Home security is no longer a thing for the rich and famous, with advancements in technology doing everything from spotlights and home security cameras more affordable and accessible. This includes nanny cams, which can help you keep tabs on your toddlers, pets, or anyone else or anything else you want to feel safe about. With today’s smart technology, it’s easy to monitor any of your cameras from anywhere.
A smart nanny cam can help, but you might want something a little different from the usual residence
security-oriented features. I don’t plan to hide cameras for this list, as this gets into some pretty debatable territory when it comes to privacy. Instead, I weigh all the needs you could want for your nanny cam: two-way talk, quality live streaming, story footage storage options, cost, and field-of-view or pan-and-draw features. inclination.
Taking all these considerations into account, these are my favorite nanny cams.
David Priest/CNET
To install
Movable, indoor
Resolution
1080p
Storage
Cloud, local storage
Google/Alexa compatibility
Both
Field of view
120 degrees
Wyze’s $40 pan-and-tilt camera is perfect for keeping tabs on kids because it can follow them around the room — or even multiple rooms, depending on how you position it. The camera can rotate 360 degrees, it has two-way talk, and it’s super affordable, with or without a subscription.
Plus, you can have the camera sweep the room periodically, checking for irregularities, or you can set it to follow movement – so your 4-year-old whirlwind stays in frame while you try to catch him. ask questions about his day.
Read our Wyze Cam Pan v2 review.
You are receiving price alerts for Wyze Cam Pan v2
Arlo
To install
Movable, indoor
Resolution
1080p
Storage
Online storage
Google/Alexa compatibility
Both
Field of view
130 degrees
While the Arlo Essential Indoor Cam is pretty standard for a $100 smart camera — 130-degree field of view, 12x digital zoom, 1080p HD live stream, two-way talk, night vision, built-in siren, and more. – it has one design feature that might earn it special consideration as a nanny cam: its privacy shield. When the camera is not powered on, a quarter-sized white screen indicates that it is not recording. When it starts recording, the shield turns around. This lets guardians and children know at a glance if they’re checked in, making it a bit easier to maintain privacy boundaries.
Read our Arlo Essential Indoor camera review.
You receive price alerts for the Arlo Essential Indoor Cam
Dale Smith/CNET
To install
Indoor smart home hub
Resolution
960×480
Google/Alexa compatibility
Amazon-Alexa
Field of view
N / A
If you’re less concerned with keeping a digital diary of your kids’ or babysitters’ activity throughout an evening than you’re dropping in to chat with them during that time, a kids’ edition of Echo Show 5 may fit the bill better. to your needs than a traditional camera. First, you can come and chat and the kids can actually see your face. Second, your children or guardians can contact you through the device with a simple voice command. Finally, checking the activity log on the Echo is a nice, indirect way to see what your kids have been up to while you’re away – making sure it doesn’t intrude too much, but also gives useful information, depending on how much they use Alexa.
Read our Echo Show 5 (2021) review.
How We Test Home Security Cameras
Hands-on testing is at the heart of our reviews of all home security products. In short, when it comes to security cameras, we pay close attention to resolution, night vision and latency, additional features, general performance, and overall value. We evaluate all of these in a real home environment over the course of a week. If you want to learn more about our review process, see our detailed article on how we test home security cameras and video doorbells.
Nanny cams compared
|
Wyze Camera Pan v2 |
Arlo Essential Indoor Camera |
Amazon Echo Show 5 Kids |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$40 |
$40 |
$40 |
|
Resolution (pixels |
1920×1080 |
1920×1080 |
960×480 |
|
Field of view |
120 degrees |
130 degrees |
Unspecified |
|
To install |
Mobile, indoor only |
Mobile, indoor only |
Mobile, indoor only |
|
Additional Features |
Live streaming, two-way talk, sound and motion alerts, color night vision, pan and tilt functions |
Live streaming, two-way talk, night vision, built-in siren, privacy shield |
Parental controls, video calls, built-in camera shutter, microphone/camera off button, push-in function |
|
Exam score |
9.2 |
7.6 |
8 |
Nanny Cam FAQ
Is it okay to use a nanny cam?
Nanny cams raise important questions about home privacy, parental reach, and a range of other issues. The laws differ depending on where you live, but it’s almost always illegal to conceal cameras in places where privacy is assumed, such as bathrooms. Otherwise, however, as long as the nanny or babysitter is supervising the children in your home, you usually have the legal right to use a camera.
Whether or not you should – or whether or not you should tell the nanny about the camera – is a more complicated matter and one that you will have to sort out yourself. Some experts recommend talking to the nanny about the camera as a sign of respect, while others fear it defeats the purpose of the camera: to detect abuse or other problems when they occur. In general, such problems can be at least partially avoided by performing thorough background checks on caregivers, monitoring your children’s behavior around them, and dropping by the house at unexpected times to check in.
Can someone hack my nanny camera?
The short answer here is: probably, even if it’s not likely. That said, there are several ways you can protect your device. First, make sure you’re using a camera from a major developer with a strong track record in device security. Second, use additional security measures for your device, such as multi-factor authentication, local storage, and video encryption, when possible. Third, use a camera with a clear privacy screen or physical cover, so you can reliably turn it off when not in use.
Should I hide my cam nanny?
Although some parents hope to hide their nanny cameras, our recommendation is to keep your cameras in an open space – clearly communicating your expectations to your children and their caregivers about staying in supervised spaces, calling for the help of a two-way conversation at certain times, etc. to. In general, setting clear boundaries and expectations helps build trust with caregivers and children, while giving you the ability to monitor your home while you’re away.
Is there a difference between a security camera and a nanny cam?
“Nanny cam” is a term used to refer to how a camera is used, as opposed to how it is designed. You can easily use a smart security camera, video baby monitor or any other camera as a nanny cam. Generally speaking, I recommend nanny cams based on their monitoring and communication features – disregarding devices designed to be concealed.
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8:53
