Erratic breathing patterns while sleeping is a common factor for both premature as well as healthy babies. Hence, in such cases, it’s always better to have the best baby breathing monitor handy with you. According to AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), periodic breathing often occurs when the breathing pattern pauses for 5 to 10 seconds, this is normal.
However, on the contrary, some infants can experience serious periodic breathing conditions. The reason is that technology has stepped in to help us all out with the use of breathing monitors, which are available in the market that helps to track the breathing pattern of babies.
What Then Do These Monitors Do?
These monitors can track the respirations of the baby by taking into consideration either the levels of oxygen or the movement. The best baby breathing monitor is available in three kinds:
1. Wearable
These monitors can be easily clipped onto the diapers or the clothes of the baby.
2. Worn around the foot
This breathing monitor can be worn around the baby’s foot, and it gathers data on the heart rate as well as levels of oxygen in the blood.
3. Do not make any contact
These kinds of monitors track the motion through the video monitor.
When Does A Baby Need A Breathing Monitor?
Although it is mentioned earlier that healthy as well as premature babies can face periodic breathing, it is also said that parents of healthy babies may not have the urge to breathing monitors. Because attaching a baby’s breathing monitor can just be an extra ache for the parents who can get worried due to any false alarm.
However, premature babies who are born with serious medical conditions may need additional monitoring. These can be rented from any medical supply store or local hospital on the result of the pediatrician of the child. If a monitor is not recommended, there is no requirement to purchase one until and unless you want to and are comfortable.
Top 10 Best Baby Breathing Monitors of 2023
1. Owlet Smart Baby Monitor Duo
This breathing monitor has a camera included that helps track the oxygen of the baby as well as the heart rate that can be viewed on the encrypted HD video, and communicated through two-way audio via the Owlet app. It slipped through the foot of the baby with a sock-like device connecting the base, glowing in green indicating no danger.
Amazon Reviews
Initially we used this sock to keep an eye on our baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels which brought us a lot of peace of mind and eased our new parent nerves at bedtime. After several months and still using it, we tend to use the sock more to track sleep cycles than oxygen. I highly recommend this to new parents!!!
Good reviews: long battery life in the sock and it recharges so fast! The picture quality on the camera is pretty good! The camera and the sock were easy to set up. There are multiple fabrics for the sock included, so when baby grows you don’t have to buy a new sock!
Bad reviews: the app is pretty lousy considering how much you have to pay for this monitoring system (the App itself is free though). 9 times out of 10 we have to open the app and close it and then open it again in order to refresh the data and get up to date information on our sleeping baby. Lots of glitches on the app but definitely still usable, you just need patience sometimes! Also, you have to clean the sock pretty frequently otherwise it will smell really bad like feet and give your baby’s precious soft feet a stinky foot smell too.
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2. Snuza Baby Hero Movement Monitor
The Snuza movement monitor has no cords, wires, or sensory pads attached. All you need to do is simply clip this small device to the baby’s diaper that vibrates every 15 seconds and alarms after 20 seconds when no movement is noticed. The best part is that it is portable, and doesn’t need to be synced to the smartphone.
Amazon Reviews
A little long, but hear me out. I had never actually heard of Snuza before. I found it on a Reddit thread during a desperate search for support and how to relieve my PPA. I did a little research and was very drawn to the fact this little device was only measuring the breaths my baby took. Everything else on the market has too many extras that seem appealing to worried parents, but really don’t matter in the end – not as much as just BREATHING. Not to mention, this is at a much lower price point. On NIGHT ONE, I actually fell into REM sleep for the first time in weeks. The Snuza has a “ticking option” that you can hear every time your baby takes a breath, which I thought would annoy me, but it put me right to sleep. In fact, I even turned on my other side away from bassinet for the first time in weeks! I didn’t realize how much I missed sleeping on my left side… I am trying not to “rely” solely on a device, but it certainly allows me to be human for a few hours during the night between feedings. I put the clip on a stationary table before clipping to the baby, and I was pretty shocked at how loud the alarm was, the strength of the vibrating, etc. It works exactly as it should have. I will update if any changes should come regarding battery or function.
I started researching and found the snouza on tik tok! And I’ll say, it’s so much nicer. No false alarms. I can hear the little ticking and the green light of him breathing and I can test that the alarm works easily!
I read a review of the clip getting stuck on their private parts so I never put it on his diaper. It goes on the waist band of his little pants or shorts and then in the sleep sack he goes!
This little thing makes my mama heart rest a little easier!
For more product reviews visit Amazon
3. Nanit Monitor System
It is specially designed as a swaddle that tracks the breath in a geometric pattern to show the breathing motions via a camera. It is also a versatile monitor that also helps track the sleeping patterns, watch and listen to the baby, and Livestream everything to the smart devices through its app.
Amazon Reviews
I can’t say too much about the camera and app yet as the baby isn’t born yet. But the installation was very easy. Take the steps with a grain of salt. They provide a paper measure to hold with your foot, Just use a tape measure. The instructions also say to find an area in-between studs. I found my own screws and centered it on a stud. I know its sturdy that way. There is also about 4 feet of cord that isn’t covered by protective covers. I called and they send out replacements for free. App set up and features are very easy to use.
We LOVE this monitor. I love that I can have it ony ipad in the living room or phone. I love that it has the backround audio so if I am upstairs It is on my phone so I can hear him. Quality is decent. I also wish the band and swaddle were just a tad bigger. Hes 6 weeks and outgrew it already and theyre so expensive.
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4. Wellue BabyO2 Baby Oxygen Monitor
This breathing monitor helps you to track the heart rate, oxygen level, and movements, all at an almost half cost in comparison to the other monitors. This comes with computer software and a free app just in case you need a print.
Amazon Reviews
Whenever our babies are congested, we place this on them for peace of mind. It must not irritate because they don’t mess with it. Only negative- the connection is weak/disconnected unless you’re close to the device with your app.
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5. AC337 Angelcare Baby Breathing Video Monitor
This could be used by just placing the sensor pad beneath the mattress of the bride or the baby. This even includes a camera that measures the temperature of the baby’s room. It also has an alarm clock that will alert the parents in 20 seconds when it detects no motion, with impressive battery life.
Amazon Reviews
I love how simple it is to use and the peace of mind it gives me.
Bottom line, after making it through two newborns, when I wake up I KNOW my child is still sleeping soundly, no reason to run and repeatedly check their breathing.
Buy this and thank me later.
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6. Miku Smart Baby Monitor
The Miku smart baby monitor allows it to track the breathing, sleeping, and body movement patterns of the baby. It comes with a detailed app that can also take the temperature of the little one without any contact made to the body. This monitor could also come in handy when you aren’t around by playing music, downloading as well as sharing photos and videos.
Amazon Reviews
After searching and reading through the multitude of reviews on forums, Amazon, and the likes, the Miku Smart Baby Monitor kept coming up when we were on our search for the best baby monitor. We decided to make the purchase after our first newborn came, and there’s not a single regret. This baby monitor is absolutely amazing!
First – the packaging: Pristine, with the aesthetics similar to opening up a brand new Apple product. The package includes EVERYTHING (which is not a lot) to get up and going. Also, a bonus – they include a small wooden pencil. I’ve never seen that before, and I thought it was cool. Again, you don’t need ANYTHING else apart from what they included in the box to mount this.
After the physical mounting of the baby monitor, the installation and the initial setup of the App was as straightforward as can be. ANYONE can set up and use this monitor and app, and that’s what I love. Miku makes everything as simple, yet sophisticated, as can be.
I’m not sure how it works, but the Miku accurately monitors your baby’s breathing and sleeping habits. The app is sensitive to noise (not too sensitive), so you’re notified when your baby is awake from his/her nap. HD quality is a bonus.
We received a different baby monitor from our baby shower, and the Miku baby monitor stands far above it in comparison.
My recommendation? Spend the money with Miku and make sure that your child is sleeping safe and well with no concern. We’ve had no issues thus far, and the sleek design will look good in any room. Five star purchase.
To start off, the quality of the camera itself is absolutely fantastic. The images shown through your cell phone are super clear so that you have no doubt whether you are seeing anything incorrectly in the middle of the night due to being blurry. My husband is a huge fan of cameras and I am happy to say he is extremely satisfied with its features .
The live breathing is a huge plus and comforts any parent that their little one is have a good night’s rest. Another reason we went with this monitor is The fact that if your baby is a belly sleeper or sleeps under a blanket you can still monitor the breathing and heart rate.
For a couple that always has issue building things this was pretty simple in regards to setting up. The instructions are step-by-step and very easy to follow .
Shipping itself was super fast; our monitor arrived only two days after ordering it. Packaging was very clean and simple.
I am extremely happy with my decision in choosing the Miku , As it was recommended to me by family and friends and now I look forward to recommending it to other mothers, especially new mothers like myself who need that little peace of mind with the first bundle of joy.
For more product reviews visit Amazon
7. MonBaby Baby Monitor
This allows to track the breathing, movement and take the temperature of the baby in just at $50. It is a popular choice being pocket friendly, all parents need to do is snap it onto the clothes of the baby and you’ll know of the breathing patterns, when they roll to their stomach, setting off the alarm.
Amazon Reviews
This product has been so amazing. As someone who struggles with the normal worries of life and all of the scary things that come with being a parent, this device has helped me sleep better. Of course this can’t be used as a medical device, but it is so helpful. The alerts are real time also! Great product from a great company! (This was my second time buying this device!)
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8. Bebcare Digital Audio With Breathing Mat Baby Monitor
If you have a large house, and if you want to monitor your baby’s breathing from anywhere in the house, you will need to choose monitors with a longer range. The advertised range of monitors refers to a tested unobstructed range in the open area. This is an extra-long-range baby movement monitor that comes with an impressive 2,000 feet range in the open area and alerts you when out of range.
Since houses generally have walls and furniture that will cause disturbances in the signal, it becomes difficult to know exactly how much range we will get from a monitor. If you have a large house, it is better to buy a monitor that has the longest range, to ensure it won’t lose signal.
Amazon Reviews
The VOX white noise silencer is such an awesome feature because it removes the white noise that you’d hear on other monitors. And the starry night feature is really fun to play with. I like putting it on when I’m visiting.
The coolest thing is the sensor mat which can alert me when something isn’t right. It hasn’t gone off yet, thankfully!
Anyway, my cousin is loving it so far and recommends it! It’s one of the better gifts I’ve given for sure 🙂
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9. Sense U Baby Movement Monitor
This baby movement monitor has won awards for its capability and can be easily clipped onto the diaper to track the movement of the baby’s abdomen.
If your baby’s movements slow down, or no movement is detected, you will immediately be alerted via your smartphone. According to safe sleeping practices that help to prevent SIDS, babies should be sleeping on their backs. This baby movement monitor also tracks your baby’s sleeping position and notifies you as and when the baby rolls onto their stomach, this will help you know when to reposition them to a safer, back-sleeping position.
Amazon Reviews
I am a hard of hearing mom and this helps me know when my baby wakes up at night. Keeps track of the room temperate as well as the baby and helps me keep my baby comfortable and safe.
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10. Babysense 7
The Babysense 7 is the under-the-mattress movement baby monitor which has two-plate sensors that will help you track your baby anywhere on the crib mattress. In case the movements slow to less than 10 micromovements in a minute or even stop for 20 seconds, the Babysense makes sure to alert you with the help of the flashlight too.
Amazon Reviews
I LOVE THIS PRODUCT! After having my son I quickly became worried about SIDS and checking on his breathing during the night. I was not fond of wearable devices to monitor him, so a friend suggested this product. I ordered it right away.
He’s now 6 weeks old and I haven’t had to change the battaries once, and this device is used everyday, every time he is sleeping.
This I had eased my anxious mom heart so much!
For more product reviews visit Amazon
The Best Baby Breathing Monitor
Parents, in the beginning, need to know that breathing monitors are for their help and they should not get paranoid. These help you by letting you keep a close watch while you aren’t around the baby with their tracking of periodic breathing patterns. According to research, there can be times when breathing monitors will not always be reliable or consistent. Also, just in case your baby goes through serious breathing conditions like sleep apnea, immediately talk to the doctor.
FAQs: Top 10 Best Breathing Monitors for Babies
1. Are baby periodic breathing monitors important ?
2. Do babies sleep keeping their mouths open ?
3. How do you know if a baby is finding it difficult to breathe ?
4. Which is the best baby breathing monitor ?
5. Is Miku better than Owlet ?
Reviewed By:
Nimrat Sidhu - Pediatration
Dr. Nimrat S Sidhu is a practicing pediatrician for about 5 years now and holds an MD pediatrics degree. She was the topper of her batch, has always had a keen interest in her core medical field, and is specially trained for neonatal resuscitation.
She has published multiple research papers on pediatrics and is interested in topics like Neonatal care, skincare, baby growth, vaccination, growth, and development.
