HelloBaby vs VTech: the two split-screen monitors we own
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Our verdict, if you don’t read another word: in the HelloBaby vs VTech choice, buy the HelloBaby if you want a big screen that lasts all day with no WiFi at all, and buy the VTech if you want the sharpest picture and the option of WiFi later. Both come with two cameras on a split screen, and we rate both 4 out of 5. We use both.
One note on scope. We cover baby monitors as gear. A monitor is a convenience device and not a safety one. Anything touching safe sleep, or two children sharing a room, is a question for the AAP and the CPSC rather than a blog.
The quick verdict
These are the two monitors we own that put two cameras on one screen, so they solve the same problem. The difference is what each one is good at around it.
Buy the HelloBaby if you want to carry the screen around the house all day, if you want the biggest screen, or if you never want WiFi in the picture. Buy the VTech if picture detail and zoom matter to you, or if you would like to add phone access later without buying a new monitor.
The difference that decides it: battery and screen against sharpness
The HelloBaby runs 16 to 30 hours on a charge depending on mode, with an eco mode on top. Ours rarely goes on the charger, even with naps every day. That makes it a monitor you carry, to the kitchen or the garden, without thinking about charge. Its screen is the bigger one at 6 inches.
The VTech has a 5000 mAh battery and is an evening unit that sleeps on its charger. Its screen is a little smaller at 5.5 inches, but its picture is far sharper at 1080p against the HelloBaby’s 480p, and its zoom is the best of any monitor we own.
So it is a trade. From across a dark room at a glance, the HelloBaby’s bigger screen is the easier read. When you want to zoom in and study something, the VTech wins clearly.
Side by side
| HelloBaby HB6560 | VTech WiFi Baby Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 4 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| Cameras | Two, split screen | Two, split screen |
| Connection | No WiFi, FHSS | WiFi and FHSS, works without WiFi |
| Screen | 6 in IPS | 5.5 in |
| Resolution | 480p | 1080p |
| Camera movement | Pan, tilt and zoom from the handset | Digital zoom, the best we own |
| Battery | 16 to 30 hr, ours rarely needs charging | 5000 mAh, lives on a charger overnight |
| Split-screen sound | One camera at a time | One camera at a time |
| Stand-out extra | Green to red noise light | Phone access if you connect WiFi |
Our ratings are a judgment about living with each one, not a score added up from this table.
HelloBaby HB6560: the one you carry all day
Two cameras and a 6 inch IPS split-screen handset, connected over a private 2.4 GHz FHSS link with no WiFi, no app and no account. The cameras pan, tilt and zoom from the handset, the night vision is invisible infrared, and it has two-way audio and lullabies. A light bar on the front runs from green to red as the room gets louder, so you can see a baby crying with the sound muted.
What we like
- 16 to 30 hours of battery, and ours rarely needs charging
- The bigger screen at 6 inches, easy to read across a room
- No WiFi, app or account at all
- Pan, tilt and zoom from the handset
- Green to red noise light shows crying with the sound muted
What we don't
- 480p, so it is soft when you zoom in
- Split screen plays sound from one camera at a time
- No remote viewing, by design
The full review is our HelloBaby monitor review.
VTech: the sharper picture
Two cameras side by side on a 5.5 inch parent unit, at 1080p with starlight night vision, two-way audio, soothing sounds, sound detection, and motion and audio alerts. It has both WiFi and its own FHSS link, so it works fully without WiFi and the app is an option for later. Setup is quick, the cameras are light enough to move around, and range holds around the house with a couple of dead spots at the far corner.
What we like
- The sharpest picture we own at 1080p, and the best zoom
- Works fully without WiFi, with phone access available later
- Quick to set up and easy to reposition
What we don't
- An evening battery that lives on a charger overnight
- The off-centre kickstand makes it tip over
- Lullabies come back through the handset far too loud
- Split screen plays sound from one camera at a time
The full review is our VTech baby monitor review.
Which one fits your house
If you hate charging things, buy the HelloBaby. It is a different class of device on battery, and you stop thinking about it.
If you want to read the monitor from across a dark room at a glance, buy the HelloBaby. The 6 inch screen does that better than the extra pixels on the VTech.
If you want to zoom in and see detail, buy the VTech. 1080p and the best zoom we own make a real difference when you are studying a sleeping face.
If you never want a camera that could go on your WiFi, buy the HelloBaby, which has no WiFi at all. If you would like the option of phone access later, buy the VTech and leave it offline until then.
If you want to see crying without hearing it, buy the HelloBaby. Its green to red light is the feature we would miss most.
What both get wrong
Both share the same split-screen limit. You see both cameras at once, but you only hear the one you have selected, and you switch by hand. In a shared room this matters less, because both cameras are listening to the same room anyway. Across two bedrooms it would matter more, so think about where your cameras will be before you buy either one.
The bottom line
Both are 4 out of 5 two-camera monitors, and the choice is about what you notice most. The HelloBaby HB6560 wins on battery, screen size and having no WiFi at all. The VTech wins on picture, zoom and the option of WiFi later, and loses a little to a wobbly stand and loud lullabies. If you have one child and want the best monitor we own, see VTech vs Infant Optics. For every no-WiFi monitor we own, ranked, see the best non-WiFi baby monitors.
Frequently asked questions
Is the HelloBaby or the VTech baby monitor better?
We rate both 4 out of 5, and they suit different houses. The HelloBaby has the bigger 6 inch screen, a battery that lasts 16 to 30 hours and no WiFi at all. The VTech has the sharper 1080p picture, the best zoom we own, and both WiFi and its own link, so it works with or without your network. Both show two cameras on a split screen.
Which has the better battery?
The HelloBaby, by a long way. It runs 16 to 30 hours depending on mode, and ours rarely needs charging even with naps every day. The VTech has a 5000 mAh battery and is an evening unit that lives on a charger overnight.
Do both monitors work without WiFi?
Yes. The HelloBaby has no WiFi at all, no app and no account. The VTech has WiFi but also its own FHSS link between the cameras and the handset, so it works fully without WiFi, and we have never connected ours.
Which is better for two babies in one room?
Both come with two cameras and show them side by side. On both, you see both cameras but hear only the one you have selected, and you switch by hand. The HelloBaby's 6 inch screen is easier to read from across a room, and the VTech's 1080p gives you more detail when you zoom in.