The 10 Best Nanny Cams of 2020

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Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Nest Security Camera (Broken Link) at Amazon

"You can review photos of recorded activity for up to three hours."

Best Overall Runner Up: PANORAXY Ms.Cube Mini WiFi at Amazon

"What better place to have a hidden camera than in a clock?"

Best Budget: Wyze Cam 1080p HD Smart Home Camera at Amazon

"Use a microSD card to record footage."

Best Budget Runner Up: YI 1080p Home Camera at Amazon

"Offers both live video and stored footage."

Best Hidden: Zohulu 1080P Mini Spy Hidden Camera at Amazon

"You can also choose to have it capture clips when it detects motion."

Best Wireless: Blink Indoor Home Security Camera System at Amazon

"Expand your system by adding more cameras around your home."

Best with App: Logitech Circle 2 Indoor/Outdoor Wired at Amazon

"It sends alerts to your app when motion is detected."

Best with Wi-Fi: Arlo Q at Amazon

"This wired camera will need to be relatively close to an outlet."

Best without Wi-Fi: Spy Charger Hidden Camera, 2 Pack at Amazon

"Record continuous video or use motion-detection."

Best with Audio: Ring Stick Up Cam Wired HD With Two-Way Talk at Amazon

"Lets you see, hear, and speak to people."

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Nest Security Camera (Broken Link)

No matter your purpose for getting a nanny camera, you’ll find all the functionality you need with the Nest Security Camera. This indoor security camera lets you check in on your home, no matter where you are, with live 24/7 streaming. The 1080p HD video will show you everything that’s going on, day or night, and the camera will even send notifications to your smartphone when it detects movement.

The Nest Camera is a plug-in model, and it comes with both a stand and a wall-mounting plate, depending on where you want to put it. It has a built-in speaker and microphone for two-way audio, and you can review photos of recorded activity for up to three hours for free. If you want continuous recording, Nest offers “Nest Aware,” which provides you with more comprehensive security features.

Best Overall Runner Up: PANORAXY Ms.Cube Mini WiFi

What better place to have a hidden camera than in a clock? This sleek black-digital clock will make a perfect addition to any bedroom. In addition to its functionality as a clock, you can use this nanny cam to record 720-pixel date-stamped videos on an SD card (included) and to watch live video through the associated app. There’s also an option to set up motion-activated recording, in case you only want video when someone is in the room.

The Ms.Cube Mini WiFi Spy Hidden Camera has enhanced night vision for up to 8 meters, making it a great option for a young child’s room. Further, it comes with a three-month warranty with no questions asked, so if it doesn’t fit your needs, you can send it back.

Best Budget: Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera

Security cameras can cost hundreds of dollars, but if you want top-notch security on a budget, you should consider the Wyze Camera. This popular budget pick streams video in 1080p HD, and you can check in on your home anytime via the associated app.

This camera comes with a magnetic base, 6-foot power cable, and an adhesive metal plate, allowing you to mount it anywhere without putting holes in your walls. It boasts motion and sound detection, and you can choose to use a microSD card (sold separately) to record footage or use the free rolling 14-day cloud storage. The camera has two-way audio, as well as night vision up to 30 feet.

Best Budget Runner Up: YI 1080p Home Camera

The YI 1080p Home Camera Wireless IP Security Surveillance System was specially designed with kids in mind, right down to its ability to detect crying. This camera is a reasonably-priced security solution that offers both live video and stored footage with 1080-pixel resolution—you can even zoom in up to 4x to get a closer look at what’s going on.

With YI Home app, you can stream real-time video to your phone, watching what your kids and babysitter are doing, or enable motion alerts that let you know when and where movement was detected. The app also includes two-way audio that lets you have a conversation with your nanny or kids right through the camera.

This camera’s best features are arguably the ones designed just for parents. The YI Home Camera includes special technology that detects a baby’s crying and sends you a smartphone alert. Plus, it boasts advanced night vision that allows you to check on your little one without disturbing them.

Best Hidden: Zohulu 1080P Mini Spy Hidden Camera

Many people think of nanny cams as hidden cameras, and if you’re looking for a small camera you can hide around your home, you’ll want to consider the Zohulu 1080p Mini Spy Camera. This tiny camera weighs just 10 grams, allowing you to mount it just about anywhere, and it records up to 100 minutes of continuous high-definition video on a microSD card (sold separately). You can also choose to have it capture clips when it detects motion.

It has a 145-degree wide-angle lens, which gives you a great view of the room, and it has six built-in infrared lights that help it capture clear footage, even at night. This camera doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi, so you can’t stream video to your phone, but reviewers note it’s easy to use, has great picture quality, and is perfect to hide in your home.

Best Wireless: Blink Indoor Home Security Camera System

Corded security cameras can be a bit inconvenient, as you have to place them near an outlet. However, you can solve this problem with a compact wireless camera like the Blink Indoor Home Security Camera, which is lightweight and powered by batteries, allowing you to place it just about anywhere.

Blink cameras stream HD video to connected devices, and they include built-in motion detectors that will send alerts to your smartphone, along with a short clip of whatever is happening. There are no monthly fees associated with these cameras, and what’s great is that you can easily expand your system by adding more cameras around your home.

Best with App: Logitech Circle 2 Indoor/Outdoor Wired Home Security Camera

A glitchy app can quickly undermine the functionality of your nanny camera, which is why it’s important to have a product that will perform reliably. One top-rated option in this regard is the Logitech Circle 2, a smart security camera that has all the functionality you could ever want, as well as a well-designed app to support it.

The Circle 2 has a wide-angle lens that captures 1080p HD video both day and night, and it sends alerts to your app when motion is detected, along with a snapshot of what triggered the sensor. It has two-way talk capabilities and free 24-hour cloud storage. Another cool feature is a free time lapse of each day, allowing you to scan the footage to see if anything is amiss. Plus, if you want more advanced functionality, you can upgrade to paid features like person detection, motion zones, and increased storage.

Best with Wi-Fi: Arlo Q

Many security cameras today are equipped with Wi-Fi, allowing them to stream video to your smartphone or other internet-connected devices. If you’re looking for a Wi-Fi camera that you can access from anywhere, one of the best options if the Arlo Q, an internet-enabled security camera that delivers 1080p HD video straight to your phone.

This camera has two-way audio capabilities, as well as motion and sound alerts. It comes with a stand and a wall-mounting plate, allowing you to put it just about anywhere, but it is a wired camera, so it will need to be relatively close to an outlet. What’s nice about the Arlo Q is it comes with seven days of free cloud recording, and you can upgrade to a more advanced plan if you want more storage.

Best without Wi-Fi: Spy Charger Hidden Camera, 2 Pack

Security cameras without Wi-Fi are becoming harder to find, but there are still some good ones available, such as the Spy Charger Hidden Camera. This two-pack of spy cameras capture video on micro SD cards (not included), and they look just like standard phone charging blocks, so no one will know you’re watching.

With these nanny cameras, you can choose to either record continuous video or use motion-detection to capture five-minute clips. Because this camera plugs into an electrical outlet, it doesn’t need any batteries, and if the memory card gets full, it will automatically write over the oldest files.

Best with Audio: Ring Stick Up Cam Wired HD Security Camera with Two-Way Talk

Security cameras with two-way talk allow you to speak and listen through the device, which can be helpful if you need to tell your kids to do their homework, yell at the dog to get off the couch, or even scare away an intruder. One of the best cameras with audio capabilities is the Ring Stick-Up Camera, a product that you can mount anywhere in your home.

The Ring Camera delivers 1080p HD video, and it lets you see, hear, and speak to people through your phone, tablet, or computer. It comes equipped with motion-detection alerts, and you can mount it on any flat surface—though it is a wired camera, so it will need to be close to an electrical outlet or ethernet port.

What to Look for in a Nanny Cam

Size and shape: How you want to use a nanny cam will dictate how small of a camera you want to select. If you want it to be completely undetectable, then the smaller the better. Also, consider where you’ll place it. Some can be tucked away easily in everyday objects, while others double as everyday objects (e.g. an alarm clock). Others are set on a tabletop, which is fine if you’re not trying to conceal your monitoring efforts from anyone.

Sophistication: From basic models that simply record video footage of an area to those that connect to Wi-Fi so you can stream from your phone, nanny cams vary across the technological spectrum. Another feature that differentiates nanny cams is the pixel resolution, which translates into how crisp and clear the images are when you view them. Typically, the higher the resolution, the higher the price tag.

Extra features: Beyond capturing footage, some nanny cams offer other features, such as night vision capabilities and two-way voice communication, so you can chime in on what’s going on in a particular room from wherever you may be. Your budget and reasons for monitoring will dictate what features you want in a camera.