When you first bring your baby home from the hospital, keeping them close is so important. So many new parents are completely overwhelmed by the number of products that are available on the market.
In order to help you make a more informed decision about which product best suits your needs.
We are going to look at two smart bassinets, the SNOO Smart Sleeper and the HALO Bassinest, the similarities and differences between the two, and any pros and cons that they may have.
In this article
Do You Need A Bassinet?
A bassinet has multiple benefits and uses. Top of that list for most parents is going to be both convenience and peace of mind. As your little one will be at arms reach, those middle of the night feeds are a little easier while using a bassinet.
No matter whether you are bottle feeding or breastfeeding you will be able to easily reach over and pick up your little one when they require feeding without having too far to go.
Bassinets come into their own if you are a new mom recovering from delivery and have limited mobility.
Another plus for the use of bassinets is that they provide parents with a little bit of peace of mind in those first few months when parenthood is tough and the only thing that comes naturally to you is worrying.
Most bassinets are the same height as your bed so you can easily take a peek of your baby to put your mind at rest and also to reassure your little one that you are still there.
Keeping them in such close proximity also makes it much easier for you to hear your little one starting to stir.
Bassinets also offer those parents that want to keep their little one as close as possible without bed-sharing, which the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend.
When Do You Need A Bassinet?
Bassinets are typically used in the newborn stage until your baby is beginning to become mobile, push up on their hands, rollover, which usually happens between three and five months of age.
Many bassinets have a maximum weight and this will vary from brand to brand and model to model.
Bassinets are one of those pieces of baby equipment that I personally do not feel that you get good value for money as you use them for such a short period of time.
What Are Smart Bassinets And Why You Should Consider Them
When you first bring home your newborn you will no doubt have set up your nursery perfectly, but in all honesty, it is unlikely that they will sleep in there for quite some time.
So now you have to find something for your baby to sleep in that allows you to keep them close to you.
This is where a bassinet comes into its own and now there are also smart bassinets that offer far more than just a safe place for your baby to sleep.
The SNOO Smart Sleeper and HALO Bassinest are two of these smart bassinets and offer features that are designed to help soothe your baby. Both are fitted with soothing sounds, vibrations, and lullabies to help get your baby back to sleep.
Main Differences And Similarities Between SNOO Smart Sleeper vs HALO Bassinest
| Title | Price | Prime | Buy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | SNOO Smart Sleeper Baby Bassinet - Bedside Crib with Automatic Rocking Motions and Soothing White Noise | Prime | Buy Now | |
 | HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper, Bedside Bassinet, Soothing Center with Nightlight | PrimeEligible | Buy Now |
Before you decide if one of these smart bassinets is the right product for you, you really need to know the differences and similarities between them so that you can make an informed choice.
Here are some of the key features that parents look at before deciding on a product.
Price
There is an enormous difference in the price of these two products and for the vast majority of parents, the SNOO Smart Sleeper is just too expensive.
If you are looking for a more wallet-friendly option then the HALO Bassinest is an excellent choice that offers some features of the same features as the SNOO but with a much lower price tag.
Safety
Anything that your baby sleeps in has to be super safe and have safety features that ensure that your little one is safe.
A bassinet with a shaky base could potentially put your baby at risk of falling. Both the SNOO Smart Sleeper and HALO Bassinest come with a firm base, so there is no chance of any falls.
Both bassinets also have mesh walls that are breathable eliminating the potential risk of suffocation. All materials used in both products are non-toxic, ensuring that they are a super safe and comfortable space for your baby to sleep in.
If you did have to make a choice between these two products purely based on their safety features then the SNOO Smart Sleeper does come out on top due to the fact that its sleep base guarantees that babies remain swaddled and on their backs while sleeping.
Portability
If you do want to move your bassinet around the house, you may want to take note that both of these products are heavier than a traditional bassinet. Out of the two, the HALO Bassinest is slightly lighter than the SNOO Smart Sleeper.
Cleaning
Babies can be mucky little creatures and unfortunately, messy accidents can often happen in their bassinets.
This makes ease of cleaning a crucial factor to consider when deciding on which one to purchase. Both of these options are easy to clean as you can remove the fabric and mattress for cleaning.
Features
A smart bassinet needs to be so much more than just a safe place to sleep they need to go that extra mile.
Both of these products have been designed with features such as calling sounds, lullabies, and vibrations in order to help your baby get back to sleep.
But when it comes to soothing features the SNOO Smart Sleeper is the winner.
The SNOO is fitted with an app that not only soothes your baby but can also automatically detect if your baby is distressed and then it determines the best approach to soothe your baby.
Weight Limit
Weight limits are very important and will ultimately determine how long you can use a product. The HALO Bassinest has a weight limit of 20 pounds while the SNOO Smart Sleeper can hold a baby up to 25 pounds.
SNOO Smart Sleeper
Technology has made huge advances in all areas of our lives, but it is hard to imagine that technology would be able to solve an age-old problem, like getting a baby to sleep better
Don’t get me wrong this technology comes at a hefty price, but it is so worth it.
The SNOO Smart Sleeper comes with features that promise to boost your baby’s sleep by 1-2 hours per night and for any parent that has ever been sleep-deprived you know that you can not put a price on a good night’s sleep.
Product Info
- Weight of bassinet: 38 pounds
- Dimensions: 36x16x32 inches
- Material: Cotton, wood, and plastic
- Recommended Age: Babies under 6 months old
- Max Weight: 25 pounds
This bassinet is far more than just a bassinet, it is fitted with a mobile app that allows you to customize the settings. The app can also track your little ones’ sleep so you can see the total amount of sleep your baby is getting in a day.
The app also provides soothing sounds and motions with easy to use controls. One of the best features is that it comes with an immediate response to soothe your baby back to sleep.
The safety features that the SNOO Smart Sleeper comes with are designed to keep your baby safe and also to provide parents with some peace of mind.
It has secure swaddling that prevents your baby from rolling over while sleeping and putting themselves in a potentially dangerous position. The SNOO also comes with a sturdy base ensuring that there is no risk of the bassinet toppling over.
Even if you are short on space as many new parents are, the SNOO is compact enough to fit right next to most adult beds. If you are looking for something that is functional and good to look at the SNOO will also not disappoint.
The SNOO Smart Sleeper is also compatible with some baby monitors and it should be possible to run both smart devices side by side.
Pros
- Breathable mesh walls
- Easy to assemble
- Easily customizable
- Very comfortable
- Convenient for night feeding
- Easily washable
- Great safety features.
Cons
- Very expensive meaning it is out of reach for many parents.
- Heavy so not as portable as other bassinets.
HALO Bassinest
Many parents want to keep their little ones close but struggle with the lack of space available in their bedrooms. The HALO Bassinest may offer a solution to this problem.
It allows your baby to remain close to you but requires less floor space than most alternatives. The Bassinest comes with vibration, soothing sounds, lullabies, and a nightlight.
Product Info
- Weight of bassinet: 30 pounds
- Dimensions: 34.4×18.2×12 inches
- Material: Polyester
- Max Weight: 2o pounds
Babies come with a great deal of stuff and it can quickly take over the most spacious of homes. But if you are already struggling for space the good news is that this bassinet won’t take up much floor space as they are designed for the legs to go under your bed.
They also offer a great temporary sleeping place before your little one goes into their nursery.
The HALO comes with a 360-degree swivel feature that allows you to fully customize your sleeper so your baby can be placed at eye level so they will feel calmed and soothed by your presence.
The bassinet has mesh walls which ensure that they are breathable and do not put your baby in any danger of suffocation. It also has a four-point base so it is super stable.
Another great feature that this bassinet has is that it includes convenient storage pockets to ensure that you can keep all your little one’s essentials in easy reach.
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Easy to use
- Easy to clean
- Waterproof mattress included
- 360 degree swivel
- Storage pockets
- Adjustable height from 22-34 inches
Cons
- Not the most portable as it does not have wheels
SNOO Smart Sleeper vs HALO Bassinest – The Winner Is…
This is a tough call as both of these smart bassinets will appeal to very different people.
If you are looking for a super-smart sleeper that has all the modern features and comes with an app then you are going to opt for the SNOO Smart Sleeper.
But there is a huge downside to this futuristic tech-savvy smart bassinet and that is the enormous price tag that comes with it. This will be a sticking point for many parents especially for a piece of equipment that you will potentially only use for a few months.
While the HALO Bassinest offers some new technology and modern features but at a fraction of the cost of the SNOO. It is also fully customizable and is designed to fit into small spaces more easily.
But whichever you choose you can be assured that they are both designed to allow parents to keep their baby’s super close at night while still keeping them safe and allowing them to have their own sleeping space.
The Final Thought
Smart bassinets are a look into the future and they allow parents to have the chance of some much-needed sleep.
I hope that our in-depth look at the SNOO Smart Sleeper and the HALO Bassinet has provided you with some information that will assist you in deciding whether one of these products is right for you and your little one.
Both of these smart bassinets allow you to keep your baby close while still allowing them to be safe and comfortable in their own space. Both are modern looking and have plenty of the tech-driven features that many parents are currently looking for.
Personally, even though I love the technology that the SNOO has I just don’t feel that I could justify the enormous cost of the Smart Sleeper.
So with this in mind, my top choice would be the HALO Bassinest as it offers parents an affordable yet tech-savvy alternative to the bank-breaking SNOO.
