Cradlewise vs. SNOO: Which One Is the Best Smart Bassinet?
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We tested these popular smart cribs for 650 hours—there’s an obvious winner
Verywell Family / Kevin Liang
If you’ve shopped for a smart bassinet or smart crib before, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet from Happiest Baby. The Cradlewise Smart Crib is a newer addition to the market that’s been gaining traction. Smart bassinets are a unique invention that may include features like cry detection, automatic motion, white noise, and more. Both of these smart bassinets are jam-packed with technology that aims to make life easier for parents of babies, and they’re both attractive and come with several extras—so, which one should you buy for your newborn?
In our most recent test, our parenting editors used the Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet and Cradlewise Smart Crib at home with their newborns over the course of six weeks for a total of 650 hours of sleep. We evaluated the smart bassinets on ease of setup, features, ease of use, durability, and value, and the winner quickly became clear to us.
The Main Takeaways
Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet
$1695 (at time of publication)
Sensors react to baby’s cries
5 levels of soothing sound and motion
Includes crib sheet, three SNOO sleep sacks, mattress with cover, and access to sleep consultants
Seamless setup
Designed for babies up to 6 months old (or until they can roll over)
App allows caregivers to adjust settings remotely and track baby’s sleep
Rentals available
Cradlewise Smart Crib
$1999 (at time of publication)
Bouncing technology
Plays sound, though it may be warped
Includes bassinet attachment, mattress with cover, two fitted sheets, sleep tracker, and baby monitor
Arrives in a very heavy box
Designed for little ones up to 2 years old or 33 pounds
App is handy when it works but often glitches
Payment plans available
Sensor react to baby's cries
Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet vs. Cradlewise Smart Crib Results
Winner: Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet
After using these smart cribs with their newborns, our editors declared the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet the hands-down winner. Though it can only be used for a short period of time, it’s worth the investment for the improved sleep and peace of mind it gives caregivers. And while the Cradlewise Smart Crib does have some perks, we ultimately feel it’s not worth the $2000 price tag given its flaws. Read on for an in-depth comparison of the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet versus the Cradlewise Smart Crib.
Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper Baby Bassinet
Price at time of publication: $1695
Who It’s For: The SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet from Happiest Baby was the first smart baby bed on the market, and it really does deliver. With its Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved built-in swaddle, impressive sensors, rocking technology, user-friendly app, and more, this truly smart bassinet makes life more worry-free for parents and caregivers of newborns.
Key Specs:
Dimensions: 35.75 x 19 x 31 inches | Weight: 38 pounds | Child Age/Weight Range: Up to 6 months old or when baby is able to roll over
Cradlewise Smart Crib
Price at time of publication: $1999
Who It’s For: If you’re looking for a smart crib that your baby can fit in for a while, the Cradlewise Smart Crib is an option, since its mattress base can be lowered for little ones up to 2 years old or 33 pounds. However, we only recommend it for families with the budget to invest in an expensive piece of gear that is new to the market and still has a few kinks to work out.
Key Specs:
Dimensions: 40 x 25 x 42 inches | Weight: 88.2 pounds | Child Age/Weight Range: Up to 2 years old or 33 pounds
Related:The 9 Best Bassinets of 2023 to Keep Baby Close and Comfortable
Ease of Setup
Winner: The SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet was a breeze to assemble
Both bassinets were pretty easy to assemble. With the SNOO, all you have to do is attach the legs, plug it in, download the app, and slip on the sleep sack, and the Cradlewise is similarly straightforward. However, when the Cradlewise arrived in the box, it was so heavy—a whopping 144 pounds—that one pregnant editor had to hire someone to help her carry it up the stairs to the bedroom.
Additionally, the Apple-compatible SNOO app was easy to download and connect to the bassinet (there’s a Happiest Baby app for Android, too), while we struggled to get the Cradlewise app to pair with the crib.
Features
Winner: The SNOO Smart Sleeper
The SNOO’s handy features are some of its biggest selling points. It comes with a breathable, custom-size crib sheet and three sizes of soft sleep sacks with wings that attach to the bassinet’s built-in safety clips, keeping the baby safely swaddled on their back. (This impressive feature recently earned De Novo approval from the FDA.) The bassinet’s top-notch sensors immediately detect a baby’s cry—they can distinguish crying from other ambient noise—and recalibrate the rocking speed before our editors could even react.
Courtesy of Happiest Baby
The SNOO also has a built-in white noise machine, which can be turned on or adjusted with an easy click of the mobile app. The app also lets caregivers adjust the rocking speed—there are five levels, and you can tell it to avoid the highest level if desired—from the comfort of their bed without risking waking up the baby. Plus, the app tracks the baby’s sleeping patterns, so you can see how they’re doing over time.
One of the Cradlewise crib’s main features is its bouncing motion, which editors aren’t convinced helped put their babies to sleep: One noted that it seems to have helped her newborn fall asleep sometimes but may have woken him up other times. We do like the Cradlewise’s built-in camera, which gives you an overhead view of your baby’s whole crib, unlike a traditional baby monitor. However, the app must be open—no checking your email or texts—in order to monitor your baby. Still, it’s a unique and helpful feature. The crib’s audio technology lets you play white noise or calming music to soothe your baby, but we didn’t like how the sound came out distorted, especially through the app.
Ease of Use
Winner: SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet
Putting your baby down in the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet is simple. All you need to do is put them in the sleep sack, secure the velcro, and press a button. From there, everything else is controlled by the app. Adjusting the sound and motion from the app is a cinch, though you don’t even need to—the crib automatically adjusts its settings to soothe a fussy baby. One editor liked that the bassinet can play white noise when the baby’s not even in the crib, which made nursing her newborn a bit easier. And if your baby has an accident, no worries: The bassinet sheet and sleep sacks are removable and can be thrown in the washer and dryer. Our only complaint is that taller caregivers may have trouble bending all the way down to pick up their baby since the bassinet is relatively low to the ground. However, Happiest Baby sells separate leg extenders, which taller adults will appreciate.
The Cradlewise isn’t a particularly user-friendly crib. We found the app glitchy—so much so that the brand has admitted its flaws—and we sometimes couldn’t even get it to open. Additionally, the sleep tracking feature often wouldn’t update, so our editors were unable to check how much their baby had slept or whether the bouncing feature had turned on. It is easy to activate the sound options and the bounce time and intensity, though we found that the bouncing may be too rough for some babies. One editor’s newborn spit up quite a few times in the bassinet, and we were dubious about the safety of the higher bouncing levels.
Durability
Winner: Tie
The sleek, mid-century modern SNOO is sturdy and stable. It’s made from breathable mesh and wood paneling, and we didn’t notice it making any concerning noises or wobbles. The feet have foot pads to prevent slippage, and since it’s low to the ground, it feels remarkably stable.
Made from polyester mesh and molded plywood with veneer cladding, the Cradlewise also feels sturdy. The mattress is made from biodegradable coconut coir that’s free of VOCs and polyurethane foam, which we appreciate for the health of the baby and the environment.
Cradlewise
Value
Winner: The SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet gives you more for your money
While $1695 is pricey, the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet is a worthwhile investment. In every category, it provides far more for your money than the Cradlewise—and it’s less expensive, anyway. The SNOO’s features are high-tech, easy to use, and mostly lived up to our expectations—the only partial letdown is that it helped one editor’s baby fall asleep 70% of the time, while we’d hope for closer to 100% given the price. We also like its durable construction, chic look, and that the app performs well for a long-lasting, easy user experience.
The SNOO also recently received FDA De Novo authorization, meaning that it’s the first device of its kind that keeps babies sleeping on their backs, which helps reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Even though it can only be used until your baby is 6 months old (or until they can roll over onto their stomach, whichever comes first), it’s well worth it for the improved sleep quality—for both the baby and caregiver—for those tough first few months.
Priced at $1999, the Cradlewise simply isn’t worth the money yet. Its bouncing feature is one of its main claims to fame, but given the results of our test, we aren’t convinced that it really helps babies sleep better, and we were concerned about the speed of the higher bouncing levels. We also were unimpressed by the sound’s functionality and the camera’s user-friendliness. Plus, there are numerous problems with the app, including frequent glitches. We do appreciate the Cradlewise’s longer shelf life: When your baby hits 6 months old, you can convert the Cradlewise from bassinet mode to crib mode, which kiddos can sleep in until they’re 2 years old or weigh 33 pounds. However, the glitchy app could make it difficult to use for long, at least to the full extent of its features.
Is the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet Worth the Price?
While $1695 sounds like a lot for a piece of gear you'll only use for a few months, you can't put a price on peace of mind as a new parent. One editor in particular, a mom of a newborn and a toddler, expressed that it truly did make her life easier. While dealing with postpartum complications and multiple hospitalizations, the SNOO's thoughtful, practical design gave her reassurance that the caregivers helping her family wouldn't struggle to figure out how to use it and would keep her newborn safe and sound. "I can't speak enough about how the SNOO gave me confidence," she said. "It really gave me joy amongst all the medical issues I faced." We particularly like that it keeps babies flat on their backs, a crucial part of safe sleep, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Plus, parents of newborns don't want to spend their precious time fighting with a tricky interface and features. The SNOO app is user-friendly and intuitive, so it's easy for caregivers to adjust the sound and rocking or monitor their baby's sleeping habits. If you have the room in your budget, the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet is worth it. Happiest Baby also provides a rental option for $159 a month, which totals up to $954 for six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are smart bassinets safe?
Smart bassinets can be a great help, but their advanced technology may give pause to parents and caregivers. Baby gear typically must meet certain standards in order to be sold, and these two smart bassinets are no exception. The Cradlewise meets all U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards for bassinets, is certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), and has a Greenguard Gold certification, meaning it’s free of 10,000 common chemicals and pollutants. The SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet is also JPMA-certified and meets or exceeds all CPSC standards. Additionally, both bassinets are certified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates electronic communications.
Of course, all babies are different, so we recommend consulting with your pediatrician with any concerns about your baby’s sleep or safety. Remember that babies should always sleep on their backs on a firm, flat surface in a crib or bassinet that’s free from loose objects like blankets and stuffed animals, according to the AAP.
Why Trust Verywell Family
Phoebe Sklansky is Verywell Family’s Associate Commerce Editor. As a commerce writer and avid shopper herself, she enjoys helping readers find the best products for their unique needs. She’s researched hundreds of baby products and has tested dozens in our lab, from strollers to pack and plays to diaper bags. Prior to joining the Verywell Family team, Phoebe was a freelance writer for multiple home and entertainment outlets, and she holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University. To write this story, she used insights from 650 hours of product testing by our editors (and their babies). A firm believer in the importance of sleep, she recommends the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet to give caregivers some well-deserved rest and peace of mind.
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