9 Baby-Proofing Gadgets Every Homeowner Should Have

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Whether your first child is on the way or you already have a toddler waddling around at home, it's normal to be concerned about potential hazards. This is why you should always be on the lookout for baby-proofing gadgets that you can install at home. These devices will make your house safer and more comfortable for kids, while also giving parents peace of mind.

For this roundup, we've featured categories of gadgets that enable surveillance of babies, alert parents when their child is at risk, and prevent kids from getting into danger in the first place. The products' features can provide parents with the support they need as they navigate the challenges of raising their young ones.

We've also provided some options for each type of baby-proofing gadget, each of which has received favorable reviews from Amazon customers, experts, or both. To support our selections, we've highlighted helpful comments from these reviews to give you an idea of what to expect from these products.

Even while you're at home, it's difficult to have your eyes and ears on your baby at all times. Baby monitors are designed so that you'll still be able to watch or hear your child while you're elsewhere in the house, such as when you're doing chores while your baby sleeps in their crib. With this gadget, you can rush to the child as soon as they need you, and you can catch them if they're up to no good.

The HelloBaby HB6550 is a popular video baby monitor available on Amazon for $99.99. It has almost 17,900 ratings and an average score of 4.5 stars (out of five), and the retailer's shoppers have said that it's durable and can last for years. It comes with a wired camera that pans and tilts to look around the room, and a parent unit with a five-inch screen and two-way audio. According to BabyGearLab's testing, there are no issues when the camera and the monitor are as far as 190 feet apart and with seven walls between them.

If you want a simpler device, you can opt for a gadget like the VTech DM111 audio baby monitor, which has an average score of 4.4 stars after almost 44,000 reviews on Amazon. It sells for $23.95, but Amazon's customers said that its sound quality is excellent for such an affordable product. The parent unit comes with a battery that can last up to eight hours, and it can clip to your belt or pocket so you'll be able to hear whatever the monitor picks up while you move around the house.

Babies and toddlers may hurt themselves if they roll off the bed, but bed rails can help keep the little ones where they belong to prevent potential injury. These mechanical gadgets come in different shapes and sizes to accommodate beds and cribs of various lengths, and their installation is usually a stress-free process.

The ComfyBumpy Extra Tall bed rail is one of the most-reviewed options on Amazon, with more than 10,600 ratings and an average score of 4.5 stars. As its name suggests, it stands taller than most of the other available bed rails, at 23.5 inches. It sells for $93.99 on the retailer's website, and shoppers say it's very easy to assemble, sturdy, and effective. Once you slide the gadget under the mattress, it folds down to open with a locking mechanism that can only be accessed from outside.

The Totcraft Flexguard bed rail is another option with plenty of reviews on Amazon, with almost 6,000 ratings and an average score of 4.5 stars. This version for $69.99 can adjust its length to either 35.5 inches or 59 inches, and its height can span 14 levels from 20.5 inches to 25.6 inches. It also folds down for access, and the retailer's customers say that they love its practicality and durability.

Smartwatches and other wearable devices can record the health metrics of adults so that they can keep track of their fitness progress and overall well-being. Smart clothes have similar functions for babies, but with a different goal. They monitor your baby's breathing, oxygen level, and other such factors to make sure that everything is fine with your child, even as they sleep.

A great example of such a gadget for babies is the Owlet Dream Sock, which you can buy for $299.99 on Amazon. The device, which has an average score of 4.2 stars on the retailer's website after almost 4,900 reviews, sends instant alerts to your smartphone and makes its Base Station flash red when it detects abnormalities in your baby's oxygen level or pulse rate. Amazon's customers said that this device has given them peace of mind, while SafeWise celebrated its sleep tracking feature as "a game changer" because it gives you insights into the timing of your baby's naps and bedtime.

Another option in this category is the Nanit Breathing Wear smart band, which works with the Nanit Pro Baby Monitor. The smart band is $19.99 on Amazon, where it has almost 3,000 ratings and an average score of 4.8 stars (the monitor itself runs $289.99). With your baby wearing the band, the Nanit monitor will be able to track the child's breathing motion and alert you when there's an issue, and shoppers appreciate how it's comfortable for their child. Fathercraft Reviews highlighted the fact that, with the Nanit smart band, there are no gadgets attached to your baby aside from the simple band.

Electrical outlets that are within reach of children are considered risky because there's a chance that they could stick their fingers or something conductive in there, like a toy or a spoon, which could cause them to get shocked. It would likely be expensive and impractical to move the locations of the wall outlets, so the recommended solution for homeowners is to simply block them.

The easiest and cheapest electrical outlet blockers are plastic gadgets that you plug in, like the 4our Kiddies outlet covers. You can buy a pack of 60 for $9.99 on Amazon, and shoppers have given them an average score of 4.5 stars after more than 6,000 reviews because of their secure fit in electrical outlets, the tool-less installation and removal, and the difficulty for children to pull them out.

A smart home-linked way to block electrical outlets is to use smart plugs. Primarily designed to add smart functionality to analog appliances, smart plugs can also be turned off using a smartphone app or a voice assistant, cutting off power. There are lots of options on Amazon, but among those with the highest number of ratings is the Govee H5083. After more than 13,600 reviews, it has an average score of 4.5 stars, which reflects customer feedback that the devices work reliably and are easy to set up. Just a Dad Tips highlighted in its review that this Govee smart plug also has an on-device button to easily turn it off, and you can also schedule when it's turned on and off through the app.

Using your elbow or the back of your hand to check the temperature of your baby's bath is a long-standing tradition for parents. However, this is a very subjective process, especially since adults have a different tolerance for heat and cold compared to children. To prevent your baby from experiencing discomfort when taking a bath, or worse, from getting hurt, you should think about getting a baby bath thermometer.

There are different kinds of this device, but on Amazon, the most popular types are those like the B&H baby bath thermometer, sold for $16.99 and with an average score of 4.6 stars after more than 9,800 reviews, and the Dreambaby baby bath thermometer, sold for $14.99 and with an average score of 4.7 stars and over 1,300 ratings. They both read the water's temperature instantly after being placed in the bath, and they have visual indicators to tell you whether it's too hot or too cold. These thermometers also double as bath toys for your baby, so choosing the one to buy may depend on what kind of animal they like to have with them during bath time. Amazon's customers have said that both devices provide accurate temperature readings, and many parents who left reviews think they're downright adorable.

If your toddler has developed a habit of leaving their room at night when they're supposed to be sleeping, or getting into places that they should stay out of (like snack cabinets), you might want to enlist the help of motion detectors. You'll be able to receive alerts of suspicious activity when you have these gadgets installed, either through app notifications, loud alarms, or even both.

The Decco Toddler Monitor door sensor is one of the well-reviewed options on the market, starting at $139.99 each. It hangs from any type of doorknob and sends alerts to your smartphone when your child tries to leave their room. The Everymom's review of the gadget highlighted its small and lightweight design, making it handy to bring along with you when you travel, as well as the adjustments that you can make to its sensitivity and alarm type.

The Ring Alarm security system, which is sold on Amazon starting at $199.99 for its five-piece kit, is a more comprehensive package that also doubles as protection for your whole home. It comes with a contact sensor that you can install on cabinet doors and a motion sensor that you can place in the hallway. It's got an average score of 4.7 stars on the retailer's website after nearly 5,400 reviews, with shoppers impressed by its ease of setup and smart home integration. PCMag, meanwhile, said that the system works flawlessly, so you'll be able to catch your toddlers every time they try to pull a Houdini.

Baby gates are another way of preventing your children from leaving or entering certain spaces in your home. They're mechanical gadgets that require some installation, but when done well, they're usually very effective in limiting the movement of your babies or toddlers.

Many baby gates look similar to the Cumbor S7V2, which is one of the highest-rated options on Amazon, with 4.6 stars after more than 21,000 ratings. Starting at $119.99 for the smallest model with an adjustable width of 29.7 inches to 54.2 inches and a height of 30.5 inches, this gadget has received praise from the retailer's customers for its auto-close feature, one-hand release, and durable frame. 

Other options for homeowners include units that look and function like the Momcozy retractable baby gate. Instead of a door that swings open, it's a retractable mesh that you can pull to attach between the two sides of a doorway or staircase. Starting at $35.53 for the smallest version, with a height of 33 inches and a width of up to 55 inches, the Momcozy had an Amazon rating of 4.2 from almost 6,500 Amazon shoppers, some of whom have said that it's perfect for areas with limited space. They added that it's easy to use, even if you only have one hand free, as when you're carrying your baby with the other.

Night lights are a tried-and-tested type of baby-proofing gadget, with parents installing them in their children's rooms so that they won't be afraid of the dark while they sleep. However, these devices are capable of doing so much more these days, providing further protection for your toddlers so that they don't get into accidents because they can't see where they're going if they happen to get out of bed during the night.

One of the simpler but more elegant options for a night light on Amazon is the Casper Sleep Glow, which is rated 4.7 stars after almost 1,900 ratings. This $19 gadget has two modes: Sleep Mode, where it lights up when it's surrounded by darkness, and Night Owl Mode, where it increases its brightness when its motion sensor is triggered. Shoppers on Amazon have said that the gadget gets bright enough to light the way, but soft enough so that it won't be jarring to a sleepy child. The device's lifespan is about one to two years, but according to The New York Times' Wirecutter, at least one of the units is still going strong after almost four years.

The Hatch Baby sound machine is another versatile night light available on Amazon, with an even more impressive score of 4.8 stars after over 36,300 ratings. In addition to functioning as a night light, it's also a sound machine that provides soothing audio, and Sleepopolis said in its review that the device is easy to set up and customizable. According to Amazon's customers, the gadget is very helpful in creating a consistent sleep routine for their children.

For homeowners who have swimming pools, toddlers falling into the water is a real danger. Children below five years of age make up nearly a quarter of all deaths caused by drowning, according to the World Health Organization. To help reduce this danger, you need to have a pool alarm that can detect when there's unexpected movement in the pool — such as a child drawing near — and alert you when that happens.

Your options for pool alarms include the Lifebuoy BCONE and the Hovara PS01, which are available on Amazon for $395 and $269.99, respectively. They both float on the water to monitor for any motion, but the Lifebuoy BCONE is also a smart gadget, as its home unit works with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, and it sounds a siren from the pool unit, the home unit, and its smartphone app when it detects unexpected movement. It's loud enough to be heard both outdoors and indoors, according to Bob Vila's review. By comparison, the Hovara PS01 is a simpler device, as it doesn't have smart home connectivity. It also has a pool unit and a home unit, with Neal's Reviews & Unboxings demonstrating its sensitivity and ease of use.

For this roundup, we identified categories of baby-proofing gadgets every homeowner should have, addressing different risks that babies or toddlers may be exposed to. These include potential dangers in the bedroom, the bathroom, the backyard, and in other areas throughout the home.

To give you an idea of the products that you can buy for each category, we've included examples that are well-reviewed either by Amazon's customers or by trustworthy websites and channels. We've highlighted insights from shoppers if the gadget has received more than 1,000 reviews on Amazon and an average score of at least 4.2 stars, and also from expert reviews when available.