Here’s a selection of the best baby monitor deals online. A baby monitor is a device that enables you to listen to or see your baby while he or she is in another room. It means you can watch your baby or hear whenever she wakes up or cries, wherever you are in the house and with some newer apps, even if you’re miles away.

Audio monitors usually come in wireless digital or analogue models. Analogue monitors are cheaper, but can suffer from more interference from other appliances, such as cordless phones or wifi networks, and this can affect sound quality.

They also theoretically present a risk to privacy, as transmissions could be ‘tapped into’ – for example, by other baby monitor receivers nearby.

Digital monitors are fast becoming the more popular option, though they tend to be pricier. They offer longer range signals (so are useful in larger houses), greater privacy and clearer reception, with less interference from other frequencies and many offer a wide choice of potential operating channels.

Most parents are happy using audio monitors, as they provide all the ressurance and insight into their baby’s night-time stirrings they need. However, video monitors are growing in popularity.

These ‘baby cams’ use one or more video cameras to stream footage to a receiver with an LCD screen, usually via a wifi connection.

You can also use cables to receive pictures on your TV, while some systems stream video straight to your mobile phone or computer, and record footage.

Extra cameras can be used, for example, to monitor twins. Video monitors are pricier than audio monitors, often costing £150-plus, though prices are reducing all the time.

Most offer night vision using infrared LCDS, so you can check on your baby even after dark (they usually switch automatically into this mode). Check your video system has an encoded signal so you have total privacy.