Whether you’re a new parent or a certified baby whisperer, there’s no doubt that baby monitor devices are a game changer when it comes to sleeping babies and children. Once upon a time, they were simply a way to check in on your baby and ensure they were settled. These days baby monitors are jam packed with incredible audio and visual features, complete with companion apps, breathing sensors and even built-in sleep study metrics. We’ve put together this list of great options for parents who want the peace of mind to know that their little ones are sleeping safe and sound. Check these out:

With almost sixty years under its belt, Uniden is a global leader in wireless communications and a force in consumer electronics. This Japanese powerhouse was also the first to introduce a colour video baby monitor into Australia, which is why we’ve picked a range of their products as top choices for watchful parents.

Designed to monitor the safety of your sleeping baby or even just your children playing with you out of the room, Uniden’s BW 3001 is an exceptionally user-friendly product that won’t let you down. Uniden’s entry-level product is as functional as it is stylish with a suite of advanced yet practical features that every parent, grandparent or carer will love. The system comes with a 2.3″ colour LCD display receiver so that you can see and hear your child, even during the evening with its night vision capabilities. The BW 3001 can also be expanded to accommodate four cameras, so you are covered from every angle. It also contains a multipurpose adjustable clamp that simply enables the camera to secure to the rails of a cot, a shelf or stand freely on a bedside table – it can even be done one handed! Uniden has also added a terribly handy “walkie talkie” function, so you can now talk to and soothe your baby remotely. Think about those moments when you need to cook dinner but can still reassure the baby when they’re going to sleep. This function has so many applications! And when you just need a minute of peace or singing’s just not your thing, the BW 3001 also comes with a selection of lullabies to play to your baby. Here’s a feature we think you’ll like – the temperature display with temperature range alert. For both children and babies, general advice is that a safe sleeping environment is between 18 and 22 degrees celsius. Uniden’s BW 3001 series measures the ambient room temperature where the camera is situated. If the temperature falls outside of a preset range, the system alerts you with audible beeping. It also features a digitally-encrypted system for secure digital and crystal-clear monitoring.

The next step up in baby-monitor technology from Uniden is the BW 4351 digital wireless baby monitor. Like its predecessor, it comes with night vision, lullabies, walkie talkie function and a digitally encrypted system for secure monitoring. This particular system however, has a larger 4.3″ colour screen and the camera included has a pan and tilt feature giving you the ability to change viewing angles to capture even more activity across the room. It also allows you to take a photo or manually record a video to capture every little moment, both of which you can access in the gallery area saved to an SD card. The camera’s special night vision feature means you can see and hear your child, without the need to turn the room light on. Like the BW 3001, this system has a temperature display with a temperature range alert, however it builds on this with humiture detection. This means that alongside the ambient room temperature, it can alert you to humidity levels as well. Uniden has provided some interesting smart functions with this model, including motion detection to detect any movement within camera view, noise detection and cry detection to identify the volume of the baby’s sound or crying. When anything is detected above the set threshold, the monitor screen will light up to alert you of any potential issue. Something new in the BW 4351 monitor is the white noise feature. Why white noise? White noise refers to sounds that mask other sounds that occur naturally in any environment and this can sometimes be very helpful when putting your baby to sleep. Research shows that babies may be able to fall asleep more quickly, more easily block out household noise and even resettle with less fuss with the help of white noise. Sure beats running the vacuum cleaner!

Owlet’s mission is for every parent, is to have access to better tools to care for their baby in the home. Traditional baby monitors transmit sound from one room to the other or transmit video from the nursery to your room. Owlet wanted a baby monitor that did a little more – so they developed baby heart rate and oxygen monitors to help give parents peace of mind. Thousands of parents have shared how the Owlet smart sock changed their lives and the company has received hundreds of five-star reviews. Ultimately, Owlet aims to empower parents with the right information at the right time and help every parent find more joy and calm throughout the parenting journey.

The award-winning Smart Sock tracks the most important indicators of your child’s well being – use the baby sock monitor to track your child’s heart rate, oxygen level, and sleep trends from the first night you bring them home to their first day of school. The Smart Sock is designed to grow with your child which is why it comes with three different fabric sock sizes that comfortably wrap around their foot. You can even view the readings in real time with the free Owlet app and receive notifications if readings leave preset zones, so you know when your child really needs you. But what does the Owlet Smart Sock do? Using pulse oximetry, the Owlet Smart Sock tracks your child’s heart rate and oxygen levels and sends real-time insights to your phone. You’ll receive immediate notifications if the oxygen level is too high or if the heart rate is too low. It also measures sleep trends – view total hours slept, number of wakings and overall sleep quality. You can use this data to create new routines as your child’s sleep schedule evolves. The Smart Sock comes with a Base Station that glows green when readings are normal and flashes red light and plays sounds if the readings leave preset zones. But what about battery life? The Smart Sock is both quick charging and long lasting. Convenient drop-and-go wireless charging gives you an eight-hour battery in only 20 minutes and a full 16-hour battery in just 90 minutes.

HD video streaming direct to your phone gives the Owlet Cam 2 a serious edge. Owlet’s smart HD video baby monitor allows you to see that your little ones are safe and sound with night vision, sound and motion notifications, and background audio that plays while you use your phone for other tasks. Let’s run through the features - 130° wide-angle view to see what’s happening in the room; sound, motion and cry notifications to let you know when they need you; auto-adjusting night vision to see your child clearly, even at night; and you can even watch, share and save video clips. Plus there’s functions to help you understand their sleep environment like a temperature sensor and humidity tracking. Owlet believes that watching video clips of sounds or movement before your baby cries helps parents to understand their cues and why they are uncomfortable, rather than having to wait until their baby cries to try and figure out what they need.

Nanit is here to support the journey of parenting! Launched in 2016, they began with the idea that the right technology could make life a little more manageable for new parents, by connecting them to their child’s development and well being. Here’s the stats – 94% of the parents who use Nanit say they sleep better and that their babies sleep (on average) 10% longer every night and fall asleep earlier. For these reasons we think Nanit is worth a closer look.

Get ready to meet the world’s most advanced baby monitor – the Nanit Pro. This smart baby monitor uses computer vision technology to conduct your very own sleep study during naps and night-time sleep. Their award-winning, cutting-edge camera tracks your baby’s movements to deliver a crystal-clear picture of almost everything that happens in and around the cot, while patented technology analyses sleep patterns to give parents personalised tips and expert coaching that improves sleep quality. The result? Better nights (and days) for the whole family. Let’s take a look at its main features. First up, crystal-clear views. No matter what time of the day or night, you’ll get superior 1080p HD video quality, in and around your child’s cot and beyond. It’s the only smart monitor with a Split Screen feature that allows users to see and control two cameras simultaneously in the accompanying app. The two-way talk and background audio lets your baby hear you and you hear your baby even when your phone screen is off. And in a safety first, Nanit is the only monitor on the market that is ASTM-certified to be safely positioned within one metre of the cot due to the cord cover. Back to that app – it lets you see and connect with your baby from almost anywhere and comes with secured user accounts. This means you are in control of who is on your parenting team and what they can see, which really adds to your peace of mind. And of course, it comes with 256-bit AES encryption, which is the most secure way to protect your most precious data. Other cool features include a built-in, dimmable night light to aid in night feeding and changing and white noise or nature sounds option to create a soothing and conducive sleep environment.

The Nanit Pro Camera Complete Monitoring System comes with the above Nanit Pro Camera and some really cool add-ons like the wall mount, multi stand, breathing band and Nanit Swaddle. The Wall Mount comes with a built-in level to make installation a breeze. With your wide-angle Pro Camera firmly mounted to the wall, you can rest easy knowing that it sees nearly everything in and around the cot. Or you could opt to use the Floor Stand. With a free-standing and a wall-leaning mode, you have the flexibility to reposition it over nearly any baby sleep space (think bassinet now, cot later, all the way to first bed). And thanks to the clever cord cover, Nanit is fine to be safely positioned within one metre of the sleep area. The Breathing Band works with the Pro Camera to detect your baby’s breathing motion safely and comfortably in almost any sleep position – without any sensors, electronics, or radars! Using patented computer vision technology, Nanit tracks breaths per minute (BPM) and responds quickly to changes by sending real-time alerts through the app and to the camera should your little one need you. It fits comfortably over most pyjamas and sleeping bags (up to 24 months) and is, most importantly, made from 100% cotton that’s machine-washable and dryer-safe. The Swaddle works in the same way to allow you to monitor your baby’s breathing and help them sleep more soundly. This is an ideal option for back-sleeping newborns (0-6 months), who are not rolling over and need extra soothing and comfort. We also love the two-way bottom zipper for those (hopefully) quick late-night nappy changes.