The 7 Best Baby Monitors Without Wi-Fi — So You Can Keep An Eye On Baby Without Privacy Concerns
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Baby monitors let you watch your kiddo sleep, which also helps you sleep knowing if they cry out for you, you’ll hear them. The best baby monitors without Wi-Fi also let you rest assured it’s only you watching them, since the camera is in a closed circuit with the monitor. There are other practical reasons to eschew Wi-Fi as well. If your internet goes down, so does the baby monitor. Another major advantage of Wi-Fi-free baby monitors is that they don’t require an app or connecting to your home network, making them faster and easier to set up. And all of the models below have a parent unit, a plus if you’re prone to forgetting to charge devices.
Here are some key considerations to keep in mind while you shop.
Features To Look For In The Best Baby Monitors Without Wi-Fi:
- VOX Mode: This feature puts the parent unit into sleep mode when your baby is quiet and turns it back on when sound reaches a certain threshold (which is adjustable on some models.) It conserves the battery and lets you relax by not broadcasting every wiggle, shuffle, and snore.
- Screen: For a high-definition view on the screen, look for at least 720p. A baby monitor with 480p is standard resolution, which can still provide a good view of baby, just with fewer pixels (aka clarity).
- Battery Life: The amount of time you’ll get between charges varies between models, ranging from four hours to nearly 30 hours.
- Zoom: All of our favorite baby monitors without Wi-Fi have a zoom feature, but most utilize digital zoom, which allows a closer view at the expense of image quality. Models with physical or optical zoom are harder to come by these days, but with it you’ll have the added advantage of a clearer image when zoomed in.
- Pan/Tilt: Several models allow parents to remotely change the camera’s angle and field of view. This is helpful for monitoring a child in a playroom, for example, but is less critical if you're mounting the camera over a crib.
- Multiple Cameras: Most of our picks allow you to add additional cameras to monitor multiple children, spaces, or even angles of the same room. Most allow you to manually switch between cameras and can be set to alternate between them.
- Temperature Monitoring: This feature is handy in the colder and hotter months, although many models tend to be several degrees off, according to parent reviews on Amazon.
- Two-Way Talk Mode: Some parents use this feature to reassure their baby. Other babies find the disembodied voice unnerving or it makes them upset you’re not there.
- Lullabies: Gentle music can help your baby drift off to sleep and can mask outside noise. Most models have at least one lullaby and some have up to five.
Regardless of what features are most important to you, ahead you’re sure to find the best baby monitor without Wi-Fi for your baby and home.
In a hurry? Here are the top picks for the best baby monitors without Wi-Fi.
1. The Overall Best Baby Monitor Without Wi-Fi: eufy Video Baby Monitor
2. The Runner-Up: Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO Baby Monitor
01The Overall Best Baby Monitor Without Wi-Fi
Pros: VOX mode, large HD screen, a battery life of up to 15 hours when used in power-saving mode, wide field of view, wide angle lens included, wall mount included, can pair up to 4 cameras
Cons: No optical zoom
The best baby monitor without Wi-Fi is not only a Fatherly editor fave, it’s also a fan favorite on Amazon with over 5,000 reviews. Shoppers love it for its dependability, high-definition picture quality and night vision, battery life (seven hours with the screen left on, 15 hours in power-saving mode), and an adjustable VOX sleep mode so you can decide at what noise threshold it should alert you. Another great feature of this camera is its wide field of view with the ability to pan the lens 330 degrees, so you can see corner to corner, and tilt it 110 degrees to view from floor to ceiling. With a large 5-inch screen, it’s easy to always clearly keep an eye on baby. This pick also features a temperature monitor and five lullabies.
Editor’s praise: “I first spotted the eufy at a friend’s house, and it was immediately obvious what an upgrade this baby monitor was compared to the one I’d had with my first son. The night vision is so clear that I can see my little one’s chest rising and falling as he breathes, and the VOX mode means I can sleep soundly knowing this monitor will wake me if needed. I love the wide screen and wide range for panning the camera, and the range works excellently in my two-story home. I bought a second camera to keep an eye on both of my kids. ” — Ileana Morales Valentine, Associate Commerce Editor
Resolution: 720p | Zoom: 2x | Remote Pan/tilt: Yes | Two-Way Talk Mode: Yes | Range: Up to 1,000 feet
02The Runner Up: A Baby Monitor With Great Optical Zoom & Noise-Canceling Tech
Pros: Noise cancellation technology, large HD screen, optical zoom with this list’s highest degree of zoom, can pair up to 4 cameras, sound-activated LED bar, replaceable battery, a battery life of up to 15 hours when used in power-saving mode
Cons: No voice-activated VOX mode, wide angle lens sold separately, no lullabies
The Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO baby monitor is one of the highest-rated baby monitors without Wi-Fi on Amazon, boasting a near-perfect 4.8-star rating after nearly 5,000 reviews. Parents rave about the high-quality infrared night vision, which they say is invisible in the baby’s room but allows them to see their baby breathing — even in a pitch-dark room on the large 5-inch screen. The camera can pan and tilt remotely from the parent unit and it has the highest degree of zoom of all of our picks — up to six times between the digital and optical zoom.
Another unique feature is the noise-reduction technology that screens out background noise in a baby’s room like a sound machine or fan running but picks up baby coughs, sighs, and sneezes. The monitor is easy to set up and you can even purchase a wide-angle lens separately that allows you to monitor a panoramic view, which is perfect for keeping an eye on playrooms and children at play. The monitor also displays room temperature and the time.
Helpful review: “This beats every previously purchased monitor. I’m a mom of 4 and this monitor is by far the best I’ve ever used. Before this one, we always used the summer infant brand and wow the quality on this one is fantastic. Clear picture of baby, time, temp is nice being able to see on the screen. Super easy to use. Also, it is able to have a great range between camera and monitor. We have a 3000 sq ft home and I’ve had no issues anywhere in the house or in garage or in backyard. Definitely recommend.”
Resolution: 720p | Zoom: 6x | Remote Pan/tilt: Yes | Two-Way Talk Mode: Yes | Range: Up to 1,000 feet
03The Fan-Favorite: A Simple Monitor For A Great Price
Pros: Highly rated, can be expanded to four cameras
Cons: Resolution isn’t HD, battery life is on the shorter side
This highly rated baby monitor is so popular that it has over 20,000 reviews. The ANMEATE baby monitor has fewer frills, but it still has many must-have features for new parents, including two-way talk ability, two-times digital zoom, temperature monitoring, and lullabies. The battery-saving, voice-activated eco-mode (this brand’s version of VOX mode) allows the parent unit to last up to eight hours. It has a manual pan ability to get your baby perfectly in-frame, as well as a digital panning, and can be used with up to three additional cameras to cover multiple children or multiple parts of your child’s room or your home.
Helpful review: “I needed a camera to help curb the mom anxiety while I taught my baby to sleep in her crib but I didn’t want To spent hundreds of dollars on a camera. This is the perfect product . It has great video quality (both day and night) and the service reaches all the way across my apartment even though my walls are all concrete! Super easy set up , easy to use, easy to charge, relatively good battery life and overall just a great product”
Resolution: 480p | Zoom: 2x | Remote Pan/tilt: Yes | Two-Way Talk Mode: Yes | Range: Up to 960 feet
04The Best Baby Monitor For Twins Or Multiple Children
Pros: Large HD screen, long-lasting battery up to 22 hours in VOX mode, expandable to 4 cameras, wall mount included
Cons: No option for a wide angle lens
The bonoch split screen baby monitor is a great value that offers a lot of features for a high-end feel. The 5-inch high-definition screen can be paired with up to four cameras (additional cameras sold separately) with a unique split-screen mode that allows you to view multiple rooms simultaneously or singly in a cycle. The wall-mountable camera can be remotely controlled to pan, tilt, and zoom (pans 355 degrees and tilts 120 degrees), and it also has a room temperature sensor that alerts you when your baby’s room is outside of your settings. This pick can last up to 22 hours in voice-activated VOX mode (which has three sound sensitivity levels) and up to eight hours in screen-on mode.
Helpful review: “This was so easy to set up. No pairing or being aggravated just plug in a ready to go!! So happy with this purchase. Don't second guess it, it's completely worth the money. I also love how you can split the screen and see both cameras at the same time!”
Resolution: 720p | Zoom: 4x | Remote Pan/tilt: Yes | Two-Way Talk Mode: Yes | Range: Up to 1,000 feet
05The Monitor With The Longest Battery Life
Pros: Extremely long-lasting battery (up to 29 hours in audio-only mode), VOX mode; can pair with two cameras
Cons: One of the smallest screens of our picks, camera can only be adjusted manually
At 2.8 inches, the VTech VM819 baby monitor without Wi-Fi has one of the smallest screens of any on this list, making it a pocket-friendly pick. It has a high-capacity battery that can last for 19 hours in screen-on mode and a whopping 29 hours in audio-only mode. This well-priced model from a trusted name brand features a room temperature sensor, two-way talking, VOX mode, and two different lullabies for baby to drift off to. The angle of the wall-mountable camera can be physically adjusted and the monitor covers up to a 1,000-foot range. You can pair up to two cameras to this monitor.
Helpful review: “I purchased this camera for my parents’ house. I was tired of packing up mine every time I went over for a visit. I was looking for something that was a lot less expensive but would do it’s job well. After a week of using this one I am blown away. I much prefer this camera! The batterylife is probably at least twice as long as my other one. The picture is much clearer, and it doesn’t tell my it’s out of range all the time like my other one. I spent a couple hundred on my other camera. This one is significantly less expensive and it does the job better. The only thing it can’t do that my other one can is move. I hardly ever use that feature anyway so I’m not complaining. Do yourself a favor, save some money and get this camera!”
Resolution: Unavailable | Zoom: No | Remote Pan/tilt: No | Two-Way Talk Mode: Yes | Range: Up to 1,000 feet
06A Basic Baby Monitor With The Ability To Pair With 4 Cameras
Pros: Wide-angle camera, VOX mode, expandable to up to four cameras, wall mount included
Cons: Battery life is not as long as other models in screen-on mode
This user-friendly Wi-Fi-free baby monitor has a sizable 4.3-inch screen, and the monitor can be paired with up to four cameras, making it a great choice for families with multiple kids. It has five different lullaby options, a two-way talk mode, and a room temperature sensor. In screen-on mode, the battery lasts four to six hours with the screen on, and the voice-activated VOX mode can extend battery life to up to 12 hours. The glow-free, wall-mountable camera can be physically rotated in a full 360 degrees. Reviewers noted the wide angle of the camera doesn’t require the camera to be mounted high on the wall to get a full view of their baby’s crib like some other models.
Helpful review: “I bought this back in February of 2020 so I’ve had it well over a year now and I still love it. The quality is great! Only thing is the battery life doesn’t last they the night which is okay cause I just leave it on the charger but because of that the charger has worn down and I had to use a new one. ( it’s a basic android charger)”
Resolution: 480p | Zoom: 2x | Remote Pan/tilt: No | Two-Way Talk Mode: Yes | Range: Up to 1,000 feet
07A Budget-Friendly, Features-Rich Baby Monitor Without Wi-FI
Pros: More affordable than other models on list, remote pan/tilt/zoom, VOX mode
Cons: Reviewers found that the lights on the parent unit are bright for nighttime viewing
With this Wi-Fi-free baby monitor, you get voice-activated VOX mode, which helps extend battery life and only alerts parents for sounds above a certain threshold; reviewers reported this monitor lasts four to six hours in this power-saving mode before needing to be plugged in. Despite its budget-friendly price, it has several of the bells and whistles of a more expensive model. It features two-way talking between the child and parent unit and a lullaby mode to help babies fall asleep. The monitor has a room temperature sensor, a lullaby, and an optional feeding timer alarm. Note that this pick has a smaller screen than our top picks, at 3.5 inches, and a slightly shorter range as well. Still, parents can remotely pan and tilt the camera and zoom in.
Helpful review: “Battery life on the screen has been great. Lasts many hours (through multiple naps) and we've yet to find a spot in our home that exceeds the range of the camera. The night vision works great. The speaker on the camera is small and sounds tinny so talking to your child is probably not super realistic, but we didn't feel like we needed that anyway. Also, the movement function works great and it has a wide range of motion.”
Resolution: Unavailable | Zoom: 2x | Remote Pan/tilt: Yes | Two-Way Talk Mode: Yes | Range: Up to 960 feet
