'I tried the £1k SNOO Smart Sleeper – here's my verdict'
It's the celeb-favourite crib that's said to help babies sleep. But at over £1,000 it's not cheap ... so is it worth the price tag? We put the SNOO Smart Sleeper Baby Cot to the test
You've probably seen the SNOO splashed across social media in the homes of Gigi Hadid and Sophie Turner (to name a few). And with promises of helping babies sleep by being a 'second pair of hands' it's no surprise it's creating a lot of chatter among new parents.
Designed using the scientific research of baby expert Dr Harvey Karp, the smart crib knows when your baby is moving or crying, then uses white noise and rocking to soothe them back to sleep. Which sounds like a serious win for any sleep deprived parents.
But does it really work, and is it worth the money? Mum of two Rosi put the SNOO to the test – here's her honest verdict.
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And keep reading to find out how you can get 25% off your SNOO with our exclusive Netmums code.
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'My first baby was a terrible sleeper'
'My first baby was such a terrible sleeper, waking every 45 minutes for the first five months of his life. So I was a little daunted about bringing another baby into the house.
'Although my eldest is now 4 and a solid sleeper, were we ready to slide back into no sleep with an energetic preschooler to entertain the next day? It was when I mentioned these worries to a friend that she showed me her SNOO. And if you've not heard of it, it's a smart crib which gently rocks your baby to a peaceful sleep.
'It is expensive – it costs over £1,000 – but we hoped we would see less wake ups, and therefore have happier days to enjoy every second of our new family life.'
Setting your SNOO up
'We picked up our SNOO a month before our due date. The delivery and set up were both really easy. We were really impressed that all packaging was recyclable, collapsible and felt really premium.
'The SNOO arrives with very little assembly needed. After fixing the legs and plugging in next to our bed, we downloaded and connected the app. The whole set up took less than an hour.
'The crib itself looks beautiful in the room, with wood-effect base and a textile mesh which baby is visible through, helping us to feel connected. Alongside the crib we also have several of the SNOO swaddles and mattress sheets which come in several designs – all soft cotton and very cute!'
How does the SNOO work?
'For those not familiar with the SNOO, here's what you need to know ... It has sensors and microphones within the crib, which trigger when they sense your baby is crying or wriggling around more than usual.
'When this happens, white noise is played through the tiny hidden speaker and the motor kicks in to gently rock your baby back to sleep. The SNOO has several levels which can be monitored and controlled through your app for a truly personalised experience.
'After a week in hospital following the birth, I was exhausted and very much in need of rest. We popped our newborn into the swaddle on the first night with baited breath – would the SNOO work for us?
'After some fiddling with the SNOO sac (you can choose arms in or out depending on baby’s preference, ours is very much an arms-out baby!) we settled in hoping for a good night's sleep.'
'Can't live without it!'
'I'm going to sound like I'm bragging here, but wow does it feel good to be well rested with a newborn! From the get-go our baby has taken well to the SNOO, sleeping longer stretches as he gets older.
'Happiest Baby, the makers of the SNOO, recommend you use it every night and for naps through the day, from as early as possible. They also advise not to give up if your baby takes a minute or so to adjust.
'We haven't had chance to use in the day as much as we'd like. Our new baby tends to sleep on the go which fits with our busy life as a family of four just fine. But we have used it every single night, and insist on bringing it with us when we travel away.
'It's that good, we can't live without it!
'Key to happy family life'
'In the earliest weeks, we were waking our baby to feed and popping him in still awake to be gently rocked to sleep. We saw some disrupted nights, as is expected, but it didn't always mean we needed to get him out of the crib. On the whole we saw stretches of up to three hours.
'We are now a few months in and my baby sleeps through the night (I know, I'm sorry and trust me I know how hard it is when your baby isn't sleeping.)
'After a night feed we pop him in, he's shushed to sleep in minutes and 10 hours later, he wakes! I feel a million miles better and happier for having a full night's sleep, ready to take on a full day of entertaining two kids. The SNOO is absolutely the key to happy family life for us.'
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SNOO: Pros and cons
'The biggest pro is the sleep, of course. The biggest con is the hefty price tag, although I would recommend keeping your eye out for any deals, sales and opportunities to borrow and rent. And make use of the Netmums code for 25% off your SNOO – keep reading for the details!
'If you're able to afford the SNOO then don't hesitate, it is absolutely worth it.
'The app works brilliantly and is very easy to navigate, helping you feel like an active participant as the SNOO does the heavy lifting during the night. It would be great to be able to use the app to also record feeds and other baby metrics to save me having apps recording all the other info.
'The display which records sleep lengths is really well laid out and very satisfying. However, I'd love a little more detail in there as to which level was reached before baby fell back asleep. But I'm nitpicking, I just love the satisfaction of lots of positive data points.
'We have ended up spending time away from home on a few occasions, visiting family. I wouldn't have felt capable of doing so many trips with a baby who doesn't sleep at all, and we've taken the SNOO with us everywhere we go.
'I won't lie, it's large and takes up most of our packing space, and I'm nervous to damage it in transit. We have kept the original packaging and that's doing a great job of protecting it, along with the linen dust bag, but it would be fab if there was a travel case to make it less of a worry.
'Worthy investment'
'But overall, honestly I'm in love with the SNOO. If there was one recommendation I would make for new parents over all others, it would be this crib.
'I plan on loaning ours to friends with new babies once ours has grown out of his, but have seen the resale value is extremely high for second hand making this a worthy investment.
'We have yet to tackle the dreaded four month sleep regression, so I'm keen to see if the SNOO continues to wow us. Without hesitation we would recommend this to any other parents.'
Rosi was gifted a SNOO. All views are her own.
What is the SNOO Smart Sleeper?
Designed by Dr Harvey Karp, the founder of Happiest Baby, the SNOO is said to have health benefits for both mum and baby.
What makes the SNOO unique is its ability to identify when your baby is moving or crying, and adapt the white noise and motion to soothe them back to sleep. By moving through levels which each introduce a new sound and motion, your baby is lulled back to sleep.
You also have the ability to control the cot from your phone via an app.
Is the SNOO safe?
The cot is designed to ensure baby’s safety through a compatible swaddle sac which ‘hooks’ into the cot. This, say the makers, keeps your baby in place and flat on their back.
While baby sleep safety charity The Lullaby Trust doesn't comment on individual brands, here's their product guide for buying safer baby sleep essentials.
On their website they say there are some items they do not recommend. These include:
• pods or nests
• pillows, duvets or thick heavy bedding
• cot bumpers
• hammocks
• sleep positioners
How does the SNOO work?
Experts spent five years developing the SNOO.
It uses white noise to mimic the sounds of the womb, with gentle rhythmic ‘shushing’.
Your baby is also lulled to sleep with a gentle rocking motion side-to-side which becomes faster if they become unsettled and ramps back down again as baby falls asleep.
The app alerts parents when the crib is in action.
Use Code NETMUMS to get 25% off your SNOO purchase*. Valid from 25-31 December 2023.
*Only for use on full priced SNOO on happiestbaby.co.uk, while supplies last.
