Which Smart Crib Is Right For You?

• 

  SNOO

  Designed by pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp, the SNOO Smart Sleep Baby Bassinet-Bedside Crib boasts that it can add one, two, or more hours of sleep to baby’s per night total. The self-rocking bassinet and white noise change to fit your kiddo’s needs and the customizable app lets you track naps and gives you the ability to adjust the motion, sounds, and cry sensitivity levels.

  Pros

  • May prevent the risk of mid-sleep rolling
  • Easy-to-personalize app experience
  • Provides daily sleep reports
  • Comes with three sleep sack swaddles
  • Stylish, sleek design

  Cons

  • Price $$$
  • Fabric components are hand-wash only

• 

  Cradlewise

  The Cradlewise All-In-One is a smart crib that comes with a bassinet mode, built-in monitors, a sound machine, and, of course, a connected app. When baby starts to fuss mid-rest, this tech-savvy selection takes note and soothes them back to sleep with a gentle bouncing motion and noise or music. 

  Pros

  • Plays your lullaby picks through Spotify
  • Comes with a picture-in-picture app display
  • Has an organic VOC and PU-free natural coconut coir mattress
  • Fabric components are machine washable
  • Assembles in less than an hour
  • Comes with the assembly tools required

  Cons

  • The price $$$
  • Heavy packaging weight (114 pounds)

The SNOO Smart Sleep Baby Bassinet-Bedside Crib and Cradlewise All-In-One Smart Crib are two of the top picks among parents. But which of these tech trends is the right choice for your little one? Sleep is at a premium for parents. This means you’re ready to do anything and everything you can to help your kiddo get the rest you both desperately need. Enter the smart crib.

Unlike the old standard, smart cribs can almost magically make those middle-of-the-night wake-up sessions unnecessary — through the use of contemporary connectivity! With cameras, motion sensors, and monitors galore, these cribs up the ante on infant safety and sleep.

So, what’s the difference between these two smart cribs? And how do you know which one might be best for your needs? Let’s take a look.

Price and specifications

Both of these smart cribs are at the higher end of the baby gear budget spectrum. The integrated app technology and sophisticated monitoring systems make these picks pricier than what you would expect to spend on a comparably sized standard bassinet or crib.

But unlike the traditional wood and mattress-only options, you do get added upgrades such as sleep-time reports, constant monitoring, self-rocking/soothing, and self-playing sounds.

• 

  SNOO

  Designed by pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp, the SNOO Smart Sleep Baby Bassinet-Bedside Crib boasts that it can add one, two, or more hours of sleep to baby’s per night total. The self-rocking bassinet and white noise change to fit your kiddo’s needs and the customizable app lets you track naps and gives you the ability to adjust the motion, sounds, and cry sensitivity levels.

  Dimensions

  35.75 x 19 x 31 inches assembled

  Connectivity

  Wi-Fi needed, must use the supplied power cord

  Weight

  38 pounds assembled

  Warranty

  1-year limited warranty

  Included

  SNOO smart sleeper, SNOO sheets made from GOT-certified organic cotton, mattress, water-resistant mattress cover, and three SNOO sacks

• 

  Cradlewise

  The Cradlewise All-In-One is a smart crib that comes with a bassinet mode, built-in monitors, a sound machine, and, of course, a connected app. When baby starts to fuss mid-rest, this tech-savvy selection takes note and soothes them back to sleep with a gentle bouncing motion and noise or music. 

  Dimensions

  40 x 25 x 42 inches assembled

  Connectivity

  Wi-Fi needed, compatible with 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz wireless routers, uses a standard 110V AC wall socket for power

  Weight

  88.2 pounds assembled

  Warranty

  1-year limited warranty (a 2-year extended warranty is available for an added charge

  Included

  Crib and bassinet attachment, fitted sheet, waterproof mattress cover, crib mattress, and mesh

Smart features

So, what makes these cribs smart? While neither the Cradlewise nor the SNOO will complete your master’s thesis for you or calculate equations, they can both monitor your baby as they sleep and make adjustments to keep your little one at rest. They also both connect to an app, turning your smartphone into a midnight monitoring station.

The Cradlewise model truly excels in the sounds department. This smart crib detects early wake-ups and can quickly compensate with the white noise hums of a whirling fan, motoring AC unit, or TV/radio static. As if these features aren’t enough, the crib has integrated Spotify connectivity — and can hush baby back to sleep with the sweet sounds of your kiddo-friendly playlist.

The SNOO may not connect to Spotify, but it does offer many smart features similar to the Cradlewise model. It uses high-tech monitoring to sense when your baby wakes and rocks the crib to put your little one back to sleep. It also plays white noise to whush and hush baby into dreamland.

Cradlewise’s app monitors sleeping kiddos remotely and sends notifications to the parent’s smartphone. The app also tracks baby’s sleep patterns and allows you to personalize the settings based on the results. And you aren’t the only one who can connect with your little sleeper through the app. Grandma, grandpa, or other caregivers can monitor baby’s sleep cycles and watch your sweet dreamer at rest.

SNOO’s app also allows you to monitor baby and track their sleep or nap habits. Specific features it comes with include a motion limiter, level lock, responsiveness, volume, and motion start level setting adjustment. The app also has a sleep log and a weaning mode for even more customization options.

Insurance coverage

With the not-so-light price tag, you may wonder if your healthcare insurance will cover the costs of a smart crib. As an FDA Class II De Novo medical device, insurance may someday cover the SNOO. But sadly, for your wallet, that time is not right now. Unlike breast pumps, insurance will not pay for a smart crib.

Are smart cribs safe?

With an app in charge of rocking and shushing your baby back to sleep, you may wonder if these mechanical models are safe. The Cradlewise meets ASTM standards for non-full-size baby cribs/play yards, bassinets, crib mattresses, and baby monitors. It is also California Proposition 65 compliant. This smart crib also is certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA).

Likewise, the SNOO crib also has a JPMA certification and meets ASTM standards. Again, the SNOO has FDA De Novo approval as a Class II medical device that could reduce the risks of SIDS. But this does not mean the crib will prevent all cases. In an announcement about the approval, the FDA states, “Although this data comparison was not sufficient to determine whether the device could prevent SIDS/SUID, the data did demonstrate the device did not increase the risk of SIDS/SUID in the study population. Therefore, the device is not intended to prevent or reduce the risk of SIDS/SUID.”

So which one is right for you: Cradlewise or SNOO?

SNOO

Designed by pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp, the SNOO Smart Sleep Baby Bassinet-Bedside Crib boasts that it can add one, two, or more hours of sleep to baby’s per night total. The self-rocking bassinet and white noise change to fit your kiddo’s needs and the customizable app lets you track naps and gives you the ability to adjust the motion, sounds, and cry sensitivity levels.

Cradlewise

The Cradlewise All-In-One is a smart crib that comes with a bassinet mode, built-in monitors, a sound machine, and, of course, a connected app. When baby starts to fuss mid-rest, this tech-savvy selection takes note and soothes them back to sleep with a gentle bouncing motion and noise or music. 

Both smart cribs are top techy finds that can save parents some serious sleep time. With similar price points and features that closely line up, the choice between the two may come down to esthetics, personal preferences, and nit-picky specification differences. If playing lullabies for your little one is a must, Cradlewise is the model to choose. But if you’re looking for a lighter-weight option that still rocks and shushes baby back to sleep, SNOO is your go-to.