Consumer Reports rates best baby monitors and nanny cams

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Whether you want to keep an eye on a sleeping baby while you're in the other room or check on your pup while you're away from home, there are lots of options for connected cameras, baby monitors, and nanny cams.

But with so many types and features, how do you know which one is best for you? CR explains what you need to look for.

When it comes to cameras for your home, there are plenty of different types and brands on the market. Consumer Reports has more than 70 home security cameras, or nanny cams, and more than a dozen baby monitors in its ratings.

So what's the difference?

The difference between nanny cams and baby monitors is that most baby monitors don't connect to the internet and don't record footage. You're able to view only a live feed of your baby, and you view that feed on the display unit that comes with most models.

One big security benefit to that is the video feed stays local and is less likely to get hacked, although that does happen rarely.

Some important features you should look for when shopping for a baby monitor are HD screen resolution, two-way talk, optional additional cameras, temperature sensors, sound lights that turn on when the baby cries, and an infrared function that lets you watch your baby in the dark.

CR recommends two monitors, which both did well in its tests: Eufy Spaceview Baby Monitor for $169 and VTech VM5254 Baby Monitor for $79.

If you want to check the feed while you're away from home, you'll want a nanny cam with features like pan and tilt that give you the ability to remotely move the camera around and change its view. You will also want local video storage so that you don't have to pay for a subscription, and loud noise detection so that even if the camera doesn't see something, it'll still record sound. Also, monitor activity zones, which let you highlight different parts of a room to keep an eye on.

CR recommends Wyze Cam v3 Pro WYZEC3P for $50 and Lorex 2K Pan-Tilt WiFi W462AQC-E for $70. Both have two-way audio.

And you can use these cameras for more than just kids and pets, like keeping an eye on contractors doing work in your house when you're not home.

And if you have an Amazon Echo Show, you can easily turn that into a home security camera, too.