just $80.
Some noteworthy features include night vision, ambient temperature monitoring, two-way audio, and a 3.2-inch LCD display. Since the HelloBaby doesn’t require Wi-Fi to function, it’s very easy to set up. You basically just have to make sure that the monitor is charged.
The HelloBaby has a 960-foot range, so you’ll have to be within this range to receive live video footage. Instead of dealing with an app, you’re viewing your video stream on a wireless handheld LCD display. The display has a 12-hour battery life, so you’ll likely have to charge this baby monitor daily.
In addition to being budget-friendly, the HelloBaby is convenient for its portability. If you’re looking for a convenient baby monitor to take on vacation, this baby monitor is lightweight and easy to travel with. Since it doesn’t require Wi-Fi, it’s also convenient for using in Internet dead zones, or even while camping.
We also appreciate HelloBaby’s audio features. With two-way communication, you can listen to your baby and comfort them with the sound of your voice. You can also choose from 8 lullaby songs to help soothe your baby back to sleep.
Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor
The Nanit Plus has since been replaced by the new and improved Nanit Pro, however, it’s still a decent smart baby monitor worth considering. With two-way audio, excellent night vision, and useful sleep analytics, Nanit comes with everything you need to feel at ease while your baby naps. It also omes with a user-friendly mobile app that lets you track your baby’s sleep and breathing overtime.
Instead of lullabies, Nanit Plus lets you play relaxing nature sounds at the press of a button. With two-way audio, you can also calm your baby using your own voice.
Unlike the Cubo AI, however, Nanit only works if you’re connected to the same Wifi network. You will not have access to live baby once you leave your home’s Wi-Fi range. While Nanit will continue to record data 24/7, you simply can’t access it unless you’re in the range of its Wifi network.
With the Nanit app, you’ll have access to Nanit Insights. Nanit Insights provides you with personalized tips, and saved nightly recaps that can be used to optimize your baby’s sleep quality over time. While the first year of Nanit Insights is free, you will have to pay anywhere from $8 to $40/month for continued access to this information.
That said, if you’re looking for a smart baby monitor that is feature-rich and designed for at-home purposes, Nanit is an excellent choice.
How to Choose The Best Video Baby Monitor
With prices ranging from $80 to $500, not all video baby monitors are created equal. Some use Wifi technology, allowing for remote access, while others are limited to the confines of your home. Some baby monitor will provide you with detailed analytics, while others will simply provide you with audio and video footage. For that reason it’s important to look into the specs of a smart baby monitor before purchasing it.
Here are some key criteria to consider when choosing a smart baby monitor:
Wifi or Non-Wifi
Not all baby monitors are Wifi-based. A baby monitor with Wifi allows it to connect to an app on your smartphone. That means you can monitor your baby beyond scope of your home.
Wifi-based baby monitors tend to offer more features and in-depth analytics. Non-Wifi baby monitors, on the other hand, tend to be more simple in terms of functionality. Since they don’t require a mobile app, non-Wifi baby monitors will typically come with a handheld display instead.
Video Quality & Specs
Video resolution could make or break your peace of mind. The last thing you want is to panic over an unclear image. If high resolution video is a key criteria for you, look for a baby monitor with 1080p resolution. Being able to zoom in and adjust the video angel remotely is also useful.
If you have multiple babies in the room, a wide angle lens could be beneficial if you don’t want to set up multiple cameras. Otherwise, opt for a video monitor that can be expanded with additional cameras.
Night Vision Quality
Since a big chunk of your baby’s sleep takes place during the night, a baby monitor with a reliable night vision lens is important. Ideally, you want to be able to see your infant with clarity 24/7.
The best night vision baby monitors will use infrared (IR) technology. Infrared night vision allows you to see your infant with clarity at night without the need for a potentially disturbing light source.
Audio / Microphone
Some baby monitors will offer two-way audio communication which is useful if you want to be able to interact with your infant from afar. This interactive element can be incredibly rewarding for parents who work long hours or are frequently outside of their home. If audio quality is important to you, be sure to look into specs such as microphone sensitivity and volume precision.
Temperature / Humidity Sensors
A few smart baby monitors have built-in temperature or humidity sensors. If you plan on analyzing your baby’s sleep patterns, these sensors could provide a useful depth of information. With this information, you could determine that your baby sleeps better when humidity levels are higher or temperature is lower.
Sleep Analytics
Most smart baby monitor apps will provide analytics via a mobile app. Some will go more in-depth than others. Sleep analytics can allow you to spot patterns and optimize your baby’s sleep based on these patterns. Some apps will provide you with personalized tips to improve your baby’s sleep, based on the data they’ve collected.
Expandable or Not
Whether you have multiple infants to keep an eye on or want to set up a baby monitor in multiple locations, opt for a smart baby monitor that can be expanded in terms of camera count.
This means you can have multiple cameras connected to the same baby monitor. This will save you from buying a separate monitor for separate rooms. This is also useful for large spaces if your baby monitor has limited angles or more narrow lenses.
Why Get a Baby Monitor For Your Nursery?
Having the helping hand (and eye) of a reliable baby monitor can make a huge difference in your quality of life in the first few years of your infant’s life. Here are some key reasons why a baby monitor is a great addition to your nursery room:
Convenient
A baby monitor will help you identify false alarms without having to run up and down the stairs eighteen times a day. You can simply open the app to visually assess whether your baby is in need of your attention.
Being able to actually see your baby at all times provides an extra layer of reassurance that simply isn’t possible with traditional baby monitors.
Improved Security
Asides from convenience, a smart baby monitor can be a reliable way to ensure that your baby is safe at all times. Smart baby monitors will alert you when a potential danger has arisen. Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, some even go as far as to alert you if your infant has rolled over or exited the crib.
Increased Quality of Life
Having a child is a commitment on its own but it does not necessarily mean you should sacrifice your quality of life. A huge benefit of a baby monitor is that you can carry on your day without stressing over every gurgle you hear. This is not to say you should rely exclusively on your baby monitor, but having a third eye can help put you at ease.
