Nanit Pro Camera Review: Is This Splurge Baby Monitor Worth the Buy?

When it comes to baby gifts and essential gear that new parents need, a monitor is at the top of the list. Baby monitors offer real-time check-ins so that parents can keep an eye on how baby is doing at any moment. Smart Wi-Fi monitors have become especially popular in recent years, offering visibility, remote access and safety features for parents' peace of mind.

One of the most sought after smart monitors on the market is the Nanit Pro Camera. In this Nanit Pro review, we put this monitor to the test to see if it's worth all the hype it's received.

What is the Nanit Pro Camera?

The Nanit Pro is an award-winning smart baby monitor that can track everything from a nursery's temperature to sleep patterns to baby's breathing. Parents can see milestones, patterns and real-time monitoring via the Nanit app. The camera has a 1080p HD video screen and two-way audio, which can be helpful for older children. The app sends custom alerts, such as sound, temperature and motion notifications. Parents can also use the app as a care log to track sleep, feedings and diaper changes.

The Nanit Pro Camera can be paired with Nanit's floor stand, flex stand or wall mount. The adjustable height floor stand requires minimal assembly and can used freestanding or clipped into the wall. The wall mount is a space-saving option that can be secured to a wall near the crib. The flex stand allows for tabletop use, such as on top of a dresser or on a bookshelf.

All options come with a sensor-free breathing band for babies ages 0-3 months and a free 6-month trial of Nanit Insights Sleep Plan (some experts caution against breathing bands—read more here). We tested the floor stand version in my 7-month-old's nursery and the flex stand in my toddler's room.

Nanit Pro Camera Features

Notification system

Smart baby monitors let you see your children sleeping in the palm of your hand, which provides a sense of calmness and control. Nanit sends alerts for the temperature and humidity in the room, cry detection, motion and sound. The customizable notifications are particularly helpful, such as when I was sleep training my baby and needed to let her figure out how to get longer stretches of sleep by herself.

As my infant grows, I love that can decrease the sensitivity of the notifications so that it's not pinging me with every wiggle she makes—I have it on the lowest setting in my toddler's room where it will only notify me if she gets out of bed.

Video and audio

It's hard to believe generations before us parented without video, but modern parents have come to rely on video for real-time monitoring. The Nanit Pro Camera live streaming is crystal clear, even at night, with no delay. The two-way audio is handy for when I have to tell my toddler to get back into bed or my baby to not touch the artwork above her crib.

A much-celebrated feature of the Nanit Pro baby monitor is its split screen, which makes it easy to watch more than one child at a time. There are soothing modes built into the app that play nature sounds, white noise and lullabies, but we have our monitors connected to Nanit Sound + Light Machines.

Breathing monitoring

One of the most innovative features of the Nanit Pro Camera is its breathing band, which tracks breathing without using sensors. The bands are AI-powered and can provide data such as breaths per minute and the child's averages over days, weeks or months. Breathing bands can help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and give nervous first-time parents peace of mind. In addition to the breathing band included with each camera, Nanit also offers sleep sacks and pajamas that incorporate the technology.

I had severe postpartum anxiety with my first where I obsessed over every single metric available to me, so I chose not to track my second daughter's breathing. However, if she ever gets sick with a respiratory disease, I can monitor her from afar with Nanit's breathing-tracking pajamas and sleeping bag, which I have.

Wi-Fi connectivity

The initial sync of the Nanit Pro was extremely easy. I downloaded the Nanit app and connected the cameras to it with no trouble. You can add additional users to the live stream, although the free version only allows two users. The app is compatible with iOS, Android, Google Home and Amazon's Alexa devices.

Nanit App

The Nanit Insights Sleep Plan allows parents to track data and insights in the app such as summaries of sleep activity by day, week and month. For example, last night my baby went to bed at 7:33 pm and woke up at 6:42 am. It took her 13 minutes to fall asleep and she was asleep for 10 hours and 33 minutes with zero visits to the nursery. Her sleep efficiency, which measures the total time spent asleep in the crib against the length of her night, was 94%. There is an overall night summary that has a sped-up video of all her movements, as well humidity and temperature summaries.

There are two plans, the Insights Memories Plan and the Insights Milestones Plan. Having access to this data is amazing, but after 6 months of free use, you have to pay for the plan. If you have more than one child you have to purchase multiple plans. We have the insights for our infant but not for our toddler. While I want to check my infant's sleep nearly every morning, I might only occasionally need to check on my toddler's sleep, so I don't think it's worth it to have two.

Safety standards

Safety is naturally top of mind for parents, and the Nanit Pro Camera delivers. The wall mount, floor stand and cord management system are ATSM-certified for cord safety, which adds a layer of protection since the cords are near the crib. The floor stand is designed to be tip-proof and the brand complies with radiation exposure limits.

Security

One downside to smart monitors is that they can sometimes be hacked, maliciously or not. To prevent this, Nanit's Pro baby monitor has 256-bit AES encryption, one of the most secure available. It keeps the family's data safe, along with two-factor authentication. The camera is designed so that the video stream can only be pushed to a parent's device by Nanit's secure servers. There is also a local Wi-Fi-only access option. Caregivers can restrict who has access to the app and camera, as well.

Additional features

One of the best things about the Nanit Pro smart baby monitor is that everything is contained in one app. There is a split screen which is essential if you have several children or rooms connected to the app. Not having to toggle between feeds is a huge benefit. Additionally, the brand's Sound + Light Machines can be accessed via the Nanit app.

How easy was it to set up the Nanit Pro Camera?

Both of our Nanit Pro Cameras were incredibly easy to set up and intuitive, so much so that I didn't even read the user manual. Anyone who has a decent understanding of connected apps and devices can have the monitor up and running in a few minutes. The floor stand in our baby's nursery took a bit longer than the flex stand in our toddler's room, but both were connected and available for split-screen view within minutes. If you're pregnant and opt for the floor stand, you should have someone help you with setup. As a safety measure, the base is heavy and might be hard to lift or move without help.

We easily integrated both Nanit Sound + Light Machines into our app and can control the sound machines either in the Nanit app or the Sound & Light app.

Final Verdict

I recommend the Nanit Pro Camera to all parents. Especially if you're planning on having more than one child, because the split screen is invaluable. The only downside I'll note is that Nanit does not offer a physical monitor. While I added my mom, who watches my kids a lot, as a caregiver in the app, I leave my iPad to give the babysitter access to the monitor. Aside from that, it truly is one of the best smart baby monitors on the market—it's sleek and aesthetically pleasing, easy to set up and easy to use with the companion app. While it's pricey compared to other baby monitors, the advanced features make it worth the buy.

Pros

• Connects to local Wi-Fi or can be used by parents remotely
• Secure encryption
• Customizable notifications
• Easy to use and set up
• High-quality video and audio streaming with no delays
• Intuitive app with useful sleep data
• Split screen function for multiple children or rooms
• Easy integration with Nanit Sound + Light machines and breathing wear

Cons

• No physical monitor
• Need to pay for Insights plan per child, which can add up
• Pricier than other models, but worth it

More Nanit baby sleep products

One of the best parts of the Nanit brand is that it offers many complementary products that integrate easily into the camera.

Nanit Pro Camera Multi-Pack

If you have multiple kids, such as twins or triplets, then the Nanit Pro Camera Multi-Pack offers solid savings. Choose from the floor stand or wall mount versions.

Nanit Traveling Monitor Bundle

It can be stressful for parents to monitor a baby while traveling. The Traveling Monitor Bundle has a camera, a portable flex stand, a breathing band, a carrying case with adjustable straps and the brand's Sound + Light Machine.

Nanit Sound + Light Machine

The Nanit Sound + Light Machine is easily connected to the Nanit Pro Camera and can be controlled via the Nanit Sleep Insights app. There are several modes for light and sound including white noise, brown noise, pink noise and soothing sounds. Some sleep training programs require you to have the sound machine at a certain level of decibels. The Sound + Light Machine does not reach the same volume as other machines but is still a good option.

Nanit Breathing Wear Pajamas

These footie style pajamas come in four sweet colours for newborns up to 24 months. Each set of Nanit Breathing Wear Pajamas has a breathing band integrated into it for sleep tracking in real-time. If your baby prefers a sleep sack, try the Nanit Sleeping Bag.