CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3 review

How easy is it to set up the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3?

Straight out of the box, the Cubo Ai 3 is easy to assemble, with clear instructions. The setup process involves assembling the stand, mounting the camera, and connecting it to WiFi via the app. There’s the option of a wall mount for the camera too. While the setup was straightforward, it did take a bit of time.

The camera requires a WiFi connection and the accompanying app, which was relatively easy to set up too. Once connected, the app guides users through configuration smoothly. During travel, setting up the monitor in a new location and connecting to new WiFi network was a bit of a faff, requiring some troubleshooting before getting it up and running again.

What are the key features of the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3?

The CuboAi 3 uses AI to detect rolling over and face covering. This function would have been great for giving peace of mind at the newborn stage, but at 11 months old it was less relevant for my sons. That said, I wish I'd had it earlier!

Another key feature is sleep analytics and tracking – useful for checking sleep patterns with one child, but it doesn't work with 2. We tested it on one of the twins for a couple of nights and found the results a bit unnecessary. The sleep tracker highlights wake-ups, caregiver visits and coughing, all of which we were aware of without having to consult the app! To take advantage of all the monitor's sleep tracking features you need to pay for their 'Ultimate CuboAi Care' subscription, which was beyond our budget at £5.83 a month.

The ability to rewind video footage is great for tracking how the babies settled overnight. It was also fun to watch funny moments the other parent had missed. A bonus feature is the ability to clip up the recorded footage and share with family, something you don’t get with your bog-standard non-WiFi connected monitor.

We also made full use of the talkback function, our voices came through clearly (even if we weren’t always successful at getting the babies back to sleep!).

Does the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3 have a temperature indicator?

Yes it does. The temperature and humidity monitoring is a handy feature—we already had a thermometer in the nursery, but it was useful to see it on the screen. I found the gauge to be accurate too.

What is the picture quality like on the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3?

It's fantastic, and I think one of the strongest features of the Cubo Ai 3 is the night vision. The picture is in HD, and even with 2 babies in shot you can clearly see features. Compared to other monitors, this clarity put my mind at ease, with the ability to zoom in to clearly see their face and where the elusive dummy had disappeared to.

Is the camera adjustable?

The CuboAi 3 camera is in the shape of a cute little bird and the lens itself is adjustable to get the best angle for your space. It’s a very wide angle, which meant fitting in 2 cots was no problem. The lens can only be adjusted manually, potentially an issue in the future as the little ones get more mobile.

How easy is it to connect the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3 to a smartphone?

It's easy to download the app and I found it to be user-friendly, making it easy to access video, audio, and sleep analytics. However, notifications can be excessive and I found myself muting them often. While the CuboAi 3 generally performed well, there were occasional dropouts on my smartphone. The video feed lagged at times, taking a few seconds to catch up to a live stream. This often seemed to happen without cause, as I found the signal range to be strong wherever you had WiFi. So while I was in the kitchen, the furthest point from the nursery, picture and sound came through loud and clear – not the case for our previous monitor.

What's the sound quality like on the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3?

The monitor captures sound well but I found background noise wasn’t filtered as efficiently as our other monitor, which means the white noise came through clearly.

The most common issue we had was the sound bugging after there had been a connection issue. The picture would remain but the sound cut and glitched. Not the end of the world (you can hear these babies a mile away) but frustrating for a product at that price point.

How portable is the monitor?

The CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3 was taken on holiday and proved relatively easy to transport. The stand, while slightly bulky, provided a stable base and a good viewing angle without the need for makeshift solutions like propping it up on books. It didn’t come with a travel case or compact storage option, but it’s not billed as a travel monitor, so that wasn’t a problem for me.

How does the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3 compare to other baby monitors?

Previously we were using the GHB Baby Monitor, a non-WiFi connected camera that was very affordable from Amazon. After canvasing the opinions of parent friends and briefly using a very cheap app on phones and tablets, I decided a monitor not connected to the outside world was the best option, mainly to avoid dropouts when the WiFi was down.

One feature that was missing from the CuboAi 3 that the GHB Baby Monitor does very well is the ‘VOX’ setting – the screen is off until there is noise. Ideal at night. While the CuboAi 3 does have a ‘Dim’ option, the screen is still slightly lit up on the phone or tablet, which is quite bright in a dark room. It also meant the sound was on all the time.

One thing the CuboAi 3 does have over our existing monitor is that it’s pretty. The bird-shaped camera for a nursery is fitting and aesthetically pleasing.

What's in the box?

• CuboAi 3 camera unit
• Floor stand and wall mount
• Power adapter and cables
• Temperature and humidity dongle
• Quick-start guide

Is the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3 worth the money?

The CuboAi 3 is a premium-priced baby monitor, and while it offers a lot of features, not all of them are essential. As a first-time mum I would have felt a peace of mind in the early days having alerts on my phone, but the older your baby gets the less relevant they are. This is one of the reasons I found it frustrating having to pay an extra subscription to access all the AI features – the purchase price of £279 is already high enough. The subscription we used was the year-long complimentary Premium Plan offered after purchase. Usually this is £3.75 a month, with the Ultimate Plan costing £5.83 per month. It is a worthwhile investment in the long term if HD, clipable video and sleek design is important to you.

Was the packaging sustainable?

I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of plastic that came with the box, with very few plastic-covered cable ties and plastic bags. There were 3 layers of cardboard box to get through before getting to the product itself, but all recyclable.

Where can I buy the CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3?

It's available from Amazon and Cubo.

MadeForMums verdict

The CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3 is beautifully designed with impressive picture quality and useful features like excellent HD night vision and video rewind. However, its AI alerts are more beneficial for babies in the 0–6 month bracket than older babies, and occasional connectivity issues are not ideal.

The lack of a separate monitor was also a downside for our family, although it was useful to have the feed on my phone in my pocket and easy to access. It proved relatively travel-friendly, though connecting to new WiFi networks was sometimes a hassle. I would recommend getting it early to benefit fully from all the AI features. Once the need for rolling and face-covering notifications is gone, the CuboAi 3 remains a great product for high-quality video and sleep tracking, and is an adorable and stylish addition to the baby’s room.