I still remember the first time I left my kids with a babysitter. Was this relative stranger really going to take good care of them? Could I trust her? I was a nervous wreck. I checked my phone incessantly for emergency texts from the sitter, and I called to check in twice in the two hours that we were gone. Now, with three kids and dozens of sitter experiences under my belt, I’m much more relaxed, but I still want to ensure that the people who spend time with my littles are trustworthy.
If you’re like me, you probably try to only hire sitters recommended by moms you know. However, you’ve probably realized (like I have) that those sitters can be a hot commodity. Who wants to battle over a sitter for Friday nights out or that mutual friend’s 35th birthday? So, there are times when you have to go outside of your network of friends to find a new babysitter. If you have to go that route, it’s a good idea to ask the sitter for a reference or two that you can contact before you hire her. And, if you want additional peace of mind, Trustify (and other services) can run a background check for you to find out about past run-ins with the law, as well as other bad behavior.
Of course, whether you’ve hired a sitter that you love or a new sitter that you hope to love, many moms that I know still want to keep an eye on their kids while they’re out. That’s where a nanny cam comes in. While the traditional “teddy bear cam” still exists, nanny cams have definitely gotten more sophisticated, with tech extras like night vision, remote viewing, and motion sensors. Check out our list of super cool nanny cams on the market right now.
*This post is sponsored by Trustify. Product recommendations, thoughts, and opinions are my own.
Nanny Cams
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Best Overall Nanny Cam: enKo Hidden Motion Camera
This motion-detector nanny cam is more than just a pretty face: It's hidden inside a fully-functional MP3/MP4/FM digital clock radio. The recorded video playback is accessible only by a secret button combination (preventing unauthorized access) and viewable on an LCD screen on the unit itself. Best of all, it won't leave you broke.
Price: $95
Photo: Amazon
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Best Hide-In-Anything Nanny Cam: Camscura Micro Hidden Camera
Tissue box? Stuffed animal? Potted plant? At 3.5" x .7" x 1.7", this nanny cam is easy to hide in whatever you want. You can put it in any room in your house and capture up to 10 hours of HD video based on motion, sound, vibration, or time of day.
Price: $89.95
Photo: Brick House Security
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Best iPhone-Accessible Nanny Cam: Nest Cam
Nest Cam (formerly known as Dropcam) is one of the easiest ways to access your cameras remotely (aka -- watch them on your phone, computer, or tablet). True, they look like cameras, but they are easy to market as baby cameras or Skype cameras. Plus, you can add up to 10 cameras in your house to monitor multiple areas at once.
Price: $199
Photo: Nest
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Best Wide-Angle Nanny Cam: Zetta Z16 Wide Angle 720p HD Intelligent Security Camcorder
A nanny cam can be great -- unless your nanny moves out of its field of view. With the Z16 from Zetta you get audio and video recording, AC or battery power operation, and a fully rotatable lens providing a 160-degree view of what's happening.
Price: $99.95
Photo: Spytec Inc
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Best Night Vision Nanny Cam: Mini Clock Radio Night Vision Hidden Camera
If you're especially interested in what's going on in your kids' rooms at night, you'll appreciate the high-quality night vision of this mini radio hidden camera. The infrareds are invisible to the human eye, but allow you to record what's going on in a completely dark room.
Price: $89.99
Photo: Spytec In
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Tiniest Nanny Cam: The Smallest Spy Camera in the World
True, this thing looks like a camera, but it's the size of a penny so it still can be pretty inconspicuous when hidden on a shelf or in a plant. This tiny nanny cam records both audio and video on an included 8G SD card.
Price: $34.99
Photo: Know Your Nanny
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Easiest to Move Around Your House Nanny Cam: Air Purifier in Digital Nanny Cam Hidden Camera
While teddy bear and clock radio nanny cams may be more common, it can be a bit strange to suddenly have a teddy bear prominently displayed in your kitchen or living room. This is the genius of this air purifier nanny cam. It's fully functional as an air purifier and can inconspicuously be moved around to any room in the house without raising suspicion.
Price: $229
Photo: Nanny Cam
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Best Way to Keep Tabs on Your Nanny's Driving: Canary App
There's a good chance your sitter is doing more than just putting the kids to bed. She may also be picking them up from school, bringing them to soccer practice, or driving them to appointments. Make sure your sitter isn't texting while driving by having her download the Canary app onto her phone; it will send you alerts (via the app) if the sitter unlocks her phone while the car is in motion.
Price: $14.99 (lifetime subscription)
Photo: Mashable
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Best Cheap Nanny Cam: Zetta Z12 Intelligent Security Camcorder
This nanny cam doesn't quite look like anything -- which could be to your benefit since sitters likely won't try to either turn it on or play with it. This camera comes with motion-activated video and audio recording and can be powered by either an outlet or a battery for up to 8 hours of recording on to an Micro SD card.
Price: $69
Photo: Amazon
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Best Teddy Bear Nanny Cam: Brick House Security Teddy Bear Nanny Cam
While the teddy bear nanny cam is a bit cliche, this one is our favorite because it looks heirloom-y enough to be something that you might actually leave displayed on your son's bookshelf. Some modern teddy bear cams look more like real toys, but that could lead to your child or sitter using them to actually play -- which could blow your camera cover.
Price: $250
Photo: Brick House Security
