Our pick for most familiesNewborn to preschool
Oricom Secure875 video baby monitor (SC875)
A local video monitor with pan-tilt camera and no wifi to secure; Oricom tops Aussie owner ratings.
Monitors
A monitor lets you hear or see your baby from another room; it is a convenience, not a safety device. Red Nose is clear that no monitor has been shown to stop sudden unexpected death in infancy, so safe sleep practices come first and we don't recommend breathing, movement or vital-sign monitors as picks. The bigger choice is local versus wifi. Local monitors (DECT audio or FHSS video) talk only to their own parent unit and can't be reached from the internet. Wifi and app monitors let you watch from anywhere, but treat them like any connected camera: strong unique password, two-factor sign-in, firmware updates. Mount cameras out of a child's reach.
Budget pickNewborn to preschool
Oricom Secure530 DECT audio monitor
A simple, private audio monitor that tells you when baby stirs, for a fraction of a video monitor.
Things we don’t recommend, and why
- Breathing, movement and vital-sign monitors (sensor pads, smart socks, clip-ons) sold as a way to keep babies safe. There is no evidence any monitor stops SUDI, and alarms can give false reassurance. Source: Red Nose: Baby monitors and SUDI, Red Nose: Home monitors
- Wifi cameras left on default passwords or out-of-date firmware. Change the password, turn on two-factor sign-in and install updates. Source: Australian Cyber Security Centre: Secure your internet-connected devices
Price bands for this category: $ < $100 · $$ $100–200 · $$$ $200–350 · $$$$ > $350. Prices change — check the retailer.