The Truth About the SNOO Bassinet From a Mom Who Actually Used It

The SNOO smart sleeper promises better sleep for babies and parents. My cousin and I put it to the test, and here’s how it held up.

Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing.

Happiest Baby - SNOO Smart Bedside Crib for Natural Sleep Training

Useful review: When we first set up the SNOO, I really thought we’d found the answer to every new parent’s sleep struggle. For the first couple weeks, it actually worked. The bassinet itself looks fantastic, super clean, not over the top, and just fits right in with modern furniture. The setup was smooth, the app was simple to use, and I liked the peace of mind knowing our little one would stay safely on his back. As a first-time parent who worried about every little thing (especially SIDS), that meant a lot.

Then, reality kicked in. Our baby decided he was completely over sleeping on his back. Suddenly, all those SNOO features we’d been so excited about didn’t matter anymore. He wanted to roll and snuggle on his side, and the bassinet just became an expensive piece of decor. Honestly, it hurt a bit. We spent all this money, and after just a few weeks, we were back to square one.

PROS:

The SNOO is hands-down one of the best-looking baby products out there. If you care about design, it’s hard to beat. It also truly does a great job soothing fussy babies, at least as long as they aren’t hungry or in need of a change. And if you’re the type who’s anxious about your baby’s sleeping position, the SNOO’s back-sleeping setup really is comforting. Unboxing was a breeze. I had a small hiccup connecting the app at first, but honestly, that was solved in a couple minutes. Once it’s up and running, everything just feels well thought out.

CONS:

The price. Wow. Thirteen hundred dollars for a bassinet is not something you just brush off. And if your baby is like ours and decides to boycott back sleeping, it starts to feel like a very fancy place to store extra blankets. Unless you get lucky with a sale (which, of course, we found out about weeks after paying full price), it stings.

The third-level motion setting also surprised us. I know the experts say it’s fine, but it really does feel too aggressive when it gets going. We quickly switched it back to a lower setting just to be safe.

Another small headache is that the SNOO only works with its own sleep sacks and sheets. You only get a couple in the box, so if you’re dealing with a messy diaper or spit-up at 2 am, you’d better hope your laundry is caught up. Otherwise, you’re just out of luck until things are clean again.

And honestly, for us, the biggest frustration was that the SNOO’s main selling point, keeping baby safely on their back, was exactly what our son rejected after a short time. He wanted to curl up and snooze on his side, and there’s just no way to argue with a determined baby.

My cousin Rachel had a totally different ride. After a rough first month of almost no sleep, she and her husband finally gave in and ordered the SNOO in the middle of the night. From the very first night, her little guy slept for over five hours straight. That was the first taste of real sleep they’d had since bringing him home. Every night just got better, by the third night, he was doing seven hour stretches. By the end of two months, he made it through ten hours without a peep. Rachel swears up and down that this bassinet changed their lives, and she’ll tell anyone having a baby that it’s the one thing you have to get, no matter the price.

I have to share my best friend Jessica’s story too. She really didn’t want the SNOO at first, she was determined to stick to a minimalist, all-natural setup for her baby girl. But those first six weeks were brutal. Most nights, she only managed an hour and a half of sleep here and there, and the worry about going back to work on no sleep just got worse every day. One night, running on empty, she broke down and ordered the SNOO after reading about it online. It showed up when her daughter was seven weeks old, and within a week, her little girl was sleeping through the night. By the time Jessica had to head back to work, her daughter was sleeping nine to eleven hours every night, no fuss, no tears. She used the wean feature around five months, and after that, naps and night sleep were a breeze in the regular crib. Jessica admits the SNOO won’t be for everyone, but for their family, it was absolutely worth every penny.

FINAL TAKEAWAY:

The SNOO is a gamble. Sometimes it’s pure magic, and you get your nights back. Sometimes, your baby has other plans, and you end up with a gorgeous but underused bassinet. If you’re at your wit’s end, or you just need the peace of mind, it’s worth considering, especially if you can grab it on sale. Just be ready for the chance it might not work out exactly as you hope. But for some families, it really is a game changer.

Buy it on Amazon today for: $1,695.00 with FREE returns