An Honest Nanit Plus Baby Monitor Review (2023)

When I had just one child, listening for him crying was easy. Add to the mix a toddler and a newborn baby, the task became unworkable. I realized I was in an impossible situation.

If I left my little one downstairs, my son would wake her with his noisy playing. But, up in the bedroom, I would be straining my ears to listen for her should she cry. If only I’d had a monitor like this one. If you’re looking for an honest Nanit Plus baby monitor review, you’re in the right place.

Why Buy A Baby Monitor?

There are several good reasons for buying a baby monitor, but one of the main ones is that you can hear your baby whenever they make a noise. You can get on with housework or take a well-needed shower without worrying. Even if you have a wild dinner party, with a monitor you will still be able to hear or even see your little one at all times.

Installing a monitor could even help with sleepless nights. It can tell you a great deal about your baby’s sleeping habits, and may help you come up with some ideas for combatting any sleep problems. Plus you don’t need to keep getting up to check your angel is sleeping soundly.

A number of modern monitors available on the market such as the Nanit Plus are ideal for techno-parents with a fondness for smart machinery. There are so many features that make your day-to-day easier, from watching your little one live on your phone to talking to them from another room.

Other monitors are more basic and simply provide a sound or image for parents to have peace of mind without all the bells and whistles. While most are easy to set up and use, there’s something out there for everyone’s style.

Baby monitors are not for every parent though—some may find themselves jumping up and checking whenever their baby moves or makes a noise. This could be more draining mentally and physically than not having one at all.

What Features Should You Consider Before Purchasing A Monitor?

Before considering buying any baby monitor, there are some things you should carefully contemplate.

Are you looking for something simple just to inform you when your baby is awake? Or would you like to know what really goes on during the day and night with your infant? Then you need a more hi-tech setup.

Security

Buying an analog monitor may be the most inexpensive route, but are they secure? The problem with analog is that others in a close radius can hear what is going on in your home.

Digital signals encrypt the transmission, and that will make it virtually impossible for anyone to hack into the signal.

Look for a product that supports and uses digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT) technology. If there is a video feed, you can look for one that comes with a digital lock to encrypt video images to make sure no pictures of the baby can be transmitted.

Audio Monitors

Would you like to watch your baby as they sleep? Or do you just want to hear them when they wake?

Audio monitors are less expensive than video monitors and take up less room. They provide the sound of your baby—moving or crying—so you can easily see to them, causing little distress. For some parents, this is enough to know the baby is safe, and no fancy add-ons are necessary.

Video Monitors

There are a fantastic number of options if you’d prefer to see your baby from another room. Differing sizes of screens, high definition, infrared night vision, cameras that pan and zoom and much more.

Some can work with your smart devices—they have a connection to an app on your smartphone or tablet to enable you to keep a check from wherever you are.

Health Features

If you’re anxiously watching your baby sleep, some monitors come with the ability to keep a check on your little one as they breathe, follow their heartbeat and pulse. 

They announce an alert should the baby not move for a while, which can help with new parents worried about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Some hi-tech models can keep track of the temperature and the humidity in your baby’s room, and they can even formulate estimates as to when your baby will wake up.

Frequency

Look for a model with a frequency of at least 900 megahertz (MHz) or higher. This will ensure clarity and reduce possible interference from Wi-Fi networks and cordless phones.

Safety Features

When looking at baby monitors, think about the attachments—things like cables, cameras and where they need to be affixed. Ensure they can be positioned high enough or far away enough to cause no hazard to your baby.

Low Battery Display

Monitors running on battery-powered receivers need to have a low battery display so that you know when to change or charge the batteries.

Compatibility With Smart Phone/Tablet

You need to be aware of the compatibility of the monitor with any smart devices you use for the application download.

Most monitors support iSO and Android applications, but it does no harm to check before you buy something. There are some more technical models that are also compatible with Alexa, ideal for parents who like to be in constant contact with their baby. 

Alternatively, you can purchase multiple receivers or transmitters to share responsibility.

Introducing The Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor

The Nanit Plus is the big sister of the earlier Nanit Baby Monitor and is one of the most high-tech sleep systems you will find. Named one of the best inventions of the year by Time magazine when it was realized, it really is one step above the rest. 

The product has more features now, such as the two-way audio system that allows you to speak to baby as well as hear them. It comes with surrounding audio and you can remotely view your baby from anywhere.

It promises to track your baby’s sleep patterns and make recommendations on how to improve their nighttime sleep. You can see your baby 24 hours a day and never miss hearing them when they need you.

In an effort to keep baby safe and secure during the night, it also claims to have outstanding nighttime observation which is, according to Nanit, unequaled. Couple that with the zooming in ability using HD live transmission and the ability to work with Wi-Fi, even if the internet goes down, it promises a great deal.

Nanit Plus has the ability to send notifications keeping track of any changes that may occur while in the nursery. It tracks the temperature and humidity in the environment and alerts you to any differences immediately. Overall, it offers almost every feature possible in a baby monitor, which is a rare find.

Who Is This Product Aimed At?

This smart monitor is aimed at busy parents who like to be in constant visual and audible contact with their little one, and are not afraid of technology. Those who like the fact that the more information they can get, the better understanding they have into their infant’s sleep habits. You need to own a smart device, iPhone, Android phone or tablet.

For the parents that just want a basic model to alert them to cries, this may not be the model for you. There are a great deal of less sophisticated products on the market that may be better suited. 

What Comes With The Nanit Plus?

In the box of the Nanit Plus is the camera, wall mount and charging cables. Available to purchase separately are the Breathing Wear and Multi-Stand.

The camera comes with HD video and audio, nighttime observations, and a year’s subscription to Nanit Insights.

Nani​​T Plus Features And Advantages

Let’s take a more in-depth look at the so-called “Tesla of baby monitors”. There are so many features, but are they up to scratch? 

Two-Way Audio

How many times has baby woken up and mom or dad had to get up and go to the nursery to talk or sing to them? However, this can sometimes make things worse as they want to be picked out of the crib.

The Nanit Plus features a two-way audio stream that allows you to soothe your baby without having to enter the nursery and disturb them. This is especially useful throughout the night when you’re half asleep. 

Babies wake up for several reasons, sometimes just for a few minutes before drifting off to sleep again. Being able to talk or sing to them soothingly would certainly avoid the picking up and rocking baby scenario. Alternatively, there’s soothing nature sounds included that you can play through the app.

With the highly calibrated microphone, the audio sound quality is crystal clear. Though it can pick up a lot of sounds in the room (resulting in lots of notifications for you), it’s possible to adjust the sound sensitivity from the app. 

Both the quality of sound and the two-way talk feature are upgrades from the original Nanit monitor.

Live Streaming

Live streaming ensures you can see your baby in real-time. On the bottom right of the app is a button where you can take a photograph, play some gentle soothing music, or adapt the night lighting. It also informs you of the room temperature and humidity in the room to make sure your baby is comfortable.

An excellent feature is that the Wi-Fi monitor in the Nanit Plus has the ability to work when your screen is off. Unlike numerous other Wi-Fi monitors that require your phone to be the parent unit, the Nanit exhibits what is called VoiceOver Transmit (VOX) mode. The application continues to run behind the scenes and will only notify you if there is any activity.

You can keep your screen locked or use other apps but leave the audio on in the background so you can hear baby. This is a tremendous advantage as having a constant live stream video will be a drain on your battery.

A good idea would be if you have a tablet that you don’t particularly use, you could use it as a devoted monitor to be able to watch the video stream. It will have to remain plugged into the electric socket as the battery will drain very quickly.

With the extra Breathing Wear feature, you can monitor your baby’s breathing motion and receive direct alerts if anything is amiss. 

Camera Presentation

The Nanit Plus has an HD 960p overhead camera providing fantastic picture quality and is one of the most outstanding features. Compared to the quality of most other video baby monitors we’ve seen which can be blurry and pixelated, this is almost IMAX-quality.

The camera offers perfect HD-calibre images as they are happening, which are even clearer should you own a newer tablet or smartphone which has an HD screen.

Another useful ‘could not do without’ feature is the 10 infrared lights it has to be able to see the baby clearly at night. The night vision is “best-in-class” and with the ability to zoom, your baby is always in your sight.

Unlike some baby monitor cameras, the Nanit Plus does not tilt or pan out. But there are multiple ways of mounting the camera to ensure it covers the area you need.

Mounting Options

A wall mount is included with purchase and this style of mounting the camera is the most popular. This unique bird’s eye view allows the whole crib to be seen, whereas other monitors that are placed on a surface looking into a crib usually have blind spots. In order to use the Nanit Sleep Insights, it’s essential that it is mounted directly over the crib.

Inside the box, you will find a plastic template to help with the marking of the holes for placing the mount when drilling. It also sports a safety cable cover so as baby grows older and is able to stand, they cannot pull the electrical cable into the crib.

On the top of the monitor is a nightlight that provides a soft glow and can be gradually dimmed. 

If you will need to move the camera to different rooms or the crib is not next to a suitable wall, you have the option of investing in the multi-stand. This useful device essentially turns the monitor into a nanny camera.

The multi-stand is ideal to take with you when out and about and staying at relatives or friends. It measures 6 inches in height and can be placed on a variety of surfaces aimed at your sleeping baby. It is noteworthy to say that the Sleep Insights, which track babies’ sleep patterns, is not available when using the multi stand. 

The Parent Unit (Mobile App)

The Nanit app has been billed as one of the most user-friendly apps out there for smart monitors. Designed with new users in mind, it’s both intuitive and quick to learn. The app is available for both iOS and Android and when downloaded all you need to do is register your account and you are good to go.

You’ll receive real-time sound and motion alerts from the monitor’s smart sensors. No matter what you’re doing with your device, you’ll stay updated.

Sleep Tracking

The Nanit Plus uses “computer vision” to analyze how your baby sleeps and the activities and patterns that occur. It will then use this to provide you with feedback and customized tips to improve your baby’s sleep. Not only will the monitor track your little one’s sleep, it will compare sleep trends and milestones with healthy averages to show you what to expect. 

You will receive a timelapse video every morning showing each moment of your baby’s activity play-by-play, and the Movement Map uses heat to show where your baby has moved during the night.

Activity Feed

In the activity section of the app, you can view all of your baby’s activity history in chronological order. When reviewing the video feed, you will probably be amazed at just how much activity goes on during your baby’s night. 

The app keeps a history of every night for 30 days if you choose to purchase the basic Nanit subscription. But, if you choose the highest subscription, you can keep it forever. Remember, a one-year subscription is included with your purchase. 

Save photos and videos of special times—from first words to cheeky smiles. Nanit can help you capture some of your baby’s precious moments, so you don’t miss a thing.

Dashboard

This part of the app gives you the four essential statistical points which may well help to calculate the caliber of your baby’s sleep pattern each day.

It can tell you just how many minutes/hours baby has slept. It records what time they went to bed, how many times someone entered the room, and whether their sleep was efficient or not. This helps to analyze if their sleep pattern is getting better or worse.

This essential information allows you, as a parent, to make changes to your little one’s sleep routine if it’s necessary, to enable them to get a more efficient sleep.

Inbox

This is an invaluable space where Nanit can send you messages and suggestions for a better night’s sleep, for both you and your baby. That has got to be a must, a good night’s sleep is more valuable than a pot of gold!

These suggestions are personalized and suggest ways of teaching your infant to sleep better. These recommendations and proposals are especially significant for struggling parents whose infant is not sleeping through the night.

Settings

The settings tab is the go-to tab where you can set up the monitor for the first time. You can configure the application to your preferences here. 

Here you can identify the area you want the camera to track—which part of the crib which is to be monitored by the motion sensors. You can also add more people to view, such as a partner or parents, and decide at what level they can access.

There is an option to adjust the level of the sound sensitivity level. You may find it’s necessary, as in its default position if a pin drops you’ll get a notification.

If you opt for it, you can get alerts telling you that the temperature has risen or dropped in the room. This is also available for humidity ranges. If you have an app controlling your home’s thermostat, you can easily change the temperature to the desired warmth perfect for baby from your device. Technology is amazing—wouldn’t you agree?

Portability

We all like to travel or get out and about—even with a tiny infant. I’m sure you empathize with the agony of unplugging the monitor, packing up leads (and forgetting a lead or monitor) and then proceeding to set them up when you get to your destination.

This is where the Nanit Plus comes into its own. Your phone is the parent monitor, and you always have that with you (unless like me, you put it down and have no idea where). 

Because Nanit Plus is so innovative, the camera can easily be removed from the mount. With the multi-stand being specially designed for traveling parents, it is so easy and simple to get set up with little effort and time.

When you arrive back, insert the camera back into the established arrangement and you are back to where you started.

Many monitors without this feature aren’t really portable. You find yourself trying to decide exactly where you had the monitor and at what angle—frustrating to say the least.

Safety Plus Security

The fact that Nanit has done so much to make their product safe and secure is one up to them. They have done their research and come up with safety features in so many areas.

All cables are kept away from growing infants with the provided cable management system. This is a godsend, because as they grow, so does their curiosity. Fingers poking out of crib bars is a nightmare for parents.

Nanit has gone for 256-bit encryption, with an IP address that cannot be hacked. This keeps your baby’s pictures and identity safe. 

The Wi-Fi aerial is always pointing away from your baby, so there’s no need to be concerned about frequency waves passing over your infant. 

Having a bird’s eye view of your baby will take a little getting used to. The way that Nanit has made the mount means the camera focuses on your baby from immediately above. This means they can never roll out of sight.

Nanit’s Insight Subscription

Nanit has only recently started to include a 12-month subscription to Nanit Insights sleep tracking and personalized sleep guidance with purchase. This is a useful tool that collects the data from your monitor feed and analyzes it.

The live data is sent to the servers to be analyzed and it sends back suggestions and recommendations personalized for your baby. The idea behind this is that it could help you to help baby sleep better, which is something almost every parent hopes for, right?

Given time, the recommendations do get better as the system digests the information around your infant’s sleeping habits and makes comparisons with other infants in an identical peer group.

Alternative Baby Monitors

This Nanit Plus baby monitor review has shown you how impressive the monitor is, but here are some alternative baby monitor reviews if you want to look at other options.

Eufy Security Video Baby Monitor

Comparing this Eufy monitor with the Nanit Plus, there are a couple of different features. This monitor comes with a parent until with a 5-inch LCD display feature that can zoom in and out between 1.5 and 2 times. It maintains the clarity of the picture with more detail than ordinary 240-pixel monitors. It also has a built-in SD card for future updates and development—something not needed with the smart Nanit.

The manufacturer states that you can change the focus of the camera, from a close up picture of your infant to seeing the whole room with the attached wide-angle lens. The camera can be moved to different angles, which is something not offered by the Nanit Plus.

Similar features of the two included a built-in thermostat and two-way talk. Overall, the differences between the Eufy Security Video Monitor and the Nanit Plus are marginal.

Eufy Security Vs. Nanit Plus

• With the Eufy monitor, you can angle it in different ways, unlike the fixed Nanit Plus. 
• The screen is 5 inches wide for a better view, but the Nanit Plus uses either a smartphone or tablet which can give a potentially larger view.
• Not as portable as the Nanit Plus.

VTech VM321 Video Baby Monitor With Automatic Infrared Night Vision

The VTech monitor comes with one parent monitor and one baby monitor. It has a 2.8 inch LCD screen color with automatic infrared night vision. Two-way audio enables you to talk to baby or choose to play one of the lullabies already preset.

This is also wall-mountable and can transmit audio and video signals up to 1,000 feet. It can be set to alert you if the temperature drops, the signal is lost or the rechargeable battery is low on power. 

It has a visual display on the parent monitor to say what level the noise is even when the parent unit is muted. The added bonus of this monitor is that it has three different languages. Plus the system is expandable and can add up to 3 more cameras should the need be required. 

While the Nanit Plus comes with many of the same features, it has only one preset language and the system cannot be expanded with more cameras.

VTech VM321 Vs. Nanit Plus

• The Vtech is not as easily moved from one place to another.
• Instead of nature sounds, the VTech has five lullabies to play to your baby.
• Similar to the Nanit Plus, the VTech has a cord management system to store any unsafe cords.
• This unit comes into the budget bracket but still has many excellent features.

​VAVA 720P 5″ HD Display Video Baby Monitor

This system is packed with features, ranging from the 5-inch display unit with a video link range of between 450 feet and 900 feet, to the 24-hour battery life. A two-way talk system with LED lights to show sound and an outside temperature thermostat to ensure baby’s well being.

The parent monitor has seven sound settings adjustable to your preference. Features of the camera include a 2x and 4x zoom and with an autopilot panoramic mode to scour every inch of the room. 

Rather than waiting for control from the app like the Nanit Plus, the Vava monitor features an automatic mode to scan the nursery.

Vava Vs. Nanit Plus

• Auto-pilot panoramic mode to scan the baby’s nursery.
• Can connect more cameras to expand the system.
• Room temperature monitoring, but not humidity like the Nanit Plus.

Should I Buy A Nanit Plus Baby Monitor?

First-time parents or grandparents, we all lead busy lives. Even though there is a newborn infant in the family, unfortunately, the housework still needs to be done. It’s not ideal to have your little one in the room if you’re vacuuming or other siblings are playing, especially if your baby is a light sleeper. If you’re looking for a way to solve this problem, I believe that the Nanit Plus will do just that.

With its ability to connect to your smartphone, all the features such as temperature control and two-way talk make this the ideal video baby monitor. The extra help of customized sleep coaching is an added bonus most parents would dream of.

To check out the Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor please click here.