At a glance
| Baboo | Typical hardware video monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | Nothing – free app on devices you own | Camera and parent unit, roughly $100–$300 |
| Premium | Optional subscription or one-time lifetime purchase removes the session limit and ads | Usually none; some Wi-Fi models sell cloud plans |
| Range | Same Wi-Fi, or anywhere with mobile data or internet | Radio models: one home (often quoted up to about 300 m in open air). Wi-Fi models: anywhere via their app |
| Parent screen | Your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch alerts, or a web browser | Dedicated handheld unit |
| Two-way talk | Yes, hold to talk | Most models |
| Night vision | Low-light enhancement plus the camera phone's light as a night light | Infrared night vision on most models |
| Cry and motion alerts | Yes, with saved clips | Sound-level alerts on most; smart detection on premium models |
| White noise and lullabies | Yes, with sleep timer | Some models |
| Breathing monitoring | No | Only on specialised systems with wearables or sensor pads |
| Privacy | Encrypted peer-to-peer; video not stored on our servers | Radio models never touch the internet; Wi-Fi models vary by brand |
Cost over two years
Most families use a baby monitor from birth until somewhere around age two or three. A mid-range video monitor costs about $150 up front, and replacement batteries or a second camera add to that. Baboo costs nothing to download and use; the free version limits the length of each monitoring session and shows ads, and Premium removes both. Even with Premium, most families spend less than on a mid-range hardware kit – but check the current price in the App Store, because it varies by country.
The hidden cost of an app is the second device. If you do not already have a spare iPhone or iPad, buying one just for monitoring usually costs more than a dedicated monitor.
Range and where you can watch from
Classic radio monitors pair the camera and the parent unit directly. That link is simple and does not depend on your router, but it stops at the edge of its range – usually the house and garden. Baboo uses your home Wi-Fi when both devices are on it, and switches to the internet otherwise, so the parent device works from the office, a friend's house or the car park at nursery pick-up.
Reliability and battery
A dedicated monitor has one job, so nothing else can interrupt it. A phone can run out of battery, receive a call, or be restricted by iOS power saving. Baboo is built to keep streaming with the screen off and warns you when either device's battery runs low or the connection drops, but you should still keep the camera device plugged in overnight and test the set-up before you rely on it.
Privacy
Radio-only monitors are the most private option because the signal never leaves your home. Wi-Fi monitors and apps send video over the internet when you are away. Baboo encrypts video between your two devices and does not record or store it on our servers; clips stay on your device and in your own iCloud. See our privacy policy for the details.
Questions parents ask
Is a baby monitor app as safe as a dedicated monitor?
Can I use an old iPhone as the baby camera?
Does Baboo work without Wi-Fi?
Does Baboo monitor breathing?
Notes
- Hardware prices are typical US retail ranges for video baby monitors from major brands as of September 2026 and vary by model and retailer.
- Radio range figures are the open-air maximums manufacturers commonly quote; walls and interference shorten them.
