Snoo Review
So I previously posted about our Snoo bassinet--an expensive luxury that we went in on together in the hopes of getting more sleep. We had some money saved, and I decided to give it a try after a rough night that made Hubby strongly advocate for one. I also said I would post more if it ended up working.
You probably haven't seen a post from me about the Snoo in a while. Is that because it's not working, or have I just been too overwhelmed with transitioning back to work to fully review and appreciate the wonderful product that it is?
Well...a little of both. So I thought I'd share my pros and cons if that helps others in making their own decisions on whether the expense is worth it.
First, let's get the cons out of the way. I'm the kind of person who would rather hear bad news first to get it out there and over with and then end on a positive note with the potential good news. So here goes:
Cons:
Baby has gone from sleeping around three and a half hours at night to sleeping five hours at night, to suddenly sleeping seven hours at night...only to go back to three and a half, and then five again. This could be the 3 or 4 month sleep regression I keep hearing about. It could be the bassinet has been helping him get to that seven hour mark. Or it could be that he's just naturally been able to stay asleep longer as he's gotten older. But I didn't have an opportunity to test that theory with a non-smart bassinet. Overall the difference in hours, at least for our baby, has not been huge. Maybe slightly noticeable--until the sleep regression kicked in--but definitely not something I would use as a selling point. Longer sleep is not guaranteed from night to night (and probably not guaranteed from baby to baby either).
2. Sleep sack suds
In order for your baby to sleep in a Snoo bassinet, you have to first swaddle and zip him up in a Snoo sleep sack, a product that is thankfully included with the bassinet in three different sizes as your baby grows. The Velcro supposedly helps Baby feel secure while the wings on the side clip into the bassinet and allow it to rock him safely at night. That part all works pretty well. Unfortunately, when we wash the sleep sack, as inevitably must be done, the letters that spell out the product brand on the back of the sack peel off and stick to Baby! This is not a huge inconvenience, but with a product this expensive, you'd think it wouldn't begin to deteriorate so quickly (especially when we did make sure to follow the washing instructions). Also, the wings of the sack don't get dry in just one cycle. We either have to lay the sack out for a few hours to let the dampness to disappear, or run it through the dryer a second time.
3. Baby's a regular Houdini
Dr. Harvey Karp, creator of the Snoo, advocates for swaddling babies to help them feel secure like they were in the womb. Swaddling in a blanket or the sleep sack involves arms down and bound at Baby's side. Well, our baby HATES having his arms bound. We thought he might outgrow this once he started to feel warm and snuggly in his swaddles. Not true. On more than one occasion I've looked down in the bassinet to see that Baby has freed an arm from inside the sleep sack--that means he worked on wriggling it free all night to get it out of the only possible hole just so he could have his arm out. And my husband Velcros the sleep sack TIGHT, so it's not like we were being too gentle when we bound his arms. Baby has also gotten into a habit of raising his legs in the sleep sack and slamming them down into the bassinet when he's annoyed. I wouldn't be surprised if his legs were to break free next. At least we have the size medium and size large sacks available since Baby very quickly outgrew the small. Both the medium and the large sacks have arm holes--so we now swaddle Baby with his arms out. Sometimes he sleeps for fewer hours when his arms aren't bound, and sometimes not. But the fact that escape is so easy and so common with our baby makes this a negative feature of the bassinet in my eyes.
4. Smart bassinet not always so smart
It's nice that the Snoo has several settings that you control from the app on your phone. You can make the bassinet more or less sensitive to your baby's cries so it starts rocking faster sooner or stays at a lower setting longer. We started out with the Snoo at its normal setting. Unfortunately, when Baby would cry, his cries were so soft that the bassinet wouldn't pick them up to increase speed and "soothe" as it's supposed to. So I increased the sensitivity. After that, it did pick up Baby's cries the few times he fussed in the bassinet. But the downside was that it would start randomly increasing in speed...when Baby was fast asleep. This was a major problem since the sudden increase in speed was almost enough to jolt Baby awake after we just got him down! And it's not like he was breathing heavy or snoring. We didn't have the bassinet near a window. Hubby and I certainly weren't making any sounds once Baby was asleep. So we're still not sure what sound the bassinet was picking up on or if we just got a product that's a little defective. After this happened four times, I wrote to the manufacturer, who did have quick responses and a few suggestions that didn't really work. Ultimately I put the sensitivity back to normal and just accept the fact that if our baby cries, he actually needs attention and the smart bassinet won't be enough to put him back to sleep anyway.
5. It's got an expiration date
One of my biggest hesitations about getting the Snoo bassinet was not just the cost--it was the cost compared to the amount of time you can use it. Babies up to six months of age. Our baby was around two months old when we got it and is three months old now. So that's just three more months that we can use this product before we have to transition to a crib. Then what? We give it away? Sell it? Find storage until we have another kid? We can't re-purpose the product once its function is done, so we'll have to consider one of these other options. True, we could have maximized our usage by making the purchase immediately after Baby was born, but how were we to know we would need a smart bassinet? We're first-time parents after all.
Dr. Harvey Karp, creator of the Snoo, advocates for swaddling babies to help them feel secure like they were in the womb. Swaddling in a blanket or the sleep sack involves arms down and bound at Baby's side. Well, our baby HATES having his arms bound. We thought he might outgrow this once he started to feel warm and snuggly in his swaddles. Not true. On more than one occasion I've looked down in the bassinet to see that Baby has freed an arm from inside the sleep sack--that means he worked on wriggling it free all night to get it out of the only possible hole just so he could have his arm out. And my husband Velcros the sleep sack TIGHT, so it's not like we were being too gentle when we bound his arms. Baby has also gotten into a habit of raising his legs in the sleep sack and slamming them down into the bassinet when he's annoyed. I wouldn't be surprised if his legs were to break free next. At least we have the size medium and size large sacks available since Baby very quickly outgrew the small. Both the medium and the large sacks have arm holes--so we now swaddle Baby with his arms out. Sometimes he sleeps for fewer hours when his arms aren't bound, and sometimes not. But the fact that escape is so easy and so common with our baby makes this a negative feature of the bassinet in my eyes.
4. Smart bassinet not always so smart
It's nice that the Snoo has several settings that you control from the app on your phone. You can make the bassinet more or less sensitive to your baby's cries so it starts rocking faster sooner or stays at a lower setting longer. We started out with the Snoo at its normal setting. Unfortunately, when Baby would cry, his cries were so soft that the bassinet wouldn't pick them up to increase speed and "soothe" as it's supposed to. So I increased the sensitivity. After that, it did pick up Baby's cries the few times he fussed in the bassinet. But the downside was that it would start randomly increasing in speed...when Baby was fast asleep. This was a major problem since the sudden increase in speed was almost enough to jolt Baby awake after we just got him down! And it's not like he was breathing heavy or snoring. We didn't have the bassinet near a window. Hubby and I certainly weren't making any sounds once Baby was asleep. So we're still not sure what sound the bassinet was picking up on or if we just got a product that's a little defective. After this happened four times, I wrote to the manufacturer, who did have quick responses and a few suggestions that didn't really work. Ultimately I put the sensitivity back to normal and just accept the fact that if our baby cries, he actually needs attention and the smart bassinet won't be enough to put him back to sleep anyway.
5. It's got an expiration date
One of my biggest hesitations about getting the Snoo bassinet was not just the cost--it was the cost compared to the amount of time you can use it. Babies up to six months of age. Our baby was around two months old when we got it and is three months old now. So that's just three more months that we can use this product before we have to transition to a crib. Then what? We give it away? Sell it? Find storage until we have another kid? We can't re-purpose the product once its function is done, so we'll have to consider one of these other options. True, we could have maximized our usage by making the purchase immediately after Baby was born, but how were we to know we would need a smart bassinet? We're first-time parents after all.
Despite all that though, there are several pros in favor of the smart Snoo bassinet that I do have to share:
1. Out like a light
We've noticed that swaddling our baby does help him feel more secure in the sense that he seems to fall asleep more quickly. When getting him ready for bed, we often feed him for 20 minutes, then place him in the sleep sack, and feed him for another 20 minutes if needed to get him tired. The second feeding when he is secure in the sack usually goes by more quickly, and I almost wonder if we should put him in the sleep sack for the first 20 minutes sometimes. And again, props to the product for coming with sleep sacks that grow with our baby.
2. No more interruptions
Because of the motion of the Snoo bassinet that rocks Baby all night long, Baby can wake up in the middle of the night and go back to sleep more quickly. We know this because sometimes when we nap with Baby away from the Snoo he'll start to stir on his own and we'll do our own little bouncing and jiggling to get him to fall back asleep instantly. The fact that the Snoo does this automatically means less interrupted sleep, which can definitely disturb our baby when he's trying to get his 40 winks. You should see how cranky he is when a cell phone ringtone startles him awake.
3. Not just for kids
While the Snoo bassinet is, obviously, for babies, it's meant to be kept close by to the baby's parents--the same room, right by our bed. Which means I can hear the white noise and motion sounds that the Snoo makes all night long. I'm going to be honest--it's comforting to me too! I didn't realize how much white noise can help me sleep until I started taking naps at Hubby's aunt's house. We would come by to visit his aunt and his grandma, and when his grandma would sleep we would too, lulled by the rhythmic whirring of her oxygen machine or his aunt's laundry in the dyer. It may sound silly, but it works!
4. Five-star service
Another nice feature of the Snoo is just how responsive the customer service is. They get back to you quickly, AND follow up to make sure your problem was solved. They even recommend you contact them if the Snoo isn't working for your baby because they have sleep experts who can try to help. I was impressed with how they handled my complaint about the bassinet's sensitivity, even if they weren't able to ultimately solve the problem.
5. There's an app for that
I LOVE the Snoo app. A lot of customers complained about the app in the reviews because it can be buggy, but as a person who likes to be organized, I just love the fact that it exists! I can start and stop the Snoo from my phone. If I'm in the other room, I can check to see if my baby is crying by seeing if the Snoo has changed speeds. But best of all, the app records exactly how long Baby has been asleep in the bassinet, when it had to soothe Baby, and when Baby was taken out. This was something I'd done on my own before we'd gotten the Snoo. I'd try to remember what time we put Baby down in his regular bassinet and then calculate how long he'd stayed asleep when he woke up. But this could be a challenge as we tried to "sleep when the baby sleeps," which made us a little groggy and forgetful upon waking. It also displays Baby's sleep in such an easy-to-read manner that allows one to easily check for patterns. I can compare Baby's sleep from week to week, notice when he's started to sleep longer, when he's woken up in the middle of the night, and more. Which can help us figure out what sleeping rituals worked and what didn't. It's also nice to be able to wake up in the morning, check the app, and tell Hubby, "Wow, he did so good last night!"
We've noticed that swaddling our baby does help him feel more secure in the sense that he seems to fall asleep more quickly. When getting him ready for bed, we often feed him for 20 minutes, then place him in the sleep sack, and feed him for another 20 minutes if needed to get him tired. The second feeding when he is secure in the sack usually goes by more quickly, and I almost wonder if we should put him in the sleep sack for the first 20 minutes sometimes. And again, props to the product for coming with sleep sacks that grow with our baby.
2. No more interruptions
Because of the motion of the Snoo bassinet that rocks Baby all night long, Baby can wake up in the middle of the night and go back to sleep more quickly. We know this because sometimes when we nap with Baby away from the Snoo he'll start to stir on his own and we'll do our own little bouncing and jiggling to get him to fall back asleep instantly. The fact that the Snoo does this automatically means less interrupted sleep, which can definitely disturb our baby when he's trying to get his 40 winks. You should see how cranky he is when a cell phone ringtone startles him awake.
3. Not just for kids
While the Snoo bassinet is, obviously, for babies, it's meant to be kept close by to the baby's parents--the same room, right by our bed. Which means I can hear the white noise and motion sounds that the Snoo makes all night long. I'm going to be honest--it's comforting to me too! I didn't realize how much white noise can help me sleep until I started taking naps at Hubby's aunt's house. We would come by to visit his aunt and his grandma, and when his grandma would sleep we would too, lulled by the rhythmic whirring of her oxygen machine or his aunt's laundry in the dyer. It may sound silly, but it works!
4. Five-star service
Another nice feature of the Snoo is just how responsive the customer service is. They get back to you quickly, AND follow up to make sure your problem was solved. They even recommend you contact them if the Snoo isn't working for your baby because they have sleep experts who can try to help. I was impressed with how they handled my complaint about the bassinet's sensitivity, even if they weren't able to ultimately solve the problem.
5. There's an app for that
I LOVE the Snoo app. A lot of customers complained about the app in the reviews because it can be buggy, but as a person who likes to be organized, I just love the fact that it exists! I can start and stop the Snoo from my phone. If I'm in the other room, I can check to see if my baby is crying by seeing if the Snoo has changed speeds. But best of all, the app records exactly how long Baby has been asleep in the bassinet, when it had to soothe Baby, and when Baby was taken out. This was something I'd done on my own before we'd gotten the Snoo. I'd try to remember what time we put Baby down in his regular bassinet and then calculate how long he'd stayed asleep when he woke up. But this could be a challenge as we tried to "sleep when the baby sleeps," which made us a little groggy and forgetful upon waking. It also displays Baby's sleep in such an easy-to-read manner that allows one to easily check for patterns. I can compare Baby's sleep from week to week, notice when he's started to sleep longer, when he's woken up in the middle of the night, and more. Which can help us figure out what sleeping rituals worked and what didn't. It's also nice to be able to wake up in the morning, check the app, and tell Hubby, "Wow, he did so good last night!"
Now if that were it I would end the review right now. Five pros. Five cons. A pretty even split. You can decide for yourself if the $1400 is worth it based on how you feel about the positives and negatives listed. I had originally planned to explain how my husband and I split the cost--so $700 each. That's about the price of a fancy iPad. Is my child worth an iPad? Absolutely, no question. I would spent whatever I can afford to give him what he needs. But then the question becomes, does he actually need a Snoo? A couple of weeks ago I would have said no. I wanted to say the Snoo is not a new parent essential item--sorry Hubby--and give this product a fair, middle of the road 3.5 out of 5 stars.
And then something terrible happened.
Not to my family, we're so thankful, but to a friend of Hubby's cousin. Her baby boy was born just a couple of weeks after ours was. He was so close in age to our baby. An example that SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) can happen to anyone. He was asleep on his belly, face down, and suffocated before his 3-month birthday. So I have to add one very important extra "pro" to the Snoo bassinet:
And then something terrible happened.
Not to my family, we're so thankful, but to a friend of Hubby's cousin. Her baby boy was born just a couple of weeks after ours was. He was so close in age to our baby. An example that SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) can happen to anyone. He was asleep on his belly, face down, and suffocated before his 3-month birthday. So I have to add one very important extra "pro" to the Snoo bassinet:
6. SIDS safety
I'm not saying that some accidents or issues can't happen with a Snoo bassinet, but the product is designed to prevent SIDS from happening as much as possible. The swaddle sack clipped to the sides of the bassinet not only allows the bassinet to rock Baby safely, but it keeps him in one position all night long: on his back. While no one knows exactly what causes SIDS, one of the biggest ways to prevent it from happening is by placing babies to sleep on their backs. It's recommended to even stop swaddling babies once they can roll over in order to prevent an accidental tummy position at night. With the Snoo, we don't have to worry about Baby rolling over. He physically can't when he's attached to the Snoo. I'll admit this was a bit of a wakeup call when we'd heard it. We'd already been using our Snoo for a while when we heard the news of the SIDS death. But both Hubby and I recalled in our earlier days as parents that Baby did not like sleeping on his back. He would often roll to his side and stay there. He would often break free of his blanket swaddle. If we'd continued with these habits, nothing might have happened. Or something unimaginable could have. The Snoo has helped us break these habits and has given us a little more peace of mind--there's one small thing we can do to help prevent tragedy. That safety feature is reassuring. To me, that's worth any price I have to pay.
When making a decision on such a major purchase, see if these pros and cons help you decide. You may be lucky with a baby who loves to sleep on his back already. You may not be able to afford the cost of a smart bassinet even if you split it. But if you have the funds and are considering whether or not to take the plunge, I will say that I don't regret our purchase anymore.
I'm not saying that some accidents or issues can't happen with a Snoo bassinet, but the product is designed to prevent SIDS from happening as much as possible. The swaddle sack clipped to the sides of the bassinet not only allows the bassinet to rock Baby safely, but it keeps him in one position all night long: on his back. While no one knows exactly what causes SIDS, one of the biggest ways to prevent it from happening is by placing babies to sleep on their backs. It's recommended to even stop swaddling babies once they can roll over in order to prevent an accidental tummy position at night. With the Snoo, we don't have to worry about Baby rolling over. He physically can't when he's attached to the Snoo. I'll admit this was a bit of a wakeup call when we'd heard it. We'd already been using our Snoo for a while when we heard the news of the SIDS death. But both Hubby and I recalled in our earlier days as parents that Baby did not like sleeping on his back. He would often roll to his side and stay there. He would often break free of his blanket swaddle. If we'd continued with these habits, nothing might have happened. Or something unimaginable could have. The Snoo has helped us break these habits and has given us a little more peace of mind--there's one small thing we can do to help prevent tragedy. That safety feature is reassuring. To me, that's worth any price I have to pay.
When making a decision on such a major purchase, see if these pros and cons help you decide. You may be lucky with a baby who loves to sleep on his back already. You may not be able to afford the cost of a smart bassinet even if you split it. But if you have the funds and are considering whether or not to take the plunge, I will say that I don't regret our purchase anymore.
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