Miku Baby Monitor Review – Before we get into the review, over the last few years, innovation seems to have peaked for baby monitors. Back in 2010, WiFi Baby was one of the first to offer an app that allowed parents to stay connected anywhere. Now, for the most part, smart home security cameras, like the popular Google Nest Camera, can do the same thing and more and can also have usefulness after your baby grows up. The only downside is the monthly cloud storage and viewing fees.
“Smart Baby Monitors” range from cheap IP security cameras bundled with even crappier apps that force quit if you look at your phone wrong. However, there are a few quality feature-rich ones like the one we are reviewing today: The Miku Baby Monitor.
One of the main features Miku boasts is offering real-time breathing analysis WITHOUT wearables via app notifications. And there are NO subscription fees. It also has won a ton of awards such as The Bump Best of Baby Awards 2019, Babylist Best of Baby Tech 2019, CES Tech for a Better World, and CES Fitness Sports & Biotech. You know what is also cool? It is eligible for reimbursement (up to $75 off) if you have a HSA/FSA plan.
Wall Mounted
Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor – similar concept
Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor, which is a similar concept, came out a few years ago loaded with basic features that others had including 2-way audio but also something brand new: Sleep tracking and analysis. Nanit sent notifications for sound and movement.
With that said, the notifications aka “Nanit Insights” are included free for the first year vs. Google Nest which fees start immediately. Nanit’s top package includes the camera, app and the wearable bundle with a breathing motion device for $388.
Nanit Breathing Motion Bundle
Unboxing Miku Baby Monitor
I’m all about the packaging and instructions. No matter how great the product is, if the setup is janky, I instantly feel like the product is not completely thought out. In this case, the packaging is super sleek, easy to open and includes clear instructions. Right out of the box the build of the camera felt solid, sturdy.
Ease of Camera Mounting
You have to center Miku properly above the crib and wall mount it for the best angle but they make it easy by… including a tape measurer and a leveler! Bonus tools! Like any responsible and functioning adult, I own both but that was a nice touch. Also included are covers to secure the wires to the wall for safety as shown below. Besides Nanit, I haven’t seen this included with other monitors.
Miku Monitor with safety wire guards
Miku Smart Baby Monitor Setup Video
Miku Baby Monitor App – Review / Functionality
For this type of product, it ALL comes down to the app. So good news. It synced up after a few easy steps and only has a tiny bit of latency. This is only noticed if you are in the same room…. which is no big deal as that defeats the purpose of a video monitor. Normally you have 2-5 seconds with security cameras. There is a collection of white noise sounds to play which is nice and allowed me to move my Marpac Dohm noise machine to my older son’s room. The speakers for both the white noise and 2-way talk are extremely impressive.
Miku Breathing Analysis AI – No Wearables Needed
As of the time of this writing, I have not fully tested out this feature. In short, it uses AI to monitor breathing. Per the company – “We are continuously testing Miku in NICU and home environments to evolve our algorithm’s powerful artificial intelligence capabilities. Our proprietary SensorFusion technology tracks your baby’s breathing, sound, and sleeping patterns with no wires or wearables while simultaneously streaming real-time HD video and audio. Miku leverages multiple sensor modalities interpreted with a genius AI.”
I will report back and update shortly.
Miku Baby Monitor Review | Summary
There was A LOT of effort put into this baby monitor, more than I’ve seen in a long time. The build of this camera is of upmost quality. This is the area I usually see manufacturers cut corners as smart baby monitors put the most work into the app. Yes, the price tag is high at $399 but once you buy it – you are done. You are not “Subscription as a Service” for an eternity monthly fee. If you have a HSA/FSA plan that will reimburse $75, that knocks it down to $325. This is roughly $125-$150 more than a Google Nest or other smart cameras out there. In the first year of using a Nest you will spend $12 a month or $144 a year or more in addition to their camera. But their app is NOT baby monitor focused with features.
In short, I am really impressed with this baby monitor. No, I have not fully tested out the breathing analysis feature – I’m sure the main selling point – but the reliability of the app, quality of video and sound is top notch. Yes, it is an investment but you get what you pay for. It also gives me confidence that they have had a few updates to the app in the short time I have had and these are not bugs but enhancements to the existing features.
BUY Miku Smart Baby Monitor
