A new smart cot just launched in Australia: How does it compare to the Snoo?
Cradlewise vs. Snoo review: Which smart cot Is right for your baby?
For years, the Snoo has dominated the Australian smart cot market. A bassinet that rocks your baby side-to-side to help with settling, it’s been hailed as a godsend by many a sleep-deprived parent.
Now, another famous smart cot has launched in Australia: the Cradlewise. Already a hit in the States (with fans like CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman), it could be set to overthrow the Snoo for baby sleep supremacy.
To help you decide which smart cot is right for your baby, I’ve road-tested them both.
Comparing smart cots: Sleep settling
Both the Cradlewise and the Snoo help settle your baby to sleep through movement. The Snoo will rock your baby side to side, and you can self-adjust it via their app, or let it auto-adjust based on your baby’s cries. The five levels range from very gentle rocking to a pretty fast pace, but always remain safe for your baby and mimic the way they would be rocked in the womb.
Cradlewise, on the other hand, uses gentle bouncing to help your baby settle. The smart cot has springs underneath for this purpose. Like the Snoo, it has a built-in monitor to detect when your baby is unsettled, although in my road-testing, it’s more sensitive than the Snoo and will start the bouncing motion before your baby starts to wake fully. Like the Snoo, Cradlewise has several bounce levels, tied to three “phases” of baby sleep: Quiet, Active and Crying.
Our baby liked both settling techniques, but this is definitely a factor to consider before buying a smart cot. If your baby hates being rocked but loves being bounced, for example, they will likely prefer the Cradlewise – and vice versa.
Comparing smart bassinets: White noise
The Snoo’s white noise is set based on the soothing level. You can pick and choose between the sounds via the Happiest Baby app, without making the cot move faster, but the soundscapes are sort of more intense versions of the previous, as opposed to different types of sound. Lower levels sound like a rushing river, or even humming machinery (in a good way), with the higher soothing levels more heartbeat-like.
The Cradlewise has various options, with different soundscapes that are more explanatory, like “calming rain” and “noisy room”. They also have one specifically for sensitive sleepers.
The Snoo’s white noise is pretty soothing (as you’d expect), and it never bothered us, even with the Snoo in our room. We didn’t change the sound on the app because the base level machine-humming vibe was quite peaceful to us.
It was nice to have options with the Cradlewise, though, and we particularly liked the “calming rain” soundscape. It can be hard having white noise on for your baby when they sleep in your room, so the ability to choose something familiar is a definite advantage.
The gentle bounce of the Cradlewise cot mimics how parents soothe their baby in their arms.
Comparing smart bassinets: Baby monitoring
One big difference between the Snoo and Cradlewise is that the Cradlewise has a built-in monitor. It captures the entire cot, and has dual use – it allows parents to check on their baby via the Cradlewise app on their phone, and it monitors the baby’s movements, which is part of how the cot smart-settles your baby. The Snoo doesn’t have a baby monitor you can access for visuals, but it does monitor your baby’s sleep and unsettled periods using their sounds and movements.
It was very convenient having an in-built baby monitor in the Cradlewise. During the period when we had the Snoo, we already had a monitor which we had set up on a stand – but if you haven’t yet bought one, the Cradlewise one is fantastic, and you won’t need to. I did notice the Cradlewise was also a little more responsive than the Snoo, and this was likely because it uses visual as well as sound cues from the baby to determine if it needs settling.
Comparing smart bassinets: Peace of mind
One big win for the Snoo that many parents love is the Snoo sacks, which are swaddles that also attach to the sides of the bassinet, so your baby can’t roll over. As an anxious first-time parent, I found this feature reassuring during those first few months.
The Cradlewise doesn’t come with a swaddling feature, but this can be beneficial if you aren’t swaddling your baby, or want to use a particular kind – the Snoo swaddle has to be attached for the Snoo to function, although you can adapt it for arms out sleep.
Because we had to zip our baby into the Snoo sack after settling him in our arms, it did make the process a bit more clunky. We found he became unsettled when placed in the Snoo and needed several Snoo levels to be reached before he would go to sleep again. But it did give me peace of mind through the night that he couldn’t move, even if he wanted to.
In saying that, the transition from arms to bassinet was seamless with the Cradlewise. Because we could bounce him gently as we slowly placed him on the mattress, which then continued the same movement, he didn’t unsettle once we let go.
Snoo’s secure swaddling system keeps sleeping babies on their backs for all nights and naps.
Comparing smart bassinets: Growing with your baby
The major win for Cradlewise is how long it remains suitable for your baby. The Snoo bassinet is a little smaller, measuring 96.5cm, and can only be used until your baby is six months old or 25 pounds (approx 11kg), or when they start to regularly roll, push up on hands and knees, or try to sit up.
The Cradlewise is longer, measuring 101.6cm, but more importantly, it can be set at bassinet height or cot height, with the mattress able to be lowered when your baby starts to roll or sit up. It can be used for babies up to two years old, or up to 33 pounds (approx 14kg). This makes it a great choice if you want the smart soothing benefits beyond the six-month mark.
Comparing smart bassinets: Ease of setup and aesthetics
Both the Snoo and the Cradlewise were easy to set up, with clear instructions. The Cradlewise appears more difficult when you first open the box, because there are lots of parts, but the instructions are clear, and the parts fit together easily, with surprisingly minimal effort. I did find it easier to dismantle and move the Snoo, because the legs clip in and out, and it’s lighter than the Cradlewise, which we needed two people to move once set up.
Aesthetically, the Cradlewise definitely wins. The curved edges and light wood construction are really visually pleasing, slotting in nicely to any room decor. It looked fantastic when we moved it into our baby’s nursery.
The Snoo isn’t unappealing, but with metal legs and an oval shape, it doesn’t really fit snugly into a designated space and, while not actually bigger than the Cradlewise, felt like it took up more room.
Comparing smart bassinets: Price
Neither the Snoo nor the Cradlewise is cheap. These are investment smart cots, so you understandably want to make your decision wisely.
The Snoo costs $1,995, and that includes the smart cot, mattress with waterproof cover, three Snoo sacks, a fitted sheet, nine months’ premium subscription to the Happiest Baby app, and access to sleep consultants.
The Cradlewise is more expensive at $3,200, and alongside the smart cot comes with the mattress and waterproof cover, a fitted sheet and two years of free access to the Nurture Core app.
A fantastic addition to both smart cots is their trial periods. The Snoo has a 30-day trial period, with free returns within that period. Cradlewise offers a 60-night trial period, although there is a return fee.
Overall, the decision will come down to what movement settles your baby, and how long you want that smart cot “helping hand” to assist you.
