The 4 Best Nanny Cameras To Keep Caregivers In The Loop

Forbes

a day ago

Leaving your baby alone with a sitter for the first time can feel scary to any parent. But knowing you can see what they're up to throughout the day provides many caregivers peace of mind—which is why some choose to install an indoor camera, or 'nanny cam,' in their home. The best nanny cameras are easy to set up, offer clear video and easily connect with your smartphone. Our top pick, the Google Nest Indoor Camera features all those things and more, while our budget pick, the Tapo C210 effectively gets the job done for a lower cost.
The best nanny cameras deliver clear video and audio to give you peace of mind while away from your ... More baby. Illustration: Forbes / Photo: Retailer
If you are going to install a nanny cam clear communication is key—both to build trust with an important figure in your child's life and to ensure you're following local laws regarding recording others.
'If a family chooses to install a nanny cam, we encourage them to let the nanny know upfront. Most professional career nannies will understand that they will be working in homes with nanny cams,' says Ryan Jordan, founder of Educated Nannies, a nationwide nanny placement agency. She emphasizes that while nanny cams can be a helpful tool, 'they should never replace genuine communication… The most successful placements come from trust, not surveillance.'
Read on to discover why the following nanny cameras were our top picks.
Jordan offered additional advice on how to introduce a nanny cam, too. 'The best time for parents to inform a nanny about the use of a nanny cam is during the interview or before the trial period,' says Jordan. This helps prevent future misunderstandings. She says to use clear language. 'For example, they might say, 'We do have a camera in the nursery and playroom. It's really just for peace of mind, and it helps us feel connected when we're away.'' She also recommends disclosing which rooms cameras are placed in and if they're also recording audio, because some laws don't allow for audio recording without consent.
Best Nanny Camera Overall Easy Setup With Clear Video And Seamless Integration
Amazon
Google Nest Camera
Resolution: 1080p | Power: Wired or battery | Audio: Two-way | AI Detection: Motion, people and pets
Our top pick comes from a reputable brand that just about everyone already has an account with, making the setup quick and seamless. It can be set on a shelf or mounted. You can check the livestream from your phone all day long and a wide 135-degree field of view means it can capture a large swath of whatever room you place it in. High-quality 1080p HDR and night vision delivers a clear picture, so you can always tell what's going on with your little one. It quickly connects to the Google Home app and works with Alexa and Amazon devices but not on Apple Home.
It has two-way audio so you can both listen and speak to someone remotely, and it can identify differences between people, pets and vehicles, so you don't get a million pesky notifications with every tiny movement in the room (or out the window.) In terms of privacy, there's a small LED light on the camera that lets you know when the camera is active and all of the video it records is 125-bit encrypted and requires two-step verification via your Google account.
While some indoor (and outdoor) cameras make you purchase a subscription to store video, the Nest gives you three hours of free event video history, so you can look at same-day recent activity. Just note if you want to store older videos, you'll have to subscribe to Nest Aware to use its cloud—fortunately, it's pretty affordable: For $10 per month (or $100 per year), it can identify specific faces and gives you 30 days of event video history, or you can subscribe to Nest Aware Plus for $20 per month (or $200 per year) to get 60 days of event video history and 10 days of 24/7 history. And if you don't need a nanny cam in a few years, it works equally well as an outdoor camera as well.
Best Budget Nanny Camera Everything You Need For $20
Amazon Tapo C210 Shop At Amazon
Resolution: 2K | Power: Wired | Audio: Two-way | AI Detection: Yes
For less than $25, the Tapo C210 is an effective and feature-packed nanny camera. Its night vision can spot things up to 30 feet away, while its higher resolution means the image is clear. It connects with both Google Home and Amazon Alexa smart devices and apps. The camera's pan and tilt feature makes it easy to remotely control what you can see. It has a 360-degree horizontal and 114-degree vertical range pan/tilt field of view. You (and other caregivers) can get automatic push notifications on your phone via the Tapo app when it detects motion or sound. The baby cry detection is a nice feature if you also plan on using this as a baby monitor.
Set custom 'activity zones' to only receive notifications when someone is in that zone. You can also use this feature to block certain zones from ever being recorded like a bathroom or bedroom. The camera also has a built-in light and siren that can be used remotely. Store recorded video on a microSD card up to 512GB or subscribe to its Tapo Care cloud storage ($3.49 per month), which keeps up to 30 days of video history.
Best Nanny Camera For iPhone Integrates Seamlessly With Apple (And More)
Amazon
Eufy Indoor Cam E220
Resolution: 2K | Power: Wired | Audio: Two-way | AI Detection: Yes
While many nanny cameras work with Amazon Alexa or Google Home, not as many are designed to connect easily with Apple products. Fortunately, the Eufy E220 is built to seamlessly connect with Apple HomeKit—and your iPhone. This means you can watch live feeds, get notifications and customize camera settings from your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. You can also use Siri: 'Siri, show me the nursery camera' for added convenience. If you're not an Apple user, don't worry, it also connects with Alexa and Google Home.
The Eufy E220 also features pan and tilt, motion detection, night vision up to 33 feet and allows owners to customize the zones it does and does not record. Its built-in AI can detect people, pets and, perhaps most importantly, crying babies. It has a microSD slot that can hold up to a 128GB card or you can use the brand's cloud storage plan which starts at $3.99 per month.
Perhaps the most notable feature is that it uses Apple's HomeKit Secure Video if you already have an iCloud+ subscription, which adds another layer of privacy and security. Your recorded video is analyzed on your device before it's end-to-end encrypted and sent to iCloud. This means Eufy doesn't keep your sensitive video on their servers. What's more, this footage won't eat into your iCloud storage, depending on your chosen plan.
Best Nanny Camera For Audio Better AI Detection, Reporting—And Clear Sound
Amazon Psync Camera Genie S Shop At Amazon
Resolution: 2K | Power: Wired | Audio: Two-way | AI Detection: Yes
Named our best indoor home security camera, the Psync Camera Genie S is a GPT-enabled smart camera with a distinctive body, two-way audio and a bevy of AI-enabled features. The camera uses AI to identify (almost) exactly what it's seeing and hearing and reports that to you via a text transcript instead of just ceaseless notifications.
'The Genie S has an almost 360-degree range thanks to its ability to rotate from side-to-side, so we could see almost the entire room where we set it up for testing," says Forbes Vetted tech writer Steve John who tested the camera. 'What's more, I could hear every word spoken and hear the sounds in the room where I set it up with good clarity, and could be easily understood through its speaker when I was talking to my family.' It also has built-in local storage, so you won't have to subscribe to store your videos—you can select between a 32GB and 64GB version.
Just be careful with audio recordings, which Jordan says is one of the 'most significant' issues that arise with nannies. 'In states like California and other all-party consent states, it is illegal to record conversations without the consent of everyone involved. If a nanny cam records audio and the nanny was not informed, the family could face serious legal consequences,' she says.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
At Forbes Vetted, we're committed to thoroughly researching, testing and applying expert feedback in order to find the best products for kids and babies including family security devices like baby monitors and the best non-wi-fi baby monitors.
The author of this article, Esther Carlstone, is a longtime parenting editor who has extensively tested various parenting-related tech products, including iPads and digital calendars, is a parent of three kids ranging in age from little kid to teen.
The story was edited by Forbes Vetted deputy editor Rose Gordon Sala, a parenting and tech editor and mom of three.
We interviewed Ryan Jordan, founder of Educated Nannies, a nationwide nanny placement agency, who has 20 years of experience working with families and children, including six years as a full-time nanny for high-profile clients.
How We Chose The Best Nanny Cameras
After extensive research into nanny cameras and considering our favorite baby monitor brands, as well as home security cameras, I began to pull together these top picks based on research, reviews and weighing each model's attributes and potential drawbacks.
I spoke with other parents to see which nanny camera they had or were currently using and compared specs between all of the popular models.
I dug through online reviews of various indoor security cameras, focusing on reviews specifically from parents who had used them as a nanny camera.
Knowing each family's needs and priorities are different, I selected various cameras across a range of prices, features and storage options. I also considered which ones easily connected to popular smartphones and apps parents were most likely to use.
Knowing parents are busy, I prioritized cameras that were known to be easy to set up with little fuss.
I only considered cameras that had an average of four stars or higher.
I spoke to our resident tech writer, Steven John, who had already tested various security cameras, smart locks and more tech for the home to get his thoughts.
How To Find The Best Nanny Cameras
Size
Depending on how and where you want to use the camera, size may be a deal breaker. You may want something small and discreet or larger and stationary that can easily be placed on a shelf or wall-mounted.
Image Quality
While all the cameras on our list offer high-quality video, some are a little more clear than others. Some offer capabilities like extreme zoom options and pan and tilt so you can remotely scan the room. Depending on what's most important to you and how closely you want to monitor what's going on these details may be of importance to you.
Audio Capabilities
Not all models of indoor cameras come with audio recording capabilities. If that's important to you, or you want to be able to communicate through the camera via two-way audio, that's a spec you'll want to pay close attention to, especially if you're also planning on using this camera as a baby monitor.
Storage Options
Many nanny cameras come with a microSD slot so you can store recordings on a microSD card, usually sold separately. Others don't have that option and may require you to pay for a subscription service for cloud storage of recordings. The monthly costs on this varies and can sometimes be bundled with existing services you may have with the brand, so take note of these details on the camera you select.
Motion Detection
All of the cameras on this list offer motion detection, with or without a subscription. This means anytime motion is detected in the room the camera is set up in, a notification is sent to your phone, much like a smart doorbell. This could be a helpful feature for parents who want to know whenever their child or nanny enters a certain room. If the constant notifications are annoying, you can adjust your settings.
Extra Features
The nanny cams of today often come with a wide variety of smart features, some of which may be important to you and some which are just nice-to-haves. These may include everything from motion detection, AI detection of faces, smart home connectivity with Alexa and Apple Home or night vision.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is The Best Nanny Cam On The Market?
Our top overall pick for best nanny camera is the Google Nest Indoor Camera. It's easy to use, has clear video and connects easily with smartphones, Alexa and Google Home devices.
What Is The Difference Between A Nanny Cam And A Baby Cam?
'A nanny cam is used to monitor the nanny's interactions with a child or in the household. Families will typically use home security systems to record, such as the Ring or Nest,' says Jordan. 'A baby cam is used to monitor the baby's sleep, safety and well-being.'
Is It Illegal To Have A Nanny Cam Without Telling The Nanny?
The laws around recording someone without prior disclosure varies from state to state, so always be sure to consult your state's laws around this before proceeding with a nanny cam. 'California has strict privacy laws, especially regarding audio recording. You cannot record audio without the consent of all parties,' says Jordan. 'If a nanny cam includes audio and it's recording private conversations, the family could be in legal trouble unless the nanny has given consent. Recording video may be restricted in certain areas of the home that are considered either public or private.'