I can’t begin to tell you how different my experience has been between my two daughters.
Sharing this honest Snoo review is something I’ve been really excited about doing for a long time because it’s made such a difference in my life as a second-time mom.
I was horribly sleep-deprived for 9 months with my firstborn and it led me to some scary situations.
So, when I saw the Snoo on sale at Indigo (a Canadian baby retailer), I knew I had to give this thing a try with my second child.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I could earn a commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase using them.
Honest Snoo Review (An Unsponsored Mom’s REAL Opinion)
Sleep deprivation is linked to health problems including:
- memory issues
- mood changes
- risk of diabetes
- weight gain
- accidents
- difficulty thinking and concentrating
- poor balance
None of which a busy new mom (or anyone, for that matter) wants to experience!
Truth be told, I actually went through depression in the second half of my firstborn’s first year.
At 9 months old, she still wasn’t sleeping through the night and had never slept more than a solid 6 hours at a time – including as a newborn.
Full disclosure: I exclusively breastfed M and couldn’t stand the thought of letting her cry it out! We tried to give her a bottle once at 6 weeks old but she wouldn’t take it from anyone except for me which kind of defeated the purpose.
After studying for weeks and watching real moms talk about their experiences with it on Instagram and YouTube, I decided to buy the Snoo 4 months before our second baby was due.
It felt a bit risky since Indigo only lets you return items up to 30 days later but I could not pass up the sale price!
How to Get a Baby to Fall Asleep: Without Snoo vs With Snoo
Getting baby to sleep without the Snoo – about 1 to 1.5 hours
I remember my mom telling me that she did a LOT of walking with us – and boy, was she right about what I’d be doing too!
Baby’s like movement and white noise, so putting an infant to sleep is often done by holding them as you walk and shooshing or singing.
They’re also used to being warm and LOVE your touch.
Looking back at old photos, I’m either holding Marina for a nap or wearing her – and I am HORRIBLY sleep-deprived.
And then there are photos like this one.
I couldn’t take it anymore and NEEDED to rest, so once I got Marina down for a nap, I wrapped her in a swaddle and asked my husband to watch us sleep.
Luckily it was the weekend, so he was home (J works in film and is on set for 15 to 20 hours a day otherwise).
Babies are used to the womb – they were in there for 9 months and have not yet adjusted to the world around them.
It’s warm and comforting in the womb and they enjoyed familiar sounds and movement during their entire stay – that’s why the Snoo is such an incredible invention.
Without the Snoo, I was up for an average of 1 – 1.5 hours at a time with my first daughter.
Sometimes she’d fall right back to sleep after nursing but moving her to the bassinet would often startle and wake her right back up!
At around 6 months old, I started documenting every time she woke up and some nights, it would be around every 25 to 30 minutes.
Meaning, I never even fell back asleep!
We had a Graco glider with M (after our first failed attempt with the mamaRoo) but I was too afraid to let her sleep in it after everything I’d read about the risk infant swings pose.
So, as soon as she was fast asleep, I’d move her into our Summer By Your Side Sleeper or put her next to me in bed and watch her snooze.
Getting baby to sleep with the Snoo – 20 to 30 minutes
During the 4-month sleep regression with my second daughter, she woke up at most 5 times a night, and after nursing on both sides, I’d put her back in the Snoo and tuck myself back into the covers!
The entire process took (at most) half-hour each time and she would stay asleep for a solid 2 to 3 hours during her worst sleeping schedule!
Now at 5 months and 1 week old, she’s waking up twice a night to nurse – once about an hour to three hours after going to sleep and second about 6 or 7 hours after that.
Not bad at all!
What is Snoo?
The Snoo is a responsive bassinet that uses white noise, swaddling, and womb-like motions to help babies sleep.
It relies on the rhythms your baby is familiar with to promote relaxation and aid in calming fussing.
This electronic bassinet features a clip-in swaddle system that promotes safe back sleeping (as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics) by preventing babies from rolling over!
Something NO other baby product on the market does.
SNOO Mobile App
If you have access to a 2.4 GHz network, you can pair your Snoo to the helpful mobile companion app which offers:
- premie/newborn modes
- adjustable settings for sound and motion
- mobile alerts
- adjustable cry sensitivity settings
- weaning mode
Our network is a combined 2.4/5 GHz network, so we couldn’t get the app to work – and honestly, I’m sure it’s great but I don’t feel like I missed out!
Snoo Cry Sensitivity Settings
Since I didn’t get the mobile app working, I relied on the built-in features of the Snoo.
The cry sensitivity is bang on and I would just watch and listen to the monitor for changes to the settings.
There are four modes:
- Level 1: gentle rocking and soft white noise
- Level 2: more brisk rocking with the same white noise as level 1
- Level 3: slightly more brisk rocking with a louder different white noise
- Level 4: very brisk rocking with distressed white noise sounds
The Snoo self-adjusts according to your baby’s crying (or laughing!) using a built-in microphone.
So, if N became distressed in there and was on the verge of waking herself up, the Snoo would automatically level up from 1 to 2 and so forth.
I would only step in when level 4 wasn’t doing the trick – you can hear the difference in the way levels 2 to 4 sound and see a difference between 1 and 2 on the monitor.
How to Put Baby in Snoo
Before we started weaning mode, I would leave the swaddle in the Snoo and dress Nadia in it with the sleep sack attached to the bassinet:
- Place your baby in the bassinet on top of the open swaddle
- Fold one velcro piece over one arm and then the other piece over the other arm. Secure the velcro so it’s tight but not constricting.
- Zip up the swaddle.
Note: You might be wondering what that thing behind Nadia’s head is!
It’s an infant pillow to combat flat-headedness – since she slept on her back so often (thanks to the Snoo), I noticed Nadia developing a flat spot on the back of her head.
I used this thing during supervised naps and it really helped to alleviate the problem!
More ideas for new moms:
- When to Start Shopping for Baby Stuff (Is Now Too Early?)
- The Easy 20 Minute Toddler Bedtime You Need in Your Life
Snoo for Naps
When I put Nadia down for a nap, I put her in the sleep sack, turn the Snoo on, let go, and then hold the button to manually change it to Level 2.
But if we’re in the midst of playing before a nap, sometimes her laughter will cause the machine to change to Level 2 even before I click the button (thanks to the built-in microphone).
During the day, I put Nadia down in the Snoo 100% awake but groggy – I talk to her a bit and tell her all of the things we’ll do after her nap and then walk away.
Usually, she’s out in 10 minutes or less.
Snoo for Overnight Sleep
At night, I’ll nurse Nadia and she’ll pass right out.
Then I place her in the Snoo either completely asleep or VERY sleepy.
For this, I just turn it on and leave it on the default Level 1 setting.
Setting realistic Snoo expectations: I’m showing you this photo because it needs to be said!
This is two days ago (from the time of writing this) when I took Nadia out of the Snoo and rocked her to sleep.
The Snoo WILL make life as a new mom easier but it won’t solve 100% of your sleep woes 100% of the time.
There are still days where I’ve struggled with my baby especially during:
- teething (she’s 5 months old and has 4 teeth already!!)
- purple crying
- after getting her infant shots
But since we’re keeping it real with one another, all in all, the Snoo has SUCCESSFULLY helped me get through about 90% of my baby sleep woes!
And I think that’s pretty darn good!
Can you use Snoo without swaddle?
No, you cannot turn on the Snoo without the swaddle swings attached to it.
This has been done for safety reasons.
The rocking motion of the bassinet could otherwise potentially cause your baby to roll over and into a position other than the recommended safe back sleeping.
Talk about peace of mind!
Here’s my little one about to be strapped into the Snoo sack.
Snoo WiFi Shielding
The Snoo features a protective metal shield to combat 99.9% of WiFi radiation.
After testing was completed by three independent labs, studies showed that it doesn’t subject a baby to any additional radiation exposure.
You can read the rest of the original Q&A with Dr. Harvey Karp on Goop.
How to Disable Wi-Fi on Snoo
Don’t want to use the Snoo app or Wi-Fi for your baby’s bassinet?
No problem!
You can disable Snoo’s Wi-Fi entirely if you don’t plan on using this feature!
Just look underneath the device and click the wifi button so it’s popped up and out – see the diagram below from Happiest Baby.
Snoo Price
The Snoo retails for $1,495.00 USD ($1,815.00 Canadian).
You can save a bit of money by adding it to your Amazon baby registry and using your 15% Prime members completion discount (10% off for non-prime) to purchase it though!
Snoo rental program
Happiest Baby now offers Snoo rental pricing starting at $149 USD a month.
There is a 1-month minimum requirement for the Basic program and 2-month minimum for the Newborn Special.
Is renting a Snoo worth it?
Absolutely, without a doubt, YES!
If purchasing the Snoo outright is not within your budget, renting one is the next best thing.
And I highly recommend using the Snoo as long as possible!
It’ll give you peace of mind, sanity, and time to do the things you want to get done.
If you have an older child like I do, it’ll also allow you to make time for them!
Being a mom is hard and a miracle product like this WILL make the adjustment of adding a new baby to the family THAT much easier.
To Rent or Buy Snoo
I like to this of renting a Snoo as similar to renting a home – this is money you’re paying for a service and won’t get your investment back.
However, as we approach the end of our time with Snoo, I’m now looking at selling it online and am amazed at how well this bassinet retains its value.
I’m not going to lie to you – I got an INCREDIBLE deal on this which is the reason why I bought it so soon before our baby was due (even despite the increased fear of losing our baby after two miscarriages).
The Snoo cost me just over $1,100 Canadian because I stacked coupons and purchased at a time when it was on sale!
From what I see on Facebook Marketplace, the average cost of a Snoo used in like-new condition in Vancouver, Canada is around $1,400.
Now, I know I got lucky with the price I paid for this thing but even if you sold it after using it for 6 months and paid the regular price, you’ll still get some return on your investment – unlike renting!Â
Let’s do some calculations using the Snoo’s USD pricing.
$149 x 4 months = $596
$30 x 2 months = $60
A grand total of $656 (plus taxes depending on your State or Province)
Purchasing a Snoo costs $1495 (plus taxes depending on your State or Province)
For a difference of $839 (plus taxes, yada yada)
Meaning, you’ll need to sell your Snoo for at least $839 after you’ve used it to make purchasing it worth the cost.
Purchasing it used off Facebook Marketplace can also save you a ton of money as you may be able to get back what you paid for it so long as you keep it in good condition.
Another consideration you’ll want to make is whether or not you plan to have more children.
If you plan on having AT LEAST one more baby, it is without a doubt a better investment to purchase a new Snoo than it is to either rent it or buy it used since the warranty will have likely run out on pre-owned ones.Â
I’m also seeing more and more local moms renting their own Snoos once their children have outgrown them – so here’s another business venture you may wish to consider.
On average, they seem to go for about $180 Canadian a month but you’ll also need to factor in the cost of using a service like this (who will take a commission) to rent your gear!
And yes, a third-party service is definitely recommended to protect you, your gear, and the renter!
Related: How I Made $7,000 Selling Used Stuff on Facebook Marketplace
Is Snoo safe?
You might be wondering if the Snoo is unsafe.
It was actually designed with safety in mind and has won 20 awards for its achievements in functionality and design – more than any other baby product in history.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted Snoo into the Breakthrough Devices Program, which was created to reduce the time it takes to make potentially life-saving devices available to consumers.
Is Snoo safe for newborns?
Honestly, I can totally understand your fear.
Our first night home from the hospital, I was too scared to put Nadia in the Snoo!
I co-slept with my first baby from early on using the Summer By Your Side Sleeper – so I was worried about her not being right next to me from the start.
Well, she absolutely refused to go into the By Your Side Sleeper!
So, then I tried the DockATot Deluxe – Nope.
On our second night home with Nadia, I finally tried the Snoo and was completely amazed by how fast it soothed my newborn baby!
I also like the fact that the clip-in swaddle keeps babies on their backs so moms and dads can rest assured knowing that there isn’t any rolling going on.
This bassinet was designed with newborn safety as the number one priority and I am SO happy with our purchase.
How long can baby sleep in Snoo?
At the time of writing this, Nadia is 5 months and 1 week old and still sleeps VERY comfortably in the Snoo.
She’ll likely make it to 6 months and I am really relieved about it!
This thing makes my life so much easier and I was actually worried about her outgrowing it before the recommended age limit of 6 months.
Because managing a baby and a toddler is hard on its own never mind managing a household and business!
Should baby sleep in Snoo?
Yes, the Snoo was created to be a safe sleeping solution for babies and is the only baby bed that meets the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation for back sleeping.
As already mentioned above, the Snoo has won more major awards than any other baby product in history and is the only bassinet that’s meet the American Academy of Pediatrics’ back sleeping recommendation.
What to wear under Snoo Sack?
It depends on the heat in your home!
If you’ve got your home set at 71 F, dress your baby in a sleeper.
If your home is warmer than this – we recently went through a heatwave in Vancouver, BC with temperatures up to 105 F – a onesie is enough.
I like the put the back of my hand against Nadia’s neck to check her comfort level.
If she’s cold, I’ll layer up with a onesie or Aden Anais sleep sack.
If she’s hot, I’ll put her in a onesie instead of her sleeper.
Do keep in mind that when you enter weaning mode (around 6 months), one or both of your baby’s arms will be exposed though!
A long-sleeved onesie is suitable for this period on hot days.
Does Snoo stop moving?
Yes, you can set it to stop moving on the app when it’s time to start using the weaning mode.
Placing your baby inside the clip-in swaddle for a nap without turning it on is also completely safe though!
You can just use a white noise machine if you aren’t using the app.
I like this one from Fischer Price and have been using it for our sleep time routine since Nadia was a brand new baby.
The lullaby mode (the first song is It’s Raining, It’s Pouring) is our favorite and always does the trick.
Does Snoo make noise all night?
Yes, if you use the recommended mode for newborn babies to weaning age.
As mentioned above, you could place your baby inside the clip-in swaddle without turning it on but the sounds and movement were specifically designed this way to emulate womb-like motions and sounds.
If you want to turn off sound for the Snoo, just don’t turn the device on – do keep in mind that the white noise is one of the most soothing features for your baby though!
4 Month Sleep Regression
There’s no way around it – the four-month sleep regression is brutal!
After months of solid 12 to 13 hour sleeps overnight (for a lot of babies anyway), many infants go through a regression around 4 months.
My little girl is one of those!
At 5 months and 1 week old, she still wakes up once or twice a night for a feeding but instead of having to walk around the house with her for an hour (or two!) like I did with my first, I nurse on both sides and pop her back into the Snoo.
Then, the bassinet soothes her to sleep!
Snoo criticism
Setting up the Mobile App
I’m not sure if this criticism is more directed at my internet provider or the Snoo!
But the only issue I have had with this thing was my inability to connect to the app.
We have a combined wifi system at home that offers a single option instead of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
But the Snoo requires a solid 2.4 GHz to connect the app – when we learned this, it was a bit of a pain but honestly, I don’t need any fancy statistics to know that this thing works!
If you do get it connected to the app, you can access different modes, change the setting from another room (without clicking the button), and track your baby’s sleep patterns though.
Annoyed that I couldn’t set this up? Meh.
Do I feel like I’m missing out? Not at all.
The Snoo does what it’s supposed to – gets my baby to go to sleep!
And I feel like a human being because of it.
Where to buy Snoo
You can buy Snoo at the following retailers.
USA
- Amazon
- Happiest Baby
- Pottery Barn Kids
- Buy Buy Baby
- Crate and Barrel
Canada
Amazon
- Amazon
- Indigo
- West Coast Kids
Australia
- Happiest Baby
- The Memo
Snoo Unboxing
Your Snoo will come in a large box that includes 13 pieces:
- bassinet
- four legs
- plug
- mattress
- mattress cover
- three swaddles (one of each in sizes small, medium, and large)
- an instruction manual
- getting started guide
Snoo set up
Setting up your Snoo is really easy and can be done in 15 steps.
1. Unlock the 4 clips on the box by pinching them in and then pulling out – make sure tethers remain attached.
2. Take off the box lid
3. Remove pulp trays
4. Remove support tubes from the sides
5. Open the accessories box
6. Take out Snoo legs and put them aside
7. Take out the power plug
8. Take out remaining accessories and put the box aside
9. Remove the carton from underneath the Snoo – doing this on carpet or a blanket is best
10. Open the dust bag and remove Snoo
11. Place Snoo upside down onto the dust bag
12. Attach Snoo legs – you’ll need to match the colored arrows on the legs to the corresponding locations on the bassinet
13. Stand the Snoo up on its legs – you may want to ask for help with this, especially if you are very pregnant!
14. Attach the power cord to your Snoo (the red circle underneath the bassinet) and plug it into an outlet
15. Place the power cord in cord holder – use the leg closest to the outlet
Snoo crib
Snoo Swaddle
Your Snoo crib comes with one swaddle in each size – small, medium, and large.
But I highly recommend getting at least one more swaddle in each size!
As long as you have one spare available or in the wash, you’ll always have a replacement Snoo sack for your bassinet.
Note: Believe me, I like saving money too – but using a size Large swaddle for a newborn isn’t going to give your baby the swaddled feeling he or she is used to in the womb.
There’s a reason that the zip-up swaddles made by thousands of different baby companies come in different sizes!
Pro Mom Money-Saving Tip:
Like the bassinet itself, Snoo swaddles also retain their value quite well and as much as I love buying pink everything for my girls, I chose the white color for all 3 additional Snoo Sleep Sacks.
I did this because I know it’ll be easier to sell them after my baby outgrows the Snoo!
I sell a ton of stuff on Facebook Marketplace and Poshmark and I can tell you from experience that neutral colors fly off the digital shelves.
Is the Snoo FDA approved?
The Snoo was accepted into the FDA’s medical breakthrough program and is under investigation as a potentially life-saving medical device for the role it may play in reducing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
According to Dr. Harvey Karp, CEO, and co-founder of Happiest Baby, this would also make Snoo the first SIDS prevention product out there.
Tens of thousands of babies have slept in happily in their Snoos for a combined total of 75,00,000+ hours and without ONE single death!
This is a truly incredible statistic.
What is comparable to Snoo? As a Snoo alternative?
I spent hundreds of hours researching bassinets before settling on the Snoo.
And now, as a REAL Snoo owner, I can tell you that there are only a couple of bassinets that scratch the surface of what Snoo has to offer.
I’ve seen the Graco Dream Glider recommended in place of the Snoo and while I love Graco products, it’s just NOT safe as a Snoo alternative.
In fact, Graco themselves have stated that they DO NOT recommend the product for “unsupervised sleep” and changed the product’s name to exclude the word “Sleeper” (it was originally called the Graco DreamGlider Gliding Seat & Sleeper before inclined sleeper deaths saw a surge in the US).
Here are the only two Snoo alternative options that I feel are worthy of mentioning.
Halo BassiNest Luxe Series Vibrating Bassinet
Pros:
- Lower price than Snoo at $349.99
- Soothing sounds
- Gentle vibration
- 360 swivel that Snoo does not offer
- Built-in nightlight not found in Snoo
- Removable storage caddy
Cons:
- Lacks clip-in swaddle system to prevent rolling
- Lacks gentle swaying motion
- No cry sensitivity
- Up to 5 months or 20 pounds (Snoo goes up to 6 months and 25 pounds)
4moms mamaRoo Sleep Bassinet
Pros:
- Lower price than Snoo at $374.99
- Features a downloadable companion app
- Mesh sides for breathability
- Same 25 pound weight capacity as Snoo
Cons:
- Lacks clip-in swaddle system to prevent rolling
- Same movements as mamaRoo baby swing (this swing did nothing for us!)
- No cry sensitivity
Do I really need a Snoo?
I’m going to be completely real with you here.
Is this your first baby?
If so, you don’t need to get a Snoo.
I toughed it out with one because I didn’t know this thing existed!
Snoo was still fairly new at the time I had my first baby.
But here’s the thing – instead of the safest baby bed around rocking your baby to sleep, you’ll either spend hours of your day walking around with your newborn or hoping to God that a car ride or baby swing works to relax baby for you…
That is before you have to VERY carefully lift baby out and hope you can put him or her down in their crib without waking them up.
This was me with my first baby!
And it was ROUGH.
She didn’t sleep more than 6 hours straight until she was 9 months old and Lord, was I burnt out.
There were no glorious newborn stretches that lasted between 12 to 14 hours for my firstborn – she just wasn’t a good sleeper.
That’s why I jumped at the chance of purchasing a Snoo!
I just couldn’t imagine doing that again – let alone being sleep-deprived with TWO children.
Here’s a mommy sanity moment brought to you by the Snoo – I don’t think I enjoyed a cup of coffee that much in 4 months!
Why is Snoo so expensive?
I’ve heard some people say that the Snoo is overpriced but I COMPLETELY disagree.
Name one other baby bed that offers the EXACT same features this one does.
Go ahead, I’ll wait.
As already mentioned, it could also one day hold the title of the world’s FIRST SIDS prevention product!
Your baby’s health and safety are priceless as are YOURS.
Instead of wasting money on other baby products you really don’t need, save your money for the Snoo and skip the following:
- designer diaper bags – go for practicality not brand name
- wipes warmer – seriously, you won’t use it and it isn’t recommended with fresh products like Water Wipes which can spoil in this environment
- high-end stroller – I was too tired to stroll anywhere with my first
- nursery decor/baby furniture – ideally, baby should sleep in your room for the first year
- mobile – they stimulate babies NOT sooth them
- Owlet Smart Sock – red marks and blisters are also common with this thing – see one mom’s experience
- breast pump – only buy this after your baby is born if you need it!
- baby swing – a Boppy Lounger is a cheaper alternative for somewhere to put your baby during the day!
Related: Here’s How to Tell if You Need a DockATot or Boppy Lounger
More Reasons I’m a MAJOR Snoo Fan
The extensive research that’s gone into creating this bassinet is truly outstanding as is the amount this amazing company gives back.
In March 2020, Happiest Baby donated hundreds of Snoos to hospitals around the United States, Europe, and Israel to assist doctors and nurses in short-staffed areas!
On average, it also saves nurses about 1.7 hours a shift!
My Snoo baby sleeps so well compared to the way my first baby did!
And I’m not shy about how much I love this bassinet.
I’m so grateful for the fact that a product like this exists because it helps in resolving one of the biggest burdens that come with being a new parent – sleep deprivation.
I recommend the Snoo to ALL first-time and ESPECIALLY second-time parents because:
- it’s a safe sleeping option that promotes back-sleeping for babies as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics
- it helps babies AND new parents get more sleep – from 1 to 2 hours more each night
- it naturally sleep trains your baby – there’s no need to cry it out when this bassinet calms fussing and helps soothe your baby
- it’s like having an extra set of hands around 24/7
If you’re like me and don’t have a lot of help at home, the last point is especially important.
Because doing childcare 99% or even 50% of the time is physically and emotionally exhausting – don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise!
The Snoo is a game-changing product and I hope that’ll you love it as much as we do.
It made my upgrade from mom of one to mom of two SO MUCH easier!
Wishing you restful sleeps and bliss in your first days as a new mom or dad.
Congratulations and happy Snoo-ing, friends!
Nikki Slivarich
Blessed mama of two beautiful little girls. I’m a full-time blogger and social media content creator who teaches moms and boss babes how to start an online business. Follow me on social for clever ideas to make money using the platforms you already love!
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