Nanit Smart System with Floor Stand Review

Expected Reliability

In our tests and research, the Nanit seems to be a fairly reliable breathing-motion monitor. The wearable, patterned band gave the camera technology something to track, and we had no false alarms during testing. We couldn't even trick the camera with our fake baby. It knew she wasn't breathing.

Despite our efforts to create a false alarm, we couldn't. While there were some reports online about false alarms or concerns that it didn't alert when it should have, it is hard to say how much is user error and how much is expectations outside Nanit's scope. It certainly works far better than the other options we tested with cameras that are supposed to track heart rate and breathing.

It is worth noting that not all babies like the band, and some little Houdinis won't have much trouble getting out of it as they become more mobile, which could significantly reduce the longevity of this monitor's movement detection to less than a year.

Set Up

We purchased the bundle with a floor stand and a breathing band. The band is easy to put on little ones, especially when they are very small and less mobile.

We loved the floorstand, and it was simple to set up by routing the cords inside and away from a baby's crib, reducing the risk of strangulation. It was a little trickier than we first thought, and we recommend determining which side you want the cord to come from based on your outlets before you start. You can change your mind later, but then you have to start over.

While it comes with a parent unit, you still need to download an app on your smartphone (with 2-factor authentication for security) and set up an account. It asked for our baby's gender and name, which felt unnecessary. Beyond age, we can't see what this information would be used for other than data farming, so we lied.

Not all of the features are free, so you need to decide if you want to sign up for a subscription to get all the analysis. The app offers a tutorial for the stand, so we highly recommend taking a look.

The camera needs to be set up just so for it to function properly with the band, and it was more challenging than we expected.

Ease of Use

We really appreciate the option to use the parent unit or a smart device. Both are pretty easy to use, but not being able to keep your phone free for other things is useful. We aren't big fans of subscriptions, and we aren't convinced this one offers anything worth the price, but we suspect some parents might be interested.

Wrapping the band is easy if you remember to do it, but it's exponentially more challenging once your little one is asleep. If you hope to monitor breathing motion, you're gonna need it. We worry some parents will forget.

The parent unit screen always defaults to the dimmest setting, which is probably good for nighttime viewing, but can be annoying during daytime napping. It has two different menus with different settings, and it feels unnecessarily complicated. We got used to it in time, but there are simpler ways to map this out.

Depending on how you use your phone during the day, you might need to re-enable alerts at night so you don't miss anything. Using the parent unit can help mitigate this, but it is annoying that the alerts won't come through if your phone is on do-not-disturb mode.

While it can be portable and they sell a travel pack, we think it will be a pain to take apart, pack up, and reconnect to WiFi at your destination. If you consider that it might also struggle with the crib setup, it almost doesn't feel worth the effort unless you just want to take the camera and parent unit for video monitoring. We probably wouldn't take it on travel.

Monitoring Cababilities

The Nanit offers video, sound, breathing motion tracking, safety alerts, and room temperature and humidity tracking. If you want sleep tracking, care logs, or more than two viewers, you'll need to pay for the subscription.

The camera must be plugged in and connected to WiFi to access the monitoring capabilities.

Alerts

The Nanit alerts are pretty loud at 87 dB. We could hear them 1-2 rooms away, though if sleeping, the monitoring device is probably the best option. During setup with the breathing band, you can simulate an emergency alert to see what it will look like and how to turn it off before an emergency happens. We really liked this. It helped us feel more comfortable that the unit was working and what to expect.

The alerts can be turned off by covering the camera with your hand or tapping the banner in the app. While the vitals alert is loud, movement or crying notifications are sent through the app as regular push notifications. They weren't that loud or intense, but they were better than many competitors at getting our attention. There is an adjustable volume range, and the phone can vibrate when alerts come through.

Alerts can be set for breathing, sound, motion, room temperature, humidity, and zone alerts if someone walks into a defined zone. The sound, motion, and temperature can be customized to trigger an alert.

Electro Magnetic Field (EMF)

The Nanit EMF is relatively low at 0.20 V/m.

While not the lowest in the group, you won't be able to set the camera very far away, or it won't read the band properly; it is still fairly low.

Should You Buy the Nanit?

If you want a monitor bundle that delivers impressive video, good sound, and sensor-free breathing-motion monitoring, the Nanit could be for you. It offers customizable notifications, sleep tracking, a nightlight, and more. We purchased the bundle with the floor stand, which made it super easy to set up. We like the hybrid design of a parent unit and the versatility of watching from afar with a smartphone. If these features and functions appeal to you, it could be a good fit. However, it is expensive, and the wearable breathing band only works up to about 2 years old (assuming your older baby will wear it), so after that, all you have is a spendy video monitor with a stationary camera. While you can manually move it when your baby outgrows the band, it will never have the versatility of a remotely controlled camera or sound activation (a feature we love).

What Other Movement Monitor Should You Consider?

If you are dead set on a movement monitor, the Nanit really is sure to please, but the Babysense True Sleep Movement is easier to use, works without a wearable, and is a dedicated unit with its own parent device, including sound activation and a remote camera. If you want more information about vitals like heart rate and blood oxygen levels, the Owlet Dream Duo Monitoring System (Gen 3) might be a better fit. It also has a stationary camera, but the video quality is good, the vitals are reliable, and the app is easy to use. It has a similar price to the Nanit, so depending on your monitoring goals, if this is your budget, you have a choice to make.

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