Nanit Vs Owlet: Which One Is The Best Baby Monitor Of 2023?
Bringing a baby home is a joyous moment for every parent. However, this joy is coupled with a lot of pressure that most parents try to adjust. The situation gets complicated for new mothers since they keep worrying about their baby’s safety when everyone else sleeps peacefully. It can lead to fatigue when you constantly try to check if your little one is breathing. Thanks to baby monitors, you can now get much-needed rest as you take care of your newborn baby by using a baby monitor. In this article, we will compare two of the best baby monitors out there: Nanit vs. Owlet.
When comparing the Nanit to the Owlet baby monitor, you might get overwhelmed with so many valuable features of these two great baby monitors. For example, Nanit is well known for tracking the sleep patterns and breathing of small babies. On the other hand, Owlet scores great points for monitoring oxygen levels and the baby’s heartbeat.
Breathing is vital for a child’s well-being, and so is the oxygen level. At the same time, the heartbeat is something you wouldn’t want to overlook as a mother when it comes to your baby’s welfare. The overall safety of the baby is the key to a settled mind and less anxiety.
You can only know the vital functionalities of your little one’s organs using monitors. That is why Nanit and Owlet come in handy. Studies even reveal that baby monitors can offer ‘peace of mind‘Â for new moms. However, you shouldn’t lower your guard in the physical monitoring of your baby. Always pay attention to your baby, whether you’re using a monitor or not.
Now comes the decision of which of the two is the best choice.
Both Nanit and Owlet have many product lines. For this review, we have picked and tested the best one from each brand. Before moving on to our in-depth feature comparison, let’s take a look at some key differences between them.
Name | User Rating | ||
 | Nanit Plus Baby Monitor | 4.5/5 | |
 | Owlet Smart Baby Monitor | 4.3/5 |
Nanit Plus vs Owlet Smart Baby Monitor Comparison Chart
Nanit VS Owlet: Bundles and Price Comparison
Nanit product offerings have changed over time. As of 2023, Nanit’s main product line includes the following:
- Nanit Pro Camera
- Nanit Night Light
- Mounts and StandsÂ
Owlet also has three main products:
- Owlet® Cam: Designed for monitoring a sleeping baby, it streams video at HD 1080p plus equipped with a two-way audio system.Â
- Owlet® Dream Sock: It is a wearable baby sock that tracks a baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels while they sleep.
- Owlet® Dream Duo: Latest from the company, Dream Duo combines the Dream Sock and Cam to offer parents comprehensive monitoring of their baby’s vital signs as well as visual and auditory monitoring of their sleep environment.
Apart from these, Owlet offers a few more safe sleep accessories such as a travel case, a swaddler, and a wearable blanket. Let’s take a look at how much each one of them costs.Â
Nanit VS Owlet Baby Monitor: In-Depth Comparison
As shown in the comparison chart, there are some similarities and differences between Nanit vs. Owlet. Let’s explore them in more detail.Â
Tracking Baby’s Sleep
Certainly, you envision a situation where both you and your baby have interrupted sleep or rest. Understanding your baby’s sleeping patterns is the first step in ensuring a comfortable sleep.
If your child doesn’t sleep well, it can lead to restlessness and fussiness. The Nanit Monitor can be beneficial, checking your baby while sleeping and recording sleeping patterns. That way, you can know whether your little one is sleeping enough.
In addition, the Nanit app equips you with ample knowledge of how to practically improve the quality of your baby’s sleep patterns.
Similarly, Owlet Smart Sock shows you when your baby is awake, and has a light or deep sleep, making you better understand your baby’s sleep patterns. It’s popular and convenient for the majority of new moms. Plus, these services are available at no cost.
WINNER: TIE — Both monitors offer helpful insights like total hours slept, number of wakings, and sleep quality to train you on your child’s sleeping patterns. However, we felt Nanit insights are more thorough and comprehensive.
Alerts and Notifications
Nanit alerts you when your baby moves, cries, or makes a noise. It is sensitive to any movement your baby makes, and it can disrupt your sleep with its many notifications if not correctly set. It also lets you know your adorable baby’s temperature, whether it’s below or above the normal range.
Nanit notifications are delivered to your smartphone app, whereas Owlet sends messages to your phone and the base station. Hence, this makes Owlet more convenient since you can use the base station at night. It uses Bluetooth to receive notifications from the sock and sends the alerts to your phone app. You can also receive notifications during the day if you are away from home.
Owlet alerts you using light and sound when your baby’s heartbeat is irregular, or the oxygen levels go down. You can adjust the levels of signals to how often you’d like to receive the notifications. The light goes on at the base station accompanied by a loud noise, and your phone gets an alert as well by beeping at the owlet app. However, if the Owlet Sock is not well-fitted, it might cause a false alert. So you need to ensure it is well placed, not too tight or loose.
WINNER: TIE — Both monitors provided accurate tracking and alerts of a baby’s sleep during our testing.
Nanit vs Owlet Camera
Nanit camera is mounted above the crib or using a stand next to the crib. When you choose a floor stand, the cables cross near the crib, but that shouldn’t worry you even if the baby was to pull them because they are properly insulated.
Nanit has a wide lens that offers a 360-degree view of the crib. The HD camera has very clear pictures of your baby, and it lights up in night mode at night.
The Owlet camera is magnetic and easy to mount on the wall. It boasts an HD 1080p camera that produces good-quality pictures. You can view the video from anywhere as long as you are using the Owlet app on your smartphone.
WINNER: Nanit — Nanit and Owlet cameras have been reliable on our tests. However, Nanit Pro has some features that give it a slight edge over Owlet, such as a night light, white noise function, plus room temperature and humidity sensor. We also liked how the magnetic base offers a bird’s-eye view of the baby’s crib.
Design
Nanit uses breathing material made of fabric. Normally it’s used instead of a blanket so that the camera can have a clear view of the breathing patterns. The design incorporates a patterned fabric band and a swaddle. It is costly to buy several wears since it only comes with one set. Additionally, it doesn’t require a daily clean-up, and we consider this as a positive.
Owlet smart sock uses a tech sock worn on a child’s foot. The sock comes in different sizes to fit your baby’s foot between 0-18 months. It is mainly used when your baby is sleeping. This washable sock is comfortable for your baby, easy to put, and lightweight. It is alright to wear the sock inside a pajama as long as it is in contact with the skin.
WINNER: TIE — Although they use different techniques to track a baby’s sleep, the final decision comes down to personal preference.
Audio
The Owlet camera has two-way audio where you can talk to your baby from your room. You can easily hear the audio background when you turn it on in your smartphone app. A replay is possible even when you are away from home.
Another thing to note is that when the cam audio background is on, you can listen to sounds with the Owlet app. The background audio doesn’t go off when you switch off the app.
Nanit also has a 2-way audio system that enables you to talk to people in your child’s room or sing to your baby to soothe them to sleep. It is possible to turn off the audio when you don’t want to use it to communicate. Only persons with a Nanit account are able to use the camera and audio, which makes it secure for your whole family.
WINNER: TIE — We found no significant differences in the audio quality and functionality.
Encryption
Nanit utilizes a 256-Bit AES dual encryption so that your data remains safe and secure from hackers. On the other hand, Owlet has lower encryption of AES 128, hence a higher chance of getting hacked.
WINNER: Nanit.
Tracking Twins or Multiple Baby
With Nanit, you can only use one camera, which is set as default to view in your phone app. This means you can’t spontaneously see in your app different babies at the same time. You only get an alert from one camera.
With Owlet, you can use the same app. However, you will need to buy a complete set of Owlet monitors for each child. This makes it convenient for those with more than one bundle of joy.
WINNER: Owlet.
Echo Show
Nanit is integrated with the Amazon echo show, making it convenient. This feature makes it easy to see video streams and use audio when away from the baby’s room. Alexa is the common echo show that works well with Nanit. Hence it can send notifications to your phone for your convenience.
On the contrary, the Owlet camera and sock don’t work with Echo since they’re not compatible.
WINNER: Nanit.
Devices Compatibility
The Nanit app isn’t downloadable on a PC. Therefore, you can’t view the camera’s streams. Anyway, it is compatible with iOS and Android. Kindle Fire tablets are also able to download the app.
With an Owlet, you are able to use the computer with the help of Wi-Fi to connect to the base station. You simply need a connected Wi-Fi network. When your Wi-Fi goes off, don’t worry because notifications will still come to the base station. The base station will work, thanks to the use of Bluetooth technology.
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Nanit | It can track sleeping patterns | It’s costly |
| Monitors breathing | Not easy to clean | |
| High-resolution camera | ||
| High quality | ||
| Â | ||
| Owlet | Quality camera | Sock coming out giving a false alert |
| Monitor heart rate and oxygen levels | Allergic to some babies’ skin | |
| Easy-to-use sock | Expensive | |
| Washable sock | ||
| Different sizes |
Nanit vs Owlet: Similarities & Differences at a Glance
The basic features and functions are the same for most baby monitors. From our review, we also found some similarities between Nanit and Owlet. Let’s check out the key similarities and differences between Nanit and Owlet.
√ Both baby monitors utilize Nightvision sensor technology. However, Nanit Plus takes the room temperature into consideration along with the Nightvision sensor technology.
√ Both have the option to connect more than one device to the camera. You can use Wifi to set both of them easily on your smartphone. For sleep insights, Nanit charges a yearly subsection fee after the first year, whereas Owlet is free for a lifetime.
√ Both include a two-way audio system and an easy-to-mount system. In terms of portability, Nanit Plus trumps Owler, thanks to the multi-purpose adjustable support stand.Â
√ With both baby monitors, you will be able to monitor your baby’s activities. However, Nanit Plus focuses more on baby sleep patterns, whereas Owlet allows you to track your baby’s oxygen levels and heart rate.
FAQ’S
Do you really need a baby monitor?
A good baby monitor can be super helpful for sleep-deprived new moms. Not just a baby monitor brings peace of mind, but it can also help you create a digital memory book for the baby’s first year. In addition, sleep insights can help you establish a sleep schedule for your baby.
Which baby monitor is best?
They serve different purposes. If you are more concerned about your baby’s sleep patterns, then go for the Nanit. If you want to track your baby’s oxygen saturation and heart rate, then Owlet would be the best choice.
What are the alternatives to the baby monitor?
Yes, there are some good alternatives that you can consider, too. Check out our review of the lollipop baby monitor. It could be a good alternative to Nanit. Â If you are looking for a baby monitor that offers the combined features of both Nanit and Owlet, get the Miku Smart Baby Monitor. It is another quality smart baby monitor out there.
Read Also:Â How to Soothe a Crying Baby in Seconds
Nanit vs Owlet: Final Verdict
There’s no question about it! Both products are handy for parents looking for a safe product for their babies. These devices can monitor a baby’s breathing pattern and help improve their quality of sleep. However, there are differences, and users will get different experiences depending on the device they choose.
Since it would be costly for you to buy both Owlet and Nanit monitors and manage two apps on your phone, it would be advisable to settle on one. If you want to monitor baby’s sleep and breathing mainly, then Nanit Pro is worth trying.
For heart rate and oxygen levels, you can choose the Owlet monitor. All that being said, the most important thing is to keep an eye on your bundle of joy to ensure they are safe, especially when you are away from them.
The Bottom Line
The benefits of using a baby monitor outweigh the downsides. It gives you peace of mind knowing that your baby is safe even when you take a little time to rest. However, that shouldn’t mean that you stop checking on your baby every now and then.
Ensure your child’s sleeping position is proper to prevent possible sudden infant death. Also, check the room temperature and humidity to be sure they are at a moderate level.
From our Nanit vs. Owlet review, we do hope you can pick the best device that will guarantee your baby’s safety.
