Why SNOOBear is worth the investment
Real Mama Review | Read time: 4 mins
SNOOBear is an innovative portable white noise machine, cute teddy bear and puppet in one, with 6 unique sound options that automatically responds to your baby for up to 3 hours.
I decided to purchase SNOOBear, because it was designed by Dr. Harvey Karp, pediatrician, white noise guru, and creator of the famous 5S method. Anything pediatrician approved has my vote.
Packaging
SNOOBear arrived in a cardboard box with a cut out center so you could see the cute bear. It had simple instructions and features detailed on the back and included (AA) batteries.
Look & Feel
SNOOBear comes in 4 colour / feel options. I opted for the plush coco bear and it’s super soft. The SNOOBear sleepy eyes, mouth and nose are stitched on, which I prefer as there is less risk of plastic bits falling off and becoming choking hazards.
It has a velcro strap on the back so I can attach it easily to the pram or cot and the finger puppet holes in the arms are going to be lots of fun as my baby gets older.
The white noise speaker box is fully removable via a velcro opening at the back, so it's easy to machine wash the bear and the speaker box is small enough to throw in my bag for on the go naps.
Usability
The white noise speaker box is easy to operate, with big buttons you can squeeze. There is also a small switch to change the play time (30 or 60 mins).
Speaker box instructions:
- Play: Squeeze SNOObear’s belly once
- Stop: Squeeze SNOObear’s belly twice
- Volume: Squeeze and hold SNOObear’s belly for three seconds
- Change Sound: Squeeze both of SNOObear’s sides together
When my baby was born, I used the lowest volume to protect her ears, and now she’s older we use the louder options.
I use the 30 minute play time option as I feel like this is enough to get my baby to sleep. Once she is asleep, whenever she wakes up and stirs (within 3 hours), SNOOBear automatically turns itself back on to comfort her. I did wish when she was younger that it would be responsive all night long instead of just 3 hours, but it wasn't a big deal as I had to go in and feed / change her anyway at some point in the night so I would just turn it back on if needed.
The 6 sound options in SNOOBear are below. Our favourite is the shush sound:
- Rain
- Strong hair dryer
- Fast and vigorous white noise
- Rumbly train
- Soft shush sounds
- Loud shush sounds
The one thing I would like to see improved is the velcro strap, it is quite long so I have to wrap it around the pram or cot a few times to secure it. I also noticed about 8 months in, that the velcro started to lose its stick a little bit.
Now my baby is 1 year old, SNOOBear (renamed ‘Ted’) sleeps in the cot with her. He is her best friend, she cuddles him all night long and it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. She also learned how to squeeze him to turn him back on herself, so on the rare occasion she does wake up in the middle of the night, I watch on the monitor as she squeezes him and then falls straight back to sleep, cuddling Ted and feeling safe.
Price
The price of SNOOBear is a little higher than other portable white noise machines, but with the unique 6 sound options (specially engineered to be continuous, monotonous, and low-pitch, perfectly mimicking sounds of the womb), the removable white noise speaker box, teddy bear and puppet in one, I honestly think it's worth every penny.
Buy if... |
Don't buy if... |
|
You want a smart white noise machine that soothes your baby while you're asleep |
You want to attach it to your pram, for me its a little bit too big, but you can remove the white noise speaker box and just take that out with you instead |
|
You want white noise sounds that actually work, are pediatrician designed and approved |
You want white noise that plays all night long, the SNOObear is designed to stop playing so your little one doesn't become reliant on it |
|
You want a teddy that will last a lifetime not just a white noise machine that will be made redundant in 2 years time |
You want a cheaper white noise machine with basic white noise sounds instead |
Mama Approved
SNOOBear is the best thing I have purchased for my baby, helping me to settle her at nap time and a big part of our daily bedtime routine. Now that I am out of the baby phase (1 year on) white noise will no longer be as important in her sleep routine, but this teddy bear will last a lifetime as my daughter's new best friend.
It's a YES from me.
L U X U R Y M A M A
