Field of view

A good nanny cam needs to view an entire room easily. Look for a wider field of view, something approaching 130 degrees or more if possible. Or you can choose a pan/tilt camera, which can rotate on command to view a much larger space.

Motion detection and recognition

Motion detection sends you alerts when the sensors recognize significant motion in the field of view. That’s important if you want to spot restless kids or toddlers who really shouldn’t be up and about at certain times. Object recognition helps recognize humans and avoid triggering for pets and other potential triggers.

Price

We leaned toward more affordable cameras for these picks. While security cams over $100 can be packed with features and a high resolution, families are often looking for something simpler and more affordable for a nanny cam. For those with higher budgets, we also have some higher-end picks that offer more versatile or extra capabilities.

Audio capabilities

Whether you want to talk to a babysitter, check up on grandma or remind a child to stay in bend, two-way audio is a very important feature for nanny cams. All of our picks have it.

Video storage

Without video storage, you’re stuck with only a live view. That’s a viable choice for nanny cams, especially if you want to avoid subscription fees, but many parents want the ability to store videos for later viewing, sharing or downloading. If you like that feature, look for a camera that offers a subscription within your budget for cloud storage, or a local storage option where you can keep video on a hard drive.