If you’re trying to decide between a Nanit and an Owlet monitor, you’re not alone. For many new moms, especially in those first few months, baby sleep is the most stressful part of the day. You finally get your baby down, then spend the next hour checking the monitor, worrying about weird noises, or wondering if they somehow rolled onto their stomach.
Premium baby monitors like Nanit and Owlet get so much attention because they promise more than just a grainy video feed. Both are designed to give you extra insight into your baby’s sleep, and both are often marketed to parents who want peace of mind. While both the Nanit and Owlet work well, they’re very different products.
Here, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know to make the right call for your family.
Nanit is a premium, Wi-Fi-connected baby monitor built around video monitoring and sleep analytics. It’s best known for its overhead camera view, sharp video quality, and app-based insights that help you track sleep patterns over time.
Unlike a standard baby monitor, Nanit is designed to do more than show whether your baby is awake. It also aims to help you understand how your baby is sleeping and how your routines may be affecting that sleep. For many parents, that makes it feel like part baby monitor, part sleep-tracking system.
Pricing varies depending on the bundle and stand you choose, but the Nanit Pro camera typically starts at around $290.
If your top priority is a great camera plus sleep insights, Nanit is hard to beat.
Nanit is the best choice if you’re looking for a monitor that works beautifully throughout your child’s development, not just during the newborn stage. It’s great for those who care about sleep schedules, nap patterns, and overall sleep quality, and for those who want a more traditional nursery camera with paid add-ons. If you prefer visual monitoring over continual vital-sign data, choose the Nanit.
That being said, cost is certainly a drawback once you factor in accessories and subscription features. If you want all the “smart” extras, Nanit can get expensive fast.
Owlet is best known for the Dream Sock, which wraps around your baby’s foot and tracks pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and other data through the Owlet app. Owlet also offers camera bundles, but the sock is the real reason most parents consider it, and what sets it apart from the Nanit.
Instead of focusing mainly on video and sleep analytics, Owlet is built around the idea of giving you live data. For anxious moms, that can sound incredibly appealing, especially if you find yourself constantly checking for breathing.
The Owlet Dream Sock is typically around $300, while camera bundles like the Dream Duo run around $380, depending on sales and retailer pricing.
One important note: Owlet’s current Dream Sock experience depends on your baby’s age and other factors. In the U.S., the FDA-cleared Health Notifications experience is intended for healthy babies 1–18 months old and 6–30 pounds, while newborns under 1 month use a different software experience first.
Owlet is a better choice if your biggest concern is health-style monitoring and you think seeing heart rate and oxygen readings will be reassuring.
For some moms, Owlet genuinely feels worth every penny because it helps them rest. There’s another side to that, too, however. Excessive data can sometimes cause excessive worry, and some parents find that the constant stream of information actually worsens anxiety. For some parents, the information is comforting. For others, it becomes one more thing to worry about at 2 a.m. (as if you don’t already have enough on your plate).
When you’re deciding between the Nanit and Owlet, ignore the hype around both for a second and ask yourself a simpler question: Which device is more likely to give you a sense of calm?
Choose Nanit if:
Choose Owlet if:
If you’re an anxious mom, it’s important to be honest with yourself. More information is not always better. While some parents feel empowered by data, others end up staring at the app all night and getting less sleep.
If you already know you’re the type to refresh the app constantly, Nanit may actually be the healthier choice. If you know you’ll feel safest with extra monitoring, and you trust yourself not to obsess over every small chance, Owlet may be worth the price.
If both of these feel too expensive, a few of our favorite popular budget-friendly alternatives include:
While these alternatives don’t offer the same advanced analytics or wearable monitoring as Nanit or Owlet, they can still be excellent options if what you really need right now is a reliable monitor without all the extra features.
If you’re a mom who loves saving serious cash, we’re so glad that you found us! Simply Sales with Alyssa and Sarah was founded to help moms like you find honest reviews and make the most out of every dollar. Check out our website for more product reviews, and don’t forget to join our Facebook community, where you can connect with like-minded moms, get product recommendations, and stay on top of the latest deals. We’ll see you there!
