Fathercraft

Paul Zalewski

Our 2019 Owlet Smart Sock 2 Review

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The Owlet Smart Sock 2 promises parents of newborns something that they haven’t felt since they found out they were pregnant—peace of mind. The company states 94% of parents who use the smart sock report improvements in their own sleep, as well as reduced anxiety. Why? Well, the Owlet sock tracks a baby’s oxygen levels and heart rate while he or she sleeps. Then, if any of these levels fall outside of a preset range, a notification is sent to the base station, smartphone, or tablet. Knowing a monitor can do this, and do it well, certainly seems comforting.

Since John and I are out of the newborn phase of fatherhood, we asked friends of Fathercraft, Todd and Paige, to do a review of the Owlet monitor to see how it worked for them and their baby, Miller, and loaned them a Smart Sock 2 we’d purchased. What follows is their review based on interviews we did after 3 months of testing the Owlet.

Enter Todd, Paige, and Miller

Miller decided to join Paige and Todd a little bit early—12 weeks, in fact. Because of this, he was kept in the NICU, where they used pulse oximetry to track his oxygen levels. On top of this, he needed to be on supplemental oxygen for the first 12 weeks of his life.

When they finally got to take him home, Paige and Todd wanted to continue monitoring Miller, so Paige researched the various options. Their goal was to ensure that Miller continued to stay stable as he came off the oxygen. And, as residents of Denver who enjoy the mountains, they wanted a way to keep an eye on him while they were at higher altitudes. It was important to them to get a device that would allow them to do more than just breathing monitoring, as the NICU professionals the spoke to noted that it was the least reliable method for tracking vitals.

After thorough research, Paige didn’t find many options. The Owlet Smart Sock 2 was one of the few. In the NICU and medical communities, though, there is some debate about whether the Owlet is a good idea. One of the reasons for this is likely the fact that it isn’t an FDA-approved device. This doesn’t mean that it’s not safe, it simply means that it can’t be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent conditions and diseases. Another criticism of so-called “smart” vital sign monitoring devices is they can trigger false alarms, fraying parents’ nerves and leading to unnecessary testing.

For Todd and Paige, their single goal was better monitoring of Miller, and they’d read good things about the Owlet. So they decided to try it out for themselves and pair it with the video monitor they were already using—the Infant Optics DXR-8.

What’s an Owlet Smart Sock 2 again?

The Smart Sock 2 isn’t literally a sock. But it is a fabric contraption that wraps around your baby’s foot to hold a sensor in place against her skin. The soft fabric fits snuggly so it doesn’t slip off with middle of the night tosses and turns, but since you choose the right size for your baby and use velcro to put it in place, it’s not uncomfortably tight either. The Owlet uses pulse oximetry, which is clinically proven to effectively track sleep, oxygen levels, and heart rate. It’s the same tech that you may have experienced if you’ve ever gotten your blood oxygen levels checked at a hospital or doctor’s office using that thing with the red light that goes on your finger.

During setup, parents can set high and low zones for heart rate and oxygen levels. When your baby’s oxygen and heart rate stay within these zones, the base station glows with a green light. If the levels leave this range, the base station and your phone notify you with sounds and lights.

On top of this, Owlet offers additional information in its app. Parents can view live readings and can see their baby’s sleep trends and historical data for both heart rate and oxygen levels. You can also set up your phone to send you notifications about changes in the various measurements, which is especially useful if you will be in and out of the room where you keep the base station.

Unboxing

The full Owlet Smart Sock 2 package costs $299.99. You chose between Mint, Blue, and Pink for the sock color. Owlet also offers a payment plan with Affirm, so you can slowly pay off the device with payments as low as $25 per month. Additionally, Owlet offers a 45-day Peace of Mind Guarantee. So if there is anything you do not like about the product in the first 45 days after purchasing it, you can return it — plenty of time to understand if the product meets your needs

Contents of the Owlet Smart Sock 2 box on a desk

Here’s what comes in the box:

  • 3 fabric socks (between the 3 of them they should cover 0-18 months)
  • Owlet App information (works with Android 4.4 and newer and iOS 8 and newer)
  • Smart Sock sensor
  • Charging cords
  • Base station

Setup

Setting up the Owlet is fairly straightforward. You download the iOS or Android app to your phone or tablet, which guides you through the setup process and connecting the Owlet base station to your home wifi network (required for the Owlet app to function).

Answer a few basic questions about your child, set your preferred range, and you’re good to go.

The sensor slides easily into the sock, and you choose the sock size that best fits your child at any given time. Here’s the “sock” and sensor. The sensor slides in through the slit in the sock

The Owlet Smart Sock 2 'sock' and sensor on a desk

Putting on the sock is a simple wrapping process that’s easy to master. Here’s what the sock looks like on John’s son Calvin (8 months old at the time:

A baby hand grabbing a baby foot with an Owlet Smart Sock 2 on it

The Owlet sensor connects to the base station via Bluetooth, and has a range of about 100 feet.

Connected Care

Owlet also offers a second app, called Connected Care. Connected Care gives you access to sleep trends, historical analysis of heart rate and oxygen levels, and health insights. It’s a subscription service and costs $8 per month. *Note Connected Care is currently only available through iOS*

At first, Todd and Paige found this information to be really useful, but as Miller got a bit older they found that they didn’t use it as much as they thought they would so they discontinued their subscription.

Owlet now offers a free trial, which can be helpful for parents who are on the fence.

What about the Owlet Cam?

An Owlet Cam on a table with other Owlet Smart Sock gear

Since the Owlet Smart Sock doesn’t actually include a video aspect, in 2019 Owlet released the Owlet Cam, a camera designed to work in conjunction with the Smart Sock. If you’re wanting to use the Sock, having the Cam allows you to also have a more traditional video baby monitor that works well with the sock; you use the same app for both.

We’ve been testing the Owlet Cam over the last few months, and while it’s pretty bare-bones from a feature perspective (especially when compared to something like the Nanit Plus—our review here), it’s a high-quality camera, has great night vision, and turns the Owlet into the complete package from a baby monitor & vital signs monitoring perspective. We’ll be adding more on the Owlet Cam here shortly.

The Owlet Cam is $149 as a standalone item, or you can buy it in a package with the Smart Sock for $100, making the complete package $399.

An Owlet review

Paige and Todd tried out the smart sock on Miller for more than 3 months. They started the testing when they came home with Miller—he was just a few weeks old at that point. And then they continued to test it until he was a little past the 3-month-old mark. It quickly became a habit to use the Smart Sock every night. They even used it during most of his naps—it just made them feel more comfortable. And even though it took a little getting used to putting the sock on before bedtime and naptime, it quickly became a no-brainer—especially once they got a handle on how the sock’s wrapping process worked.

Todd and Paige feel very confident about their testing phase because when Miller came home from the NICU he was using supplemental oxygen. While he was still on the supplemental oxygen, they had to complete medical-grade home oxygen tests. This meant that they got to compare the Owlet’s results directly to the medical-grade, professional oxygen test administered by a nurse.

And it didn’t take long for the Owlet to impress them. It was accurate to the professional oxygen test within a few percentage points every single time. Additionally, the Owlet tended to register oxygen levels as slightly lower than the medical device, which Todd prefers—better to err on the side of caution.

Then there is ease of use. Both the medical grade monitor and Owlet’s Smart Sock attached to Miller’s foot. However, the medical monitor was attached with tape and fell off a number of times. This triggered an alarm, which was designed to sound was the same whether the monitor fell off his foot or he stopped breathing. Todd mentioned that the CIA could use this as a form of torture!

The Smart Sock, on the other hand, doesn’t revert to the alarm if it falls off the foot. It plays a song instead, which Todd and Paige noted they only found out because they forgot to turn the sock off once before they took it off Miller’s foot. They wouldn’t have known otherwise because the Owlet’s sock never came off on its own during the 3 months of testing.

Another pleasant aspect of the Owlet is that it’s a hell of a lot more subtle and ‘friendly’ than the machines couples who’ve experienced time in the NICU are used to. While in the NICU, Todd and Paige were forced to get used to the beeping and humming of all the machines. They saw numbers and monitors every day and night. The Owlet, though, gave them all the same information, protection, and peace of mind, but in a much more subtle and homey way. Paige mentioned that she glanced at the base station if she woke up in the middle of the night, but she didn’t just lay there and stare at it. In fact, both Todd and Paige said they agreed with the 94% of parents noted above who said it helps both of them sleep better.

The Owlet Smart Sock 2 base station and charging cords on a desk
The base station, where you receive notifications and charge the sensor.

Experiencing the power of pulse oximetry in the mountains

When Miller’s pediatrician gave them the ok to take Miller up to the mountains there was one caveat. If Miller started to look lethargic, they should turn around and head back down. As Todd put it, “it can be tricky to figure out if a newborn, who sleeps 20 hours every day, is lethargic.”

Fairly soon after arriving, though, they decided Miller seemed a little sleepy. So, they slipped the Owlet on him and saw that his oxygen levels were indeed registering as a little low. So they brought him back to Denver. While it was a shorter than hoped-for trip, the Owlet ended up keeping Miller safe.

Now that we’ve covered how the Owlet worked during the 3 month testing period, let’s jump into the good, the bad, and a verdict.

On hesitation from the medical community

As Todd previously stated, some medical professionals that they spoke with or who had written about at-home oxygen monitoring options stated their doubts about the Owlet. One of the biggest concerns was that the device could give parents a false sense of security—some parents may even grow too relaxed in their baby’s sleep habits (i.e. put them down on their stomach). Paige, though, had an interesting thought about this theory: Any parent who would spend $300 on a device to monitor their baby’s oxygen levels would be neurotic enough to practice safe sleep habits. We cover safe sleep practices and SIDS/SUID risk-reduction here.

The awesome

The phone alerts: These were instant, giving them confidence that they could get to Miller as soon as he started to show any signs of distress.

Travel: The Owlet is easy to travel with and makes a huge difference. When they went to the mountains, they figured out immediately that Miller wasn’t doing well. To them, that is a major bonus.

The fit: The sock fit great. It didn’t bother Miller, fit him well, and he never kicked it off.

Accuracy: When Todd and Paige saw that the Smart Sock’s readings matched the medical grade readings, they were sold.

The ‘wish it were different’

The base station: The base station is a critical part of the Owlet monitoring system, but it emits a bright green light to let you know your child is ok. Todd and Paige found it overly bright and distracting when trying to sleep. It created so much light, in fact, that they ended up putting a t-shirt over it. It would be nice to have the option of switching the light off or at least the ability to dim it.

The lack of video: Paige and Todd already had Infant Optics when they decided to get the Owlet. But if they had opted just for the Owlet, they wouldn’t have had video. And even with the comprehensive information the Owlet provides, Todd still likes to turn on the video. The first reason for this is that they, like most other parents, still want to see and hear their baby. Todd said he can’t imagine a parent using the Owlet without a video or audio monitor in addition to it. The second reason that the video monitor is so essential is that while the Owlet is extremely accurate with Miller’s heart rate and oxygen levels, it isn’t always accurate about whether he is awake or asleep. However, this might be because he has a higher heart rate than normal.

All this means that if you’re thinking about the Owlet, you’ll likely also need to consider a second monitor for video.

Multiple babies: Paige’s sister has twins and also used the Owlet. She liked it, but in order to monitor both babies, she had to set up two different accounts on two different phones or an iPad and a phone. They also have to have two different base stations.

Do not disturb or airplane mode: Like many people Paige and Todd prefer to put their phones on ‘Do Not Disturb’ when they go to bed. Unfortunately, when they do this the Owlet notifications can’t come through. (This isn’t just an Owlet thing, though. It applies to any WiFi monitor, and applies to those of you who like to sleep in airplane mode too.)

Multiple apps: The Owlet apps couldn’t be easier to use. The weird part is that there are two separate apps. One is the Owlet app that sends notifications to your phone. The other is the subscription-based Connected Care app that shows your baby’s overall trends.

Verdict

When we asked Paige and Todd what their verdict on the Owlet was, Paige said the fact they’d decided to purchase their own after testing out ours said it all — the Owlet (at least for them as first-time parents of a baby born prematurely, was worth every penny).

Todd suspects that they will continue using the Smart Sock until Miller is about a year old. Or maybe if they forget to take it with them when they go on a trip and are forced to get used to not having it on him for a few days. In other words, they feel very comfortable with the Owlet and they are thrilled with the feeling of safety and security it is giving them.

To wrap up, let’s dive into some frequently asked questions about the Owlet Smart Sock 2.

Additional questions

Do you need a video monitor in addition to the Owlet?

The Owlet Smart Sock doesn’t offer video or audio monitoring, though the Owlet Cam adds both. When we asked Paige and Todd, they said they couldn’t imagine using the Owlet without a video monitor (though, per AAP recommendations, they kept Miller in their room for the first 6 months, so he had the Owlet Sock on even though they could see him. Their testing occurred before the Owlet Cam was introduced.)

Todd and Paige used a video monitor in addition to the Owlet. And, we’d have to concur with them — after 4 kids we struggle with the idea of using the Owlet without a video or audio monitoring option. Looking for more info on monitors? Here are our baby monitor reviews and recommendations.

Do you need WiFi for the Owlet?

The Smart Sock connects to the base via Bluetooth, meaning it can function without wifi, which is nice in case your wifi stops working or your phone battery dies. However, to connect the base station to your phone so you can get notifications on your phone, you’ll need to connect it to your home wifi network.

What is the range of the Owlet?

The Owlet sock and base have normal Bluetooth range, meaning about 100 feet. If your base station is connected to wifi, you can receive alerts and monitor your baby via the smartphone app anywhere you’re connected to wifi or have a cellular connection (if enabled).

How long do the Owlet batteries last?

The sock’s battery will last for roughly a day and then you’ll need to recharge it, and you’ll need to get in the habit of plugging the sock’s monitor into the base station for charging when you remove it from your child.

How do you clean the Owlet Smart Sock?

To clean the Smart Sock, all you will need to do is remove the sock sensor, handwash in lukewarm water and mild detergent, and hang dry.

How accurate is the Owlet Sock?

Based on our testing: extremely. Our testers had a nurse come to their house and use hospital-grade equipment while the Owlet was also tracking. Owlet’s measurements were within a few percentage points.

Is the Owlet safe?

According to the company, Owlet uses the same technology you’d find in your doctor’s office (pulse oximetry), and low-energy Bluetooth 4.0. They do note it’s not an FDA-approved medical device.

Can you use an FSA/HSA account to pay for Owlet?

You sure can, at least for purchase of the Smart Sock 2 or the Smart Sock & Cam bundle. Purchasing the Cam by itself is not HSA/FSA eligible, as monitors that are eligible have to include a breathing/movement monitoring component.

Editor’s Note: this review was originally published in November 2018, but was updated in November 2019 to include new information on Owlet Cam & additional details and FAQs.

30-Day Trial: A Review of The Snoo – a $1,200 Robotic Bassinet

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Editor’s note: Fathercraft is reader-supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more.

For this Snoo review, we spent 30 days with the Snoo Smart Sleeper from Happiest Baby, and meticulously documented the experience – good, bad, and weird. To start, here’s a 3-minute video rundown of unboxing, setting up, and using Snoo with my daughter Ruby:

Just what is a Snoo, and how does it work?

Press that covers Apple love to ask hypothetical questions like, “What if Apple designed a refrigerator?” If you’ve wondered something similar about bassinettes or cribs, the answer is, “Probably something similar to the Snoo bassinet”.

The Snoo is like an ordinary bassinet (a small crib-like structure that allows your baby to sleep next to your bed for the first 6 months of life) only it’s equipped with sound sensors, wifi, speakers that deliver varying types of white noise, and a robotic motor that rocks your baby at different levels of intensity in response to any noise (from the baby) the sensors detect.

The Snoo bassinet is a collaboration between Dr. Harvey Karp (famous to some parents as the guy whose Happiest Baby on the Block DVD recommends the “5 S’s” of calming your baby – these are quite effective by the way – and Yves Behar, a renowned industrial designer whose clients include Sodastream, Jawbone, and Herman Miller office furniture to name a few.

The result of this collaboration is what Happiest Baby (the company that manufactures the Snoo baby bed) calls “the safest baby bed ever made” and “like a night nurse* for around $7 per night”.

The Snoo works like this: you swaddle your baby with a Snoo Sack (comes with the Snoo). The Snoo Sack has “wings” – clips that attach your baby to the sides of the Snoo sleeper so she can’t roll over (nearly all experts believe healthy babies should sleep on their back to reduce the risk of SIDS and SUID.) Once your baby is strapped in, The Snoo gently rocks your baby and plays white noise through its integrated speakers. This gentle motion and white noise continue all night unless your baby gets upset. If this happens, Snoo recognizes it with its sensors and attempts to calm your baby with several levels of greater intensity – both in white noise and rocking. Ideally, your baby is calmed and goes back to sleep without you having to lift a finger – or get out of bed.

Happiest Baby notes that you’ll (of course) still need to feed your baby, and that sometimes your child just needs to be comforted by a human, have a diaper changed, needs a pacifier, etc. But, the Snoo should robotically take care of the rest.

At this point, if you’re a parent who has experienced just how tired you can be taking care of a newborn, you’re thinking “Woah.” or something to that effect. If you’re not, it’s because you’re some lucky bastard whose partner did nearly all the work. I’m not judging, I’m one of them – and I was still tired a lot during this phase. You’re also experiencing some degree of serious skepticism. Perhaps some discomfort, confusion, and other mixed emotions thrown in there too.

In this post, we’ll address these questions and more:

  • Does the Snoo really work?
  • How, exactly?
  • Can I really entrust my newborn child with a robotic night nurse? Does something as simple as a crib really need to be “revolutionized” by the Internet of Things?
  • What are the drawbacks?
  • How much does it cost? What’s with this new rental program?

To answer all of these, my daughter Ruby, my wife, and I spent 30 days and nights with the Snoo baby bed. I meticulously documented all of it and distilled it all down into this installment of 30 Day Trial – a Snoo bassinet review. Let’s get started.

*If you’re not familiar, a night nurse is a caretaker who comes over to your house at night and keeps an eye on your baby all night, calming them when needed, feeding them, etc. Pretty sweet, if you’ve got some serious cash.

The awesome, the ‘wish it were different’ and a verdict.

Because this was such a big-ticket, profoundly-different-than-the-alternative item, I’ve included full notes from our 30 day trial at the end of this post. I’m an information junkie, so I would have found this useful before purchasing. But not everyone is, so if you just want the good, the bad, and the verdict, here you go, in a scannable form:

The awesome:

The magic moments. There were a number of moments during the course of thirty days when I thought, “holy cow if it weren’t for the Snoo, I couldn’t be doing X, because I’d be walking around trying to rock Ruby to sleep in my arms.” For me, “X” was working from home when she was fussy and clearly needed a nap but wouldn’t have gone down without the Snoo and spending time with my wife in the evening.

The safety measures. Happiest Baby markets the Snoo as “the safest baby bed ever made” due to the fact it keeps sleeping babies on their backs, the safest position for most. I felt deeply comforted by this fact.

The Snoo Sack (swaddle). The swaddle is pretty amazing. In fact, I was inspired enough to leave the following Snoo sack review on the company’s website, and it’s not hyperbole: “As a dad who is utterly hopeless attempting to swaddle with a blanket and still struggles to get it right with the other velcro/zipper swaddling solutions I’ve tried, the Snoo Sack makes me feel like a pro! I’m able to get my daughter in it incredibly quickly, she feels secure, looks happy, and doesn’t escape within minutes like she does with other swaddling solutions. Just awesome!”

Integrated white noise. If you believe in using white noise to help babies sleep, and you’ve had a baby, you probably know finding something to deliver consistent, not annoying, white noise for a 12- hour period is actually something of a challenge. So I very much appreciated the Snoo’s built-in speakers.

The customer service. I contacted Happiest Baby a number of times during the 30 days, on questions ranging from, “Isn’t Ruby going to get cold in a swaddle with mesh?” (nope, parents tend to overdress babies, and here’s how to check if you’re worried – touch her ear) to “the app isn’t working, help?” (they offered help, we gave up) to “the rocking at the beginning seems too vigorous” (a new option is now available via software update – how cool is that? I’d like to think we had a hand in changing this). In all cases, customer service was outstanding. Fast, thorough, and went well beyond my expectations for knowledge and general helpfulness of customer service folks.

The cool factor. Snoo has a serious cool factor. Especially since it just came out in October of last year – I felt the same feelings I felt as a relatively early adopter of the first iPhone (only maybe in dad form …)

The 30-day risk-free guarantee. With something this expensive, and this new, there can be a lot of angst about purchase. But, Happiest Baby includes a 30-day “worry free” guarantee, meaning if you don’t love the Snoo within the first 30 days of receiving it, you can return it for a full refund (they’ll even pay shipping on the way back).

The wish it were different:

Price. The Snoo costs $1,295. Yep, you read that right, $1,295 for a baby bed. (Before you give up, be sure to check out details of the rental program below.) This is by far the biggest downside of the Snoo I came up with after 30 days with it. A couple of things on price: 1) walk into a high-end store like Restoration Hardware of Land of Nod and you can absolutely spend this much on an ordinary crib. 2) Your child will only be in Snoo for 6 months vs. maybe a couple of years for a crib (and new parents who don’t have a crib will need to buy a Snoo, then a crib too when the baby hits 6 months). 3) The company uses something very expensive – a night nurse – to compare against, and yeah, if you compare against that, Snoo is a bargain, but most of us can’t afford a night nurse. 4) Sleep for you and your significant other and time (that you would have spent rocking/soothing) are two things it’s very difficult to put a price on, but they’re worth a lot. I am confident for most babies Snoo would get parents more of both time and sleep. 5) Lately, Happiest Baby just rolled out a new rental program and has been supporting it with special offers, so it’s worth taking a look. 6) I wouldn’t be surprised if a market for used Snoo Smart Sleepers pops up, meaning you could sell it when done to defray some of your cost.

More information on use. This thing is damn easy to set up and use, *but* given how different/weird it felt at first to be sticking our child in it, I wished there was more info given by the company on using it.

Lack of portability. The Snoo is quite heavy and big. We took a weekend car trip during our 30-day trial and didn’t bother putting the Snoo in the car for this reason. The company’s sleep expert did point out to me that babies using Snoo do fine when away from it for up to a week, especially if you use the same white noise sounds (available on iTunes) and the Snoo swaddle while you travel.

The Snoo Smart Sleeper from Happiest Baby set up next to a crib
Here’s the Snoo set up next to a full-sized crib for scale

Only one swaddle of each size, one fitted sheet. The Snoo comes with one small, one medium, and one large swaddle (called a Snoo Sack), and one fitted sheet. Extras are available from the website but are $38 each. [Update: the price of additional Snoo sacks has been lowered to $27.95, a small but nice gesture, and fitted sheets are now just $19.95 for an extra] If your child spits up/throws at all and gets the swaddle size they’re using dirty, you’ll need extras/need to do daily laundry. Multiple swaddles are something you’d probably buy without a Snoo, and most aren’t that much cheaper than Snoo Sacks, and, as I mentioned above the Snoo Sack was definitely the best in the many I’ve tried.

The things to note:

Snoo Guilt. I found myself feeling rather guilty sometimes in two scenarios: 1) when I put Ruby in the Snoo when she was fussy and clearly tired, or 2) when the Snoo calmed an upset Ruby. Here I was letting a machine calm my kid. Was that my job as a parent? Was I missing out on critical bonding moments? Based on their sales material, I’m confident Happiest Baby would tell me that the Snoo was helping Ruby get much-needed rest, and helping me and my wife get a much-needed break. I tend to agree with them – get rest and be a better parent during the day – but I still felt guilty on occasion, and I clearly wasn’t alone – other Snoo reviews I read mentioned similar feelings.

The mobile app. We had some challenges with the mobile app – primarily not being able to have two users on the app (my wife’s phone and mine). This was pretty annoying, but, this being a modern mobile app that gets updates, it’s probably fixed by now – we were using a very early version. [Update: as of March 2018, there have been 3 updates to the mobile app since the version we used, and based on the release notes improvements have been made!]

Wifi Shielding and Blue Light Emission. (For those of you who think about weird things, like me.) I am rather paranoid about exposing my kids to radiation from cell phones and wifi, so I worried about the fact the Snoo had wifi built in. But then I read that the Snoo has a built-in metal shield to protect the baby from any potential radiation. This was one of those, “wow, they thought of everything” moments for me that made me feel even more confident about the attention to detail on the product as a whole. Another of those moments came later when I saw Happiest Baby released “shorty legs” for the Snoo – designed to lower the Snoo for parents with platform beds who wanted to be able to see their baby without needing to fully sit up – a small but convenient touch (also capped off by an adorable dachshund in their picture of the legs).

I’m also obsessed with removing light (particularly blue light) from our bedroom to try and achieve the ‘sleep in total darkness’ thing, so the blue LED ring surrounding the power button annoyed me, particularly because it’s kind of bright.

Severe Congestion: Snoo v. Rock ‘n Play. Ruby suffered from severe nasal congestion during our trial and as a result, two things happened: 1) frequent middle-of-the-night clearing of nasal passages – more on that soon – and 2) shifting Ruby from the Snoo to the Rock n’ Play. If you’re not familiar, a Rock ‘n Play elevates a child’s head. NOTE: most experts recommend most babies sleep flat, this happened before the Rock ‘n Play recall that occurred in mid-2019. We felt guilty using a Rock ‘n Play for extended periods of sleep, though did get the go-ahead from our doctor’s office. Ruby seemed to breathe easier with her head elevated in the Rock ‘n Play vs. flat in the Snoo. This is probably a rare problem – we live in Denver and when traveling to Phoenix for a weekend this problem magically disappeared, we presume with lower altitude. When I spoke with Snoo’s sleep expert about this he noted they were working on an insert for elevating, and in the meantime, we could try putting tuna cans under the two legs near Ruby’s head. Unfortunately, this didn’t seem to dramatically help congestion, though the idea of using tuna cans to elevate a $1,200 bassinet did provide some amusement. 

[Update] Those inserts the sleep expert mentioned are now here in the form of Snoo Leg Lifters. They elevate two of the Snoo’s legs (the ones closest to your baby’s head) to create a slight angle and relieve congestion.

The verdict:

First of all, if you:

  1. Can spend $1,295 on something your child will use for 6 months and feel fiscally responsible
  2. Have a particularly fussy baby or a poor sleeper
  3. Desperately need more sleep, or, perhaps more importantly, have a partner who badly needs more sleep

Or some combination of the above, you should get a Snoo, hands down. The Snoo will almost without question save you time by helping your baby fall asleep without human intervention, help you get more sleep by helping your baby sleep more, and make you feel like you’ve given your child the safest possible sleeping environment you can, which is a great feeling. [Note: if $1,295 is a lot, check out the new rental program – a special offer is currently available – definitely worth a look.]

If you:

  1. Aren’t getting a Snoo for a newborn (your baby will stay in the Snoo only 6 months)
  2. Have a baby who already sleeps extremely well
  3. Know that $1,295 will cause financial strain

Or some combination of the above, it’s a bit of a tougher call. Clearly, parents have survived for millennia without a motorized bassinet – you can too.

If your baby is much older than a newborn, your time with the Snoo is going to be shortened, especially by the time it arrives and your baby fully transitions to the point you both enjoy the full benefit.

If your baby is already a pro sleeper, you may not notice the benefits of the Snoo (other than safety benefits) all that often. Happiest Baby does point out that many babies who are at first great sleepers go through a period of “sleep regression”, during which they have a much more difficult time getting to sleep and staying asleep, and that those babies benefit from the Snoo. While we didn’t experience this, I certainly can believe it.

They also point out that most babies sleep better swaddled, but the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend swaddling a baby for sleep once the baby can roll over as it may increase SIDS and SUID risk. Since the Snoo’s wings physically prevent a baby from rolling over while sleeping in the Snoo, it allows babies who are capable of rolling over to remain swaddled for sleep, thus improving sleep.

A final note on price: $1,295 is a lot of money. Some things that might make it more tolerable are 1) if you plan on having multiple kids, you could use Snoo for two kids and mentally amortize the cost across both of them or 2) if you believe there’s enough of a secondary market for the Snoo that you can sell it after 6 months and recoup some of your investment. Based on our research, more people are beginning to search for “used snoo” and the like on Google, suggesting demand for gently-used Snoos. And the fact that you’ll be able to time the date you’ll no longer need the Snoo would give you extra time to figure out how to sell it.

So our overall verdict? This is a badass product. If you can afford it without financial strain, you should buy it – price is the only real downside to this product based on our trial. The Snoo also includes a 30-day money back guaranteed if it’s something you feel like you need to try for yourself before committing to. Happiest Baby has had some incentives available for the new rental program – definitely worth checking.

There you have it – detailed thoughts on the Snoo. What follows is additional photos we took, along with detailed notes I took during our 30-day trial.

You also don’t need to take our word for it – there are over 500 reviews from verified buyers on Happiest Baby’s website including a star rating and text reviews, which are interesting to read.

Pricing & Rental Program

Pricing

The Snoo’s price is $1,295. For that, you get everything you need to use the Snoo — the Snoo itself, a mattress with fitted organic cotton sheet, and 3 Snoo Sacks in small, medium, and large – the right sizes to fit your baby as long as she’ll be in the Snoo.

Optional extras include:

Extra Snoo Sacks – $27.95

Extra sheets – $19.95

And for added convenience, “the Big Bundle” – an extra Sack of each size and two additional sheets for $79.95 (35% savings)

Leg lifters (to elevate the two legs closest to the baby’s head if congestion is an issue) – $19.95

Shorty legs (lower height of the Snoo for easy peeking in if you have a platform bed) – $64.95

The Snoo rental program

Introduced in January 2019, the Snoo rental program allows you to (wait for it …) rent the Snoo. It’s no doubt the Snoo is a pricey item, so the rental program was designed to make it more accessible to those without large baby budgets who were also in need of a safe baby bed and extra sleep.

The rental program works like this:

    1. Head to the Snoo website and select the rental option
    2. Choose your delivery date (you can select any date up to 3 months out, perfect if your baby isn’t born yet, you can just have it arrive a few days before your due date)
    3. You’ll pay for the first month of your rental plus a fully-refundable $175 security deposit up front (shipping is free both ways!)
    4. Each month thereafter that you keep the Snoo, your card will automatically be charged

  1. When you’re ready to return it, send the Snoo back to Happiest Baby in its original box (they pay for return shipping too)
  2. You’ll get a refund for any unused days in your final month

Snoo rental pricing

Right now, Happiest Baby has an introductory rental program offer going on where you can rent the Snoo for $98 for the first month (that’s just $3.50/day).

After the first month, the price increases to $4.90 per day, or $148.95 per month.

So, based on the introductory pricing, if you keep the Snoo for 3 months, you’ll pay $395.90. Keep it for the full 6 months your baby can be in the Snoo, you’ll pay $842.75 ( a heck of a lot cheaper than the $1,295 purchase price).

You’ll find all the rental program details and any special offers here on Happiest Baby’s site.

Rent or buy?

As you’ll see by the math above, if you’ve got just one kid who’ll use the Snoo, and especially if you might not want to use the Snoo for the full 6 months (if your baby is already born, or you just don’t think 6 months is necessary — and we think you’ll certainly get value out of 3 months in the Snoo based on our experience), renting the Snoo will save you some serious cash.

If you plan on having multiple kids, or have a friend who might borrow the Snoo after your first kid, giving it a good home before a potential second kid, outright purchasing the Snoo will save you money in the long term.

Snoo frequently asked questions

Here are some things we get asked a lot from readers and prospective buyers:

Is the Snoo safe?

Snoo is marketed as “the safest baby bed ever made”, and for good reason: its design keeps a baby on her back, the safest sleep position according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Snoo Sack promotes a healthy hip position and prevents material from covering a baby’s mouth and nose.

Is the Snoo safe for newborns?

Newborns are tiny, fragile creatures. So it’s natural to wonder if the Snoo, with its automated jiggling of your baby and white noise levels is safe for newborn babies. But, Snoo was designed to be used from day one, and extensively tested for newborn safety.

How long can my baby sleep in the Snoo?

The Snoo is designed for babies up to 6 month old, 25 pounds or less, who cannot yet get up on hands and knees, so whichever of these milestones occurs first means its time for your baby to move to a crib. For most babies, this is around 4-6 months.

Should my baby nap in the Snoo?

Yep. Snoo should be used for naps in addition to nighttime. You’ll likely see your baby’s naps are longer with Snoo than without. So, it’s possible for Snoo to be your baby’s only sleep spot for a while. That said, if you miss a nap or travel, totally fine.

Does the Snoo ever stop moving?

The Snoo’s baseline level (what your baby will experience most of the time) includes a gentle rocking motion that keeps your baby moving all night long—this is part of the program designed to maximize sleep. You can turn this off with “weaning mode”.

Does the Snoo make noise all night?

Yes, the Snoo’s baseline level (what your baby will experience most of the time), does include a low level of white noise, which is part of the program designed to improve your baby’s sleep.

Does the Snoo automatically turn off?

If your baby begins to cry, the Snoo cycles through increasing levels of white noise and rocking, designed to calm your baby. However, sometimes your baby just needs human interaction (or a feed), so Snoo automatically turns off after a few minutes, signaling it’s time for you to go assist your child.

Wrapping up, additional photos & full notes

Hopefully that was helpful as you consider the Snoo! We’ve included some additional photos of the Snoo below, as well as the notes I took as we were testing it out. If you have questions we didn’t cover, feel free to reach out – hello[at]fathercraft.com.

Based on what we saw firsthand of the Snoo, plus the positive reviews elsewhere (we’ve also got a friend of Fathercraft testing the Snoo for us right now), we’ve added the Snoo to our newborn essentials list, which covers all the stuff you need for your newborn, plus a few splurge to make your life easier items like the Snoo.

Before we dive into the additional photos & notes, an editor’s note: this post was first published in March 2017 but has been updated with more relevant details and updates to the Snoo over time and republished several times, most recently in November 2019.

Additional Photos

The contents of the box from a Snoo sleeper
The Snoo unboxing experience – what’s in the box
A top-down picture of the basket of a Snoo baby bed
Looking down into the basket of the Snoo upon arrival
A fully-assembled photo of a brand new Snoo Smart Sleeper
The Snoo, fully assembled
A view of the speakers and technology underneath the mattress of the Snoo
The tech underneath the mattress, including built-in speakers

Notes from the journey

Below are the notes I took along the way on what we observed, how we felt, etc. I’ve edited them for clarity.

Pre-Delivery

    • Sticker shock
    • Ordering process very much like interacting with a modern tech company. Mobile ordering worked well, well-designed emails
    • Disappointed b/c the website noted if I ordered before noon PST it’d be shipped that day, it didn’t ship until the following day
    • Nice series of well-timed emails preparing me for Snoo delivery – setup and use emails came on the day the Snoo arrived
  • As someone who likes to read lots about products before I buy them, I found myself wanting more. Snoo has a list of questions from prospective customers and answers in the reviews section, but it wasn’t very robust. A bit more information lived in blog posts, but this wasn’t obviously accessible
  • Most of the 3rd party sites I found when searching for Snoo reviews were actually just press the company received when launching

Day 1 (12/30/16)

Unboxing and Setup

    • Very easy to put together. Loved the fact no tools were required. Legs snapped in with a very satisfying click and the double hand-tightened bolts made me feel like they were very secure
    • The unboxing experience felt much more like unboxing a new iPad or MacBook than a standard piece of baby equipment
    • Only trouble was trying to get the power cord to stay in the small channel along a leg
  • Really heavy

First Night

    • Jamee remarked the sack’s straightjacket like effect and the all-white design made it look like Ruby was in some sort of institution when we laid her down in the Snoo
    • Actually turning it on was quite easy to do, just the push of a button. Ruby started to cry and the Snoo cycled up through higher levels of rocking and white noise, which sound like rain, a vacuum cleaner, and a washing machine at higher levels
    • This was noticeable but didn’t prevent me from falling asleep
    • The rocking is quite vigorous. Ruby’s head rocked back and forth in a manner that was close to alarming at higher levels of intensity. Jamee asked if I was certain the Snoo knew how old Ruby was and was rocking an appropriate amount
    • The 3rd level of Snoo’s white noise/rocking combo calmed Ruby and stopped her crying and she slept for a while in the Snoo but seemed more restless than she has in her Rock ’n Play, which has been her previous bed. This certainly could be a familiarity thing and since I’d read Snoo’s tips for transitioning to the Snoo (can take a few days for babies to get used to, up to a week for older babies) it made me less anxious the Snoo wasn’t going to work
  • After about an hour and a half in the Snoo and another feeding, we decided to resume Snoo training the next day during naps and returned Ruby to her Rock ’n Play due to restlessness in the Snoo

Day 2

First nap

    • Put Ruby in the Snoo Sack when she was getting tired after some play, rocked her to sleep in our arms and put her in the Snoo. The transition went well and Ruby slept peacefully for about 45 minutes while the Snoo gently rocked her.
    • I realized after the initial “purple” level the Snoo’s rocking slows down and white noise quiets down as it transitions to a “sleep” level marked by a blue light. Rocking and white noise continues at some low level the whole time Snoo is on.
  • At 45 minutes, Ruby got hungry and the Snoo cycled through its levels as she started to cry. I decided to pull her out before it went through the full cycle since I knew she was hungry

Day 4

First full night in the Snoo

  • Successfully used Snoo to calm down Ruby when nothing else was working, get ourselves 15 precious minutes to eat dinner
  • Pulled Ruby out of the Snoo around midnight when it wasn’t calming her down, but then was able to put her back in. Pretty much a normal night, Jamee was too tired to give her thoughts but I slept well

Day 5

    • Ruby got fussy after being in the Snoo before we went to bed and wasn’t calmed by increased motion and white noise. Pulled her out, which instantly calmed her and tried again.
    • Repeated this process several times. She seemed to be having gas pains and seemed to be calmed when her head was elevated, which we accomplished by holding her and putting her in the Rock ’n Play. It was hard to tell whether the Rock ’n Play was actually better at keeping her calm during the gas pains, we alternated between Rock ’n Play and Snoo throughout the night.
  • Note here: it’s really hard to tell with kids whether one thing is working better as you can’t try both simultaneously

Day 7

    • Ruby fell asleep in my arms the early evening for a nap and I thought about sticking her in the Snoo, but then thought about the extra few seconds it would take to stick her in the Snoo Sack and then the Snoo, and that she might wake up, and ended up just using the Rock ’n Play
    • Peacefully down at night in the Snoo, a few minutes later she vomited all over the Snoo Sack, mattress, and through the mesh onto the floor. Since there were only one small sleep sack and one fitted sheet, we put her back in directly on the mattress and in the medium sleep sack, which seemed to fit fine.
    • Really, only one sheet and one sack of each size? Price of extras felt exorbitant
    • Down awake in the Snoo
  • Jamee read about Snoo winning awards as we lay in bed after the incident

Day 10

  • Put Ruby down in the Snoo. About 15 minutes later I was reading out loud when she got fussy. We decided to get see if the Snoo could calm her. She cried for the first 2 levels (2 minutes). At the 3rd level, she calmed and then went to sleep. Wow. I would have had to get out of bed to rock her in my arms for who knows how long if it hadn’t been for the Snoo.

Day 11

    • Ruby was fussy when we got her ready for bed and in a Snoo Sack for the evening around 10:15. Jamee suggested I put her in the Snoo instead of trying to rock her calm/to sleep. I did. She calmed pretty darn quickly. Woah, that was pretty sweet. Almost made me feel guilty.
  • 15 minutes later, fussy again, calmed at orange level.

Day 14

  • Calmed Ruby in my arms before bed and put her in the Snoo. She got fussy upon being put down but calmed as the Snoo went up a few levels

Day 15

  • Snoo app updates. Pretty cool to have a baby bed that gets smarter with software, just like your iPhone or a Tesla

Day 18

  • Had discussions with Jamee about just how useful this thing really was. On the downside, it didn’t work when Ruby had stomach pains. However, at other times when Ruby was tired but just seemed to want to be carried around, we put her in the Snoo and it gently rocked her while she was calm and went to sleep. We started to realize this probably saved us 30 minutes a night of walking her around while she fell asleep

Day 20

  • The Snoo was a huge help today while working from home. It was clear Ruby was getting tired but wouldn’t sleep in the Rock ’n Play and was fussy even when I held her. Put her in the Snoo for two naps and she conked right out both times.

Day 21

    • Experiment day.
    • Put Ruby down for a nap in her crib while she was asleep. She woke herself up by vomiting, put her back down after a change of clothes and she went back to sleep in the crib
  • We tried again at night. Ruby was fussy in her crib. After about 5 minutes Jamee asked, I wonder what would happen if we put her in the Snoo. Would she calm down right away? I wholeheartedly agreed. We did and she calmed instantly, even though she was still awake. Jamee, “this is how they hook you. What wouldn’t you pay for your child’s happiness?” Me, “and your own” Jamee, “it’s win-win”

Day 23

    • another experiment with putting Ruby down in the crib for the night. She’s fussy and we give up after approximately 5 minutes, put her in the Snoo, and find she’s perfectly calm and goes to sleep
  • We begin to wonder if Ruby is addicted to the Snoo. Is this now just her comfortable place?

Day 24

    • Time to make a decision.  
    • Here are some things we consider: 1) The Snoo absolutely calms Ruby and puts her to sleep in the evening and for naps. 2) We have no way of knowing whether, if we hadn’t gotten a Snoo, whether Ruby would have trained herself to fall asleep in the crib just as she did in the Snoo, 3)The Snoo has absolutely saved us some evenings of walking her around while she falls asleep, 4) Unless you have twins, you can’t really run an experiment on your baby to see how effective something is or isn’t. Even with twins, small sample size, 5) Other than her congestion and stomach pains, Ruby seems to be a good sleeper. There haven’t been any instances where Ruby woke up in the middle of the night (other than to feed) and the Snoo calmed her back to sleep. 6) Ruby’s reflux (we assume it’s that) is causing her to be majorly congested at night. We end up trying to clear her nose 1x per night, and also finds that she seems to breathe easier in the Rock ’n Play so we end up transferring her there with frequency. This makes the Snoo less useful, though we’d both rather have her sleeping flat if possible. 7) There have definitely been some ‘miracle/night-nurse moments in the evening as we were getting ready for bed where Ruby was fussy and only calm when we walked her around, we got exhausted, tried the Snoo, and she calmed right down as if we were holding her and walking 8) our first daughter was an excellent sleeper. Maybe Ruby would be too without the Snoo? (She didn’t start out that way, but maybe she just needed time?)
  • We determine the only way to really determine how effective this thing is to put her back into the crib for a period of 7-10 days. This should give her enough time to get used to the crib – it took almost a week for her to adjust from Rock ’n Play —> Snoo

Day 25

    • I email the Snoo people and tell them we need to return the Snoo as our 30-day trial period is almost up, the reflux/transfer bit, and that we’re not fully convinced this thing is “night nurse” level
  • They email me back right away with a very nice message saying that they’re very sorry to hear the Snoo hasn’t lived up to expectations, are happy to process my return, but before they do would I want to talk to their Sleep Expert who has 30 years of experience

Day 31

  • after getting back from a long weekend where Ruby was in the rock n play (lack of portability), we put Ruby in the crib. She lets out the occasional annoyed squawk for about 20 minutes while falling asleep, but does go to sleep without interference from us

Day 32

    • Ruby is relatively alert when bedtime rolls around, and we rock her to sleep in our arms for a total of about 15 minutes. While I’m doing my portion of this, I think “I am basically a human Snoo” and ask myself questions like, “is this time when I’m bonding with my daughter, and therefore something I *should* be doing? / as a busy parent, should I not have to feel guilty about doing this rocking for me?”, “What would I rather be doing? What do I have to do?”, “If I spend this amount of time each night for the next 4.5 months, how much time will that be? And what would the Snoo be worth on a per-minute basis to save my time?”
    • About half an hour later, Ruby starts to be unsettled and crying a bit. We give it a couple of minutes then I go in there, hold her while walking her around and walking for about 5 minutes. Put her back and she goes down again
  • Middle of the night snot clearing. Out Ruby down in the crib after and she got fussy. Had to pick her up and rock her for 5 min. Wanted to attribute not being able to fall asleep after this to rocking, not sure if this is fair – Ruby was fussy again, got fed, was congested, I put her in rock n play

Miku baby monitor review

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The Miku smart baby monitor is a wifi monitor that tracks your baby’s sleeping and breathing patterns. It’s in the same family as other wifi monitors we’ve reviewed, like the Nanit Plus, the Cocoon Cam, and the Owlet Sock & Cam combination. So, how does it stack up? Let’s dive in.

Please note: we received a free Miku from the manufacturer as they were interested in our review. We don’t guarantee positive reviews in exchange for free products, and always disclose free products. Also, we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. More here.

A review of the Miku smart baby monitor

You know the phrase “sleep like a baby?” Well, there’s a reason people say that. It’s because when babies are asleep, like, really asleep, it can be hard to tell if they’re actually breathing. They’re so still, and their chest is so small, that figuring out if they need help or are busy having sweet dreams is enough to make any parent get up and check on them every 20 minutes, or as we like to say, slowly lose their mind.

Enter smart baby monitors, like the Miku baby monitor, that not only alert you when your baby is crying or fussy but also let you monitor your baby’s breathing.

If you prefer your reviews in video form, here’s our recent YouTube video on Miku. If not, keep scrolling.

The Miku smart baby monitor connects to your smartphone and has military-grade technology that tracks your baby’s breathing and movements just using the camera and software so you don’t need to worry about wires or wearables. All you need to do is mount the Miku smart baby monitor camera above your baby’s crib, then download their smartphone app. It’s supposed to be a breeze to set up and use.

A Miku smart baby monitor

We put it to the test.

What is the Miku smart baby monitor?

Miku, like many of the more recent baby monitor companies to join the scene, notes that the company is made up of moms and dads who understand the panic parents undergo when it comes to getting their babies to sleep and making sure they stay safe while they sleep. And, we agree, having a perspective from experienced parents makes a difference when it comes to designing something that will be used mainly by parents. The company also touts its “military engineers” as providing next level tech. But, all of other baby monitors we’ve reviewed has their own spin on this talking point.

Speaking of the military, all active duty military, veterans, retired military, and military spouses get an automatic 10 percent discount. First responders, including police, firefighters, and EMT also get a 10 percent discount, available on Miku’s website.

Back to the monitor. Like other baby monitors, the Miku consists of a child unit—a camera with a speaker and microphone, and a parent unit. In the case of the Miku, the parent unit is an app that you download on your smartphone (both iOS and Android apps are available).

Note that while anyone who is going to be using your Miku monitor (like babysitters, grandparents, etc.) will need to download the app on their own device, you can control who gets access privileges from your app. This provides enhanced security so that only the people you grant access to can actually get access to the Miku camera.

Here’s a rundown of the tech involved in the Miku smart baby monitor:

The Miku camera

Like most other cameras in the new class of wifi baby monitors, Miku works with a bird’s-eye view, so you’ll need to mount the Miku camera to the wall above your baby’s crib. The Miku camera also houses what Miku calls “SensorFusion technology”. This is what captures your baby’s breathing, sound, and movement patterns without a wearable device.

Mounting the camera

According to the website, you can still use the Miku monitor if it’s not attached to a wall. The support page says that as long as the monitor is six feet away from your baby and out of reach of your baby (obviously), it should still work. But, for optimal performance, the Miku baby monitor should be mounted to your wall. If you have drywall walls you won’t even need a drill—everything you’ll need to mount your Miku camera to drywall is included in the package along with your monitor.

If you have another type of wall, such as concrete, brick, plaster, or sheetrock (like me), you will need a drill. They include mounting supplies for other types of walls in the box, so you shouldn’t need to go out and buy anything else. However, if you’re like me and hate drilling holes into sheetrock but still want the monitor mounted, you might want to get crafty and make your own baby monitor stand. You can check out what I did around minute 4:30 on this video review of the Miku smart baby monitor (though be sure to make sure cords are kept at least 3 feet from your baby).

One downside of doing a DIY mounting stand, aside from the whole DIY thing, is that you might end up with a longways view instead of a wide view. You can’t zoom in on the app, so it’s harder to see your baby if you go this route. There are ways around it, like mounting it to the wall as intended or setting it up without a stand, but It’s just something to be aware of. Reps from Miku have reached out to us and let us know that upgrades are coming, including a pinch to zoom feature, so this issue might be resolved as soon as the next app upgrade.

Camera image quality

Bird’s-eye view is perhaps the most critical component to a great picture of what’s going on in your baby’s crib. The next most important factor is the quality of the image that you see. The Miku smart baby monitor has a HD imaging at 720p, which is pretty standard for the new crop of wifi video baby monitors. Also like other video monitors, the Miku camera has night vision, so you can see what your baby is doing in the night when she’s fussing or making noises. In testing, we found Miku image quality to be strong, but, particularly in the dark with night vision turned on, not as good as Nanit Plus.

Detail of the Miku’s camera

While we find excellent image quality to be a big benefit in a baby monitor, there’s certainly a point of diminishing returns past a certain point, and Miku does get the job done. Sure, you need to be able to see your baby, but do you really need crystal clear imaging? For a lot of parents, monitoring your baby’s movements and breathing is a lot more important than watching your baby sleep through a camera.

Audio

Hearing your baby and being able to speak to your baby might be more important to you than being able to see your baby in high definition.

One issue we have with the Miku baby monitor is that the two-way communication feature has a 15-second timer. As I mention in my video review, this can make it really hard to get through my power ballads as I lull my son back to sleep. The 15-second timer can be annoying, but it isn’t necessarily a deal breaker.

The camera also has a white noise option. Now, if your baby is really into trippy sci-fi noises, then Miku has you covered—there are some deeply weird “white noise” options on the Miku. But, there’s also the classic “white noise”. And, your baby will be able to enjoy sci-fi ambiance through speakers that might begin his or her path to audiophile—Miku makes a big deal about “dual Ole Wolff speakers” which, we admit, without being audiophiles ourselves, do sound pretty darn good, even if they also seem somewhat unnecessary.

The Miku smart baby monitor app

You and anyone who you authorize as a user can view your baby and keep track of her movements and actions through the Miku app, which you’ll download on your smartphone. At this point in time, the Miku app only works on smartphones. According to Miku, upgrades are in the works in the future that will allow you to use the Miku app from a tablet or laptop.

The app has a lot of features and can be overwhelming. Here’s a look at what’s inside.

Analytics

The analytics tab in the app actually gives me anxiety. You can’t customize reports, so you end up with tons of recordings based on what the app thinks is relevant. It’s a lot to sort through. If you’re the type of person who just loves data, though, then you might appreciate the level of detail Miku provides in their analytics dashboard. If you’re more into just knowing whether or not your baby slept well during the night, then the analytics tab will probably be more overwhelming than useful for you.

A screenshot of the movement monitoring analytics from Miku's app
Not a lot of movement during Calvin’s nap …

Here are some of the things the Miku smart baby monitor tracks:

  • Activity
  • Movement
  • Sound
  • Sleeping pattern
  • Breathing pattern
  • Temperature sensor
A screenshot of the breathing monitoring analytics from Miku's app
Analyzing RPM (respirations per minute) using Miku analytics

Alerts

As we’ve discussed in other reviews of monitors that use a smartphone as the parent unit, there are a few nuances you’ll want to be aware of and differences from traditional baby monitors that have a dedicated parent unit.

First, you’ll need to have your smartphone in a state in which you’re able to hear and see your baby. Meaning, you can’t use airplane mode or Do Not Disturb. You’ll need to allow notifications from the Miku App and adjust those to your liking.

In addition, you’ll need to enable “background audio”, which is the setting that allows the Miku app to control your phone’s speakers even if your phone screen is off, or you’re using another app. With background audio turned on, you’ll be able to hear your baby crying while you scroll through Instagram, or whatever app is hot when your baby is born.

Now that you’ve got an understanding of what the Miku monitor is all about, let’s jump into our thoughts.

The awesome, the wish it were different, and a verdict

The awesome

Technology. Miku is a pioneer in baby tech, using military-grade technology in their baby monitor that can track your baby’s movements and breathing without wearables. This is huge for parents who don’t want to worry about things attached to their baby or pads under their baby to track movements and breathing while they’re asleep or in their crib.

Miku’s proprietary technology is called SensorFusion, and it combines image and video processing, RADAR, and other tech to allow tracking without wearables.

Sound output on the monitor. Miku has two high tech speakers, so any sound that comes out of it sounds really good. Your baby will be able to hear you loud and clear, and your voice will sound natural instead of tinny, like with other monitors.

Security. The Miku baby monitor has 256-bit encryption, which puts it on par with other high-end monitors like the Nanit plus. What makes Miku unique is that every Miku monitor comes with a physical, tamper-proof chip monitor that protects your personal encryption keys, even if someone physically gets their hands on your monitor. Necessary? Probably not. Sounds cool? Yep.

The wish it were different

Analytics dashboard. The analytics tab is really overwhelming, to the point that it might even be useless for a lot of parents. We’d expect this dashboard to continue to evolve and improve through software updates over time.

15-second timer for communication. The 15-second timer feels pretty short and can be disruptive if you need more than 15 seconds to communicate with your baby.

The verdict

The Miku smart baby monitor is more expensive than other monitors, but when you consider the technology involved in it, the price seems more reasonable. Plus, there aren’t any membership or subscription fees. You pay once and then have access to the app plus upgrades as they come. If you want a breathing monitor that doesn’t involve a wearable device, then you’ll want to seriously consider the Miku smart baby monitor.

Miku Smart Baby Monitor vs. Nanit Plus Baby Monitor

It’s no secret that we love the Nanit Plus baby monitor (it’s our pick for best baby monitor of 2019), but Miku gives the Nanit a run for its money in a few ways. Here’s a quick comparison of how the two monitors stack up side-by-side.

Aesthetics: They both look great. We give this one to Miku because of its sleek design. It will look good in any room or nursery.

Video quality: Though Miku is technically high def with 720p, the Nanit Plus has 920p plus more clear and detailed night vision. Nanit Plus wins for video quality.

Sound quality: With its two high tech speakers, the sound that comes out of the Miku is clear. Unlike the Nanit Plus, which sounds more like you’re in a big room that echoes, the Miku sounds natural. So the Miku wins for sound output of the monitor (what your baby hears). However, when it comes to the app (what you hear), Nanit Plus is the clear winner. I had to turn the volume all the way up to hear through the Miku app. Nanit wins for sound output of the app.

White noise: Both baby monitors could use an upgrade here. Nanit wins mostly because we just don’t like the dystopian-type white noise options on the Miku.

Security: Both Miku and Nanit have 256-bit encryption. Miku stores encryption keys inside the physical tamper-proof chip so if it’s stolen or if you sold/gave away your monitor, the encryption key can’t be accessed. Nanit stores their encryption keys using a software-based system. Because we aren’t security experts, we aren’t going to make a claim on which one is safer for you.

App UX: Both apps are straightforward and clean, but the Nanit app provides more useful functionality like the pinch to zoom and swipe to pan. The settings tab on the Nanit gives you more control over customizing features like crib position and security positions and bandwidth settings. The Nanit also has an insights package for you to make use of your data. Until another monitor can provide this level of support, the Nanit Plus will continue to have this as their ace in the hole to trump all wifi monitors. The award for app UX goes to Nanit.

We hope that was helpful for determining whether the Miku smart baby monitor is right for you. And if you’re looking for a monitor with a lot of potential, Miku’s got that.

To explore our picks for best baby monitor, and how we think about what’s important in baby monitors, head over here.

A Colugo baby carrier review

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A colugo is an arboreal mammal that lives in Southeast Asia. Colugo is a new brand of baby gear. As much as we’d like to use this review to compare a colugo against other tree-dwelling critters in an all out gliding mammal battle royale, we’re here for a Colugo baby carrier review.

If you’d like that joke again in video form, or you just like watching your reviews, here’s our Colugo carrier video review (just keep scrolling if you prefer reading & pictures):

Baby carriers are really handy. They allow you to do all sorts of stuff with your child strapped to you. Which is great, because as you know or will soon learn, parenting is time-intensive.

Here’s John demoing just a few of the things you can do while your baby is in a carrier:

Back when we first heard about baby carriers, it seemed like offerings from Ergobaby (our review here) and Baby Bjorn were the only offerings on the market. And, while these two remain the 800 pound gorillas of the market, a number of new carriers are on the market.

We were introduced to Colugo last year when they reached out to ask if we were interested in testing their stroller (our review here) and carrier.

Editor’s note: Fathercraft is reader-supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more. We also received free product from Colugo for this review.

Colugo is part of the new wave of “direct to consumer” companies (think Warby Parker, Casper, & Dollar Shave Club) that sell directly to you via their websites, which allows them to pass on savings. It’s a model that’s worked well for razors, mattresses, and glasses, and we think it’s perfect for the baby gear market. Why? Well, baby gear is something you need to try, with your baby, to really know if you’re going to like it. And, trying it out in the wild (or in your bathroom while you brush your teeth with a baby in the carrier) is much better than looking at it on a shelf at a big box store.

Colugo offers a 100-day in-home trial—more than enough to decide if their stuff is right for you. So, you can make the grocery store your testing ground.

A 27lb baby in the Colugo carrier

Our 2019 Colugo carrier review

In early 2019, we did simultaneous testing of 5 different baby carriers to understand differences and what features are shared by the best baby carriers. The Colugo is part of a class of baby carriers called “structured carriers”, which differ from other types like slings and wraps in that they have buckles, straps, and material that has some structure to it.

The Colugo ended up being our favorite of this bunch, for a number of reasons. Let’s dive into the awesome, the wish it was different, and our final verdict.

The awesome

When choosing the Colugo as our overall favorite baby carrier, we considered the full package. The Colugo was most similar to the Baby Bjorn One from a structure and mechanisms perspective, but included some extra features, and customizations that made it stand out.

Overall comfort and usability

Half the battle with baby carriers is getting them on—yourself and your baby. The Colugo allows you to separate the process of getting yourself in and comfortable and then situating your baby independently. While this does make for some extra straps, we found the process made for an easier time getting the thing (and baby) on, and a more comfortable ride overall.

Magnetic buckles

Buckles in action

A big part of putting on a carrier is the process of buckling the baby in. Colugo features magnetic buckles for the two final buckles you’ll use to put your baby in. They’re located on the front of the carrier near your armpits, have big pull tabs, and magnets to help you quickly align them when putting your baby in. It’s a clever and welcome addition to this final step of the baby carrier, which otherwise can require needing to look around a squirming baby to align buckles.

Here’s a closeup of the buckle in the closed position:

Magnetic buckle detail

Lightweight, breathable material

As we noted in our Ergobaby 360 review, baby carriers can get hot. We liked the material Colugo selected. It was lightweight, breathable, and flexible, improving comfort and ventilation.

The Colugo carrier also weighs in at just 1.5lbs and packs down pretty nicely for travel or shoving in a diaper bag.

Detail of the Colugo’s lightweight material

Pockets!

If the mention of pockets in a baby carrier doesn’t get you excited, you probably haven’t spent much time with one. A surprisingly small number of carriers include pockets at all, and those that do sometimes include non-functional pockets.

The Colugo’s pockets are thoughtfully designed and pretty functional (though as Calvin, our test baby, got bigger, he started to sag over the waist belt pocket, making it harder to reach).

Pockets in a carrier are really helpful if you’re just heading out for a quick jaunt—there’s no need to wear a backpack and a front pack at the same time, and nobody wants that. The Colugo’s pockets give you room for a diaper or two, wipes, keys, cell phone, and maybe a food pouch or two.

Machine washable

The Colugo carrier (along with nearly all Colugo products) is machine washable. And all baby stuff gets dirty, fast. So, this is a welcome feature (though not super uncommon—all 5 of the carriers we tested were.

The wish it was different

No back-carry option (yet)

As of the first version of the carrier, Colugo recommends the front-carry position only (other carriers allow for back or side carry), though we spoke with Colugo and they expect to have a version that allows other positions as of about May 2019. You can face your baby in or out in the Colugo.

Back and side carry can be nice as your child gets older and heavier, when the front carry position can start to strain your back.

The Verdict

When we consider the complete package:

  • Price
  • Comfort
  • Magnetic buckles
  • Pockets
  • Material
  • 100-day in-home trial

The Colugo is our clear choice for best baby carrier. It’s also part of our newborn essentials list, which details the items you’ll want to make parenting a newborn more awesome.

Pricing, options, & where to buy

The Colugo Carrier is $125 and available at hicolugo.com. Currently there’s just one option available in 5 different color/design options—lavender, navy, black, camo, and floral.

A 2019 Colugo Compact Stroller review

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Welcome to our review of the Colugo Compact Stroller. Use this handy decision tree to decide what to do next:

  • If you prefer to watch your reviews, there’s a video review right below. Then you can skim the written review for more details.
  • If you prefer to read your reviews, scroll past the video, and you’ll find our written review.

Editor’s note: Fathercraft is reader-supported, meaning, at no cost to you, we may earn a commission if you buy after clicking an affiliate link. Learn more.

What if you could buy baby gear the same way you’ve probably bought glasses, a mattress, razor blades, or any of the many other industries that are being disrupted by a new breed of direct to consumer companies? From the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas, from a modern-looking website, with the peace of mind that comes with a 100-day trial period and free shipping both ways?

That’s the idea behind Colugo, a new brand that (so far) offers a compact stroller & accessories, and a baby carrier.

Late last year, Colugo approached us about reviewing both the stroller and the carrier. They, like us, were founded by a dad who wasn’t able to find the products he was looking for after becoming a parent. (Full disclosure, Colugo sent us the stroller and carrier for free to test out.) We liked their vibe and decided to give the gear a test. What follows is our review of the Colugo Compact Stroller. We’ve also got a review of the carrier right over here. Spoiler alert: after testing it against 5 other top-rated carriers, we’re naming it our best baby carrier of 2019.

Our 2019 Colugo Compact Stroller Review

The first thing you should know about Colugo’s stroller is that it’s a compact stroller. A compact stroller is (you guessed it) smaller than a full-sized stroller, and is likely to be lighter on features than its bigger, heavier brethren.

Small, but mighty. The stroller and the kid.

Compact strollers are great in a few scenarios:

  • if you’re living in a city, where you’re likely to have a smaller living space where you don’t have the luxury of parking giant strollers in the garage, and you’re more likely to need to navigate Ubers, subways, and crowded sidewalks
  • if you travel with your baby on airplanes
  • if you’ve got a smaller car with a smaller trunk
  • if you’re looking for a second stroller for travel

Compact strollers aren’t likely to be good for:

  • Infants (the Colugo Compact, as an example, recommends babies be 6 months old). But, they just released “The Infant Kit” – a $95 add-on that turns the Colugo stroller into an infant-ready “bassinet” type stroller. We haven’t personally tested this accessory, but we love the idea of not having to buy a whole separate infant stroller.
  • Jogging (most compact strollers lack the suspension and big wheels that make for a good jogging stroller

Alright, now that we understand a bit more about compact strollers, let’s talk about the Colugo Compact Stroller.

A Colugo Stroller in camoflauge

The first thing you’ll note about the Colugo stroller is that it’s designed with urban & on-the-go parents in mind. It’s lightweight (just 16 pounds), it folds and unfolds with one hand in (according to Colugo) 2 seconds or (according to Fathercraft) in 3 seconds. Either way, it’s fast and doable while holding a baby in your other hand. Once folded, the stroller is just 17” x 24” x 10” and features a carry strap that allows you to carry it like a (somewhat bulky and hard) messenger bag. It’s designed to fit into an overhead bin on a plane and comes with a carry bag. Though we tested it in the suburbs of St. Louis, we could certainly imagine a New York mom or dad navigating subways and taxis with ease.

The next thing we noticed about the Colugo was its handling. We did some testing in a crowded Sunday morning farmer’s market and wove through the crowd with ease and a shockingly smooth ride and balanced feel.

Accessories

The Rain cover (included with stroller)

The rain cover was included in the base stroller price (it’s often sold by other companies as a separate, and pricey, accessory) and was really easy to put on without needing the instructions. It covered the whole stroller and was pretty roomy for the kid inside.

The carry bag (included with stroller)

The carry bag, also included with the stroller, was a nice to have, not super easy to get stroller in b/c it was tight. It’s worth noting that the diaper backpack won’t fit in carry bag with the stroller.

We’ve seen other stroller models you can roll behind you like a rolling suitcase, but we don’t think that was the use-case Colugo was going for, and we’re not sure just how necessary that is–why not just put your kid in the stroller and push her?

The diaper backpack (sold separately)

Colugo’s diaper backpack is a small, no-frills (but thoughtfully designed) backpack designed to hold the essentials for your baby (diapers, wipes, an included changing pad, and a bottle, which gets its own insulated pocket).

It’s also been designed to fit perfectly in the stroller’s carrying basket.

The diaper backpack.

The organizer

Out of the box, the Colugo stroller doesn’t have any cupholders or zippered pockets. The On The Go Organizer is a new product (we haven’t tested it yet) that attaches to the handle of the stroller, adding 2 cupholders and 3 zippered pockets. Like other Colugo products, it’s waterproof & machine washable, which we appreciate knowing how gross anything like this can get. It also converts into a fanny pack or cross-body bag, so you can take valuables with you, and rock that oh-so-cool fanny pack look if you want.

The cozy

The Cozy basically turns the stroller into a mini-sleeping bag for your kid for cold days. It’s got a polar fleece lining on the inside and is water resistant on the outside for Sex-in-the-City-type sprays of water from taxis. And yes, it too is machine washable.

Plus, crucially, the stroller can still fold flat with it attached.

Alrighty. Let’s jump into what’s awesome, what we wish was different, and our final verdict.

The awesome

Size, weight, and ease of carrying/manipulation

The Colugo, when folded, is small. It sort of accordion-collapses in thirds, into a relatively neat brick of stroller. Whether you’re carrying it over your shoulder, putting it in your trunk, or storing it in your small apartment, small is much appreciated. It’s worth noting that just because a stroller is labeled as compact, that doesn’t mean it’ll fold up super small. We’ve got a UPPAbaby compact stroller that’s folds in half, but is still a solid 45 inches tall when folded.

The size, combined with the carry strap placement and the three-second, one-handed fold makes the Colugo super easy to carry around, lift in and out of the trunk of a car, onto an airplane, or wherever your adventures take you.

The handle of the Colugo Compact Stroller
Press to fold …

Colugo has some nice animations of this folding and storage on their website here.

Maneuverability, ride, and build quality

As we mentioned above, the Colugo stroller has a surprisingly smooth ride and feels well-balanced, making one-handed turns a breeze.

This is due in part to a balanced design, and in part to the wheels, which are puncture-proof but also not the hard-plastic versions you’ll find on other compact strollers like the Colugo competitor Mountain Buggy Nano.

Finally, the Colugo looks and feels well-built. It’s got curb appeal (and with its variety of designs, you can match your style), and is solidly-built despite the lightweight design.

The buying experience & try it at home

In addition to the first strike against them–being in the middle of nowhere, big box baby stores are not the place to test strollers. To really get a feel for a stroller, you need to test it in the real world. So, we think the 100-day-at-home-trial model is perfect for strollers.

The value

Using its direct-to-consumer, cut-out-big-box model, Colugo packs a lot of bang for your buck into the base model of the stroller. A high-quality stroller that reclines (many compact strollers do not) and the key rain-cover accessory are included in the base model. And you can add more accessories for not too much more.

Machine washable, removable inserts

As we noted above, baby gear gets gross. You will (trust us) let your kid eat in the stroller eventually. And crumbs and food packet gunk will get everywhere. So machine-washable removable inserts are a key selling point you’ll thank us for pointing out.

The wish it was different

Straps & buckling/harness system

The straps on the Colugo are a bit flimsy and made of the same generic canvas-y material you’ll find you’d find on cheaper products. They do have shoulder padding, but are a bit on the harder end of things to tighten or loosen. We adore the magnetic buckling system on the Colugo baby carrier, and would love to see a variant employed on the stroller too, though don’t have the engineering firepower to figure out how exactly that would work.

The design of the buckling system & harness isn’t the easiest to use and takes a bit of getting used to–it was hard to tell where buckle should be inserted, and it took a bit to figure out exactly where to press to unbuckle.

Seat-back design

In order to achieve its extremely compact fold, the seat back on the Colugo stroller can bend in half. This can (and did once during testing) result in your child pulling himself forward into an awkward position. But, this just happened once and is another common complaint of the sector of compact strollers that fold like this.

We also felt the Colugo could stand for mesh sides we’ve seen on some other compacts vs its very open design–when it’s in the upright position there’s not a lot of side wall.

A lack of built-in frills

Out of the box, the Colugo is fairly no-frills. (Again, this is true of many compact strollers.) We could’ve gone for at least a cupholder, but that can be added with the Organizer accessory.

Our verdict

Overall, the Colugo Compact Stroller is our top choice in the compact stroller category. And for parents who live in small or urban spaces, we think the Colugo could easily be your one and only stroller (assuming you purchase the Infant Kit).

The combination of design, size, features, buying experience and price are unmatched. And, while there are some quirks and small annoyances (we haven’t found a stroller that doesn’t have these), we feel like these are heavily outweighed by an overall excellent product at a great price.

Where to buy & pricing

As the ‘direct-to-consumer’ model might suggest, the Colugo stroller is only available direct from the manufacturer, at hicolugo.com

The stroller is available as a standalone item (with rain cover and carry bag included) for $285.

Or, you can purchase one of two bundles:

  1. The Perfect Bundle ($335) includes the stroller, rain cover, carry bag, plus an extra comfort layer so you can swap designs or have one in the wash, one on the stroller, and Colugo’s diaper backpack.
  2. The On-the-Go Bundle ($315) includes the stroller, rain cover, carry bag

Optional accessories pricing:

Infant Adaptor Kit – $95

Cozy cold weather cover – $75

Diaper backpack – $65

Organizer/cupholder – $45

That’s it! Questions? Comments? We’d love to hear them. [email protected] Want to see the full list of item that made the cut for our baby essentials list that the Colugo stroller and carrier are a part of? Head on over here to see the full list.

Editor’s note: this review was originally published as just the video in January, 2019, but was updated with a full review in February, 2019.

Can you use a Nest Cam as a baby monitor?

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The Nest Cam Indoor camera is a pretty slick piece of technology and does a lot of the things you’d hope a baby monitor would do. It’s easy to install and set up, streams HD video to your smartphone or tablet via the Nest App, has night vision, allows you to hear high-quality audio, and allows you to talk through the camera’s small speaker.

Nest Cam used as a baby monitor, looking at a crib
A screen capture from the Nest Cam when being used as a baby monitor (night vision mode)

It also has some handy additional features: the camera detects motion and sends an alert via a smartphone’s push notifications. The Next Cam also creates a video recording that you can scrub through at high speed to see what’s been happening over time.

But, even with all this tech, the question remains: can you use the Nest Cam as a baby monitor? To answer this question, we bought a Nest Cam and tested it over several months with our kids.

If you’d prefer to hear about the main concern with the Nest Cam as a baby monitor through video, here’s John:

Want more awesome videos on baby gear, parenting and more? Subscribe to the Fathercraft YouTube channel here.

Ok, let’s dive in further to issues with the Nest Cam.

The Nest Cam mounted to a wall above a crib
The Nest Cam wall mounted with Command velcro strip

Issues with the Nest Cam as a Baby Monitor

Background sound

Unfortunately, the Nest Cam is missing one fundamental element that would make it a viable baby monitor: the ability to turn your smartphone or tablet into a functional ‘parent unit’. All baby monitors need to have two parts: a ‘child unit’ that is located in the child’s room and monitors the child, and a ‘parent unit’, which the parent keeps and uses to see what’s being monitored by the child unit.

The issue with the Next Cam’s ‘parent unit’ isn’t when the app is open – while open the Nest App performs quite well as a parent unit – video quality is great, and sounds made by your baby are crystal clear. The issue is that your smartphone /tablet isn’t a dedicated parent unit – you use it for other things. When the Nest App is moved to the background by other apps, the Nest App doesn’t stream audio, so the Nest Cam won’t alert you to your baby crying or making noise unless the app is open. (The same is also true if your smartphone is asleep/the screen is off.) Interestingly, other companies like Nanit have solved this issue, so it seems like it’s technically possible to do with an iPhone, but isn’t something Nest has focused on.

Nest Cam does give you the ability to set push notifications on your smartphone when it detects motion or hears a loud noise, but we found this to be insufficient for two reasons – first, the push notification doesn’t let you hear the noise, just the sound of the push notification alert, second, the push notification may not be loud enough or prolonged enough for you to notice it. For example, if you’re sleeping, you may miss the single “ding” of your push notification alert vs. the prolonged sound of your child crying.

Slow connection to the app

The ‘parent unit’ issue is certainly the main one with using the Nest Cam as a baby monitor and, unfortunately, it’s pretty much a non-starter. A secondary issue is that it takes a bit of time to open the app and for the app to connect to the camera. And, if you’re wanting to see what’s going on with your baby, those seconds of loading feel like an eternity.

Reliance on Wifi

The Nest Cam (this is true of any baby monitor that uses wifi, by the way) relies on wifi to connect the parent and child units. This means if your wifi goes down for any reason, you won’t get alerted by the Nest Cam if your baby is moving. This can be problematic because some people (myself included) have spotty wifi. But, it’s difficult to know if your wifi is down unless you’re actively using it, and if you’re not, you won’t really know if you’re connected to your baby.

Connection Issues

As we continued to test the Nest Cam along with other baby monitors, we started to notice its connection was more finicky than other wifi monitors we tested.

For a true head-to-head comparison, we put the Nest Cam in the same vicinity as other monitors like the Nanit and the Cocoon Cam (unplugging the one not in use so as not to interfere with signal).

On several occasions and positions within our daughters’ room, we noticed that the Nanit and the Cocoon Cam were able to connect perfectly, but when we tried to connect to the Next we got an error message that the app was unable to connect to the camera.

Using the Nest App

Now that we’ve discussed the issues, we’ll take a quick look at what the Nest App looks like when using the Nest Cam for a baby monitor.

Nest Cam baby monitor notification

As we noted above, the Nest Cam does give you the ability to send push notifications when it detects movements or “loud sounds”, but we didn’t believe this to be sufficient for the Nest Cam to act as a baby monitor, as described above. Here’s what a notification from Nest looks like when the camera detects movement:

A screenshot of a push notification from Nest Cam on an iPhone screen

Here’s what the Nest Cam portion of the Nest App looks like when the camera is on. You’ll notice the live camera feed, the “activity stream” that you can use to scan back through the day’s events (or much further back in time if you pay a monthly fee), and the “Talk” button that allows you to talk to a child through the camera’s speaker.

A screenshot of the Nest Cam dashboard within the Nest Cam iPhone app
The Nest Cam dashboard within the Nest iPhone App.

Alternatives

If you had your heart set on using Nest Cam as a baby monitor, sorry to have crushed your dreams! If you’re looking for a high-tech baby monitor with lots of bells and whistles, check out our review of the Nanit. Or head over to this page if you’d like to see all of our baby monitor reviews, along with our pick for best baby monitor of 2019.

If you *really* want to use the Nest Cam as your baby monitor, you can experiment with a couple of options:

  1. Get an old-fashioned, dedicated audio-only monitor that you use to alert you when your baby is crying, and use the Nest Cam just for your video. (Here’s Amazon’s top-rated audio-only monitor.)
  2. Use an old phone or a tablet as a “dedicated” parent unit. If you always have the Nest App open, the Nest Cam will function much better as a monitor, but you’ll need to use the settings in your phone or tablet to ensure your device doesn’t go to sleep or shut off its screen. If you’re looking for a good way to wall mount the Nest Cam, here’s a link to the Command Strips on Amazon, which function really well. Just make sure the camera and cable aren’t within reach from inside the crib! You can also get the Nest Cam on Amazon, which seems to usually have lower prices than Nest’s own store, while you’re at it.

If you’re willing to wait a while, the Nest Cam is pretty functional as a “toddler monitor” in smaller homes or apartments when you can hear your kid without the use of a monitor. This is what we ended up doing with our Nest Cam. For our toddler, it works just fine. We can hear her without the assistance of a monitor, and she’s perfectly capable of shouting “Mommy! Daddy!” when she needs something. But, it’s been useful to use the app to see what she’s doing when she’s supposed to be sleeping, and the motion sensing alerts have been useful to let us know when she’s gotten out of bed in the middle of the night.

Editor’s Notes:

  1. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. You can learn more about our policies regarding affiliate links here.
  2. This post was originally published in January, 2018, but was updated in January 2019 with new information based on our continued testing.