Smart Baby Gadgets for New Parents

Every new parent wishes they could get more sleep, and the SNOO Smart Sleeper by Happiest Baby actually makes it possible. We surveyed and interviewed parents to confirm that the SNOO’s benefits aren’t just marketing hype—it’s really worth the money.

Other smart gadgets that make newborn life a little easier include a baby monitor that tracks breathing and movement, a formula dispenser that prepares a warm bottle in about 20 seconds, an app-controlled white noise machine, and a one-touch feeding and diaper change tracker.

We’ve explained all of their cool features—and recommended budget-friendly alternatives—below.

The SNOO rocks and plays white noise once it hears your baby fuss and cry. It rapidly increases the rocking motion up five levels until the baby stops crying and then gradually moves slower and slower. Happiest Baby—the makers of SNOO—recommend tending to your little one if they’re still crying one minute after the SNOO starts rocking.

You can customize the motions based on your baby’s preferences, and there are special modes for premature infants and 6-month-olds nearly ready for a crib.

The SNOO features a breathable mesh design for good air circulation, special swaddle clips that keep your baby on their back, a quiet motor, and a waterproof mattress cover. It also comes with a smartphone app that lets you view sleep reports, adjust motion settings, and find out what the SNOO’s currently doing.

It’s impractical for most parents to spend over $1,500 on a device that’s used for 6 months, but you can save some money by using SNOO’s rental program or scouring your local consignment shops and used listings.

If you do buy the SNOO full-price, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to resell it and get most of your money back once your baby outgrows it. Or you can keep it in the family for future babies since its motor supposedly lasts for over 10 million cycles.¹ Just note that the warranty expires after 12 months and that you should always buy new swaddle sacks.

We talked to several parents who used the Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper, and they had mostly positive feedback.

“It definitely saved us from some sleepless nights,” said Clara S. “If my daughter made even a peep of sound, the SNOO would automatically start swaying, and if she didn't actually need to be fed or need her diaper to be changed, she would fall back asleep.”

Clara also praised the custom settings in the app and said it alerted her if her daughter actually needed hands-on attention.

Another SNOO user, Sasha H., also had good things to say about the app: “It showed me what happened through the night and allowed me to adjust the soothing remotely from my phone.”

Sasha liked the SNOO’s all-night responsive rocking, but she had some criticisms. “The higher-intensity movement did not actually soothe my baby at all,” she said, also noting that she couldn’t turn off the white noise—it always came on when the SNOO rocked.

The Nanit baby monitor mounts to the wall or to a floor stand. It records in 1080p HD and manages to capture clear footage in a dark room thanks to infrared night vision.

View live Nanit Pro Camera footage on your smartphone, Echo Show, or Kindle Fire, and hear a continuous audio stream even when the app’s running in the background. You can give multiple users access to the app to make babysitting a breeze, but two-factor authentication and encryption protect your info from everyone else.

One of the reasons we love the Nanit Pro Camera is that it doubles as a movement monitor and sleep tracker. However, you’ll need special sheets, swaddles, and sleepwear, since each is printed with a design that the Nanit locks onto and measures throughout the night.

The whole ensemble can get expensive, but the idea is that it’s more comfortable for your baby than wearing a bulky health monitor.

Learn more in our full Nanit Pro review or check out alternatives in our roundup of the best baby monitors.

Forget about scooping powders, measuring water, whisking out clumps, and waiting eons for it to heat. The Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced Wi-Fi does all of that with precision and speed, and it works with all bottles and most formula brands.

The app takes convenience to the next level, allowing you to program five different bottles so that you can make different sizes or temperatures with one touch. A water-only bottle is also an option.

This smart baby gadget costs about $300, but it’s the only one we could find with a smartphone app. You can save about $100 by getting the app-less but slightly faster BabyEXO Formula Dispenser instead.

We like the Hatch Rest Mini because it’s simple and affordable, so you’re not paying for features that you’ll never use. But if your baby needs a little extra comfort at night, consider the Hatch Rest or Rest+. Both include a programmable nightlight to add another sleep cue to your little one’s repertoire, and the Rest+ doubles as an audio monitor and integrates with Amazon Alexa.

The Hatch Mini comes with a free trial of Hatch Sleep Membership for access to stories, classical music, and other sounds.

Talli features eight event buttons:

• Bottle
• Solid food
• Wet diaper
• Dirty diaper
• Sleep timer
• Nursing timer
• Pumping timer
• Miscellaneous

If that still doesn’t seem like enough options, don’t worry—the app lets you add custom notes and settings. For example, you can indicate which breast you used for a nursing session, what type and amount of solid food your baby ate, and mark everything from tummy time to medications with the miscellaneous option.

Talli is about the size of a thermostat and can be mounted near the nursery door for easy event recording. Just slide it up and off its bracket to carry it with you around the house if that seems more convenient. You can also get a second Talli to keep elsewhere—including another caretaker’s home.

We love that the buttons are even large enough for you to press with your elbow if your hands are full or you’ve just dealt with a diaper.

And, yes, there’s a twin-friendly option too.

You can really go hog-wild with smart baby gadgets if you love stats and convenience. Check out these other options for 21st-century parenting.

(There are still no diaper-changing robots. Sorry.)

There are more affordable baby scales on the market that track your infant’s weight in a smartphone app, but none of them seemed to offer enough stability or space to double as a changing pad like the Hatch Baby Grow Smart Pad.

We love this two-in-one design because it means you’ll frequently log your baby’s weight without even thinking about it, and all those data points make it easier to spot potentially concerning trends.

The Withings Thermo Smart Temporal Thermometer is a contactless thermometer that measures body temperature near a forehead artery. It gives near-instant, accurate, and color-coded readings. The companion app saves temperature data for up to eight people, allowing you to share precise info with the pediatrician—even when you’re in a brain fog from staying up all night with a sick kiddo. 

The Willow Wearable Breast Pump is a wireless electronic breast pump that you can tuck into your bra. Once it’s in position, you don’t have to reach in again to fiddle with buttons and adjust settings—do all of that with the companion app instead. Plus, the Willow Pump is quiet, spill-proof, and covered by some insurance plans.

You don’t have to buy the latest-and-greatest smart baby gadgets to be a good parent or raise a healthy, happy baby. But these devices can sure make tending to a newborn a little easier—especially the SNOO Smart Sleeper.

We surveyed parents to find out which smart baby products were worth the money. When researching products and narrowing down our final recommendations, we considered whether a product would save parents time and money. Convenience was paramount.

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1. Happiest Customer Care Team, Happiest Baby, “How Long Will SNOO Last?” October 2016. Accessed March 21, 2022.