Life
Say goodbye to privacy concerns.
Long gone are the days of sneaking into your child’s room to check up on them as they sleep; baby monitors are loaded with features that let you keep tabs on your little one from the next room, even on different floors of the house. But while some baby monitors can connect to Wi-Fi, many parents know that the best baby monitors without Wi-Fi have a lot to offer. Non-Wi-Fi monitors tend to be more dependable, and they don’t have the same security concerns as Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
What To Consider When Shopping For Baby Monitors Without Wi-Fi
Buying a baby monitor can be overwhelming; there are so many options to choose from and they all look pretty similar. To help you pick the best one for your family, consider these factors:
Screen Capabilities
If you want to be able to see your child in their crib, then getting a monitor with a video screen is a given — but you'll need to think about the video capabilities you require from your monitor. Some models offer night vision so your little one is still visible in the dark. The ability to zoom and pan so you can adjust your view is another feature to look for if it matters to you. Pay attention to the screen size when purchasing, since sizes can vary — the screens on this list range from approximately 2 inches to 5 inches. If you are solely concerned with hearing your little one when they wake, you can save some money by going with an audio-only option.
Battery Life
Battery life can vary a lot between baby monitors. Every monitor on this list can plug in for charging, but parent units are designed to unplug after charging for portability, while baby units stay plugged in. Some parent units can also be used with standard batteries. Overall, using video mode will kill a battery faster than audio-only mode, so the way you use your baby monitor will affect its battery life. Ideally, monitors should last overnight on a single charge, and pricier video units or inexpensive audio-only units seem to accomplish this nicely, lasting about 8 to 24 hours between charges. Inexpensive models could claim a longer battery life, but you may find yourself plugging them in more often.
Additional Features
There are so many snazzy features to consider when purchasing a baby monitor, so prioritize the ones that are most important for your family. Do you have a large home? Pick a monitor with a good range, so it’ll work in every room. Do you have multiple kids (or plan on having more in the future)? It might be a worthwhile investment to get a monitor that allows you to flip between multiple cameras. Other cool camera features include the ability to tilt or zoom, talk to the baby, monitor the room temperature, or even play soothing lullabies.
With all this in mind, here are four of the best non-Wi-Fi baby monitors — all of which are safe, dependable, and loaded with features to make caring for your little one a lot easier.
1
A Fan-Favorite Video Baby Monitor With Interchangeable Lenses
Battery life: Up to 12 hours audio, or up to 8 hours video
Range: Up to 700 feet with no obstructions
Notable extras: Night vision, remote thermometer, interchangeable lenses, two-way talk, expandable by up to four cameras
This non-Wi-Fi baby monitor from Infant Optics is beyond adored by parents on Amazon. With more than 36,000 five-star ratings on the site, reviewers note that this baby monitor has all of the main features that you could ever want.
The video monitor features a 3.5-inch LCD full color screen, and is super lightweight, making it easy to carry around the house as your little one sleeps. And night vision allows you to see your baby even in pitch black. The two-way talk feature will be a great way to comfort your baby from afar, and the built-in remote thermometer lets you monitor the temperature of the nursery.
The camera itself can pan, tilt, and zoom, and has interchangeable lenses (normal and zoom lenses are included, and a wide angle lens is sold separately) to give you a lot of control over what you see.
This pick is expandable by up to four cameras, which is ideal if you have multiple children. The battery life is decent, too, giving you up to 12 hours in audio-only mode or 8 hours in video mode. It doesn’t have the best range of the picks on this list (it can function from up to 700 feet away with no obstructions), but tens of thousands of reviewers take no issue with this.
Enthusiastic Amazon Review: "[...] The camera and monitor have given me peace of mind because with using the wide-angle lens I can see a large area of the room where the children are sleeping - but, I can also zoom in to see closer up which is a huge benefit. I also like that the camera can be attached to the ceiling or left on the table - makes it very flexible for all uses. The picture quality is great and is also very easy to see at night time. The camera will automatically switch to night time mode when there is less light [...] The sound is easy to hear from the monitor and I love how sleek and small the monitor is - still plenty of big for me to see any activity in the room but also small enough to carry around with me. [...]”
2
A Large-Screen Video Baby Monitor With Exceptional Battery Life
Battery life: 18 to 24 hours audio, or up to 12 hours video
Range: Between 480 and 900 feet
Notable extras: Remote thermometer, two-way talk, expandable up to four cameras
This non-Wi-Fi baby monitor has two major features that make it a standout among all other options: the extra-large 5-inch video screen is super crisp, so you can easily monitor your baby both day and night (no squinting required), and the battery can last up to 24 hours straight in audio-only mode (or 12 hours in video display mode), which is significantly longer than its competitors.
The notable features don’t end at the screen size and battery life, though. This pick has a really good range (between 480 and 900 feet) to always keep your little one in sight. The double and quadruple zoom options are great for scanning your baby’s room, while seven different volume levels allow you to hear as much or as little as you please. Plus, an external thermostat keeps you in the loop on the temperature in your baby’s sleep space. If you have (or plan on having) multiple children, this monitor is capable of supporting up to four cameras.
All of this adds up to a high-quality baby monitor that has earned rave reviews on Amazon.
Enthusiastic Amazon Review: "I love everything about this baby monitor. Not having to use wifi was a plus to me. It feels so much more secure that way. The quality of the picture is topnotch, even at night. Works great!!”
3
The Best Budget-Friendly Video Baby Monitor
Battery life: 8 to 10 hours in video mode, when fully charged. VOX mode will extend battery life.
Range: Up to 960 feet with no obstructions
Notable extras: Night vision, programmed lullaby sounds, remote thermometer, high/low temperature alerts, programmable alarms, two-way talk, battery-saving mode, expandable by up to four cameras
You’ll surely be impressed by the number of features this Babysense non-Wi-Fi video baby monitor boasts, especially considering the low price tag. The camera can manually pan and tilt, infrared night vision allows you to see your baby in complete darkness, and you can even monitor the room temperature. With a range of up to 960 feet, you can keep an eye on your little one from wherever you are in your home. Use the two-way audio or programmed lullaby sounds to calm your baby when they wake. And if you have multiple kids, this pick expands to be used with up to four cameras.
However, there are a couple of downsides to this baby monitor: the screen is small (only 2.4-inches), and the camera doesn’t digitally pan. But with a $50ish price tag, this pick is certainly worth considering.
Enthusiastic Amazon Review: "I chose this because I’ve had a great experience with Babysense’s customer service for a previous monitor I purchased. [...] I needed another camera and decided to buy this system instead of an add-on camera. It’s great. I like how compact the parent unit (screen) is.”
4
The Best Audio-Only Baby Monitor
Battery life: Up to 16 hours
Range: Up to 160 feet indoors, or up to 1,000 feet outdoors
Notable extras: Vibration mode, visual sound indicator, night light function, belt loop, talk-back intercom
This baby monitor from VTech is known for its crystal clear audio (no static here), which makes listening for your baby easier and more enjoyable. The audio-only monitor has a five-level indicator that allows you to track the sound in your baby’s room, even with the unit muted (since you can see the sound level, too). You can also set this pick to vibrate whenever there is a sound in the baby’s room, so you won't disturb anyone else. The parent unit has a belt clip to easily carry it with you on-the-go. And when your child wakes, you can comfort them with the two-way intercom.
This pick allows for an impressive 16 hours of monitoring on a single charge using the rechargeable battery. It has a decent operating range, too, offering up to 1,000 feet outdoors or 160 feet indoors.
This format of the VTech monitor comes with just one parent unit, but it's also available with two parent units.
Enthusiastic Amazon Review: "[...]The VTech monitor is very quiet so all I hear are the noises the baby makes and a light white noise sound in the background. The range of the monitor is better than our old one, so I can have it right on my night stand instead of just outside my bedroom door like the old one was. It's really quite easy to use, fairly self explanatory. The walkie talkie feature is handy to have, as a couple times I needed to communicate with my husband to bring something up for me in the middle of the night. As the baby gets older I anticipate using this to communicate with him. I loved the price. [...]”
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