Are you looking for the best Baby breathing monitors? Make sure you read our guide before you buy.

It’s natural to be concerned about your baby’s health, particularly if you are a first time parent.

Knowing that in the very early stages of life babies are more prone to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) can understandably cause worry, and many parents prefer to invest in a baby breathing monitor to reassure them that baby is safe and sound while sleeping.

We’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to why you might want to buy a baby breathing monitor and the best ones on the market.

What Are Baby Breathing Monitors?

Baby breathing monitors at their most basic are devices which sound an alarm if your baby should stop breathing.

The most recent, high tech baby breathing monitors also monitor factors such as baby’s sleep cycles, heart rate, movement, oxygen levels, and room temperature.

How Do They Work?

Baby breathing monitors are usually designed to be a wearable device that is placed next to your baby’s skin in order to be as accurate as possible, although mat versions that your baby lies on are also available.

They use special sensors which detect if your baby stops breathing, suddenly wakes up, or other issues, and then sound a highly audible alarm to alert you that there may be a problem so that you can check on baby.

Some are also designed to vibrate or wake baby in the event that he or she should stop breathing or if their heartbeat should suddenly stop.

Many modern baby breathing monitors are also smart devices that can be paired up with your smartphone to use alarms which notify you of any potential problems remotely, even if you are not at home.

Smart baby breathing monitors often also collate data over a period of time to provide parents with useful reports regarding baby’s sleep patterns and other factors.

Pros of Baby Breathing Monitors

• A baby breathing monitor can provide parents with reassurance that baby is ok, without having to get up and check throughout the night
• Alarms can alert parents to any problems that arise so that they can be dealt with as quickly as possible
• Breathing sensors can be a useful solution to identify apnea syndromes
• They are a great solution for monitoring premature babies or babies who have already been diagnosed with breathing problems
• If the breathing monitor features sleep tracking technology this can help when it comes to sleep training

Cons of Baby Breathing Monitors

• Baby monitors can sometimes cause unnecessary worry and stress due to false alarms
• If baby is very physically active, the monitor attachment may become displaced or detached
• Breathing monitors for babies are not 100% fail safe, and shouldn’t be relied on completely

Features Of The Best Breathing Monitors For Babies

Baby breathing monitors come in many different forms. Here are some of the most important features you should be looking out for…

Wireless

Too many sensors or cables can be dangerous, so choosing a wireless baby breathing monitors is essential

Vital signs

Monitoring your baby’s breathing is a good start, but a device which also monitors other vital signs such as heart rate and oxygen levels is even better

Sound

When your baby breathing monitor sounds you need to be able to hear it. The best monitors are loud and clear

Simplicity

Baby monitors should be easy to use, even if they have a lot of features

Portability

Small and compact wireless designs are ideal for taking with you anywhere

Durability

Quality counts, and baby monitors should be able to handle some rough treatment, particularly if you plan on using it for travel

Longevity

Breathing monitors that use batteries should have a long battery life and be easily rechargeable

The Best Baby Breathing Monitors

Owlet Smart Sock 2 Baby Monitor

This neat baby monitoring system tracks all baby’s vital signs including oxygen levels, heart rate, and sleep data.

Compact and clever, the sensors are embedded in a smart sock that can be securely but comfortably attached to baby’s foot with velcro straps.

If baby’s heart rate or oxygen levels become higher or lower than the preset zones, the smart sock sends a Wi-Fi signal to the base station receiver which then uses lights and alarms to let you know if something is wrong.

Even better, when you’re away from baby you can receive alerts and monitor his or her stats in real time using the Owlets app on your smart phone.

The Owlet Smart Sock 2 Baby Monitor is supplied with socks in 3 different sizes, and can be used for babies from newborn to 18 months old.

Pros

• Gives peace of mind
• Low risk of false alarms as due to snug sock fit of monitor
• Allows parents to monitor baby remotely
• Monitors heart rate and sleep as well as breathing
• Base station has good range
• Wireless
• Easy to use
• Includes 3 washable socks
• Provides handy reports which help in spotting trends

Cons

• Only collects data when baby is asleep
• Needs to be charged each day

Snuza Hero (SE) Baby Movement Monitor

Designed to detect abdominal movement which indicates correct breathing, the Snuza Hero (SE) Baby Movement Monitor is a plastic device which can be attached to the front of baby’s diaper.

It contains a sensor which uses skin contact to detect if baby’s abdominal movements become too weak or drop below safe levels for more than 15 seconds.

If this should happen it triggers the device to vibrate in order to stir baby into moving.

Providing this is successful the device reverts back to its normal state to continue monitoring, but if after 3 attempts baby’s abdominal movements are still below safe levels it will sound an alarm to alert you to the problem.

Pros

• Very portable
• Easy to set up and use
• Clever vibration feature intervenes when necessary without causing unnecessary worry
• No cords to cause risk of strangulation
• Generates few false alarms
• Affordable
• Loud, clear alarm

Cons

• Monitor can sometimes fall off
• Can only be used in a crib – not suitable for co-sleeping

Cocoon Cam Plus

The Cocoon Cam Plus monitors baby’s breathing and sleep patterns in real time.

This baby breathing monitor is an HD camera complete with night vision, which when installed above the crib uses motion sensing software and artificial intelligence to analyze tiny head and chest movements which indicate whether or not baby is breathing properly.

As the Cocoon Cam Plus is a smart device, it will send instant alerts to your smart phone via Wi-Fi should there be any change in breathing, or if baby should start to wake or cry.

As it is a camera you can visually check on baby remotely at any time, and it features a zoom so you can get an even more detailed image if necessary, plus a microphone so you can hear and speak to baby whenever you want to.

It also collates data to provide sleep analytics, and can be used to create cute time lapse videos of baby as he or she sleeps.

Pros

• High quality image
• Can be used to monitor baby remotely via WiFi
• No intrusive wearables or wires as camera is wall mounted
• Great sound quality
• Streams live video in real time
• Easy to use
• Two way audio
• Excellent night vision

Cons

• Not portable
• Can be a little tricky to install and set up
• Video can sometimes lag a little when there’s a weak WiFi connection

Sense-U Baby Monitor 

Sense-U claim that using their award winning baby monitor means no more false alarms.

This smart device not only notifies you if baby should stop breathing, but also if he or she rolls over onto their stomach, or if the surrounding temperature becomes too hot or too cold.

The monitor is a sensor built into a plastic ring that clips securely onto baby’s diaper or other clothes provided they fit snugly, and detects changes in abdominal movements that signal how well baby is breathing.

It then uses a Bluetooth signal to send alerts to the free Sense-U Baby app on your smartphone which sound an audible alarm in the event of a potential problem such as if there is no abdominal movement for 15 seconds or more, or if there is a sudden drop in ambient temperature.

Pros

• App is easy to set up and use
• Alerts can be individually turned off and on
• Compact and portable
• Monitors more than just breathing rate
• Long battery life
• Easy to clip onto clothing
• Totally wireless
• Alarm is loud and clear
• Affordable price

Cons

• Can only be used remotely at a maximum distance of 50 feet
• Breathing monitor can be inaccurate if not correctly positioned

New Babysense 7 – Under-The-Mattress Baby Movement Monitor 

Rather than being attached to baby’s clothes or diaper, the New Babysense 7 works using 2 sensor pads which are placed under the crib mattress to avoid direct contact.

The sensors are extremely sensitive and can detect every tiny move that baby makes while in the crib, and if baby stop moving for more than 20 seconds or if movement slows to unsafe levels a signal is sent to the remote receiver and activates a red light as well as sounding an alarm.

This baby breathing monitor can be used for babies of up to 1 year of age.

Pros

• 2 sensors give total crib coverage
• No exposed wires
• Alarm is loud and clear
• Quick and simple to set up and straightforward to use
• No weight restrictions
• Minimal false alarms

Cons

• Must be placed on a hard, flat surface in order to function correctly
• Not very portable
• Blue light indicator is a little too bright for our liking

Levana Oma Sense Portable Baby Breathing Movement Monitor

Featuring a slim and elegant design, the battery powered Levana Oma Sense Baby Monitor is both stylish and practical.

The cordless device can be attached to baby’s clothes using a clip to sit gently on his or her tummy in order to detect the abdominal movements which indicate breathing.

If the sensor detects no breathing for more than 15 seconds, the monitor goes into a special mode designed to rouse baby into breathing using alerts and vibrations.

If baby is not roused into movement after 5 seconds following this, the monitor goes into a second mode which uses a mixture of alarm sounds and flashing LED lights to alert parents to a potential problem.

Pros

• Small, light, and very portable
• Simple, easy to use design
• No skin contact necessary
• Cordless, so safe for baby
• Clever WakeUp technology
• Clips on securely

Cons

• Can only be used over a short distance
• No dedicated receiver

Angelcare Baby Monitor with Video and Breathing Sensor Pad

The popular Angelcare Baby Monitor with Video and Breathing Sensor Pad uses a sensitive sensor pad that is placed underneath the mattress in the crib to monitor baby’s breathing rhythms.

The sensor pad detects if baby stops breathing for more than 20 seconds, and sends an alarm to the accompanying touchscreen receiver video unit to alert parents that action may be needed.

This sensor is couple with an adjustable camera with zoom and night vision which provides a clear picture of baby while he or she is sleeping which sends real time video feed to the video receiver.

The camera also features an ambient temperature sensor which lights up either red or blue to indicate that baby’s room is too hot or too cold, and benefits from a 2 way microphone so mom or dad can interact with baby from a distance.

This baby breathing monitor also collates sleep and temperature data over a 2 month period to enable parents to track trends.

Pros

• Sound activated by baby’s cries
• Great user interface
• Good touchscreen options
• Camera can be either wall or surface mounted
• Excellent sound and video quality
• Doesn’t require direct contact with baby’s skin

Cons

• Touchscreen could be more sensitive
• Temperature gauge can be inconsistent
• A little expensive

MonBaby Smart Baby Monitor

For real time updates of your baby’s breathing movements, simply clip the MonBaby Smart Baby Monitor onto baby’s clothing and you will receive audible alerts if no abdominal movement is detected after 15 seconds.

The smartphone app also receives alerts in the event that baby rolls over onto his or her stomach, or if there are any sharp, sudden movements which may indicate a fall.

Paired to your smartphone, this monitor for baby breathing also lets you know when the sensor unit’s batteries are running low or if your phone is out of range.

The app also allows you to analyse baby’s sleep trends over time.

Pros

• Easy to use
• User friendly app
• Clips securely to baby’s clothes
• Good quality design
• Very small and portable
• Allows for remote monitoring
• Good value for the relatively low price

Cons

• Can fall off if baby is especially wriggly
• Only one person can be connected to the app at a time

Smartbeat Video Baby Monitor with Breath Detection

The Smart Beat baby monitor is all about the camera.

It uses the most up to date technology to send accurate information about baby’s breathing and movement in real time to your smartphone using a secure data encrypted signal.

The Smart Beat baby camera boasts HD video feed, excellent night vision and digital zoom, two way audio so that you can communicate with baby even when you’re not in the room, and the possibility of panoramic view or to pan and tilt the camera as you choose to get an even better view of what’s happening.

Real time breathing tracking lets you know directly if there is the slightest change, and sends an alert to your smartphone if baby stops breathing.

Pros

• Absolutely no wearables so no risk to baby
• Excellent video and audio quality
• Great customer service
• Can be used to monitor baby from any location
• Alerts revert straight to camera view
• Easy to travel with
• App gives excellent real time analysis

Cons

• Very expensive
• App can sometimes take a little time to load

Babysense Petite Clip Baby Movement Monitor

Super lightweight and portable, the award winning New Babysense Petite Clip Baby Movement Monitor attaches securely to diapers or any waistband of baby’s clothing to detect every tiny abdominal movement that indicates how well baby is breathing.

If the sensor detect that baby has stopped breathing for more than 15 seconds it self activates a vibration mode designed to gently rouse baby awake and recommence normal breathing.

If this is not successful after 5 seconds, the monitor sounds an audible alarm and activates LED lights to alert you to the problem.

The ’tick on movement’ mode can be activated to reassure you whenever baby moves, and the device also comes supplied with a hard carry case to protect it when travelling.

Pros

• Simple yet effective
• Almost no set up required
• Very lightweight and portable
• Useful automatic vibration stimulation to rouse baby into normal breathing patterns
• Affordable price

Cons

• Must be correctly positioned to work correctly
• May sometimes fall off

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Which do you think is the best baby breathing monitor?