Nanit Pro vs Owlet (2022): Comparing Smart Baby Monitors and Wearables

For many parents looking for a high-tech baby monitor, Nanit and Owlet are usually two names that come to mind. Their monitoring systems use HD cameras, innovative wearables, and intuitive apps. With the Nanit Pro, the sensors are built into the camera unit itself. Owlet, on the other hand, relies on its novel Smart Sock 3 to check your baby’s vitals. Both brands come highly recommended as well. But which is better, Nanit or Owlet? Keep reading to learn how the Nanit Pro Monitoring Systems fares against the Owlet Monitor Duo.

Nanit vs Owlet Comparison Chart

Design and Installation

Both the Nanit Pro and Owlet monitors and wearables are sleek and cleverly designed.

Nanit Pro’s camera unit sports a sleek and compact form with rounded corners. Out of the box, it comes with a wall-mounting kit. If you want to place it on a table, you can set it on the Nanit Multi-Stand component instead. In contrast, Owlet’s camera is freestanding and looks more like a webcam. It also comes with a mounting kit for a bird’s-eye view of your baby. Both Nanit and Owlet’s mounting hardware feature cable guards that safely hide wires away. The camera units are also available only in white.

When it comes to their wearables, Owlet’s socks offer more interesting designs. Since the sensor is removable, you can replace the standard sock with patterned options. Every purchase of the Smart Sock 3 will also include two sock sizes for your baby’s left and right feet. With Nanit, you can choose the breathing wear depending on your baby’s size or age. Apart from the band, the company sells swaddles, sleeping bags, and pajamas. These textiles feature a special pattern for breathing monitoring but are available in different colors, too.

Camera and Audio

Nanit Pro’s recording quality and audio features are better than Owlet’s.

The Nanit Pro boasts considerable upgrades from the original Nanit Plus. For instance, the Pro now comes with 1080p HD video streaming, a boost from 960p. It also offers an improved nightlight and the addition of a status light indicator. Nanit shares that the Pro gets an upgraded ambient light sensor, too, for a seamless transition between the camera’s day and night modes.

Like the Nanit Pro, the Owlet Cam streams 1080p HD video. Compared to analog monitors, the camera uses a more secure AES 128-bit encryption in its Wi-Fi connection as well. Both the Nanit Pro and Owlet Cam offer night vision mode, although Nanit has the edge in terms of image quality. It streams faster and more reliably, too, thanks to dual-band Wi-Fi support.

As expected, the Nanit Pro and Owlet have two-way audio. It’s an important feature that lets parents interact with their baby remotely. To mask other sounds and lull your baby to sleep, Nanit’s monitoring system has a white noise feature. Owlet, on the other hand, offers background audio. It’s a functionality that allows parents to hear audio from the baby’s room even while you’re using other apps or your phone is locked.

Monitoring System and Features

Nanit Pro combines a camera unit and breathing band, while the Owlet uses a camera unit and smart sock.

Nanit and Owlet take different approaches when it comes to monitoring. On the Nanit Pro, all the sensors are built into the camera unit. The accompanying breathing band (or wear) is only used to track breathing motions. The fabric features special patterns to help the Pro camera unit watch your baby’s breathing.

But even without the band, you can get insights into your baby and the baby’s environment. Aside from sleep tracking, you can measure a room’s temperature and humidity with the camera unit. This is on top of your HD video streaming.

The Owlet Monitor Duo, on the other hand, combines the Owlet Cam and the Smart Sock 3. Owlet’s camera is primarily used for sound and motion notifications as well as video streaming. Unlike the Nanit Pro, it doesn’t come with sensors. To track health vitals, Owlet requires the companion ankle wearable. It’s an innovative garment that monitors your baby’s oxygen level, heart rate, and sleeping patterns.

The sensor on the sock is also used to observe sleeping trends. But since it’s an electronic component, the Smart Sock 3 has to be charged through a base station. Owlet shares that the wearable has a battery life of 8 hours with a 20-minute charge and 16 hours on a full, 90-minute charge. Even without the Owlet Cam, the Smart Sock 3 will monitor your baby’s vitals.

Mobile App

While Nanit Pro has the better mobile app, insights are only available through a subscription.

With the Nanit Pro monitoring system, you’re not getting a physical parent unit like what V-Tech offers. Instead, installing the Nanit app turns your mobile device — whether a phone or a tablet — into the parent unit. Live streams, recordings, insights, and notifications are then coursed through the platform.

Owlet’s technology, on the other hand, includes the base station that not only charges the Smart Sock 3 but also provides alerts and status indicators. It’s a simple and reliable device that minimizes the need for you to constantly check your phone.

If you are outside of your baby’s room, however, you can use the Owlet app. The company has redesigned the platform to make it more user-friendly, although it’s only compatible with phones in the meantime. In addition to real-time view and sleep trends, you can now access historical data and trends. The Owlet app also supports multiple child profiles as well as multiple Owlet devices.

Nanit’s mobile application is still the more comprehensive and intuitive of the two. However, advanced features are only accessible with a Nanit Insights plan. You do get a one-year free subscription with every purchase of the Nanit Pro but succeeding years will require a membership. Expanded storage and multiple users are also available only under the more expensive Insights and Insights Unlimited plans.

Accessories

Owlet offers more accessories than the Nanit Pro.

When it comes to accessories, Owlet has the edge. The Smart Sock 3 itself comes with a dedicated shop for different styles of the wearable. You can also buy replacement parts, mounting kits, and even the Owlet base station. The company even sells Owlet gift cards.

Nanit, on the other hand, offers a multi-stand and travel case as accessories. The latter packs your baby monitoring system in a slim and stylish bag. Parents can also look into the different breathing wear offered by the company. Apart from the breathing band, you can size up other textiles like the sleeping bag, swaddle, or pajama.

Click here to read our Nanit vs Miku comparison.

Verdict

If you want an all-in-one camera unit, get the Nanit Pro. But if you need oxygen level and heart rate tracked, get the Owlet Duo Monitor.

Comparing their camera units alone, the Nanit Pro is better and more affordable than the Owlet. The camera comes equipped with all the key sensors. You’ll only need the breathing wear for breathing monitoring. Moreover, the image quality and audio features are better than Owlet.

Nanit’s app looks and feels more intuitive, too. Advanced app features, however, will require a Nanit Insights plan. While you get a one-year free subscription, extending or upgrading the plans means you’ll spend just as much as buying an Owlet Monitor Duo.

Owlet, on the other hand, relies largely on its wearable. After all, the monitoring system works best with the Owlet Cam and Smart Sock 3 combined. But while expensive, you get access to more advanced health monitoring of vitals like heart rate and oxygen level. If your baby has special needs, the Owlet’s technology might be a better choice.

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