We started using the Nanit with the floor stand on the first night we brought LM home, and it quickly became one of the baby products we relied on every day.
Baby monitors are easy to overthink. Some offer only video and audio, while others add apps, sleep tracking, breathing monitoring, subscriptions, and a long list of features that sound useful before the baby arrives. What mattered to us was whether those features actually made life easier when we were tired, busy, and checking on a sleeping baby several times a night.
For us, the Nanit did. The app is genuinely useful, the audio continues playing when our phones are locked, and the Breathing Wear gave us real peace of mind after we moved LM from the Snoo to a crib.
It is not perfect. The breathing band can be fiddly, the fabric wears with repeated use, and our experience with Nanit support after a power cut was frustrating enough that we now use a dedicated surge protector. Even with those drawbacks, it is a product we would choose again.
Quick Verdict
Earned a Place in Our Home
The Nanit is best for parents who want to check the camera from a phone, keep nursery audio playing while using other apps or locking the screen, and add breathing-motion monitoring without placing an electronic sensor on the baby.
Our rating: 4/5
Best for: App-first households, parents who value remote access, and anyone who finds breathing-motion information reassuring.
Think twice if: You prefer a dedicated monitor unit, have unreliable Wi-Fi, do not want app-dependent monitoring, or expect fast, effortless customer support when hardware fails.
Our Nanit Setup
We used the Nanit camera with the floor stand from our very first night home.
The floor stand gave us a stable overhead view without requiring permanent wall mounting. Since we knew we would move it once LM transitioned from sleeping in our room to the nursery, that flexibility was especially helpful.
The overhead angle is one of the Nanit’s strengths. Rather than looking across the crib from the side, the camera provides a clear view of the entire sleep space. It is easy to see LM’s position, whether he is stirring, and whether he has somehow moved into an unexpected corner of the crib.
The App Is the Feature We Use Most
Our favorite part of the Nanit is the app access.
Being able to open the monitor from a phone is more useful than it initially sounds. We do not need to carry a separate monitor from room to room, remember to charge another screen, or wonder where it was left—the feed is available on the device already in our hands.
Picture-in-picture is especially useful, letting us keep an eye on LM while replying to messages, checking a recipe, or doing other things on our phones. For overnight, we kept an iPad set up in the bedroom as a dedicated monitor, giving us an always-visible view without relying on our phones.
It is also convenient when one parent is away from home or when different caregivers need access. Because the camera is not limited by the range of a traditional monitor, checking on the baby does not depend on being in the next room.
Background Audio Is Incredibly Useful
One of the Nanit’s best everyday features is the ability to keep nursery audio playing while a phone is locked or in use for something else.
This may seem minor on a product page, but it becomes essential in real life. We can listen for movement or crying without leaving the live video open or constantly switching back to the app.
It lets the Nanit function like a traditional audio monitor while retaining the flexibility of an app-based camera. We use this far more than many of the more heavily advertised smart features.
The Breathing Band Gave Us Peace of Mind
The Breathing Wear was particularly valuable when we moved LM from the Snoo into the crib.
We had considered the reassurance offered by products such as the Owlet, but the Nanit band meant we did not feel we needed another electronic wearable monitor. The patterned band works with the camera to measure breathing motion, giving us a simple way to confirm that breathing movements were being detected.
That information was genuinely calming during the transition. Moving a baby into a crib can make every sound—and every quiet stretch—feel significant, especially during the first few nights. Being able to open the app and see a breathing rate gave us an extra layer of reassurance.
It is important to be clear about what this feature does and does not do: it gave us peace of mind, but it did not replace safe-sleep practices or parental judgment. We treated it as additional information, not a guarantee.
Where the Breathing Band Can Be Fiddly
The breathing band works best when the camera has a clear view of its pattern. In practice, babies do not always cooperate with ideal product positioning.
When LM first falls asleep, an arm or hand can obscure part of the band. That can make the reading a little inconsistent until he settles into a position where the pattern is visible again.
This did not stop us using it, but it occasionally meant checking the camera angle or the band’s position more closely than expected.
The band also began to look worn after a lot of use. Ours became a bit ropey over time, which is disappointing for an accessory designed to be used and washed repeatedly. It remained functional, but it did not look new for long.
Everyday Video and Night Use
The Nanit became part of our normal sleep routine rather than a device we consciously think about.
At night, being able to check the app before getting out of bed is especially valuable. A quick look can show whether LM is standing, sitting, or simply making noise while still asleep.
The monitor is most useful not because it eliminates night waking, but because it gives us better information before deciding what to do.
The Power-Cut Failure
Our biggest problem with the Nanit happened after a power cut.
Once the power returned, the camera stopped working. We expected the issue to be resolved quickly, particularly because a baby monitor is not a product most families are comfortable going without for long.
Instead, it took almost two weeks and multiple emails before Nanit sent a replacement. The process was slow and frustrating, and it significantly reduced our confidence in the support experience.
We were happy with the replacement once it arrived, but the delay was frustrating given the Nanit’s premium price and its role in overnight monitoring. At that price point, we expected a more responsive support experience.
The incident also made us more cautious about protecting the replacement camera. We bought a surge protector specifically for the Nanit because we did not want another power event to damage it.
Is the Nanit Worth It?
For our family, yes.
The combination of app access, background audio, overhead video, and Breathing Wear made it more useful than a basic monitor. The breathing information was particularly valuable during the move from the Snoo to the crib, while the app and audio remained useful every day.
The hardware failure and slow replacement process prevent this from being a perfect review. We also wish the breathing band held up better after heavy use. Those are meaningful drawbacks, especially for a premium product.
Even so, when the Nanit is working, it does exactly what we need and makes checking on LM simpler. We liked it enough to replace it, protect the new unit with its own surge protector, and continue relying on it.
Final Tested at Home Verdict
The Nanit earned a place in our home because it gives us useful information without adding another screen to carry around.
The app is easy to access, the background audio is excellent, and the Breathing Wear offered real reassurance during a major sleep transition. Its weaknesses are not in the daily monitoring experience, but in the worn accessories, occasional breathing-band positioning issues, and poor support response when our camera failed.
Final rating: 4/5
Would we buy it again? Yes, but we would use a surge protector from the beginning.
One-sentence verdict: The Nanit is a genuinely useful smart monitor with excellent app-based features and reassuring breathing tracking, but its premium price deserves faster support and more durable accessories.
About this review: This is an independent, real-life account from the Achieve Ease family after using the Nanit at home. Learn more about Achieve Ease.