Is the Snoo Worth It?
Is the Snoo worth it?
The $1500 price tag can certainly make you wonder if all of its claims are real. I’m diving into the pros and cons and my thoughts after working with hundreds of families using the Snoo and after they transition out of it!
What is the Snoo?
The Snoo is a high-tech bassinet designed by Harvey Karp, renowned pediatrician, and sleep expert. The Snoo was made to help babies transition from the womb into the fourth trimester with the help of continuous motion and white noise while sleeping. It’s a smart and responsive bassinet that can help babies learn to soothe and sleep longer. Looking back on the hazy newborn days with minimal sleep in the first few months, this sounds extremely appealing to many sleep-deprived parents!
The Snoo gently sways your baby along with continuous white noise while swaddled. It provides 3 out of the 5 S’s from Harvey Karp’s soothing methods for babies. Swaddle, swaying, and shushing. It has 5 levels of motion and sound that will increase to help soothe your baby if they begin to make noise, fuss, or cry. At a certain point, it will notify you through the app that it’s time to check in on your baby if the soothing ladder has not calmed your baby in a certain amount of time. As a new parent, it can take time to learn your baby’s noises and cries and what they mean. The Snoo helps you differentiate what may be your baby cycling through an active stage of sleep versus fully waking up and ready to eat.
If you’re a new or expectant parent you may be wondering if it’s worth the hype. I’ve put together a list of pros and cons.
Is the Snoo worth it?
Pros
- Sleek design
- Mesh breathable sides for safety
- Built in white noise with volume control
- App to control from smartphone
- Safety clips for swaddle to prevent rolling-there has never been a safety claim made against the Snoo
- Uses 3 of the 5 S’s to help calm–swaddle, swaying, shushing
- Ability to change settings with sensitivity of noise when sensors go off
- Helps a parent go through a soothing ladder before offering more comfort
- Helps a parent learn normal baby sleep
- Reduces time a parent may spend in the middle of the night trying to get baby back to sleep after a feed or to determine if baby is actually hungry
- Wean mode to help baby transition from snoo to crib
- Ability to take arms out of swaddle as you wean from the snoo
- App gives you feedback on how many times the snoo went into soothing mode and how long baby slept
- Option to rent — One month at time to see if you and your baby like it! If not, then you can return it without dropping $1000+
- Potential to resell easily
Cons
- Expensive purchase or investment for a short period of baby’s life
- Can be sensitive to small noises that trigger the activation of soothing mode when baby may actually be asleep
- Swaddle must be attached to snoo clips in order to function
- This could be tough in the middle of the night to do without a light
- Must use the snoo swaddle to function
- Can be viewed as the ultimate sleep crutch that some parents fear will make it harder to transition out of down the road
A few extra tips on sleep when using the Snoo
If you decide to try out or use the Snoo I highly recommend practicing some naps in the crib with your newborn so they can get used to sleeping in a space without motion. Naps are sporadic and unpredictable in the first few months, so a few 30-minute stents in the crib is worth it in the long run!
Don’t expect that your baby is going to magically sleep 4-6 hours the moment you put your baby in the Snoo. The first few months of life are a period of rapid growth and your baby NEEDS to eat every 2-3 hours. Your baby is a newborn and even the most advanced bassinet is not going to eliminate overnight wake-ups. Once your baby is closer to 6-8 weeks you may start to see some longer stretches of 4+ hours.
Try placing your baby in the bassinet awake at bedtime and allow the Snoo to work its magic to help soothe your baby to sleep. This will help when you transition out of the Snoo and to the crib!
The app is great to review your baby’s sleep patterns and to monitor how long the Snoo was in soothing mode before your baby fell back asleep. This can help you differentiate when your baby is hungry versus a few moans and cries as they cycle through lighter stages of sleep.
When to transition out of the Snoo?
I recommend transitioning out of the Snoo between 3-4 months when your baby outgrows the need for constant motion. You can use the wean mode option over 1-2 weeks to reduce the motion and allow your baby time to adjust to sleeping without constant motion.
Start taking the arms out of the swaddle at this time or before starting wean mode so that the transition to the crib and a sleep sack is seamless.
If you have already been practicing naps in the crib, your baby will be used to this environment!
Read more tips on how to transition from bassinet to crib here
Is the Snoo Worth It?
I’ve worked with hundreds of families who have used the Snoo and 95% have high praise for it!
The rental program makes it more accessible for families but is still an investment.
The safety and features that provide soothing mechanisms to your baby are excellent. Most babies are going to go through a transitional period around 4 months whether they slept in the Snoo or sleep in a crib and were swaddled.
Thinking about trying out a Snoo?
Here are your options:
Buy a Snoo for $1495
Rent a Snoo for $149/month (one-month minimum)-it will be delivered to your door and comes with a mattress, sheet, and two Snoo sleep sacks for you to keep.
Outside of using the Snoo it’s important to learn your baby’s sleep and hunger cues, start routines and learn wake windows.
My newborn sleep and feeding guide helps you navigate the first 4 months with your newborn.
If you’re struggling with the 4 month sleep regression, I have a class for you. The 4-24 Month Well Rested Collection will walk you step-by-step through a completely customizable sleep training experience. In just a few weeks, your baby will be getting 11-12 hours of independent night sleep, AND you’ll have a plan to navigate any future regressions or bumps in your journey. I’ll also help you set up a daytime routine and nap schedule that fits your family’s lifestyle and values. And you’ll get age-specific guidance to meet your baby right where he or she is developmentally at every stage from now until your baby turns 2.
I also offer 1:1 personalized sleep coaching to families starting at 4 months of age! I have multiple options that can help you get sleep back on track!
