5 Best Baby Monitors With App (and With or Without Display)

All the following baby monitors come with a solid app for your smartphone. Now, you only have to decide if you want it with or without a handheld display.

Most baby monitors are really similar to walkie-talkies, and it’s been like that for many years. However, baby monitors have recently evolved to accommodate the growing concerns of parents. Now baby monitors can transmit video. 

Moreover, some more advanced baby monitors connect with an app, allowing you to check on your baby even during the day while the babysitter is at home. Some of those baby monitors are even using your smartphone as a receiver. 

Let’s start with the best baby monitors with the app (but without a handheld monitor).

What baby monitors have an app?

I have found the following 4 baby monitors to be trustworthy options when looking to take advantage of the smartphone app and the dedicated handheld monitor.

1- Miku Smart Baby Monitor

The bells and whistles without all the wires and wearables. This baby monitor tracks your baby’s breathing pattern, oxygen level, and quality of sleep without attaching anything to your baby, unlike in Owlet, where your kid will eventually outgrow the wearable sensor.

It uses the camera and tracking software to give an accurate reading of your baby’s sleep stats. This invaluable information is available to you through the app for both iPhone and Android. 

You can use your smartphone to access the live video, sleep analytics, and room temperature. The best thing is there are no subscription fees or other hidden charges to use the additional app features.

Set-Up and Installation of the Miku Smart Baby Monitor

Both hardware and software of Miku are designed for easy setup. You can find all the necessary parts in the package, including cord management tools and instructions. Simply mount the monitor according to your preference and then download and install the app on your smartphone. 

As of the moment, the app is limited to smartphones, but updates are underway to make it compatible with tablets and laptops.

Miku Top Features

High definition video – Miku displays videos and images in high definition. At the same time, the night vision on the camera allows monitoring even in the dark. It has a two-way mic so you can lull your baby to sleep from the other room, or you can simply play lullabies and different relaxing sounds to ease your baby.

Secure network – With a secured network, you are sure that you only can access the videos and other information on your baby. You do have a choice to authorize your relatives, like grandpa and grandma, who are always eager to see their precious grandchild.

Temperature and humidity sensor – Another helpful feature is Miku’s temperature and humidity sensor. With this, you can adjust the nursery environment, such as ventilation and warmth, so your baby is always comfortable. This feature is great because you don’t want your baby waking up from being too hot or too cold. 

Pros

• Free from wearables
• Does need subscription
• Safe and secured 

Cons

• Price – the camera and wall amount alone is a whopping $349. If you need it with a floor, stand it is going to be an additional $99.
• Available to phones only 

For more information, visit the Miku product page on Amazon here!

2- Nanit Plus

More than just the typical baby monitor, the Nanit Plus ensures first-time dads and moms of baby’s safety by checking movement, sleep times, breathing, and more.

The Nanit Insights app is where you get personalized tips, sleep tracking data, video storage, and more. However, this comes as a premium subscription plan on top of your purchase. 

Installation and Set up of the Nanit Plus

When purchasing the Nanit Plus, you will be asked to choose between wall mount or floor mount. You can also add a Nanit Multi Stand, which is very handy if you travel a lot. Once mounted (on your wall or floor), you have to download and install the “Nanit App” on your phone. Open the app and check the orientation of your camera over your baby’s crib, and you’re all set!

Top Features of the Nanit Plus

960p camera – Clear and crisp live feed videos and audios to ensure that you’ll never miss out on anything while your baby is sleeping. It has very clear night vision. It similarly gives you a time-lapse of the entire night so you can check what has transpired in seconds.

HSA and FSA approved – two-level authentication keeps all the information encrypted and can only be shared with the people you choose. 

Real-time breath monitoring: It is a feature that sets Nanit apart from the rest and helps a lot with parents’ anxiety about their sleeping baby. Using the Nanit Swaddle (for 0-6 months) or Nanit Band (6-24 months), the Nanit Plus can monitor your baby’s breathing pattern and alerts you if there are any irregularities. These features are not included in the standard purchase. 

It can easily be used up to 24 months – unlike most baby monitors that your baby outgrows on his 1st year, the Nanit Plus goes as far as your baby’s 2nd year. The Nanit Band is a Velcro band that wraps around the midsection so your baby can freely move their hands. They also have the Nanit Sleeping Bag to monitor breathing during the cold winter nights, which has sizes for up to 24 months. 

Helpful Insights – the Nanit App records baby’s sleeping patterns and gives you insights on what can be done to improve his sleeping routine. I hope Nanit Plus would allow playing music from the parents’ phone aside from its four built-in sounds: Wind, White Noise, Waves, and Birds. 

Pros

• Sharp videos and outstanding audio 
• Convenient 
• Breath monitoring puts parents at ease.

Cons

• Pricey! – The Nanit Plus is one of the most costly baby monitors in the market. It ranges from $299 to $375 depending on which stand you choose. 
• Breathing Wear is purchased separately.
• Paid Subscriptions 
• It lacks more music/sleep sounds. 

For more information, check the NanitPlus on Amazon here!

3- Arlo Baby

From the family of security camera experts, Netgear launched Arlo Baby, with all the outstanding features of a security camera and the added safety features of a baby monitor.

Like the Nanit Plus, the Arlo Baby works with subscriptions and comes with a free seven-day Basic Plan where you can access event-triggered recordings. Bump it up with 2k cloud video quality of the Premier Plan for $2.99 per month or the 4k cloud video quality of the Elite Plan for $4.99 per month. Both upgrades store cloud recordings for 30 days. If you need 24/7 surveillance recordings, you will have to subscribe to their CVR Plan (Continuous Video Recording), an additional $9.99 for 14 days and $19.99 for 30 days. 

Arlo Installation and Setup

You can fix the monitor on a flat surface, as it comes with a bracket. You can mount it to a wall, or you can just put it on a table to take it from room to anywhere your baby is, whether he is playing to sleeping. 

Download the Arlo app on your phone so that you can monitor your baby from anywhere.

Arlo Top Features

1080p HD Video – crystal clear day and night vision camera provide viewing recorded and live feed with ease. 

Multi-colored night light – choose from thousands of soft shine light colors and adjust brightness or choose Light Show for the colors to change automatically. All night light options can be accessed thru the Arlo app.

Music player – built-in with an intelligent music player, has nine lullaby tunes soft as a music box. You can download other music directly from the Arlo app, play songs from your phone’s playlist or record your voice and soothe your baby even when you’re not at home.

Arlo App – you can control everything from the Arlo app: from adjusting and zooming in on the camera to playing music and activating the Light Show. You can also check the nursery’s environmental factors like air quality, humidity, and temperature.  

Crying Alert – this smart monitor recognizes and differentiates baby cries from other baby sounds like babbling or cooing and will send you a notification right away.

Rechargeable – another one of my favorite features of the Arlo baby monitor is its cord-less capability. With a 2440mAh battery, you can take it outside the nursery room and use it for up to 6 hours of uninterrupted monitoring of your little one wherever he is inside or outside the house. You can quickly check the battery percentage from the Arlo app.

Pros

• Multiple functionalities of the Arlo app
• Night light and music player
• Alerts you when your baby cries.
• You can utilize it from infant to toddler.
• Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, Stringify, IFTTT, and Apple HomeKit

Cons

• Paid subscription plans
• Costly – Price starts at $199.99 for the primary camera and stand package, plus $19.99 for the bunny, kitten, or puppy character, not to mention the subscriptions. The Arlo Baby is not cheap, but all its great features make up the hefty price.

For more information, check out the Arlo monitor on Amazon here!

4- Google Nest

This Indoor Cam is one of the many products of Google Nest – a wide array of home helpful products from alarm systems, locks, and doorbells, and smoke alarm, security cameras to speakers, displays, and thermostats. 

It is not a baby monitor but an all-rounder indoor security camera. You can place it inside the nursery or anywhere inside the house you wish to monitor while you are away. It also works with all the other Google devices like the Nest Hub and Google Assistant. 

Nest Cam Set-Up and Installation

You can easily set it up. As it doesn’t require professional installation. It can easily be plugged into a power outlet. If you want, you can put the camera on your table, mount it to your wall, or use its built-in magnet and stick it to any metal surface. You can also connect it to any standard tripods.  

Download the Nest app on your phone and start using your camera from there. It comes with a 30-day free subscription to Nest Aware, where it saves your event-triggered video history and lets you access them for 30 days. 

Google Nest Cam Features

Wide-angle camera – HD 1080p camera gives you videos. With its 130-degree view, you won’t just see your baby but everything else that’s happening around her.

Free 24/7 stream – unlike baby monitors that mostly need a subscription to unlock their full potential. With the Google Nest Cam, you can live to stream your camera feed without additional charges from wherever you are on the Nest app.

Notifications – if you aren’t looking at the Livestream, the Nest app sends you alerts on movements that it picks up from your baby or her surroundings.

Built-in mic and speaker – listen and talk to your baby as if you are there with its 2-way audio.

Pros

• Cheaper option – starting at $129.99 for one camera, you can save more if you buy more; the five-pack price is priced at $549.95 instead of $649.99. Whether one pack or five-pack, that is all you’ll ever need, no need to purchase any additional accessories. 
• Wide-angle viewing 
• Can be Repurposed 
• Works with all your other Google devices 
• Doesn’t need the subscription to work 

Cons

• It needs a dedicated screen for Livestream  
• Lags and outages 

For more information, check out the Nest Cam on Amazon here!

A baby monitor with an app and handheld monitor screen

All three baby monitors mentioned above have great features but lacking the same component – a dedicated monitoring screen. You either have to connect it to your TV or have another phone or tablet to view the live video feed. 

In my experience, having a dedicated monitor to watch over your baby is better than just your smartphone. 

When you have a dedicated monitoring screen, you have an undisturbed live stream feed of the ins and outs of the nursery room. It is easier to take actions like talking to your baby or playing music to calm him. As soon as you hear the faintest whimper, compared to when you are on your phone and have to toggle through several apps before you can get to the app for your baby monitor. 

5- Motorola Halo + Over-the-crib baby monitor

Halo is one of the many baby monitors under Motorola’s Smart and Electronic products line, including security and surveillance. Its set comprises one camera, an over-cot arm mount, and a handheld parent unit or screen (more like a tablet). 

The camera is connected to a power adapter. At the same time, the handheld monitor screen is rechargeable and could last up to 6 hours.

Set-Up and Installation of the Motorola Halo + 

While looking at the Halo’s sleek and sophisticated design. You would be surprised at how easy it is to attach the over-cot-arm to any part of your baby’s crib; it securely locks in place without the need for screws. 

The parent unit allows you to monitor your little one wherever you are at home, and the Hubble App lets you do the same when you are out of the house. 

However, the swiftness of installation of the Hubble App on your phone is greatly affected by your internet connection because it requires a strong Wi-Fi signal to work.

Motorola Halo Features

Full HD camera – It let you see everything happening inside the crib with its clear image during the day and infrared vision at night. You can detach the camera from the over-cot arm and placed it anywhere in the room when your baby is not in the cot. 

Over-cot arm – gives you an unimpeded view of your little one, almost like you are stooping down and looking at him yourself. It functions as a nightlight with seven different colors. It projects shapes and colors on your nursery ceiling to entertain a fussy baby – which can be controlled from the buttons on the arm itself, from the parent unit, and the Hubble app.

Parent unit – a dedicated handheld cord-less screen with a wide 4.3 inches display so you can view and watch your baby from wherever you are inside the house. Right above the screen, it will show you indicators like the room temperature and battery percentage. 

Easy Settings: The top button on the right-hand side offers you the main menu where you can adjust settings like the brightness of your screen, zooming in, change the night light color, project a light show, and play music. 

Mic Icon: The mic icon button lets you talk to your baby to calm and soothe him remotely. 

Sleep Mode: There is also a sleep mode icon that turns off the screen but leaves the audio on, and when you hear something, the screen comes on in one quick push of the button.

Music, audiobooks, and more – you can choose to play from the ten music tracks that include lullabies, nursery rhymes, and white noise. There are also 10 audiobooks included to keep your baby busy, and you have the option to download more from the Hubble app. 

Sleep Analysis – It is a feature on the Hubble app that gives you observations based on your baby’s sleeping pattern. It also gives you tips and advice to correct or improve it.

Pros

• Dedicated monitoring screen
• “Birds Eye” view of your baby 
• Light Show and projector 
• Music and audiobooks 
• Detachable camera 
• It provides its remarkable features, at only $292; way cheaper than the Miku Smart Baby and the Nanit Plus – and they both don’t have dedicated screens yet.

Cons

• The sound quality is weak. 
• It needs strong Wi-Fi. 
• Sleep Analysis requires a paid subscription. 

For more information, check out the Motorola Halo + on Amazon here!

Takeaway

In general, I always find ways to keep things practical, especially when buying stuff for my family. As long as it will do its job well, I try to go with the most inexpensive option. 

On the other hand, for my newborn baby, a few seconds of lag on the live video feed could raise my anxiety level through the roof. My baby’s safety isn’t something replaceable if things go sideways. That why I would suggest investing in a reliable baby monitor, like the Motorola Halo +, or any other from this list.