CuboAi Plus Smart baby monitor review: better sleep for you and baby

Price on writing: £299 £279 | Buy now from Amazon | Buy now from CuboAi

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Our verdict

For many parents, particularly first-timers, a baby monitor is a must-have item right from the get-go.

The original CuboAi was developed in 2019 by Joanna Lin after she found her baby’s face accidentally covered. She wanted a device that would warn parents of dangerous situations using A.I. technology.

The new CuboAi Plus can be used during the early months of a baby’s life to alert parents to hazards, whether that be their child rolling over onto their tummy while sleeping, temperature or humidity changes in the room or accidental face coverings.

As your child grows, the monitor can let you know if they climb out of their cot. The camera can also be set up to alert you whenever your child enters a ‘danger zone’ in your home, such as the kitchen or balcony.

Ideal for families who want complete peace of mind at all times, parents can carry on using the CuboAi Plus even until their child is five years or older. I found it especially useful for checking in on her four-year-old who has a particular penchant for messing around at bedtime.

How we tested the CuboAi Plus baby monitor

I tested out the CuboAI over a period of several months with my two children in me three-bedroom home. I assembled and tried all three mounting options - the mobile base, floor stand, and cot attachment - timing the setup process and assessing ease of use. 

The monitor was tested for both nighttime sleep monitoring and daytime surveillance, with particular attention paid to the safety alert features. I carefully evaluated the camera's performance in various lighting conditions, tested the two-way audio functionality, and assessed the app interface across different scenarios. 

I monitored both a baby and a four-year-old, enabling me to try our the monitor's versatility across different age groups. 

The WiFi connectivity was evaluated throughout the testing period, and all features, including lullabies, danger zone detection, and smart home integration, were put through their paces in real-life family situations.

How easy is it to set up the CuboAi Plus baby monitor? 

The CuboAi Plus is fuss-free to set up. The box comes with a parts list and guide, with all three mounts quick and easy to assemble thanks to clear diagrams and simple instructions.

Designed to give an overhead view and with a circular base to keep it stable, I built the floor stand first, which took just 10 minutes to assemble.

I felt the base could become a trip hazard if not tucked under a cot or bed (which it’s designed to be), but there’s no risk of it toppling thanks to a bag of water inside to weigh it down. The crib attachment is sturdy enough too, but may need to be swapped when your child reaches toddler age and becomes a bit more inquisitive like mine.

Next, I downloaded the app. Compatible with iOS and Android devices (must be iOS 10/Android 5.0 or newer), all I needed to do was set up an account and connect it to the WiFi. I then set her preferences and personalised it with her child’s name. 

As with any WiFi monitor, there’s always a chance you could lose connection so it’s suggested that your download/upload speed should be at least 5mbps. I experienced no connectivity issues during testing, but occasionally relied on the manual for general use.

The light on the on/off button changes colour depending on the status of the camera so you know when it’s set up and streaming (it turns blue when ready to go), but it might not be easy to remember what all the colours mean so do keep your instruction leaflet close by.

The light has a variety of brightness settings, so you can adjust it to your preference. There’s also a handy night light option for dark rooms.

If you do need help during set-up, the booklet provides a QR code to a video tutorial.

What are the stand-out features of the CuboAi Plus baby monitor?

Safety alerts

The biggest selling point of the CuboAi Plus is that it doesn’t just let you know when your baby is asleep or awake, it alerts you to any dangers that could be happening while they rest.

Safety notifications include turning on covered face and rollover alerts, and a message will flash up on your phone with a chirping bird sound.

The CuboAi Plus uses face detection to let you know if either of these things happen and you can even watch a video clip of the moment that sets off the alarm, which I found very useful. Note that the camera will need to be set up to give a birds-eye view over your baby for these alerts to work effectively.

The cry alert responds to your baby’s cry and the sensitivity can be adjusted from low to high. If you select the area where your baby sleeps on the app, it will also notify you if your child isn’t in their bed – a must if your toddler later learns to climb out of their cot.

During the day, the monitor can be used to watch over a danger zone. Draw a box on the screen, such as around the oven in your kitchen and, whenever your child steps into that area, the monitor will send you an alert.

After setting the monitor up, be sure to test it out a few times first to ensure correct positioning and to make sure the app alerts you correctly. There were a couple of occasions during testing when I didn’t receive a notification.

Different stands

One of the things I particularly like about the CuboAi Plus is how versatile it is. Where other monitors may only have one base, there’s an option to purchase the three-stand format which comes with three bases – so you could use the tall stand in the bedroom and the mobile base around your home during the day.

Camera

I found the 1080p HD Sony camera on the baby monitor really impressive, providing excellent views of my sleeping children – the screen is wide with a 135-degree field of view and a clear picture, even in night mode.

My preschooler enjoys climbing out of his bed regularly, so this was a big help! I could tilt the camera up and down to get the best angle, but I did have to do this manually.

Photos and videos

The app automatically captures photos day and night so I could look back at up to 18 hours of footage to see what my children had got up to. Parents can also take videos or photos of any sweet moments and share them with family and friends. The app also allows you to grant access and set different viewing permissions for up to eight users – ideal for grandparents or other family members who live far away.

I think this is a nice touch, especially at the moment when lots of families can’t see one another as often as they’d like.

Smart Home Integration

The Ai Plus has been updated to include Smart Home Integration so you can view a live feed of your baby sleeping on a Google Nest Hub or Amazon Alexa Show.

Sleep report

You’ll also get a free one-year premium subscription to the CuboAi app. Alongside other premium features, for sleep analysis this includes a 30-day sleep report, displaying information about the time your baby went to bed, their longest sleep period and any caregiver visits.

Security

When it comes to the safety of your account, the livestream is secure and all videos and photos are encrypted so it’s only accessible by you and any authorised users. It’s also advised that you set up two-factor authentication to give even more protection.

How is the audio on the CuboAI Plus baby monitor?

The monitor comes with nine built-in sounds – including lullabies, bird sounds and white noise – with the option of setting a 30- or 60-minute timer. The sounds can easily be selected through the app and my children enjoyed listening to the lullabies. Be aware that the cry alert won’t work when the lullabies are playing.

The audio on the Plus has been updated so that any high noise levels or screaming can be heard clearly, but I found that it didn’t always pick up low-level noise and occasionally experienced a delay.

The two-way audio allowed me to chat to my children and I found this easy to use (simply hold down the microphone on the live feed screen and speak into it). It's worth noting that as the monitor relies on internet signal, having a high-speed connection will help prevent the audio from being delayed or cut out.

How much does the CuboAi Plus baby monitor cost? 

With a retail price of £279 for the monitor and all three stands (or £189 for just a wall mount), the CuboAi Plus sits at the higher end of the market.

But while the initial outlay may not be affordable for all families, the monitor’s versatility and focus on safety means that it can be used all the way up to the early school years – a particular highlight for me – and for other siblings too.

The monitor also comes with a two-year warranty for added peace of mind.

Our final verdict on the CuboAi Plus baby monitor

The CuboAi Plus stands out as a genuine safety option designed so that parents can watch over their children throughout the day and night. Its adaptability and selection of stands allows it to be easily moved around the home for watching over a danger zone, a nursery or a playroom.

But, while the picture is impressive, both during the day and at night the audio can struggle to pick up lower noises and the two-way audio may be a bit hit and miss. As with any wifi monitor, there’s always a risk of the live stream cutting out if the app crashes or you lose signal.

Yet, the CuboAi Plus’s design is fun and comes with sweet touches like bird sounds and lullabies that were a big hit with my kids. I also like that parents can capture photos and videos to share milestone moments with family and friends.

All in all, if you’re looking for a good WiFi monitor that combines safety, fun and versatility, the CuboAi Plus could be the one to help you rest more peacefully at night.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing – this includes recommendations from the Mumsnet Talk boards. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage. 

About the author

Gemma Wilcock is a freelance writer and copywriter. At Mumsnet, she creates content providing useful parenting advice, information and top products to make life easier – as a mother of two children herself, Gemma knows how important it is to get the right advice.

After working on women’s weekly magazines for nine years, Gemma turned to freelance writing to fit around family life, writing for a range of online and print publications, charities and small businesses. She loves writing about subjects that will be helpful to the reader – and herself! - including recommending top products on Mumsnet that help parents in their day-to-day life.

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