In partnership with Harbor. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.
Rocking, bouncing, feeding, soothing—putting your baby down deserves a gold medal and a standing ovation. But, as new parents know, once your baby finally drifts off into dreamland, the real games begin: obsessively checking the monitor and wondering if that cry was real or simply the phantom cries of motherhood.
I’ve found that baby monitors love to promise peace of mind—crisp video, maybe some health monitoring and enough high-tech features to launch a small rocket—but in reality, they’ve caused me more anxiety than support. I’ve dealt with dropped WiFi, false alerts, and that creeping sense of is anyone else watching this feed? More than once, I’ve rushed into my son’s room, only to disrupt a perfectly sleeping child because my monitor couldn’t quite deliver on its promises.
Not wanting more bedtime do-overs in my future, I was excited to find Harbor. They’re the first baby monitor I’ve used that feels like its technology is working with me and helping me parent smarter. With no-fail tech, secure connectivity and a refreshingly quick set-up, Harbor is thoughtfully designed with real parents in mind.
We like
- Works with or without internet
- End-to-end encryption and doesn’t store your data
- 10” display (akin to the size of an iPad) AND an app so you can monitor your child from anywhere
- Trade-in program: send in your current baby monitor and get $100 off your order
- Smart audio that lets you hear only what you want to
- No wearables
- Remote night nanny program
- No subscriptions or memberships
We don't like
- Higher than average initial price point (though Harbor has no recurring fees which really pays off over a two year period)
- Returns subject to $20 restocking fee
From Privacy to Security: Why Harbor Lives Up to the Hype
There is so much about parenting that’s unpredictable, but your baby monitor shouldn’t be one of them. Once my son moved into his own room, I opted for a monitor my friend swore by, but I soon realized that a WiFi-reliant app on my phone just wasn’t cutting it. My phone was constantly out of battery (thanks to my incessant scrolling during 2am feeds) and with glitchy WiFi, I sometimes woke up in the morning only to realize that my “smart” tech failed me and I didn’t get a notification all night. So much for peace of mind.
Apparently, my experience was a shared one. The dads behind Harbor had the same frustrations, so they built the monitor they wished existed: one that didn’t rely on internet, never stored personal data, and actually helped them parent smarter. And thus, Harbor was born.
Unlike app-based monitors, Harbor comes with an impressive 10” display that is big, bright, and provides a detailed enough resolution to spot a missing pacifier at 2am without squinting (and doubles as a digital picture frame). The tablet-like monitor includes a sleek stand I found easy to prop up when watching TV or doing dishes. And, while it includes an app for on-the-go access, I love that I don’t have to use my phone to access the video feed.
The camera is sturdy without being clunky, with enhanced night vision, advanced motion detection and a rotating head that easily mounts to a wall (bonus: the camera can easily pop off the wall mount for travel and is compatible with most third-party floor stands thanks to the brand’s floor stand adapter). It streams locally, meaning the data is never stored in the cloud. And because Harbor’s smart audio only alerts you when it actually matters, you’ll no longer sprint into the nursery only to find your baby self-soothing like a pro.
What It’s Not
My son is a NICU baby, which means once discharged, I spent our early days at home glued to the monitor and to his bassinet like it was the season finale of White Lotus. Every breath in and out made me feel happiness, relief and anxiety all at once. I briefly considered a biometric wearable, but the idea of getting buzzed every time he rolled over made me reconsider my own mental health. (Not to mention, the AAP advises against them).
Harbor gets it, which is why I respect that they align their product to AAP’s gold standards for safety. No fear-based marketing (see: byebyebabybiometrics.com – a Harbor campaign), no questionable sensors—just solid, no-fail tech that does its job without sending your postpartum adrenaline through the roof. It's built to help, not hover.
From Set Up to Monitoring in Just a Few Minutes
I’m the first to admit that I am far from tech-savvy, so when a product claims it’s easy to set up or install, call me a one-person focus group. I put Harbor to the ultimate test and good news: they passed with flying colors. I got Harbor up and running with no assistance at all—thank you very much.
After opening the box, I quickly paired the camera with the monitor by following Harbor’s simple directions. It only took about two clicks and less than 30 seconds, and voila, the monitor started streaming. No wires, no searching for WiFi passwords and no fuss.
What’s more: I didn’t need to sign up for an account, create another password that I would forget, or pay for a subscription just to launch the video feed. It couldn’t have been easier. And, that’s saying something coming from me.
More Than Your Typical Monitor
Harbor is all about supporting parents and helping them get more sleep, which is why I was especially intrigued by their remote night nanny service. A stranger watching my child at night remotely? I admit, I was suspect at first, but once I started digging into this service, it makes a lot of sense.
Where I live, in-home night nannies can cost over $400 per night. And, while the idea of having an extra non-sleep deprived person help with baby overnight, this perk just isn’t affordable for many (including me). Harbor offers a service that connects families with educated professionals with robust training and experience to monitor your child remotely until wake up time. Harbor ensures that these registered nurses have experience in pediatrics or in-home night nursing, and their vetted night nannies alert you through the monitor only when necessary for feeding or soothing with failsafe alerts. They even have every family participate in a robust onboarding process to answer all their questions before joining the program. Harbor’s optional remote night nanny service does require an extra fee (as low as $25/night), but they’re offering a free-one week trial (no code required).
Gracie, a Harbor mom, says of the remote night nurse service, “Harbor gave me immediate peace of mind as a new mom. The gift of sleep is honestly the best thing ever. I’m getting more sleep, my baby is getting more sleep. I can’t recommend this enough.”
Helping You Parent With More Confidence (and Sleep)
I can tell you from first-hand experience that you can probably do without a wipe warmer and you can definitely ditch those cute, but impossible-to-button onesies (go for the zipper jammies instead!). When you do invest in a baby product, you want it to be worth it and make your life as a parent easier.
Harbor does just that. While the upfront cost ($499) of Harbor may exceed comparable baby monitors, over the course of two years they’re actually less expensive, in part because you never pay for subscriptions or memberships to use their product.
I’m especially a sucker for products that grow with your family and Harbor is designed to meet you where you are in your parenthood journey. If you expand your family, you can easily view up to four camera feeds via a split screen from one monitor, while controlling each feed’s audio and notifications individually—because we know no two nap schedules are ever the same.
Harbor is tech that protects your personal data, your sanity and your sleep. Now, that’s a parenting win.
