A baby monitor is an essential tool for any parent, offering peace of mind by allowing you to keep an eye (or ear) on your little one while they sleep or play. As tech-enabled parenting continues to grow, more parents are opting for smart monitors that provide HD video, two-way communication, and temperature tracking, making it easier to stay connected and ensure your baby’s well-being. With so many options available, finding the right one can feel overwhelming. Two top contenders in the baby monitor space—Harbor baby monitor and Nanit baby monitor—offer innovative features designed to make monitoring your baby easier and more efficient. But which one is the best baby monitor for new parents? 

In this article, we’ll help you evaluate each monitor to help you decide which one aligns with your needs, backed by a deep dive into their technical specs, cost, and features. Let’s compare the two so you can choose the best baby monitor for your family!

Key Considerations for the Best Baby Monitor 2025

Baby monitors have come a long way in the last 20 years, evolving from simple audio-only devices to sophisticated, high-tech systems with video, temperature tracking, and even movement sensors. Early models relied on basic sound transmission, but today’s monitors offer crystal-clear video feeds, two-way communication, and smart features that allow parents to monitor their baby from anywhere. This evolution reflects the growing demand for more reliable, convenient, and connected solutions to help parents stay informed and at ease.

Before diving into the specifics, it's important to think about what features will best support your needs as a parent, ensuring you have the right tools for both peace of mind and convenience. Here are the key considerations to keep in mind when choosing a baby monitor: 

  • Video and Audio Quality: Clear video and high-quality sound are essential for monitoring your baby’s safety and well-being. Look for HD video with night vision so you can have a clear line of sight even in the darkest of rooms. Another feature to look for is two-way audio that lets you listen to your baby and speak to them, offering reassurance and comfort when needed.

  • Security Features:  In today’s technology-driven world, it’s essential to choose a baby monitor that prioritizes security and protects your privacy. Look for monitors with secure, encrypted connections to ensure that your baby’s video feed remains private and safe from unauthorized access. Monitors that operate with or without the internet can provide an added layer of security. 

  • Range and Connectivity: Consider the range of the monitor, especially if you have a large home. Wireless connectivity and app integration can allow you to monitor your baby from anywhere, but make sure it works well in your environment.

  • Ease of Use: Look for a monitor that’s easy to set up and navigate. User-friendly interfaces and intuitive mobile apps can make monitoring your baby stress-free and simple.

Overview of the Harbor and Nanit Baby Monitors

With these key considerations in mind, let’s take a closer look at how two leading options. 

The Harbor baby monitor is designed to be a reliable partner, offering seamless functionality with or without an internet connection. Prioritizing security with end-to-end encryption, Harbor ensures your baby’s safety and your peace of mind. More than just a monitor, Harbor is a trusted companion that delivers on its promise to provide dependable, worry-free monitoring, helping you stay connected to your little one whenever and wherever you need.

The Nanit baby monitor provides a cutting-edge solution for parents looking to monitor their baby with precision and ease. With HD video quality, real-time motion and sound alerts, and advanced sleep tracking features, it offers a comprehensive view of your baby’s sleep patterns and environment. The intuitive Nanit App further enhances the experience, offering valuable insights to help parents optimize their baby’s sleep and well-being. Whether at home or on the go, Nanit makes staying connected and informed easier than ever.

Key Features and Technical Specs 

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve put together a comparison of the key features and technical specifications for both the Harbor and Nanit baby monitors. Check out the table below to see how they stack up side-by-side.

Cost Comparison 

When comparing costs of baby monitors, it's important to consider not just the upfront price, but also any ongoing costs or additional features that may impact the overall value.

The Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor

When considering the Nanit baby monitor, the upfront cost will depend on your preferred setup. The Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor with the Floor Stand is priced at $399, while the option with the Wall Mount is available for $299. Both options include the high-definition camera and essential monitoring features. 

In addition to the monitor itself, Nanit offers three subscription plans that unlock extra features and insights.

  1. The Sleep Plan ($50 annually) provides advanced sleep tracking and personalized recommendations to improve your baby’s sleep patterns.
  2. The Memories Plan ($120 annually) lets you store video history and add extra users for shared access. For even more detailed tracking.
  3. The Milestones Plan ($300 annually) automatically captures key developmental moments, like rolling over and sitting up, while offering in-depth data on your baby’s progress.

These plans can enhance your monitoring experience, but they do come with ongoing costs. Although the Nanit can be used without a subscription, it won’t store data, which limits access to some of the more advanced features. If you’re looking to trial some of these advanced features, you’ll get one year of the Sleep Plan free with the purchase of a new camera.

Poppylist Co-Founder, Tamiz Ahmed, tested both monitors—you'll learn more about that towards the end—and here’s what he had to say about the subscription. Sounds like a parent hack to me!

"I ended up not continuing after the free year, but I've been using Nanit for my kids for four years now and never paid a subscription fee," said Ahmed.

Harbor Baby Monitor

The Harbor Baby Monitor is available for $599, which includes one camera and one 10" monitor. With this one-time purchase, you gain access to all of Harbor’s essential features—HD video, secure connectivity, two-way audio, and more—All the value upfront, without the need for subscriptions or renewals. Explore the The Harbor Baby Monitor options here.

Game Changer Innovations

Both Nanit and Harbor are advancing baby monitoring with innovative features, but Harbor stands out with its exclusive Remote Night Nanny service, offering real-time, personalized sleep coaching from experts—truly a game-changer for nighttime routines. While Nanit provides valuable sleep tracking and insights, its features are more standard compared to Harbor’s hands-on support. With its future-forward innovations, including real-time assistance, Harbor emerges as the more innovative and well-rounded choice for parents looking to stay ahead.

Ease of Use & Setup

When it comes to setup, both Nanit and Harbor baby monitors offer resources to guide you through the process, ensuring a smooth installation. Setting up the Nanit monitor is straightforward and intuitive—it's designed to be user-friendly, requiring no instructions for setup. The Harbor setup process isn’t as intuitive as the Nanit. While the steps are relatively straightforward, it requires a bit more attention, and the initial setup may not be as seamless for those who are technology averse.  During the setup process, it's important to remain mindful of securing camera cords properly to ensure safety in your baby’s nursery. 

Once the Nanit is set up, it requires little to no maintenance unless you’re traveling or need to reconnect to a new Wi-Fi network. The user-friendly app and clear interface allow parents to easily monitor their baby’s sleep and activity without feeling overwhelmed by technical details. While the Nanit monitor is generally reliable, some users may experience occasional connectivity issues, particularly when switching between different Wi-Fi networks or traveling to new locations. However, these are typically easy to resolve and don’t significantly impact the overall user experience.

The Harbor monitor offers impressive flexibility by functioning without Wi-Fi, making it perfect for parents or those who prefer an uninterrupted experience. If your connection is lost, Harbor automatically switches to local monitoring, ensuring there’s no “downtime” and you can continue to keep an eye on your baby. Whether you're tech-savvy or looking for simplicity, both monitors are designed to fit smoothly into your parenting routine.

Parent-Tested: Harbor vs. Nanit

While specs and features are crucial, nothing compares to the insights gained from real-world testing—especially when those insights come from parents who use these monitors daily. Our founder, Tamiz Ahmed, had the chance to put both the Harbor and Nanit baby monitors through their paces in a range of environments, from the familiarity of home to the unpredictable nature of hotels and Airbnbs.

Dive into his firsthand observations and key considerations for setup and travel.

Setup

The Nanit setup process is remarkably intuitive. Even without instructions, I was able to get it up and running quickly. The process is streamlined and user-friendly—set it up once at home, and you likely won't need to touch it again unless you're traveling. Here's what Tamiz had to say:

“In contrast,The Harbor setup was a bit more challenging. I ran into an issue during the initial setup, likely due to testing an early release version. After a quick replacement cable was sent, the problem was resolved, but the overall process wasn’t quite as seamless as with the Nanit."

Travel Considerations

For families who travel frequently, connectivity becomes a crucial factor considering the varying Wi-Fi setups in different locations. One of Harbor's standout advantages is its ability to function without WiFi, which can be invaluable when traveling. This feature means you'll never lose monitoring capability, regardless of your internet situation.

The Nanit, while excellent in many ways, has a significant limitation for travelers—it requires WiFi to function and cannot connect to hotel networks that use login portals (which is common in many hotels). This limitation can be frustrating when staying in hotels.That said, Nanit offers excellent travel accessories that have proven worthwhile investments. The travel stand and carrying case make it easy to bring the monitor on trips, and we still take it with us whenever we stay in Airbnbs where our children have their own rooms. In hotel settings where children typically share a room with parents, the WiFi limitation becomes less of an issue anyway.

"Although Harbor provides a dedicated monitor device, I found myself rarely using it, preferring instead to use the smartphone app or an iPad—especially while traveling, as it meant one less device to pack," said Ahmed. "This isn't necessarily a drawback for Harbor, but I didn't find the dedicated monitor to be much of a selling point. For parents who prefer to consolidate devices, the ability to use existing smartphones and tablets for monitoring may be more appealing."

 

We know you're looking for the best baby monitor of 2025, and we've done our best to compare Harbor and Nanit to help you make the right choice. While both offer solid features, Nanit stands out for its ease of use and seamless setup. Harbor's no-subscription, all-inclusive approach is extremely appealing, but if you're looking for a more intuitive experience and travel-friendly option, Nanit may be the better fit. Explore both and find the monitor that best suits the needs of you and your families!

Either option can be added to your Poppylist Baby Registry or purchased from our website. Shop or register now: