Have You Seen How High-Tech Baby Monitors Are These Days?!

As much as you love your baby, parents know that one of the best times of the day is bedtime. (Fact.) And what better product to give you peace of mind—and ya know, make sure a certain small human isn't trying to climb out of the crib instead of sleep—than the baby monitor? But with so many options on the market, it can take some time to figure out which one is the best fit for your growing family. It all depends on your specific needs, says Dr. Katie Lockwood, MD, a primary care pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

"Parents should shop for a monitor that has features that match what they think they need in order to feel comfortable leaving their baby alone in a room away from them. This may include audio, audio and video, and the ability to talk to your baby," she explains.

Some other things to consider, according to Dr. Lockwood: who else will need to use the baby monitor (such as grandparents or a nanny), how easy it is for multiple users, if it's travel-friendly, if you want the monitor to be accessible via your smartphone or just at home (multiple wifi-using devices can become an issue), if you need to monitor multiple children at once, and the physical range of your monitor.

Stay away from movement monitors, Dr. Lockwood notes: "These have not been shown to reduce SIDS and are more likely to falsely alarm and increase parental anxiety." As for the audio only vs. audio and video debate, there's no right answer. "The choice of which monitor you should use is highly personal. Find one that has the features you value most and is in your budget," she says. "Keep your receipt though, because it may take some trial and error to find the right monitor for your family." With all that in mind, check out these 10 best baby monitors on Amazon—all approved by fellow moms—and find the one that's perfect for your bundle of (sleepy) joy.