Choosing a comfortable, safe smart bassinet for your baby to sleep in is undoubtedly among the most stressful decisions that a parent has to make. Fortunately, the market offers a lot of different options, and there’s a model for everyone’s budget. We’ve decided to take a closer look at one of the currently most expensive smart bassinets out there – the Snoo Smart Sleeper.
This model is actually the collaboration between Yves Behar, a famous industrial designer, and Dr. Harvey Karp, well-known for his book “The Happiest Baby on the Block.” Although it looks like a regular bassinet, the Snoo Sleeper comes packed with top-of-the-line features. Some of these are the Wi-Fi connection, a motor that rocks the infant, speakers that play white noise, as well as the microphone that detects crying.
However, it should also be mentioned that, besides all of these high-tech characteristics, the model also provides an optimal amount of safety and comfort for the baby. All of these traits come at a price, though – it’s the priciest smart bassinet that the money can buy.
If you do have the cash and want to get the best of the best for your baby, keep on reading – we’ll thoroughly analyze all of the model’s characteristics.
Specifications:
- Weight – 38 lbs
- Weight limit – 25 lbs
- Dimensions – 30″ x 16″ x 32″
- Materials – Plastic, Wood, Cotton
Features
Design
The Snoo Smart Sleeper is one of the most beautifully designed bassinets that you can buy – the “cool factor” is definitely there. Combining plastic, wood, and cotton as its primary build materials; this model looks absolutely stunning and is something that certainly won’t ruin your bedroom’s aesthetics.
The sides of this smart bassinet are lined with mesh to ensure proper ventilation and breathability, and its legs and frame come in the shape of simple, curved lines. Those who want to use it next to their bed are able to purchase shorter legs (sold separately), and, with them, bring the model’s top edge closer to your own mattress.
Another thing worth mentioning here is that the model has no wheels. When we combine this with the fact that it weighs 38 pounds, we get a bassinet that’s pretty hard to move around the house. The addition of wheels would’ve been nice, and we hope to see this fixed in the next revision.
Safety
According to Dr. Harvey Karp (one of the developers), the Snoo is the safest bassinet ever made. The model doesn’t function without a unique swaddle (included in the package) that the parent has to clip on the sides of the sleeping surface. Its purpose is to keep the infant safe in bed, as it holds the baby’s arms firmly to its sides and prevents it from rolling over and getting stuck on its belly.
This swaddle is made out of organic cotton and comes in three different sizes – L, M, and S (all three are included in the package).
Integrated White Noise
This smart bassinet uses motion and sounds to calm the baby down, with only a little bit of work required on the parent’s part. The model’s built-in microphones are there to detect the infant’s cries, and once they do, the model will adjust its calming actions accordingly by using white noise and motion.
An important thing to mention here is that the bassinet will try to soothe an infant only for the duration of three minutes. If it realizes that the baby is still acting fussy, it alerts the parent that the baby needs attention via the dedicated app.
The model’s soothing capabilities deserve only words of praise – most babies will fall asleep in less than a minute.
Dedicated Smartphone App
As we said, this smart bassinet is controlled via your smartphone. To do this, one has to install the dedicated Snoo app, which is available for both iOS and Android. The app has a very clean and intuitive interface and connects to the bassinet through Wi-Fi. This is far better than the Bluetooth connection, as it allows the parent to check in on the baby no matter the location.
Installing and configuring the app is done very quickly, as it intuitively walks you through the setup process. Once connected, the app allows one to adjust the intensity of sound and motion easily. It even features a gradual weaning mode, stopping the model’s movements only once the infant becomes calm.
What’s wrong with the product?
-High price
For a smart bassinet that can be used only for the first six months of the child’s life, the Snoo Smart Sleeper is really expensive. However, this also turns it into a pretty good investment if you’re planning on having more kids. Moreover, the model comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, allowing you to get your cash back in case you find it unsuitable for your needs.
-Lack of portability
As is it is a little on the heavier side and features no wheels; moving this smart bassinet from one room to another can be quite tricky. Furthermore, transporting it in a car is somewhat awkward – the portability indeed isn’t one of its advantages.
Conclusion
With all of its excellent high-tech features, the Snoo Smart Sleeper is an ideal solution for busy parents with deeper pockets. Although it can’t do a better job than the actual parent when it comes to soothing, it does its thing pretty well and can easily calm and comfort the baby in less than a couple of minutes.
The model’s sleek, modern design also deserves words of praise, as does the fact that it can be controlled via the (easy-to-use) smartphone app. It also provides sufficient ventilation and keeps the child safe at night with a convenient sleeping sack (swaddle).
The price is its only real downside. But, if that isn’t a problem for you, definitely go for it – you won’t regret the purchase.
