10 Best Baby Breathing Monitors Reviewed in 2024
Brian Price
The best friend for a new parent is a baby monitor to track the baby’s movements and vital signs constantly, so the parent is always informed of what is going on in the nursery as the infant sleeps or naps. Busy parents cannot always be at the side of a sleeping baby, so monitors were invented by some wonderful manufacturers to help new parents out. These devices fall into two categories of breathing monitors and movement monitors. All of these monitors have a high satisfaction rating from online customers who have left overwhelmingly positive feedback for future buyers. These are the top-rated items that were the most reviewed online and have pleased the people that bought them. We highlight them on this page to simplify your shopping experience in finding the absolute best products for yourself and your family.
This is the best product on our list that is currently in stock:
Displays real-time breathing without the use of wearables
Updates automatically
Allows you to look at your baby from anywhere in the world
Produces clear images and sounds
10 Best Baby Breathing Monitors Reviewed
1. Sense-U Baby Breathing & Rollover
Clips to the waistband of the diaper
Connects to your phone to monitor
Sounds an alarm if breathing is irregular
Winner of the Design Award in 2018
Has a built-in thermometer
Did not detect baby roll over for a few people
Connection issues for some
Easy to use and portable is this device that clips to the waistband of the diaper or clothes of the infant. It monitors the breathing whether there is no breath, or the breathing is too fast.
Read moreBrand
This product is the winner of the Design Award for 2018. This shows that the ingenuity of the device is special and fabulous for parents to have to prevent mishaps in the nursery while the child is alone.
Ease of use
This device is incredibly easy to use. All parents have to do is place the clips onto the waistband of your baby's diaper or onto their clothes.
Connectivity
The built-in thermometer is a wonderful thing to have on a baby. You will know quickly whether the child is too cold or too hot and in need of some room or blanket changes.
Apps
This product can connect through your cellphones apps making sure that it is a little bit easier to watch your bundle of joy and monitor there breathing levels. This product connects to your phone to do the monitoring and sounds an alarm if the breathing is irregular. If the baby is sleeping on its stomach, the device lets you know. It is the winner of the Design Award for this year.
Sound Quality
This wonderful product will also tell you if the child is cold or overheated because it has a built-in thermometer. Monitors like this one are perfect for alerting parents of troubles or dangers in the nursery, thus preventing the symptoms that cause SIDS.
2. Miku Smart Baby Monitor
Displays real-time breathing without the use of wearables
Updates automatically
Allows you to look at your baby from anywhere in the world
Produces clear images and sounds
Expensive
With the Miku Smart Baby Monitor, both you and your baby can sleep peacefully. It shows you real-time breathing with crystal clear images and amazing sound quality.
Read moreBrand
This well-known brand is not only trusted by families but has also won several awards for this monitor. In 2019, they won The Bump Best of Baby and Babylist The Best of Tech.
Ease of use
Being a contact-free monitor, your child can sleep peacefully without having to be hooked up to any devices. The processor updates automatically, thus you can be confident your device is always up to speed and working properly.
Connectivity
With this baby monitor, you can check on your sleeping baby from anywhere in the world. No need to worry about time zones when you’re traveling away from your babu. It is equipped with night vision thus allowing you to take a peek at your baby at all hours of the night.
Apps
Not only will the app allow you to continuously check-in but it will also give alerts. The app records your child’s sleep patterns, movements, temperature, breathing, and humidity in the room.
Sound Quality
Equipped with Double Ole Wolff speakers, this monitor has a superior level of sound quality. They also allow you to talk to your baby. You can listen to their breathing or calm them down with your voice.
3. Snuza Go
Portable
Ultra-sensitive tip detects the smallest movements
Easily clips to your child’s diaper
Timer can be set to 15, 18, or 20 seconds
Batteries may die quicker than six months
The Snuza Go will give you the peace of mind you need to know your newborn is breathing properly.
Read moreBrand
Since 2007, Snuza has been using bio-sensory technology to create baby movement monitors. They were the first company to introduce a portable baby breathing monitor.
Ease of use
While this monitor is a wearable, it is small and compact. It can be clipped to your child’s diaper; thus it will not disturb them as they sleep. The included protective case allows you to take the monitor everywhere your child goes. The included batteries last up to six months but can easily be purchased at stores when needed.
Connectivity
The tip is ultra-sensitive and is designed to detect the smallest movements. If there is no movement at all or your baby’s movements fall weak, this monitor will emit an alert. You can set the alert to be emitted if the abdominal movement stops after 20, 18, or 15 seconds. The lights will also warn you about your child’s movements.
Apps
With this being a wearable device, you don’t need to download any apps to use it.
Sound Quality
When the movement rate falls below eight movements per minute the monitor will release a tone beep every second. When there is no abdominal movement the device will release a loud alarm.
4. Owlet Smart Sock 2 Heart Rate
Uses clinically-proven pulse oximetry
Utilizes apps, sounds, and lights
Includes three socks to put on the foot
Will fit most babies from 0-18 months old
See the real-time stats on your smartphones
Battery issues for some users
Sock did not fit a few infants
Utilizing apps, sounds, and lights to warn parents if health levels are too low or too high, this baby monitor from Owlet uses clinically-proven pulse oximetry. It tracks oxygen levels and heart rate while the infant sleeps, connects to a station, and reports to your phone connection.
Read moreBrand
The socks that this includes will fit most babies from zero to eighteen months. There are three socks included with each set for whichever foot you are monitoring.
Ease Of Use
These socks track oxygen levels and your infant's heart rate when they are sleeping. It is a unique way to check the vital signs without a device that can fall off easily.
Connectivity
This is a wonderful way for parents to gain peace-of-mind where their baby is concerned. It is the only monitoring system we feature that attaches via a sock to the baby’s body.
Apps
Your infant's levels can be tracked through an app called Owlet. This monitor can track oxygen levels and heart rate. This sock will keep track of the important vital signs that can often prevent SIDS. Green lights mean that everything is okay. These socks are comfortable and connect to the notifying base station up to 100 feet away. With this device, parents will be able to connect their monitor to their phone with an app called Owlet.
Sound Quality
This device uses sound and light to help warn parents if their babies levels are too low.
5. Snuza Hero (SE)
Is a wearable device for the baby
No fuss with sensor pads, wires, or cords
If no movement for fifteen seconds the vibration activates
After twenty seconds an alarm sounds
Comes with a one-year warranty
Batteries do not last long
Falls off the baby easily
This fabulous movement monitor keeps track of your baby’s abdominal movement and lack of it. It comes with a one-year warranty and is portable. There is no fuss with sensor pads, wires, or cords, and this is so easy to use and set up.
Read moreBrand
It is a wonderful device to prevent sudden infant death syndrome or suffocation in babies that sleep alone in beds or cribs.
Ease of use
This monitor is portable and parents won't have to worry about any loose wires or cords.
Connectivity
The vibration and alarm that the device performs will let you know if there is a problem with the breathing of your child. Without stomach movement for fifteen seconds, the vibration stimulus will be triggered. This is to arouse the infant and get them to breathing again or making abdominal movements.
Apps
This is a fantastic idea to monitor the baby’s abdominal movement.
Sound Quality
If there are no movements in this area for twenty seconds, the loud alarm is sounded to alert the parents of the danger. Parents do not have to be close to hear the loud alarm if it goes off.
6. New Babysense Under The Mattress
Will detect any movements through the mattress
Does not come in contact with the child
Comes with two sensor pads that are very sensitive
Used in hospitals in Australia, Asia, and Europe
Is used in thirty-five countries across the globe
Does not work well with thicker mattresses
Babies that move a lot in the crib will not be protected with this
From Babysense, we feature this fabulous Baby Movement Monitor that has sensor pads that are placed under the mattress. It will detect and monitor any movements through the baby’s mattress because the pads are highly sensitive.
Read moreBrand
This device has a lower risk of alarms that are false than previous models and is used professionally in hospitals in Australia, Asia, and Europe. This great monitor is in place in thirty-five countries across the globe.
Ease of Use
This is a device that uses pads under the mattress to detect the movement of the infant. This is wonderful for those parents that do not want to attach anything to the baby or its clothes.
Connectivity
Can be transferred under any type of crib mattress easily so that parents will be able to track their infants sleeping patterns. They do not come in contact with the child, which can be a plus for concerned parents not wanting to attach a device to the infant. If there is no movement for twenty seconds by the child, then an alarm sounds. If the movement rate is less than ten micro-movements a minute, an alarm sounds.
Apps
These pads are extremely sensitive which is why they need to be kept under your baby's mattress. This is so that parents will get an accurate reading on their baby's movements every night.
Sound Quality
This monitor will detect their movements through the mattress. The pads are highly sensitive.
7. MonBaby
Attaches easily to any of your child’s outfits
Equipped with six different alerts
Affordable
App is free and easy to use
Clip could be more durable
MonBaby’s award-winning baby breathing monitor is easy to use and highly accurate.
Read moreBrand
Monbaby designed this baby monitor with both you and your baby in mind. Your baby will sleep comfortably while wearing it and you can appreciate the accurate results as well as the affordability.
Ease of use
This monitor is designed to easily snap onto any baby outfit. The lightweight and flat design prevent your baby from pulling off the monitor.
Connectivity
Not only does the device monitor your baby but it also monitors the range. You will receive an alert if the device goes out of range or if the battery is low.
Apps
Once the device is attached to your child’s clothing you can monitor your baby via the app. The free app is easy to read and displays your baby’s position and breathing.
Sound Quality
Designed to detect the slightest breaths, an alarm will be sent to your phone if there is a pause in your child’s breathing. You will also be alerted if your baby rolls over.
8. Smart Beat
App is easy to navigate
Produces accurate results in real-time
Equipped with two-way audio and night vision
Camera is designed to pan, tilt, and zoom.
Expensive
The Smart Beat breathing monitor is equally safe and easy to use. Mounting it all the wall keeps wires out of the crib and there are no batteries to replace. Clear images and sounds allow you to keep a watchful eye on your child.
Read moreBrand
Nate Ruben founded smart beat for his wife after she expressed her fears and concerns revolving around their baby’s breathing. Using anatomically correct respiratory manikins, The May Clinic has verified the accuracy of this breathing monitor.
Ease of Use
This monitor is designed to attach to a wall on the outside of your child’s crib. There are no batteries to recharge or electronics in the crib, thus making this a safe option for your family.
Connectivity
The camera allows you to watch live video and audio straight from your phone. You can tilt the camera or zoom in to get a better view of your child. It even is equipped with night vision. With the two-way audio you can listen to your child’s breathing, cries, or babble. You can even calm their worries by talking to them without having to enter the room.
Apps
The app is easy to sync and can be downloaded on both Apple and Android phones. While you navigate through the app you see your child’s real-time breathing chart and movement patterns.
Sound Quality
The sound and picture quality on this monitor are amazing. They’re so detailed that you can see the duration and depth of each breath.
9. Levana Oma Sense
Highly portable
Designed with WakeUp Technology
Easy to clip on
Alarm is loud and flashes lights
Some reviewers experienced false alarms
Flashing lights and loud alarms will have you notified as soon as an emergency arises. The Levana Oma Sense Baby breathing monitor can be taken on the go so your mind can always feel at ease.
Read moreBrand
Designed and Engineered in Canada by Levana, this device is designed to clip onto your child’s pants just over the naval area.
Ease of use
Designed with wake up technology, Oma Sense will stimulate your baby with vibrations if no breathing is detected for fifteen seconds. The clip can be operated by one hand, thus making it easy for you to attach the device to your child’s clothes while holding your baby.
Connectivity
Take this monitor anywhere your little one goes. It is cordless and operated by batteries.
Apps
At the present time, Levana has not created any apps to go along with this monitor. It is a standalone device and does not require a connection to any type of phone.
Sound Quality
If the monitor does not detect any movement five seconds after it releases vibrations it will emit an emergency alert. The alert sounds and LED lights flash to alert the parents that attention is needed.
10. CoCoon Cam
Crystal Clear live stream
Validated by pediatricians
Equipped with a built-in microphone
Camera is designed to zoom in and with night vision
Some reviewers experienced the camera lagging
Check on your sleeping baby day or night with the CoCoon Cam baby monitor!
Read moreBrand
Validated by pediatricians all over the world, CoCoon Cam is a product you can feel great about having in your home.
Ease of Use
With crystal clear live stream you can easily check in on your baby. The night vision and zoom features make it easy for you to get a better view.
Connectivity
The camera is designed to be attached to your child’s bedroom wall. The device will monitor your baby’s breathing without the use of wearables, mats, cables, or attachments.
Apps
Once you have synced your camera with the app you will receive alerts when there has been a change in your baby’s breathing. You can also set the app to alert you when your baby is crying, waking up, or has fallen asleep.
Sound Quality
The built-in microphone and speaker allow you to clearly hear what is happening in your child’s bedroom. It also will allow your little one to hear you clearly if you decide to talk to them.
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Brand
We only choose the best products of a specific category to highlight on our buying guide pages for your shopping convenience. We aim to bring you the best of the best in online products that have customers raving over the great selections they have purchased. These monitors all have the best ratings and the most reviews online of all the items in this category. Customers would undoubtedly purchase them again because they are so great. We know you want the best for your family, just like we want for ours, so we strive to feature just the top products here.
Ease of Use
The instructions for these monitors are simple and easy to set up. Most of them use your smartphone to connect to the device via apps for the monitoring, but some of them do not. They all work on batteries, so there are no wires to contend with at all. Just activate the app, put in the batteries, and set the controls to start monitoring.
Connectivity
It is important that the baby breathing monitor works well while you are not in the room with the child. That is the whole point of having a monitor is so that you can be away in another room nearby, yet not right there within sight. Most of these devices can work well from 100 to 1,000 feet in range. When the manufacturer stated a range, we put it in the summary of the product. All of these work from a good range from the infant, so you can monitor them well no matter where you are or what you are busy doing.
Apps
Several devices on our list that we have created all can be connected through an app. With these app features, parents will be able to track and monitor their infants sleeping patterns. Some apps even will set of signals to your device if there is no movement for over a period of time. Being able to track your infant's patterns and other levels such as oxygen and heart rate is wonderful because each night will be store in whatever app your device requires.
Sound Quality
Many of the devices all have decent sound playback for parents. Being able to hear their baby sleeping calmly without having to go into their baby's nursery every five minutes will also help any new parent relax. Some of the devices on our list even play lullabies for your infant during the night. There are a few as well that include a nightlight or an LED light and respond to sound lights, and movement.
Brand Ease of Use Connectivity Apps Sound Quality 
All of these devices are 100% safe to use with your baby. Some of these tracking devices can even be clipped onto your infant's diaper waistband or clothing so that they can get a better accurate reading on your child's oxygen and heart rate levels while they are sleeping. Some like the sensor pads will also rest underneath any type of crib mattress as long as that mattress is not too thick. This makes it so that your baby will be able to sleep peacefully without any interruption throughout the night.
A breathing monitor will track the oxygen level and heart rate of the child, as well as the breathing patterns. These will let you know if there is a pause of fifteen seconds or more in-breaths that the baby takes. An alarm will go off if this happens to alert you of irregular breathing patterns. A movement monitor lets you know when the child rolls over or moves in the bed to a dangerous position. It is well known that infants should not sleep on their stomachs because of the threat of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. Sleeping on the stomach is just one way that babies could possibly suffocate from the position they are in. Movement monitors will alert you to this shift in movement.
Other Factors to Consider
Durability
These products all have great reviews about how well they work and how much people are satisfied with them. Even if the batteries did not last six months out for a few people, the devices are of the latest technology and the newest innovations in tracking and monitoring devices appropriate for baby monitoring. They are all equipped with alarms to alert the parents when something is not right, which is why they are used. Whether you are tracking for movement or breathing, these are the best products out there to choose from today.
Approved by Pediatricians
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is an unfortunate unexplained death of an infant as it sleeps. These babies are deemed healthy and are usually less than one-year-old when this condition occurs. It is also called crib death because it so often happens in the crib as the child sleeps. The cause of this problem is still unknown, but some studies show that a connection in the brain that controls the arousal from sleep and breathing in the brain of the infant might be defected. There are things you can do as a new parent to protect your child from dying of SIDS. The most important prevention is never putting your child down to sleep on their stomach. This is a form of suffocation for infants that do not have a full range of head motion to lift their heads from the sleeping surface or pillow area.
There are some physical factors that could increase the risk of a baby being affected with SIDS. These could include low birth weight, birth defects, and respiratory infections. It has been noted that some baby that die of SIDS have a cold just before death, which may be indicative of a breathing problem. The sleeping environment of the baby could also pose some risks of SIDS. These consist of sleeping on the side or stomach, sharing a bed, and sleeping on a surface that is soft. Soft surfaces pose an air-blockage risk for infants and sleeping in the same bed with others can increase the breathing problems for an infant. while sleeping in the same room is okay, sleeping in the same bed is not.
Some common risk factors for SIDS could include the sex of the child, race, age, being premature, the family history, and secondhand smoke. The risk of SIDS increases if your child was born premature or with low birth weight or is a male. Males are more often the victims of SIDS rather than girls. Those between the ages of two to four-months-old are most at risk for this issue as well as babies that are not Caucasian. Secondhand smoke gives a child a higher risk for SIDS also. During pregnancy, if the mother has prenatal care that is not adequate, uses alcohol or drugs, smokes cigarettes, or is younger than twenty-years-old, the chances of the baby getting SIDS increases.
Although there is no sure way to prevent SIDS, there are some prevention measures that new parents can take to help safeguard their infants. Make sure that every time you place the infant down to sleep they are on their back. Ensure that anyone who comes into contact with or watches the baby knows this from relatives to babysitters to prevent and undue death. Make sure the crib mattress is a firm one that will not cause the baby to be face down in soft fabric that will give with the weight of their head should they happen to turn over on their stomach. Keep the bed area as free from extra things as possible. Toys and pillows in the crib may come in direct contact with the face and pose a breathing obstruction if they are too close. Take these steps and precautions to safeguard your infant the best you can to keep them from the harm of suffocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
q: Why do I need a baby breathing monitor?
Baby breathing monitors will track plenty of information you need to know about your infant as they sleep, nap, or just relax in their own beds. Parents must do other things as their child sleeps, but they want to know what is going on with the baby at all times. With a monitor in the room with the infant, it is like you are standing right there watching them when you are really in the next room or down the hall. With the problem of SIDS being an ever-present danger for infants, it is wise to invest in a monitor that will at least alarm you if the child has a heart-rate problem or a breathing problem to prevent the death of a sleeping child.
q: Can these be used when the child is in another building?
A few of them with a long-range could possibly be used in this manner. It greatly depends on the range of the device and the interference that is around at the time of using the device.
q: How long can these be used as the child grows up?
These monitors can be used as long as you need to watch your child when they are sleeping or inactive. This will vary greatly with each individual child, but generally, as the child grows up and is more active, these will not be needed anymore. Plenty of movement will cause the movement monitors to set off alarms, so this would not be practical for an active child. If the alarms keep going off because of movement or the device falling off in the case of the devices that attach to the child, then it is time to not use these anymore.
q: Do the batteries last a long time? This seems to be a major complaint of buyers online.
Yes, there are numerous remarks online about the batteries in some of these devices not lasting long. It seems with time the batteries, like most wireless devices, do deteriorate and lose their ability to hold a charge like when they were brand new. This happens with cell phones and smartwatches, and any other device that runs solely on battery power.
q: Do the breathing monitors really measure the oxygen level of the infant or just that it is breathing?
Yes, these really do measure the oxygen levels of the child and can tell the parents when the child does not breath for a period of fifteen to twenty seconds. Oxygen level and heart rate are very important to check, especially in a newborn to watch for proper development
q: For the devices that attach to the child, how do these work?
There are several monitors that attach to the infant on this list because these are seen as some of the best devices available online currently. Most of these attach by means of a button-type device that fastens to the clothes or diaper of the baby. They track movement, heart rate, and oxygen levels of the child and when the child is not breathing for about fifteen seconds. One of these devices is a sock that is worn by the baby to track these statistics that are reported to the parent’s phone. They are all safe to use and pose no safety hazards for the child when worn.
Sources
- , 5 reasons why baby monitors are important, Online Article
- , Static on a baby Monitor: Why it happens and how to avoid it, Online Article
- , Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), Online Article
