18 Best Smart Home Devices for Babies & Why You Need Them

The world continues to progress, and with it so do all types of technology. The latest trend is that of upgrading your home to a smart home. When upgrading your home, you are able to live a safer, healthier, more convenient lifestyle.

One of the top ways this is emulated is through parenthood. Being a parent, especially a new parent, you know that time is precious and any edge is much appreciated. 

 

Why do you need smart home devices for babies?

Upgrading your baby’s devices to smart devices is one of the best things you can do as a parent. When upgrading, you can make changes in health, sleep, knowledge, safety, and general convenience while taking care of your precious infant.

This list will include various smart home devices that were specifically designed for baby as well as other smart home devices which simply make your life with a baby easier.

Making your life easier and more convenient might have seemed like a luxury before having a baby. However, new parents quickly learn how essential this is for survival.

Best Smart Home Devices for Babies

Below is a list of the top smart devices to invest in when preparing for a baby. 

1. Snoo Smart Sleeper

The first thing you learn as a new parent is that your sleep quantity and schedule are gone. Making sure that you get as much sleep as possible is crucial for both you and the baby.

The Snoo sleeper is leading in its industry for helping babies stay asleep for longer periods of time. The Snoo adds sleeping hours, assists in sleep training, and prevents the baby from rolling over.

The Snoo is like having an entire extra set of hands. When your child starts to wake him or herself up, it detects that and begins to vibrate and make soothing sounds at an increased rate.

After a certain amount of time with no change, the Snoo will then alert the parent that the child is truly awake – not just shifting. This lifesaver helps with one of the most important parts of your baby’s development as well as your sanity as a parent.

2. Halo Snoozypod Bedtime Soother

If you are unable to get the ever-intuitive and top-rated Snoo, the Snoozypod is another way to help your child’s sleeping schedule.

While not as all-inclusive, it still has many features such as smart vibrations, a built-in noise machine, a starry night projector, and Bluetooth capabilities. Because it is designed to slide under the mattress, the Snoozypod can be with your child through more than just infancy. 

Having a device that continues from bassinet to crib and beyond is critical in maintaining sleep patterns to help your child learn to sleep well.

When your baby is able to recognize an environmental stimulant, he or she is more likely to calm down and be able to rest. This soother is a relief to the child as well as to parents who are looking for a little more shut-eye at night.

3. Owlet Smart Sock

The smart sock gets placed on your baby as they are sleeping. The smart sock monitors a baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels.

When you become a new parent, you quickly learn that you are concerned about breathing, rolling, and any noises (or lack of noises) from the crib. The smart sock saves you from another added worry by monitoring and alerting your phone if any of your baby’s levels drop below where they are expected to be. 

A bonus of using the Owlet Smart Sock is that it tracks the length and depth of your baby’s sleep – so you know how well-rested they are each day. This will help you to predict nap times, feeding schedules, and your baby’s general mood of the day.

We often forget that babies are little humans whose mood changes when they don’t get enough sleep, just like ours!

4. iBaby Monitor

The iBaby Monitor is the top choice for smart baby monitors. It includes a myriad of features for soothing and learning including music and song choices, telling stories, and even a built-in moonlight soothing function.

Another feature that we love about this monitor is a possibility for 360-degree viewing and 140-degree tilt. This means that even as your child grows and is mobile, you will be able to follow them around the room and make sure all is well. 

While traditional monitors can suffice, the added features with a smart baby monitor can put your mind at ease. As a parent, this is often a tipping point for any device, but especially for a device that is monitoring one of the most critical components of your baby’s day- his or her sleep.

Rather than stepping into the room and threatening a peaceful disruption, you can merely glance at the monitor and adjust from afar.

5. Zen Sack Weighted Blanket

Yet another device to help your baby to rest well, the Zen sack weighted blanket is a tool that helps your baby to feel like he or she is still in your arms. This lightly weighted device adds a gentle amount of pressure which relieves the anxiety that comes from separation from you.

By helping your child to feel safe and comforted, he or she is more easily able to rest at ease.

Some parents claim that this device has aided their child to sleep an additional couple of hours per night within the first week of use.

Most parents would do anything for an additional 30 minutes of rest per day- much less a few hours! Sleep sacks are also recommended in comparison with loose blankets as they decrease the likelihood of SIDS and the potential for a loose blanket to block your child’s ability to breathe during the night.

6. Toymail Talkies

This is one of the hottest tech toys available in today’s market- and for good reason! Toymail talkies provide a way for you (or your loved ones) to send voice messages to your children through an app on your phone.

Additionally, various settings can be set on this plush toy to make it sing lullabies or to move about. This provides your baby with an interactive toy without increasing screen time- a feature that most parents are searching for these days. 

Toymail talkies create an opportunity for parents to stay connected with their babies as well as offer their baby the gift of comfort through hearing mom, dad, or another loved one’s voice. Additionally, security measures are taken into consideration to prevent hacking or security threats against this smart toy.

7. 4moms mamaRoo

Do you have or know of a baby who never likes to be put down? These cuddly little snuggle bugs are precious but can also inhibit accomplishing anything on your to-do list.

Every parent knows that having even a few moments to finish household chores or even go to the bathroom by themselves is a major accomplishment. The 4moms mamaRoo can provide just that and more!

This infant seat has a variety of settings for bouncing and rocking to make the baby feel like they are still being held tightly in mom or dad’s arms. The mamaRoo has five settings and five speed variables providing a total of twenty-five different rocking options for even the pickiest baby.

You can even press a button for music or other soothing sounds to help keep baby comfortable and asleep. You’ll never have to drive around with your kid in his or her car seat to get the “bouncy car” feel in order to make him/her sleep again!

8. Hatch Grow Smart Changing Pad (Scale)

If you are worried or curious about your child’s weight gain between doctor’s visits, this device is perfect! Rather than waiting several weeks or months before being able to know an accurate weight of your child, the smart baby changing pad can provide accurate and up-to-date information on your child’s daily weight gain.

This device doubles as a changing pad and a scale- providing you the ease and convenience of weighing your child when he or she will likely already be stripped down.

Knowing your child’s weight can help you to predict if something seems off as well as helping you to track how much he or she consumes during each feed. Tracking your baby’s growth is an essential part of maintaining his or her health.

9. BlueSmart Mia Baby Feeding Monitor

Worrying about your child’s weight gain and eating habits is just one more thing that can make parenting hard. This device reduces the stress of not knowing how much your child has eaten which will help with your child’s feeding schedule, sleeping schedule, and overall wellness.

While there are several models of smart baby feeding monitors, the most common ones are sleeves that fit over any standard-sized bottle.

They monitor the portions, temperature, duration/angle of a feed, and more. This not only helps new parents to ensure consistent (and good) feeds but provides an opportunity for accurate information to be relayed to your doctor the next time he or she asks, “So, how is baby?”

10. Kinsa Smart Ear Thermometer

Having a sick baby is stressful enough as a parent- much less trying to take your squirmy baby’s temperature by holding a stick under his or her arm for three minutes. (Do babies ever sit still that long in the first place?)

Purchasing a smart ear thermometer will aid in monitoring your child’s health on the spot as well as tracking over the course of several hours, days, etc.

A smart ear thermometer takes your baby’s temperature in as little as one second. This reduces the fuss of taking baby’s temperature as well as provides those critical moments of tending to your child’s needs.

Smart ear thermometers can also send the temperature readings to your mobile phone or another smart device for easy tracking and information purposes.

Rather than having to “guesstimate” when your child measured high in temperature, you can simply look back at the last reading. This can also help you to track when the last time you provided medicine to them as well (assuming you are taking their temperature upon distribution).

11. Cybex Sirona M Smart Car Seat

Accidentally leaving your child in his or her car seat is a complete nightmare for most parents. While this is not you would ever intentionally do, accidents happen when you are a walking, sleep-deprived zombie who now has a new little person to tow along everywhere with- a new person whom you never had to consciously care for before.

Smart car seats are designed to aid in child safety by providing the most up-to-date information to parents. There are a variety of brands which have put out different models, but most are designed to do the same thing: keep your baby as safe as possible.

A smart car seat will do this by alerting you for various reasons (depending on the model or sensor). The Cybex Sirona M will notify you if a baby is left in a hot car.

Some will let you know if your child’s car seat is buckled while your car is turned off, some will alert you regarding the angle, temperature, and motion of your baby’s seat.

Depending on the model you choose, you can rest assured that a notification will arrive on your cell phone if something goes wrong.

12. August Smart Lock

While this device was not specifically designed for babies, it will be a lifesaver when you are juggling carrying your baby, diaper bag, your personal items, and anything else.

Rather than having to stop and drop everything to find your keys, this smart device can assist. The August Smart Lock installs over your door’s traditional deadbolt and is paired with an app on your smartphone. You can set the device to lock/unlock as you approach the door.

Additionally, you can set this device to provide a “spare key” to other users through the app. This will be incredibly helpful if you need to provide a “spare key” to a babysitter or other visitor who is helping to care for you and/or baby.

Rather than having to leave the hospital or coordinate switching off keys for out-of-town guests or relatives, you can simply “provide a key” to your home so that they can grab anything you may have forgotten during the rush to deliver your child. 

13. Willow Wearable Smart Breast Pump

If you plan to pump your breast milk for strictly feeding purposes or due to frequently engorged breasts, purchasing a smart breast pump is absolutely worth the investment. It can feel like there are a million things to do with a new baby, so why make pumping an added stressor?

Smart breast pumps are designed to be spill-proof, hands-free, and track your milk input and supply. There are a few different models, so be sure to choose one that fits your budget, comfort, and preferred style.

The Willow Wearable model has even been designed to fit inside your bra discreetly, so you will be able to pump at any time, in any location without having to connect loads of plastic, wires, and bottles to your breasts in public!

14. Baby Brezza Formula Pro

If you are not breastfeeding, you can still ensure that your baby gets the absolute best food possible. The Formula Pro allows you to choose any whole ounce between 2oz to 10oz and makes it perfect every time.

No hassles of trying to get the bottle the perfect temperature, shaking, microwaving or leaving in warm water, and repeating.

On top of all that, the Formula Pro is BPA free and works with all bottle types. You can essentially think of this as the ultimate coffee machine but for formula. With this device, you not only provide convenience (a critical component of caring for a new baby) but health for your child’s development as well.

15. Mimo Smart Baby Breathing and Activity Monitor

The Mimo Activity Monitor is the ultimate wearable device to help you and the baby sleep well at night. This device includes multiple onesies for the infant that are able to connect to a small device that monitors all of the baby’s essential breathing and activity levels.

Want to know if the baby is too hot? If they rolled over? How about breathing appropriately? Want to check his or her body position?

The Mimo Smart Baby Activity Monitor provides answers to these questions and more. This is like purchasing the ability to go to the nursery and check in on your child – without having to get out of bed at 2:00 a.m. to do so. The comfort of knowing your child is ok with the convenience of staying in your own bed- now that is a win!

16. Baby Shusher

This is one of the most affordable and effective baby sound machines on the market. Every new (or seasoned) parent knows how it is to walk around in circles saying “shhh” for up to hours at a time.

The baby shusher provides a calming effect which is similar to the noise that the baby heard in the womb during the entire pregnancy.

The “shhh” sound sounds like the rushing blood and fluid of a woman’s body, so your baby will feel relaxed and “right at home” upon hearing this noise. This device is not only a highly rated product but is also doctor tested and approved.

17. Smart Lighting with Philips Hue

The Hue has many automated lighting features that can help with your child’s bedtime (and waking time). While it is not at the top of the list for needs as many babies sleep well with a dim light on – the Hue devices allow you to adjust this according to your baby’s growth and preferences.

Not only is there a dimming feature, but you can also change colors and set it on timers to emulate a natural daytime/nighttime routine. It has been proven that a dim red or orange light is particularly comforting for babies as it replicates the womb.

This can help with your new baby’s sleep schedule to prevent (or help change) reverse cycling. By teaching your baby to sleep through environmental cues, you and your family will be able to gain those precious hours of sleep as well.

18. Ring Pro Doorbell Cameras

This item may be more for the parent than the infant – but is still a huge help in terms of technology and a child. When your infant is screaming or you happen to be feeding your baby, you may not be in the best position to get to the door. With the Ring Doorbell Pro, you are able to both see and use an intercom to speak to someone who may be at the door.

This can especially help if there is a package that needs signing and you do not want the mailman to run away before you are able to make it down there. Or perhaps it is your delivery man arriving with a fresh, hot pizza; afterall, cooking with a newborn might as well be forgotten.

5 Devices for Infants That Are Not Worth Your Time or Money

While we have chosen to include a list of smart home devices that are helpful with having a baby, we think it is also important to consider some devices (technological or not) which are unnecessary.

By eliminating some of these products from your purchases, you might be more financially free to invest in smart home products that really are worth the investment. To aid your decisions, here is a list of devices and products for babies that may not be worth the purchase:

Wipe Warmers

That is correct – currently on the market in many forms are wipe warmers. While this sounds nice (in theory) there are multiple reasons you do not need to invest in this.

First off, babies are soiling their diapers about 12-24 times per day. That means that in order to get your child warm wipes you either have to wait for this device to heat them up each time, or you have to leave it running around the clock. It seems like a lot of time and energy for something that does not truly increase you or your child’s quality of life.

Further, if your child has gotten used to a warm wipe, he or she is more likely to fuss when a warm wipe is simply not available (ex. traveling, staying at someone else’s home, if you forget to use the warmer, etc.)

Diaper Genie

While many people claim that these are lifesavers or overall improve the quality of home cleanliness, I would disagree. A diaper genie is not really anything more than a glorified trash can – which you can get at any local store. Many require unique trash liners and can leave you more likely to postpone throwing out the waste.

Instead, if you use the money for a well-designed trash can that has a lid, you will have a household item that serves the same function and is also able to be used for garbage other than diapers. Additionally, this will have uses well after the baby has finished potty-training, and you will not need to purchase special trash bags along the way.

Baby Food Blender

Also known as – a blender. If you already own a perfectly fine operating blender, there is no need to splurge on a new one just because it has “baby” in front of it. Trust me, your infant will not be asking what device you blended their peas and carrots in.

Instead of investing in something that has limited use, choose a device that can be used long-term such as a Nutribullet or Ninja Smartscreen Blender. With these, you will be able to enjoy the added features of a top-notch blending device without feeling like you wasted your money.

Baby Laundry Detergent

Many parents are cautious about what goes in and on their baby’s bodies (and for good reason). However, when it comes to baby laundry detergent, there are alternative options. “Baby laundry detergent” is often significantly marked up compared to traditional baby products.

In truth, you can purchase a sensitive skin, all-natural scent-free laundry detergent you will get the same results for a fraction of the price. This is a great way to save money and even help the whole house to use something better for their skin in the process.

Recommendations include Dreft laundry stain remover (for those pesky blowouts), OxiClean (color-safe, chlorine-free, and unscented) Bleach, and Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Free & Clear Liquid detergent.

Baby Bath Visors

This product has been developed to help avoid getting suds and bubbles in your child’s sensitive facial region, particularly their eyes. While it is important to protect your baby in this way, having a device that does so is almost more difficult than just using your own hand.

A silicone device that has to be put on your wiggly baby’s head will make bath time more complicated than not. Plus, this is just one more thing to mess with when you are already taking more important safety precautions like preventing your child from drowning. If you can do that, then you don’t need a device to keep out the suds.

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