Buying a Used Baby Monitor: What to Check

A fair price for a baby monitor in good condition is around £13 to £58 (approximately $17 to $77), against £20 to £90 across the full condition range. Monitors date quickly because the technology moves, so recent models with working batteries carry most of the value.

What a fair price looks like

Condition on WishThrift is described by the seller against five grades, and nobody inspects it on your behalf — so the description and the photographs are what you are buying on.

Condition	Typical	What it means
New with Tags	£90 (~$120)	Unused, tags or seals intact
Like New	£76 (~$102)	Barely used, no visible wear
Good	£58 (~$78)	Light signs of use, complete and working
Fair	£40 (~$54)	Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part
For Parts	£22 (~$30)	Not working or incomplete, sold as seen

Sterling guide ranges with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). Sellers set their own asking price; these are a starting point for judging an offer. All five grades explained.

The checklist before you pay

Safety history you cannot see. A car seat that has been in a collision, a cot with a replaced part, or an item subject to a recall all look completely normal.

Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether a baby monitor is worth what is being asked:

Degraded parent unit batteries
Missing chargers, which are usually proprietary
Discontinued app-based models no longer supported
Audio-only units, which sell for very little

And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:

Video models with clear picture and night vision
Parent unit batteries still holding a night’s charge
Both units, chargers and any wall mounts included
Recent models still supported by their app

Common faults and fakes

Counterfeit car seats and carriers exist and fail catastrophically in exactly the situation they were bought for. Buy safety-critical items new.

Ask for the manufacture date and model number, then check the recall lists yourself — they are free to search. Do not buy a used car seat, carrier or helmet at all.

WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or grade anything, and no marketplace check replaces your own. If a seller will not answer a direct question about condition or origin, that is the answer.

Questions to ask the seller

These are the three that get asked most often about a baby monitor, and the answers tell you most of what you need:

“Does it need an app?”

Answer directly. App-dependent monitors become useless when support ends, so if yours needs one, say which and confirm it is still available and accepting new accounts.

“Have you unpaired it from your account?”

Factory reset it and confirm. A monitor still bound to your account is both a privacy problem for you and unusable for the buyer.

“How long does the parent unit last on a charge?”

Time it and give a real figure. Rechargeable parent units degrade first, and an honest two hours is better than a claimed eight.

Also worth establishing before you commit:

Charge the parent unit fully and time how long it lasts
Test the camera and night vision in a dark room
Confirm both chargers are present

Photographs to ask for

If the listing does not already show these, ask — a seller who has the item will send them in minutes:

Both units together, powered on and paired, screens lit
The parent unit screen showing a live picture
Both power supplies, mounts and accessories laid out
The model number on the back of each unit, plus any scuff or crack

Details to confirm before you commit

Brand, model number and whether audio or video
Whether it works standalone or needs a phone app that is still supported
Parent unit battery life as you actually observe it now
What is included — both power supplies, mount, spare camera

Live baby monitor listings

Nothing matching is listed at the moment. Browse baby & kids for what is live now, or everything on the site — stock changes daily and new listings are free to post, so it is worth checking back.

When to buy

Steady year round with a lift in spring and early autumn. Standalone video monitors from known brands sell within a week; app-dependent models are much harder and worth less.

Prices move against that cycle for a buyer: the cheapest time to buy is when sellers are listing most, not when demand peaks.

Paying and collecting safely

WishThrift does not process payments, hold funds or offer buyer protection — you agree the price and the method with the seller directly, which is what keeps the platform free on both sides. Meet somewhere public where you can, inspect before you pay, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed. Be wary of any seller who wants to move the conversation elsewhere before you have agreed anything.

Selling one instead?

If you already have a baby monitor sitting unused, it is free to list and there is no commission — the price you agree is the amount you keep. Read how to sell baby monitor for what to photograph and how to price, or what baby monitor is worth at each condition grade.

Frequently asked questions

What should I pay for a used baby monitor?

Around £13 to £58 in good condition, more for barely-used examples and less for anything with a described fault. Compare against the seller’s photographs rather than the grade alone.

How do I check a baby monitor before buying?

Ask for the manufacture date and model number, then check the recall lists yourself — they are free to search. Do not buy a used car seat, carrier or helmet at all.

Is buying a baby monitor second hand safe?

Yes, with the ordinary care any private sale needs. WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or hold funds, so inspect before you pay where you can, meet somewhere public, and keep the conversation on the site. Safety history you cannot see. A car seat that has been in a collision, a cot with a replaced part, or an item subject to a recall all look completely normal.