I had my first baby before I’d ever heard the word “SNOO.” Thanks to a mix of luck and genetics, he was a champion sleeper, he’d always sleep through the night. When my second baby arrived, I scoffed at the idea of spending $1,500 on a glorified bassinet with a 6-month lifespan. But, still I had questions. Is the SNOO bassinet worth it? What makes this magical device worth the price to so many parents? We made it just fine without it, sleeping in fits of two to three hours at a time in those early weeks.
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Buying a SNOO for my third and final baby was laughable to me—until it wasn’t. After two weeks of the kind of soul-crushing sleep deprivation that left me beyond delirious and physically shaky, I would have sold one of my organs for more than 30 minutes of sleep at a time. Suddenly, a $1,500 bassinet seemed, well, still not so reasonable but at least worth it.
If you’re like me and find yourself either desperately looking for a sleep solution, or are simply curious about this product, welcome. With any hefty price tag, we as consumers proceed with caution. We want to know everything before purchasing. What is it good for, exactly? How long does it last? What’s the return policy if it’s not as magical for me as it has been for others? Not only did I look into all of this, I saw for myself the effects of the SNOO bassinet. Now I’m sharing everything there is to know—you can thank me later.
Read on for my honest review of the SNOO bassinet and decide for yourself if it’s worth it for you.
SNOO Bassinet Review
Does the SNOO work?
Yes. The SNOO promises to give you an added one to two hours of sleep per night. And it delivered on that promise. My newborn went from waking up about every 10 to 30 minutes in the middle of the night to sleeping in the two-to-three-hour range I was familiar with from my other kids.
It has a built-in white noise machine to mimic the womb and three levels of gentle rocking motion. These escalate with the baby’s fussiness, making it designed to help them learn to fall back asleep without intervention. Created by Dr. Harvey Karp, author of the celebrated book the Happiest Baby on the Block, the SNOO was designed to respond to your baby’s cries. Hearing the baby’s crying, it rocks your baby and plays white noise at higher levels. It’s been said that the SNOO takes fussy babies and makes them good sleepers.
Did it work every time? Definitely not. Did the constant movement of the baseline level help my newborn stay asleep longer? Absolutely.
The website says that “most SNOO babies sleep nine hours or more by 2 to 3 months.” That was not my experience. I’m sure it is for some people. But our average by 2 to 3 months was closer to five to seven hours. Still a great number in my opinion but also comparable to my two previous SNOO-less babies. So it’s hard to say if it was the SNOO or just the baby aging into a better sleep pattern.
I find overnight feedings to be a special bonding time, and I savor the moments when my arms are the ones that comfort his cries, so I gladly fed and snuggled my third and last baby. It was just a lot easier to do when I was running on a longer stretch of sleep at a time—which I was, thanks to the SNOO.
Does it ever not work?
Also yes. The 4-month sleep regression hit us hard. And there was nothing aside from my boob that soothed my baby.
The SNOO is designed to automatically respond to a baby’s fussing with different soothing sounds from the noise machine and an increasingly intense rocking motion as the baby gets more upset. There are several settings options for you to customize to your desire, like limiting the level of motion and volume of the noise machine.
In my experience, the constant rocking motion while my baby slept helped him stay asleep. If your baby won’t sleep anywhere but the car, I’d venture to guess that they’d sleep in the SNOO too.
But once my baby was awake after a couple hours of sleep, no level of robotic rocking and shushing would put him back to sleep. He wanted to eat. He wanted to cuddle. And he wanted his mama, as babies do.
I find overnight feedings to be a special bonding time, and I savor the moments when my arms are the ones that comfort his cries, so I gladly fed and snuggled my third and last baby. It was just a lot easier to do when I was running on a longer stretch of sleep at a time—which I was, thanks to the SNOO.
Source: Jaclyn Voran
Is it hard to transition out of it?
Not really. The SNOO has a weaning mode setting that stops the all-night rocking but keeps the white noise while the baby sleeps. Babies can stay in the SNOO for up to 6 months old, 25 pounds, or when they can get on their hands and knees—whichever comes first.
You have to use the SNOO swaddle, which hooks onto clips on each side to prevent rolling, or it won’t turn on. So according to the SNOO website, even if your baby can roll before 6 months, you can still use the SNOO.
I find that once my babies can roll to sleep on their stomach, they sleep much better anyway, so we made the transition then—which was before the 6-month mark.
When I knew he was getting close to rolling on his belly, I went ahead and switched to weaning mode. I was pleasantly surprised that my little guy continued to soundly sleep without the constant rocking.
Why is it so expensive?
I don’t know. Because it can be? Your guess is as good as mine. That said, there are ways you can save money or get the most bang for your buck.
- First-Time Parents: If you’re having your first baby and you plan to have more, it can help justify the cost. Obviously, you’ll get more use out of it across multiple kids, so you can consider it an investment. That said, you may want to wait until the baby is here and you know what kind of sleeper they are before making the call.
- Renting: You can rent the SNOO, but when you factor in cleaning fees and other charges that go with it, it’s not much cheaper, especially considering you can sell your SNOO when you’re done with it—or save it for future kids if you plan to have more.
- Buying Used: The market for a secondhand SNOO is thriving. Listings in my area typically started around $750. With this in mind, I opted to buy a used SNOO from a friend of a friend. I knew where it came from and the condition was excellent, so I felt good about the purchase. If you can find a used one in great condition, saving half the cost feels good to me. I went on to sell mine for the same $750 I bought it for, and breaking even on it felt even better.
Source: Jaclyn Voran
What is the SNOO return policy?
For the most part, it’s pretty great, actually. First, Happiest Baby allows for a 30-day trial of the SNOO. This means that if you return it within 30 days, you’ll get a full refund. Ground shipping for a return is free, but be sure to keep the packaging in case you need to send it back. Without original packaging you will have to purchase a replacement box and inserts for $28.80 + shipping and handling—a total of $48.25.
If you purchased a Pre-Loved SNOO and need to return it, you have the same 30 day window. There is also a $199 restocking fee plus tax.
Are there any other products worth considering?
Absolutely. When it comes to having a happily sleeping baby, there are a few things that can change the game. A quality bassinet, of course, is a must. Next, a good sleep sack to keep baby warm and safe does wonders. When it comes to the SNOO, using one of their sleep sacks designed specifically for the bassinet is the only way to do it.
Happiest Baby offers two sleep sack options. Their SNOO sack is 100% organic, and was designed to be warn in the SNOO bassinet. It has wings that slip into SNOO’s clips, making sure babies stay on their backs and don’t roll onto their side or stomach. The sleep sacks come in sizes small, medium, or large, with some options available in an extra large option. The Comforter sleep sack has the same features but comes with insulated cotton for extra warmth—perfect for a sleeping baby during the chilly winter months.
Another addition to consider are the SNOO Leg Lifters. These slide on the ends of the SNOO bassinet’s legs and are intended to raise the head of the bassinet to a slight incline. They were created to elevate a baby’s head to relieve symptoms of mild colds, stuffy noses, or acid reflux. Be sure to check with a doctor for their specific recommendations in these cases, but for a few extra dollars, this can be a great option to have on hand.
Having a sheet that is safely fitted to any bassinet mattress is something we should all consider. For me, going with the SNOO bassinet fitted sheet made the most sense as I knew it was designed to fit the mattress. I loved the 100% cotton sheets because they’re extra soft, highly breathable, and they stay soft after months of washing. As an added bonus, you can get sheets that match your baby’s sleep sack, making it even more adorable to watch your little one sleep.
Is the SNOO bassinet worth it?
For me, yes. If you’re desperate, like I was, running on essentially zero sleep with (or without) other kids to care for at home, it’s a resounding yes from me. But as with everything, it depends. Everyone’s newborn experience is different, everyone’s babies are different, and everyone’s sleep needs and tolerance for lack of sleep for themselves differs.
If you’re already getting a decent (but still short) stretch of sleep in the newborn stage, I don’t know how much more the SNOO would actually add—they’re newborns, after all. They get hungry, they crave connection, and they’re learning to live in a world outside of someone’s body.
Maybe the SNOO would add a few more hours on top of an already decent two to three. If so, then I find the question to be more about what it’s worth to you. If you can break even on it—or even just get some of your money back—by reselling it, it’s a no brainer for me. Why not?
One major thing that makes the SNOO worth it is that the product was recently given FDA De Novo approval. This is the first time the FDA has approved a product designed to keep babies safely sleeping while on their back, which decreases the chance of SIDS. If there’s one things parents care about more than anything else—even the coveted extra two hours of sleep—it’s their baby’s safety.
To all the sleep-deprived parents out there, I’m sending all my positive energy for a solid night of sleep for everyone—with or without the SNOO.
