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Sleep spaces in your corners…Let’s get ready to rumble! Let’s talk about the Cradlewise Crib Vs the Snoo Bassinet. We will go over the pros, cons and what might be best for your family.
First, why should you trust us? I am the queen of not trusting online sources. You never know who is getting paid to have a positive opinion! We are a team of Newborn Care Specialists, Postpartum Doulas, Registered Nurses, Lactation Educators, LPNs and Sleep Consultants. With over 100 team members each supporting multiple families each year, we have worked with our share of both smart sleep spaces! I personally am a Newborn Care Specialist, Postpartum Doula and Sleep Consultant, and I hold a degree in Early Childhood Education. I have 15 years of professional newborn care experience and achieving safe quality sleep for newborns [and their parents] is something that is extremely important to me.
Full disclosure that we were given the Cradlewise Bassinet by the company to try out and give honest feedback, and we were given the SNOO by a parent who was no longer using it. This does not impact our opinion in any way and we are not getting paid for any promotions
We’ve personally used both and so have our team members, so we are able to offer feedback from several people. This is not a paid promotion. We just want to share our feedback since we get asked often how we feel about each smart sleeper.
Both of these sleep spaces use an app and movement to settle babies and help parents get more sleep at night. However they do so in different ways!
Movement
The biggest difference between the SNOO and the Cradlewise is how they move.
The SNOO has a side to side movement while the Cradlewise has an up and down movement.
Both the SNOO and the Cradlewise have many different levels that range from very slight movement to more intense movement. Neither the SNOO nor the Cradlewise cause us any concern even on the highest setting.
When you are soothing a baby, some babies prefer to be bounced up and down, while others prefer to be swayed side to side.
SNOO vs Cradlewise Winner:
Cradlewise! For years we have broken our backs bent over cribs and bassinets lifting the mattress up and down to soothe babies back to sleep because we have recognized this movement helps babies get back to sleep without having to pick them up. It naturally feels more intuitive to bounce a baby. Not all babies will prefer this movement! And you won’t know until you try it, but we really love the Cradlewise motion.
Reactivity
The SNOO has a sensor that recognizes when your baby starts making sound. It gives them a few moments of fussing to work it out, and then it begins it’s movement and sound to soothe them back to sleep.
The Cradlewise has a video monitor that recognizes sound, motion and even breathing patterns to recognize when your baby is beginning to wake up. “Predictive is better than reactive” is their slogan. It then uses movement and sound to soothe them back to sleep. We have found that for naps in particular, it can be helpful for babies to connect nap cycles utilizing the Cradlewise.
SNOO vs Cradlewise Winner:
SNOO. Some parents might be surprised by this, but we are strongly focused on sleep conditioning. Our goal isn’t just better sleep for that night, but better sleep for future nights too. If you respond to a baby before they begin to fuss they will get more sleep that night or that nap, but they will expect that level of intervention for the nights [and weeks and months] to come.
[However we do love the Cradlewise as a tool for certain sleep conditioning aspects as well.]
Please note that both the SNOO and the Cradlewise have levels of sensitivity that can be adjusted to parent’s preferences.
Restraint
The SNOO has a swaddle that clips into the bassinet. This ensures that your baby will not roll over or move to the sides of the bassinet.
The Cradlewise has no restraint system. You can swaddle your baby as you would in a normal bassinet or crib. We have heard from some parents that brand new babies experiencing the “newborn curl” might be rolled to their sides with movement. The newborn curl is when your baby is still scrunched up from birth and sometimes flop to their sides in that position. This is *not* rolling or a sign that baby needs to be unswaddled. This is something to take into consideration when using the Cradlewise.
SNOO vs Cradlewise Winner:
Cradlewise. Another one that I feel like might surprise parents. Many parents will choose the SNOO because having their baby on their back is paramount to them getting any sleep themselves! We all know that babies sleeping on their back is a SIDS reducer, so it’s understandably on a lot of parent’s minds. However, we look at the bigger picture. When a baby begins to roll, developmentally they should be rolling. Older infants need to move and stretch and practice their skills. Restricting their movement for elongated periods of time can impede their gross motor development. The SNOO cannot be used with movement without the swaddle. If we were voting on the first 2-3 months, we might choose the SNOO for this category. But since most parents use the SNOO for the first 5-6 months, we need to go with Cradlewise.
Longevity
The SNOO is a bassinet. It is only meant to be utilized during infancy. SNOO recommends until around 6 months old or until they can get on their hands and knees during the day.
The Cradlewise is a mini-crib. It can be used until 2 years old with most toddlers, and even older with a child that isn’t tall/long.
SNOO vs Cradlewise Winner:
No winner. This is a parent’s preference! Some parents might want a bassinet in their bedroom until they transition into a regular crib or floor bed, while others might want a small crib that they can utilize in both their bedroom and the nursery. They both offer what they advertise.
Camera/Video Monitor
Cradlewise Winner! That is because The SNOO doesn’t have a camera. It can be convenient for parents to not have to research a video monitor, purchase a video monitor and safely mount a camera. Every time you move a bassinet or crib you need to make sure that the monitor can view your baby. And if you are using different apps you will have to toggle back and forth between seeing/hearing your baby and changing the crib settings.
The Cradlewise camera is built into the bar that goes over the crib.
We found the camera to be adequate to our needs. It is in line with the $50-$100 cameras on the market. It is not the quality of a Nanit or other higher end/higher quality feed, but if you don’t need Netflix quality footage it works just fine! [In our humble opinions.]
Tech/App
I’ll keep this short and sweet as we are focused on the baby not the tech. However it is important to note! Both Sleep Spaces have apps that track sleep data and where you can control the movement and sound.
Cradlewise uses AI sleep patterns that adapt to your child’s preferences and needs. It monitors and tracks sleep rhythms based on your baby’s breathing and movement. It also has a video camera/monitor that is easy to access in the same Cradlewise app.
If you are more data driven, this crib might be something you will lean towards.
Cost
Cradlewise is currently only for purchase. It is $1,999. However, it has a build in baby monitor which eliminates a purchase, and many parents will use this as their crib and bassinet purchase combined.
The SNOO is $1,695, however many parents will choose to rent the SNOO. It’s $159 a month plus a $99 reconditioning fee and $59 to ship it back. So if someone is renting it for 4 months [our recommendation] it would be around $800. And if someone were renting the SNOO for 6 months [Harvey Karp recommendation] it would be around $1,100.
SNOO vs Cradlewise Winner:
Our winner is the Cradlewise. It’s a long term investment that can always be resold or reused for another baby!
Safety/Toxins
Both use flat firm resting spaces with sheets that fit them tightly and have mesh sides for increased breathability.
Cradlewise is greenguard certified. It also has low EMF emissions and the wifi is in the monitor on the bar above vs underneath your baby. They are intentionally eco-friendly and their sheets are Greenguard Gold certified.
The SNOO has organic sheets and swaddles. The SNOO also has a metal shield that blocks out 99% of the EMF radiation given off from the bluetooth/tech in the bassinet. As we mentioned before the SNOO also prevents babies from rolling which can be a SIDS reducer.
No stand out winner, we appreciate both companies making intentional decisions to help lower toxins and keep babies safer.
Multiples/ Twins with the SNOO/ Twins with Cradlewise
The Cradlewise app is currently not set up for more than one baby. If you are having twins, triplets or more you might need to reconsider the Cradlewise app for now. They have promised us that this is something that they are working on.
SNOO vs Cradlewise Winner:
SNOO! In addition to having the app capabilities for tracking sleep and accessing the bassinets virtually, the SNOO also has a smaller profile. Meaning, it can be easier to fit 2-3 SNOOS side by side.
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, we have things we like and don’t like about each sleep space. We also are perfectly happy recommending a regular crib that does not move! However, for parents that enjoy tech and want a bit of virtual hands-on support for their babies they might want to consider either sleep space. Unfortunately, the biggest factor might be what we considered number 1: movement. You might do all of the research and decide one sleep space is the best option for you, and your baby might hate the movement that you chose! It’s a big investment for something that can’t be predicted!
The SNOO has a 30 day return policy and the Cradlewise has 60 days. You might want to consider not nesting and instead waiting until your baby arrives to purchase the sleeper of your dreams, so that if your baby hates it you aren’t stuck with it!
