Miku Monitor Review
* Review updated on 9th December 2023 to reflect that Miku has shut down. We recommend our readers to AVOID purchasing a Miku baby monitor.
Let me tell you this right away: The Miku baby monitor addresses a lot of the concerns we have with other monitors on the market in terms of safety and privacy.
There is a lot to love with the Miku monitor. The two features that won me over, however, is the safety and privacy that it offers.
The fact that you can keep an eye on your baby’s breathing patterns without having to place additional electronics on their body is excellent.
In addition, Miku is the only WiFi baby monitor that we tested that is able to process data locally. It means that your baby’s information doesn’t have to be streamed on the Internet to a server before getting back to your phone. That greatly improves both privacy and speed.
By tracking your baby’s sleep quality, together with data on their environment, such as room temperature and humidity, the Miku monitor can help you understand your baby’s sleeping pattern to create an ideal sleep environment.
We called the Nanit the Tesla of baby monitors. To stay with the analogy, Miku is the Apple of baby monitors.
Our Rating: 9.6/10
Price: $399.99
Summary
We Like
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Contact-free live breathing
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No-subscription required
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High-quality dual Ole Wolff speakers for the audio
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Processes data locally, not over the internet, which makes it much faster and more private
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Eligible for HSA and FSA account
We Don't Like
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It’s the most expensive model in our tests
Where to Buy It
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Alternatives
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The Nanit Plus version if you want a HD high definition version of the Nanit ($224.00 on Amazon)
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The Bebcare Motion video monitor if you want a large 4.3-inch display and loads of safety features ($259.00 on Bebcare)
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The iBaby Care M7 if you want the next best Wifi baby monitor at a more affordable price with similar features minus the data-driven insights ($168.86 on Amazon).
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The Infant Optics DXR-8 is the best baby video monitor if you don’t need the Wifi connection ($165.99 on Amazon).
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The Angelcare AC517 if you want a more comprehensive package with breathing and movement monitoring and a larger display ($157.96 on Amazon).
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The Lollipop baby monitor if you want a WiFi camera that has a unique physical design and a good quality camera ($149.00 on Amazon)
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The Owlet Smart Sock 2 if you want a wearable baby monitor that can detect heart rate ($299 on Amazon).
Overview Miku Baby Monitor
Health & Safety
9/10
Audio Quality
9/10
Privacy
8/10
Video Quality
10/10
Range
10/10
Battery
10/10
Features Miku Baby Monitor
Infrared Night Vision
YES
Play Lullabies
YES
Remote Zoom
YES
VOX
YES
Room temperature
YES
Night Lights
YES
Multiple Cameras
YES
Humidity
YES
Video Recording
YES
Two-Way Talk
YES
Remote Pan & Tilt
YES
Our Hands-on Review of the Miku Baby Monitor
The smart baby monitor market is booming. The new generation of WiFi video monitors uses advanced machine learning to go way beyond what baby monitors used to do. The smart monitors will, of course, help you keep an eye on your baby and alert you if they are awake. But they will also track their health, breathing patterns, and heartbeat. Some even send you insights and reports in the morning to see your baby’s sleep quality through the night and offer tips and suggestions to improve it.
The Miku is a leader in the new generation of smart baby monitors.
It goes against strong competition, however. The Nanit Plus is one of the best-selling baby monitors online. The Owlet Smart Sock was one of the first to enter the market with a smart sock and keeps on improving its product. More recently, Nanit launched their updated version of the Nanit camera product with sleep tracking.
To set itself apart, the team behind Miku came up with an excellent idea and a flawless execution.
“Miku came up with an excellent idea and a flawless execution.”
Tracking Your Baby's Breathing
Miku is indeed the first baby monitor capable of tracking your baby’s breathing patterns just using its camera. With their patented innovative technology, the Miku camera can measure breathing through your baby’s clothes and even through a blanket.
And it works!
I tested the Miku camera in different situations, and it was always able to pick up my baby’s breathing accurately. Even through thick pajamas. The Miku app immediately alerts you if something goes wrong so you can go check on your baby.
Cases of sudden death syndrome (SIDS) in infants are rare and you shouldn’t be overly worried if your baby’s pediatrician hasn’t expressed any concern. But when there is a risk, it is absolutely critical to react fast to prevent serious complications.
The Miku baby monitor package
Audio and Video quality
The sound and video quality are excellent with the Miku. You get a crisp 1080p high-resolution picture quality on your phone. I really like the sound quality of the baby camera as well. Miku partnered with Ole Wolff to include a dual speaker at the top of the camera. The result is a clean and clear sound if you want to speak to your baby through the camera or play white noise.
The video quality is also great. It’s just the right picture quality to provide you with a smooth streaming experience with a decent Wifi connection. And because it can stream on the Internet, you can access the video feed even if you’re not home. If you’re having dinner outside, you can just check on your baby with your phone to make sure the babysitter managed to put them to bed on time.
The video quality is high definition 1080p HD. The video is relatively smooth, but at times we noticed several seconds of lag in the video playback.
The Miku mobile app (the parent unit)
We are still reviewing the Miku mobile app. In short, everything works as you might expect. The app is clean and easy to navigate. You can see your baby’s breathing directly on the main screen too.
Fortunately, our baby girl hasn’t had any breathing issues since we installed the camera. But as a result, I can’t show you what an alert might look like at this point.
We will update this section with screenshots and more thoughts once we will have used it for a little longer.
The Miku smartphone app
Security: Miku camera hacking
Security is another area where Miku really shines. The camera is using an AES 256 bit encryption when transmitting video and sound, like most of the other WiFI baby monitors that we reviewed.
The camera also comes with a tamper-proof chip in the device that protects your monitor’s data processing and critical security functions. If someone tries to hack the video signal, Miku will immediately reset all the keys and erase the data.
Nevertheless, if you want to ensure your baby camera cannot be hacked, we recommend one of the more traditional radio frequency video baby monitor.
Miku baby monitor Health and Safety
Because the Miku baby monitor uses your existing Wifi network to stream its audio and video signals, it reduces the total number of electromagnetic exposure to your baby. Which is a good thing, of course. Baby monitors that use FHSS or DECT signals need to emit their own radio signals on top of your Wifi connection, which might rapidly exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommendation. Read our article on electromagnetic field if you want to understand what it means in terms of health and safety for your baby.
Miku is FCC Certified, meaning that its electromagnetic interference is kept under limits approved by the Federal Communications Commission.
Miku Smart Camera: What's in the box
Wondering what’s in the box? Here’s everything that will be included in the standard Miku package:
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1 x Baby monitor unit (the camera)
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1 x Power cable
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1 x Screwdriver
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10 x Screws
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3 x Cable covers
Miku Baby Monitor Price
Miku Baby Monitor iOS and Android Mobile App
You can download the Miku mobile app on the iOS App Store and Android Play Store.
Alternative Options
-
The Nanit Plus version if you want a HD high definition version of the Nanit ($224.00 on Amazon)
-
The Bebcare Motion video monitor if you want a large 4.3-inch display and loads of safety features ($259.00 on Bebcare)
-
The iBaby Care M7 if you want the next best Wifi baby monitor at a more affordable price with similar features minus the data-driven insights ($168.86 on Amazon).
-
The Infant Optics DXR-8 is the best baby video monitor if you don’t need the Wifi connection ($165.99 on Amazon).
-
The Angelcare AC517 if you want a more comprehensive package with breathing and movement monitoring and a larger display ($157.96 on Amazon).
-
The Lollipop baby monitor if you want a WiFi camera that has a unique physical design and a good quality camera ($149.00 on Amazon)
-
The Owlet Smart Sock if you want a wearable baby monitor that can detect heart rate ($299 on Amazon).
Miku Baby Monitor: Most Frequently Asked Questions
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Question: Can I use multiple cameras with the Miku?
Answer: Yes. If you have multiple Miku cameras paired to your account, you can switch between them by tapping your child’s name at the top of the Live, Activity, and Nights tabs.
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Question: Can I see more than one camera at a time?
Answer: No. The Miku mobile app supports multiple paired cameras at the same time, but you can only see one video stream at a time.
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Question: Does the Miku have an iPhone App?
Answer: Yes, and an Android app as well. See the section at the bottom of this page for the links to download either mobile app.
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Question: Can I speak to my child through the Miku camera?
Answer: Yes, the Miku baby monitor supports a talk back function.
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Question: What is the Miku baby monitor warranty?
Answer: The Miku camera comes with a standard one year warranty. We recommend you contact Miku if you experience any issue with your model after purchase. You can call them during normal office hours or email their customer support team. Their response time is relatively quick.
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Question: What is Miku’s customer service number?
Answer: If you’re calling from the US, you can contact Miku by phone: 1888-ASK-MIKU. You can also email their support team. Their email support center should get back to you within 24 hours.
Model reviewed: Miku Smart Baby Monitor
Our rating: 9.6 / 10
Summary: We love the Miku smart baby monitor. It’s the only WiFi monitor that can track your baby’s breathing pattern without the need to wear additional electronics on their body.
Reviewed by: Emilia Hart
Last updated: 9th December, 2023
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