Welcome to my nanny cam reviews website
I have written these nanny cam reviews because I found it so time consuming trying to compare so many different types of nanny cams and home surveillance cameras. There are just so many different types of nanny cams and baby monitors with lots of different functions that after half a dozen different pages I was all turned around.
So I have tried to simplify the topic for you by collating as much of the information as I can.
Important Information about Hidden Nanny Cams
One factor that is important and you should be aware of is that there are laws concerning covert surveillance. I am not a lawyer or any sort of expert in law, so you do need to investigate this subject yourself. What I do know is that these laws do exist and they are different, depending on which state you live in.
So if you are interested in purchasing a hidden nanny cam, one which records people and in particular what they talk about – you usually need their permission to do that. As I said, I am not an expert in law, so be sure to do your own due diligence and make sure that you will not be breaking any laws if you decide to use hidden nanny cams in your home.
Now back to nanny cams
In general, there are four different types of cameras you can buy and all will do the job of observing your children when you are not present. Which type you select, depends on the purpose for the surveillance camera.
So let’s take a quick look at the different types of home surveillance cameras,nanny cams and baby monitors available on the market.
WIFI Nanny cams
These are specifically designed so you can observe your baby or young child either when they are alone, with their carer or with anyone else they interact with, while you are away from your home.
These type of nanny cams can play lullabies and may have temperature sensors, so you can be notified if the ambient temperature in the room or nursery changes within certain set parameters. They tend to be aesthetically prettier than the other types of surveillance cameras as well.
You can read my nanny cam reviews here.
These are all by necessity, WIFI nanny cams because you need to use the internet to access the video recordings outside your home. Some of these will store the recordings in the cloud and some of these may or may not charge you a monthly fee for this privilege.
If you want to know all of the different features that are available in these type of nanny cams, you can read my article – How to Select the Best Nanny Cam – in which I list all of the different features that are available.
Baby monitors
These are designed to be used within your home and only work within a limited range. Some models are battery operated and others have both mains and battery power. With a baby monitor, you have a base unit which is positioned where your baby is sleeping and a hand held unit which you carry with you around your home.
These are designed so you can be in one part of your home doing your housework, cooking or working in the study for example, while your baby or young child is asleep in the nursery. These baby monitors do not have WIFI capabilities.
You can read my baby monitor reviews here.
Home surveillance cameras
These can easily be used as nanny cams and frequently are bought for this purpose. The reason you may purchase a home surveillance camera rather than a nanny cam is that you might want to re-purpose these cameras later on for home security when you children are grown.
You can add multiple cameras to the system and also you can make use of these cameras for home security purposes, in case of a burglary or similar type of event (nnay cams will also work just as well for home security purposes).
These home surveillance cameras, can have all of the functionality of a nanny cam, except they do not have temperature sensors and cannot play lullabies.
Other than those two functions, these home surveillance cameras are perfectly good nanny cams. You can also use these cameras to observe your pets while you are out of the house or an elderly relative. These home surveillance cameras have WIFI capabilities and some offer cloud storage, either with or without a monthly fee.
You can read reviews of these home surveillance cameras here.
Spy cameras
These are known as covert surveillance cameras and there are laws governing the use of hidden nanny cams and hidden home surveillance. In particular, these laws are very concerned with recording conversations without the permission of the participants.
So if you are considering covert surveillance in your home – recording the interactions between your children and their carer, then be very careful that you abide by any state governing laws.
You can hide these cameras just about anywhere in your home and there are a number that are sold hidden within other items. For example, you can have spy cameras hidden in smoke detectors, in teddy bears, in coat hooks and in picture frames – to name just a few that are available.
So there you have it – there are four different types of surveillance cameras, all of which can be easily used as nanny cams – hidden or otherwise.
I will cover examples of all of these four categories for you and I hope that my nanny cam reviews will help you to select the best nanny cam for your situation.