Being a sleep-deprived new mum, I jumped at the opportunity to try out the Owlet Smart Sock - a baby monitor that aims to give parents peace of mind and more sleep time. Here’s my review of it…
New parenthood is almost synonymous with sleepless nights. Dragging myself to the nursery every two hours because of bub’s frequent night wakings? Been there. Waking up in the middle of the night just because I needed to check if bub is sleeping alright? Done that.
Naturally, I was super intrigued to try out the Owlet Smart Sock – a wearable baby monitor that’s designed to give mums like me more peace of mind and some extra snooze time. Though I had some doubts about wearable tech for babies (more on this later), the reviews about Owlet seem pretty promising. No harm trying then!
Unboxing and setting up the Owlet Smart Sock
My Owlet package arrived with:
- Two pairs of the Owlet Smart Sock: one for babies weighing 5.4kg and below, and another for babies weighing 13.6kg and below;
- A white, round device called the Base Station;
- Charging cables and plug.
There’s also a card with instructions to download the Owlet Care App, which is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Everything looks so aesthetically pleasing: from the design of the Base Station to the pastel shade of the Sock itself. First impressions upon unboxing: 10/10.
Setting up the Owlet devices is pretty straightforward. All you need is a stable Wi-Fi connection, then let the Care App guide you through pairing the Sock’s sensor and your phone to the Base Station. I got it all done within five minutes.
Now, here comes the next part – putting on the Owlet Smart Sock on bub.
Don’t get me wrong when I mentioned that I had doubts about wearable technology for babies. It’s not that I don’t like the idea of it, but more so because I’m worried how my sock and shoe-hating little boy will take to it.
The Owlet Smart Sock does look a tad uncomfortable at first glance – but don’t let appearances fool you. The material is actually very soft and comfy. Plus, I really appreciate the left and right foot labelling on the inside of the Sock. That’s because you need to make sure that the right Sock is on the right foot for the sensor to generate accurate readings.
I decided to put the Owlet Smart Sock on only after my boy is asleep, simply because it’s easier as I won’t need to deal with kicks and repeated attempts to undo the velcro. As expected, bub didn’t stir after the Sock went on, thanks to the soft and comfy material. It was actually surprisingly easy to put on – just align the sensor behind the pinky toe as per the printed instructions – and it fits bub just right.
With the Sock on, the Owlet Care App started to track bub’s readings immediately. Seeing that everything was set, I gently closed the door and went to bed with the Base Station and my phone on the bedside table.
Did I sleep better that night?
Bub slept well that night, and so did I. While I’m not entirely sure if it’s due to the Owlet Smart Sock, I’d say that it definitely saved this sleepy mum a lot of hassle.
Prior to this, I was using a simple app to manually track my boy’s sleep and wake timings. It requires me to start and end the timer, as well as key in his middle-of-the-night wake timings if any. There were times when I forgot to stop and restart the timer when he had split nights (because I was way too sleepy and exhausted), so I ended up with slightly inaccurate sleep timings. With the Owlet Smart Sock, there’s no need for manual tracking as the device does this for you. All I needed to do was to just check the app, and I’ve got all the information I need about bub’s sleep quality right there.
Another great feature about the Owlet Smart Sock? Its super long battery life (16 hours!) and wireless charging capability. I’m in love with how easy it is to charge the sensor – just drop it on the Base Station, and it’ll automatically attach to the charging point. Plus, did I mention it gets fully charged in less than two hours?
Verdict: Should you get the Owlet Smart Sock?
If you’re a parent who values your sleep but can’t shake off the nagging need to check on bub every once in a while during bedtime – then the Owlet Smart Sock is perfect for you. As its tagline promises, Owlet wants to help parents “rest assured”. It tracks your baby’s heart rate, oxygen level, and sleep trends for you, so you can have a more restful sleep at night. The Owlet Smart Sock retails at $379 on Lazada.
Grab this coupon to enjoy 10% off (valid till 7 September 2022) the Owlet Smart Sock!
This post is in partnership with Owlet.