In Partnership with Nanit. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a baby registry that doesn’t include some type of baby monitor. It’s essential for any new parent, giving you the opportunity to, well, monitor your baby while they sleep in a different room. But, despite a super saturated market, a good baby monitor is surprisingly tough to find! With my first daughter, my husband and I bought what was at the time the buzzy baby monitor… but we found ourselves immediately frustrated with poor picture quality and unreliable signal. So a few years later when we found out we were pregnant again, I set out to find a better solution. Enter Nanit, a high-end, technology-focused baby monitor that not only helps you keep an eye on your little one, but also delivers personalized insights and advice based on data patterns. Aka, the ultimate peace of mind for new parents.
Nanit was founded in 2014 by two “science and tech guys” who, as parents to young children, were naturally interested in how to get their babies to sleep better. Research – and beta testing – were huge in getting the first product off the ground. This included meeting with sleep scientists, pediatricians, psychologists and, of course, parents as they went through more than 200 design directions, just for the camera alone.
It paid off: today, Nanit is by far our favorite baby camera for so many reasons…
Goodbye Anxiety, Hello Relaxed Parent
My favorite thing about Nanit is that it does a ton of heavy lifting, giving parents more time to focus on being present and enjoying their time with baby (sounds heavenly, right?). The Nanit Pro Camera ($399, including a floor stand) is an insanely high-quality camera that “lets parents track the health, wellness and development of their baby – from sleep and breathing to growth – delivering personalized advice.” Of course, it doesn’t replace parenting (duh), but it does provide critical tools and insights that help you parent better.
When our second daughter Lucy was born, we were able to check on her anytime via our wall-mounted Nanit that provided a perfect view of the entire crib. If she cried in the middle of the night, instead of rushing in I’d just pull up the Nanit app on my phone. Once I saw that she was OK, I could peacefully go back to sleep. I also love that because it’s a phone app, you never lose connection and you can access the camera feed from anywhere. To this day, I’m checking in while at work, out to dinner, you name it. There is no better peace of mind than knowing that your baby is safe. In fact, 71% of Nanit parents report feeling less anxious when using the product, myself included.
The World’s Most Advanced Baby Monitor
So how exactly does it work? It starts with the camera – and this one is top-notch. With a crystal-clear 1080p HD video, you can practically use it to count your baby’s eyelashes…even in pure darkness. In all seriousness, this camera is amazing. Most other cameras will gauge big movements – to help you see whether your little is sleeping or standing, for instance – but aren’t able to get much more granular than that. With the Nanit, you can literally watch your baby’s chest go up and down as they breathe, or zoom in to make sure they’re not caught in the slats of the crib. The app also sends real-time sound and motion alerts, prompting you to check in and make sure everything’s OK.
You can also customize your view – choose between an overhead view with a beautiful wall mount that blends seamlessly into the room (aka no loose cords) or the floor stand that’s compact enough for any sleep space. The floor stand allows for more flexibility to place it anywhere in your nursery, but either option allows you to take full advantage of Nanit’s data tracking and analytics.
Nanit also sells a travel stand, which can be placed as close to or as far away from the crib as you like. We used the wall mount for the first year or so, then moved to the travel stand to get a view of the entire room. Today, we have travel stands in both girls' rooms and have been utilizing the split-screen feature, which allows us to see and control both cameras on one phone screen (Nanit is the only camera with this option!). And of course, it’s great for travel too! We bring our Nanits everywhere – they’re compact enough to fit in a suitcase or carry on, and super easy to set up in hotels or friend’s homes. They even work perfectly inside the sleeve of the SlumberPod, one of our favorite baby travel products.
Real Data To Connect And Inform
One of my favorite things about Nanit is the data. Each camera comes with a free year of Insights Basic, the brand’s introductory subscription plan that records snippets of video and provides personalized tips to help improve baby’s sleep. We loved this so much, we chose to pay for the subscription after our free year was up (you can do this easily from within the Nanit app). This was so clutch in helping our daughter learn to sleep through the night. With Nanit’s insights, we were able to identify and troubleshoot sleep patterns down to specifics like how long it took for her to fall asleep at night or what time she woke up in the middle of the night. You can also monitor other things, like temperature and humidity levels – we get an alert anytime Lucy’s nursery dips below 64 degrees or goes above 78, and can adjust as needed so she doesn’t freeze or overheat. How’s that for creating the perfect environment for baby! It simply can’t be beat.
Nanit also makes other accessories and gear, like the sensor-free Swaddle ($20) or Breathing Band ($19.99) which use computer vision technology to detect baby’s breathing in any sleep position. We also love the Smart Sheets ($34.99), which utilize the ‘Watch Them Grow’ feature to measure baby’s growth between doctor appointments.
Improved Sleep For The Whole Family (Yes, Please)
By now it’s hopefully clear that Nanit is not just a baby monitor. It’s one of the most powerful tools available to parents today – a suite of products that help parents feel at ease while baby is sleeping, and empowered with the right information and tips to help their little ones sleep better. Don’t just take our word for it, though. Data shows that Nanit parents get 36 more nights of sleep each year (whaaat!) and Nanit babies get 10% more sleep than those not using the product. And I think we all know, well-rested parents are better parents, and well-rested babies are, well…healthier and more enjoyable to be around :).
