When our daughter was first born, we honestly had a really hard time deciding what to do about a monitor. We knew we wanted to get a low EMF baby monitor if possible but didn’t know where to look or how to find one. Honestly, the unfortunate thing is that not that many companies make intentionally low EMF baby monitors anymore and I had to really research, test, and inquire about dozens of baby monitors in order to put this list together.
In this article not only will I thoroughly break down the 5 best low EMF baby monitors with in-depth reviews, but we’ll also be talking about how and why baby monitors emit any EMF radiation at all. We’ll cover whether this is dangerous, why it could be more dangerous for children, how you can create a low EMF nursery for your child and so much more.
To start with, let’s talk about whether baby monitors in fact emit EMF radiation, how much, and why you should care.
Do Baby Monitors Emit EMF Radiation?
Yes, nearly all baby monitors will emit some level of EMF radiation. Most baby monitors maintain a connection between the camera and the monitor via radio waves, similar to how a cell-phone sends data to a cell tower. These radio waves are a form of electromagnetic field radiation called radio frequency radiation.
We’ll get to why this type of RF radiation can be dangerous in a minute. First though it’s important to understand that baby monitors not only emit RF radiation, which is likely the most harmful, but the electrical components also emit another form of EMF radiation called magnetic field radiation. For the most part this type isn’t that dangerous unless you are very close to it, but it’s important to know.
The way that most audio baby monitors operate is using DECT or FHSS technologies that utilize 1.89 and 2.4 GHz frequencies in order to transmit information to your monitor. These radio frequency waves emit the same type of EMF radiation as your WiFi router or microwave, and depending on the power level and proximity to your child could potentially be quite harmful.
It actually surprises many parents when I tell them that according to PowerWatch, a baby monitor placed 3 feet from a baby’s crib emits the same amount of radiation as a cell tower that is 150 feet away.
You see, because baby monitors have to constantly transmit data from the camera (or microphone) to the monitor, they are constantly emitting radio waves, sometimes as often as 100 times a second.
Almost regardless of what baby monitor you are using, it likely emits at least some EMF radiation in the form of radio waves and magnetic field radiation. However, we can significantly reduce exposure by purchasing lower EMF baby monitors. We can also reduce exposure through simple steps like gaining distance, adjusting settings, and a few other ideas we’ll cover at the end of this article.
Take a look at the video below to get a real life example of the radiation that can be emitted from baby monitors.
Now that we understand that baby monitors do in fact emit electromagnetic radiation, let’s talk about why that matters and why it could be dangerous for your child.
What Are Potential Dangers From Using A Baby Monitor?
According to the National Association for Children and Safe Technologies, which I talk about in my huge guide to Children and EMF Radiation, possible side effects to this EMF radiation exposure from baby monitors include:
- Impacted Brain Development
- Decreased Quality of Sleep
- Reduced Immune System
- Impact on the Reproductive System.
- and more…
If you’ve read my post about children and EMF radiation, then you are probably much aware of the ways that children, especially babies, are significantly more susceptible to the dangers of EMF radiation as their brains and bodies are still developing.
In case you haven’t though, let’s talk about it for a second.
Why Are Children More Susceptible To EMF Radiation?
It’s important to remember that children are not just smaller adults, in fact, their entire biological and physiological makeup is actually quite different, especially when they are very young. This makes them more susceptible to many things like EMF radiation, pollution, etc.
For example, a 2003 study found that children have thinner skulls and bones. These thinner bones are less able to protect them from the permeability of EMF radiation, which can allow their brains to absorb as much as twice the EMF radiation from things like cell-phones, WiFi, and even certain baby monitors.
A 2011 study found that “When electrical properties are considered, a child’s head’s absorption can be over two times greater, and absorption of the skull’s bone marrow can be ten times greater than adults”
In addition, children’s brains also have an entirely different chemical makeup, containing more fluid and ions that can allow EMF radiation to penetrate much deeper into their brain tissue. Children also have smaller heads, meaning the brain stem is closer to the edges of their skull meaning radiation has to literally travel less distance, removing some of the protective concepts of the inverse square principal.
In fact, in 2012 the GAO (Government Accountability Office) published a report titled “Exposure and Testing Requirements for Mobile Phones Should Be Reassessed.” The report was a formal call for the FCC to reassess its regulatory requirements and specifically stated that: “The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) RF energy exposure limit may not reflect the latest research, and testing requirements may not identify maximum exposure in all possible usage conditions.”
As of the writing of this article, these regulations have still not been changed whatsoever since they were first established in 1996.
It isn’t only these things though, it’s also the fact that children can’t easily control the radiation exposures around them, those are usually decided by the parents.
In fact a 2008 study called “Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure” found that out of the 13,000 children who were surveyed, children whose mother’s used their cell-phones more were more likely to have a variety of behavioral problems.
Another study in 2002 found that excessive cell-phone use could possibly be linked to increased risks of miscarriage or birth defects.
How Does EMF Radiation Harm Children?
one of the hard things about evaluating how EMF radiation affects us and our children, and why it affects us, is understanding the regulatory levels that are meant to protect us.
You see, the vast majority of scientists and regulators recognize that RF radiation (like what you get from cell-phones, WiFi, and baby monitors) in large amounts is certainly dangerous, which is why the FCC and other international regulatory agencies have limits for electronics.
However, these limits are based mostly on the heating affect of this radiation. However, we now know that even the non-ionizing, or non-heating, portion of EMF radiation can still have many health affects.
In 2015 the California Medical Association called for stricter regulation, stating that:
“Whereas peer-reviewed research has demonstrated adverse biological effects of wireless EMF including single and double-stranded DNA breaks, creation of reactive oxygen species, immune dysfunction, cognitive processing effects, stress protein synthesis in the brain, altered brain development, sleep, and memory disturbances, ADHD, abnormal behavior, sperm dysfunction, and brain tumors.”
There are also potentially increased cancer risks from too much EMF exposure.
Increased Cancer Risks
For a while now, we’ve known that even non-ionizing radiation can increase risks of glioma and other cancers. Recent studies have further strengthened this realization, including:
- In 2014 a French study published in the Occup Environ Med. found that there was a statistically significant association between increased change for meningiomas, gliomas, and other cancerous tumors, with the heaviest users of cell-phones when looking at cumulative use over a lifetime.
- In 2015 a study published in the Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications showed that even a weak cell phone signal promoted the growth of tumors in mice. This experiment replicated previous ones that showed the same results. You can read the full results here.
- In 2016 the National Toxicology Program released the results of a study that found carcinogenic effects resulting from low exposure at non-thermal levels in mice over a period of 2 years.
For a ton more information about the specific dangers of EMF radiation to children, take a look at this paper from the Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure titled: “Why children absorb more microwave radiation than adults: The consequences”
Alright, now that we’ve gone super in-depth about the potential dangers of EMF radiation exposure for children from things like Baby Monitors, let’s spend some time talking about lower EMF baby monitors, and which products could be best to buy.
Low EMF Baby Monitors – What To Look For
I’ve personally tested so many baby monitors for their EMF radiation levels. In fact, years ago when I first got started on this journey, radiation emissions from a baby monitor was one of my very first concerns, and one of the things that sparked my interest in the dangers of EMF radiation.
Baby monitors have changed quite a bit even since then, and luckily there are some much better options that what I had.
The things you really want to look for are:
- Low EMF radiation emissions obviously
- Is it a video or audio only monitor
- Does it have all the safety features I want
- Does it have all the convenience features I want
- Is it a quality product that I can trust.
We have to remember that even though we’re looking for a low-EMF baby monitor, we also want it to be a safe and trustworthy product that will work when we need it to.
So, when putting together this list, I made sure to take all of these things into consideration.
Best Low EMF Baby Monitors of 2020
I’m going to outline many of the absolute best low EMF baby monitors on the market. These aren’t specifically in a list of lowest – most radiation, instead they are an overall ranking for quality/cost/ as well as emission levels.
The first set of monitors I’ll be talking about though, I’m extremely excited about. They are from a company called Bebcare, and they are absolutely leading the industry in making innovative baby monitor products specifically to have low emissions without compromising quality. In fact, their monitors offer up to 97% less radiation than the average baby monitor.
1. Bebcare DSR Baby Monitors
Check them out here (This link will also give you a $20 discount if you choose to buy!)
Ok, there is so much we need to talk about with these video monitors from Bebcare, and I couldn’t be more excited. There have only been a few baby monitors that have come out over the years specifically designed to offer extremely low EMF emissions as a foundational feature, and this is the best of the bunch.
First of all, before we talk about the specific products, we need to talk about Digital Safe Radio Technology, or DSR, which is Bebcare’s proprietary technology that allows these monitors to function wirelessly at only a fraction of the emission levels of other monitors. In fact, as they put it, “The DSR radio module sets an industry standard for one of the lowest wireless emission technology that is suitable for young children use.”
Essentially the technology allows for:
- Crystal clear audio
- Zero Delays
- Incredible Range
- Multiple-day battery life
- As well as an extremely low emission environment.
They mention on their site that:
The Bebcare DSR module employs advanced computer algorithms that modulate and limit the amount of power it uses in everyday monitoring of your baby. A series of tests conducted at a certified laboratory revealed that Bebcare baby monitor emits up to 94 to 97% less wireless emission than your average baby monitor. Under idle circumstances, the unique DSR radio module even cuts transmission power to zero.
Take a quick look at this video to better understand the technology and the testing that went into proving it’s low emissions:
Alright, now that we better understand the technology behind how these monitors emit less radiation, let’s break down a few of the products individually so you can figure out which one might be best for you.
Bebcare iQ WiFi HD Baby Monitor
You can view all of the Bebcare monitors on their website here, including this one.
This is one of their most popular baby monitors and for good reason, it basically has everything that a parent would be looking for in one simple package, including emitting extremely low EMF radiation through the DSR technology that we talked about above.
The main difference with this monitor over some of the others is that this one utilizes WiFi (don’t worry, it still dramatically reduces the EMF radiation). Also, the parent unit doesn’t include a camera, so you will need to use your android or apple phone if you want to have video of the baby. In my opinion this make things really convenient, but if you do want even lower EMF’s, you can check out a few of the other Bebcare products I’ll talk about below.
The system comes with a baby unit that includes an extremely clear camera (with night vision), ability to turn on lullaby’s for your baby if that is something they enjoy, as well as a white noise maker that is very highly rated. Obviously all these features can be disabled if you have your own, but they are great to have and can be controlled through the parent app.
You can view your child (or multiple children!) through the accompanying app, but you also get a parent unit that lets you keep an eye on what’s happening in the room and control many of the features, as well as listen to the baby. The unit has a range of around 650 meters and can last up to 70 hours on a single charge!
One of the things I love about this unit is that the camera includes a 360 degree pan and tilt camera so that you can completely look around the room. You can also monitor multiple rooms with multiple cameras if you have more than one kid which is awesome.
Basically, even though this unit was specifically designed to offer lower EMF radiation than most baby monitors, you aren’t having to sacrifice any of the control or safety features offered with standard monitors.
Bebcare Motion Digital Video Baby Monitor
I think this may be their most popular unit overall, partly because it won a Mom’s Choice award, and partly because it’s just a great overall product that offers everything you’d expect from a high-end baby monitor (with a digital parent unit) while also still emitting significantly less EMF radiation than most monitors.
Like the WiFi monitor above, this unit does include features like:
- Two-way Talk
- Night Vision
- Temperature Display
- Zoom
- 360-degree pan and tilt
- Lullabies
- White noise
- Etc.
One of the main differences with this unit is that it includes a 4.3 inch “True Color” display. So, instead of having to visually monitor your baby using your phone, you can instead use this wireless parent unit to monitor and control the camera.
The parent unit works from up to 1,000 feet away and has about a 20-hour battery life (in standby mode). The unit does give you warnings if the room gets too hot or cold which I really like.
One of the things I also wanted to mention about just about all of these Bebcare units is that you can add on a breathing sensor mat for just a little bit more. The breathing sensor mat will work with the units and let you keep an eye on baby’s breathing.
It will also loudly alarm if it senses that baby has stopped breathing for any reason, which is such an amazing feature that will help you sleep a bit easier at night.
I know personally that when our kid was really young, we worried so much at night, and features like a breathing sensor mat would have made such a difference for us.
Basically I’m saying that these baby monitors are amazing, and almost certainly the best low EMF baby monitors that you are going to find anywhere.
You’ll also see as I continue to go through them that that they give you a lot of variety to choose from so you can find the perfect fit for your family.
Bebcare Hear Audio Baby Monitor
This is by far the lowest radiation baby monitor on this entire list. In fact, Bebcare calls it “The World’s First Emission-Free Digital Baby Monitor.” They say this because when the monitor is in it’s idle state, it really does lower the emissions to literally 0.
However, when the monitor is actively listening, it still emits 94% less radiation than other baby monitors.
Basically, the way that this monitor was designed it really does emit essentially no emissions, especially to baby, which is incredible.
The only thing you’re sacrificing with this monitor is that it doesn’t actually have video, so if that is something that you really want I would go with one of the other monitors, but if you’re just needing audio and want the lowest possible radiation emissions than this is a great fit.
The baby unit includes includes lullabies and a starry night light if that is something your baby prefers, as well as a white noise.
The parent unit delivers super clear audio at ranges up to 2,000 feet. This literally means that you could go a few doors down or even to a restaurant around the block and still be in range (not actually recommending this).
Just like the other Bebcare monitors on this list, this one also works with the optional breathing mat, which I personally think is so absolutely worth it (and cheaper if you buy it with the monitor.
Overall, this is the absolute lowest EMF baby monitor on the market in 2020, but any Bebcare monitor will be a great idea, so just choose the one that is best suited for your needs.
Now that we’ve completely exhausted talking about Bebcare’s full line of low EMF baby monitors, let’s talk about a few of the other options on the market.
Before I do though, a few things to note:
I tried to find the right balance between suggesting very low EMF baby monitors, but also ones that offer many of the convenience and safety features of traditional baby monitors.
Obviously, your lowest EMF baby monitors will always be the ones with only sound and no video, because there is much less information that needs to travel from the camera to your phone or parent unit.
However, understandably, many parents do want a screen to actually view their children while they sleep, and this can actually be a safer option for many.
So, the suggestions below are a mix of audio only baby monitors that offer very low RF emissions, as well as some more standard baby monitors that are still much lower than their piers.
2. Babymoov Premium Care Baby Monitor
This is one of only a few baby monitors (other than the Bebcare series) that actually advertises that it was designed specifically to offer lower radiation emissions than your standard monitor. In fact, it says that it emits up to 33 times less EMF waves than other baby monitors.
Like I talked about above, one of the reasons that this monitor can offer lower EMF levels is because it is an audio only baby monitor. So, although you won’t have video, you will have really crystal clear audio to know when your baby wakes up or is having a hard time sleeping.
The monitor does include features like a walkie-talkie so that you can talk to your baby or sooth them to sleep if you need to.
The baby unit contains an optional night-light and can be set to either offer continuous sound monitoring, or to only turn on when voice activated (which will be your better option in my opinion).
The parent unit has one of the farthest ranges I’ve seen at 3,300 feet which is amazing. In fact, one reviewer was raving about this monitor saying that it’s perfect if you own a farm or a large property because the range allow you to continue to go about your day and still keep an ear on baby.
Overall this is a great low EMF baby monitor option if you’re looking for something less expensive than the Bebcare units.
3. Phillips AVENT Video Baby Monitor
This is the first baby monitor on the list that wasn’t specifically designed to offer lower EMF’s, but it just so happens to.
The Phillips AVENT monitor was actually designed more with privacy security in mind. It uses something called FHSS (frequency-hopping spread spectrum). This allows the baby monitor to pass the video and audio data over a secure network, which makes it perfect for security-conscious parents.
However, the result is a video monitor with lower radiation emissions than many others, which makes it one of the better low EMF video baby monitor options if you aren’t going to go with Bebcare. Another thing that makes this monitor a bit lower EMF than others is that it has a voice-activation mode, which means that it is transmitting less data when baby is just sleeping, which is always a great feature to look out for when buying a baby monitor.
It offers just about all of the features you would want and expect to get with a quality monitor like:
- Clear video
- Temperature sensor
- Talkback feature
- Etc.
Overall this is a great option if you’re looking for a low EMF video baby monitor.
4. HelloBaby Audio Baby Monitor
Check current price on Amazon.
Outside of the Bebcare Hear, I think this might be the best audio only baby monitor on the market right now.
First of all, it’s just a really simple, really easy to use baby monitor with great features. It includes a really sensitive microphone so you’ll be able to hear baby really well, a sound indicator so you can visually see how loud baby is, etc.
Because it’s so simple and uses DECT technology to transmit sound, the resulting EMF radiation emissions are actually quite low. However, the range of the parent unit is still 1,000 feet which should be more than enough for most homes or properties.
It’s inexpensive compared to most baby monitors, so it can be a really good introductory monitor for many people.
Overall, not a ton to say about the HelloBaby monitor other than the fact that it is simple, low EMF, and works really well.
5. Safety 1st Audio Baby Monitor
I had ton include this one on the list because it’s truly one of the lowest EMF radiation emitting baby monitors that have been made, unfortunately (at the time of writing this) it’s not currently available. I’ve heard talk that the company is bringing it back, so feel free to use the link above to check if it’s currently available.
I would personally still go with one of the Bebcare units, or any of the products above are a good choice. However, if the Safety 1st monitor is available when you’re reading this, it could actually be a really good fit for you.
Basically, it’s just an extremely simple audio baby monitor that uses very low frequency (49 MHZ) analog radio signals to send the sound, even lower than a simple fm radio. So, it still provides good sound quality, but with virtually no radiation emissions.
The range is a bit less than some of the other monitors on this list at 600 feet, but that should still be more than enough for most homes and properties. You’ll see this product listed on many “safest baby” monitor lists for these reasons, it’s just a super simple product with no frills.
However, because it’s so simple it also doesn’t offer some of the protection or convenience or more modern baby monitors, or even the Bebcare ones on this list.
Alright, now that we’ve covered what I think are the 5 best low EMF baby monitors (and also the safest), let’s go over a few related topics that I think are really important.
How To Measure EMF Radiation From A Baby Monitor
This is a really important topic, because many people do not quite understand how to do this.
There is a good reason that I recommend purchasing a quality EMF meter in so many of my posts. Having an EMF meter not only helps you to determine the location and severity of exposure in your home, but it also helps you to understand how well many of the solutions that you’re implementing are actually working.
I personally use and recommend the Trifield TF2 from Alphalabs, which you can pick up on Amazon. I think this is not only one of the simplest to use and understand EMF meters, but it’s also one of the most accurate. More importantly though, it actually allows you to get readings from all three types of EMF radiation: magnetic field, electric field, and radio frequency.
If you’re going to take measurements of your baby monitors radiation levels, you’ll need a meter that can read all three types of radiation like the Trifield.
So, here is how I would go about measuring the radiation emissions from your baby monitor:
- First, let’s measure the parent unit. Go into a room or space that is away from most EMF sources.
- Get a baseline reading of the room, there is likely to be some ambient EMF radiation.
- Then, turn on the baby monitor, making sure that it’s actually transmitting data from the baby’s room.
- First, turn your meter to the magnetic and electric field settings and get readings.
- Then, more importantly, change your meter to the RF setting and get a reading of the radiofrequency radiation levels, this is likely to be the highest. Use this article that I wrote to determine how high your readings were.
- Now, more importantly, let’s measure the baby’s unit.
- First, set up the camera or audio baby unit where you’re likely to have it in the room.
- Next, be sure that it’s actually transmitting data by ensuring that the parent unit is on and can see or hear what is happening in the room (keep the parent unit out of the nursery so we don’t mess up the readings).
- Then, place your EMF meter (on the RF setting) in the crib about where the baby would lay, and be sure to point it in the direction of the camera or audio monitor. Record the reading. The reason that we don’t measure the electric or magnetic radiation here is that unless the monitor is inside the baby’s crib (which some are) or very close, these readings are likely to be negligible. However, RF radiation tends to travel much further.
- Finally, move the monitor slowly closer to the transmitting monitor and see how quickly the radiation levels rise.
What you’ll learn from doing this is not only how much (or little) radiation is being emitted, but how fast those levels fall off with distance. Like we talked about towards the beginning of this article, EMF radiation falls off quickly the further away you get because of the inverse square law of physics.
So, regardless of what baby monitor you choose, be sure to keep the listening unit or camera as far away from the crib as you reasonable can to dramatically lower your baby’s exposure.
If you have any questions about my choices for the best low EMF baby monitors or any comments on this article in general, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
