Smart Home is for Babies …
11 April 2021
As our architect continues to work on final details of our floor plan, I figured this was a good time to introduce some smart home technology you might not otherwise think about. Our daughter found out recently that she is expecting later this year so this adds more excitement to our year end besides just the new house. And it gives me something interesting, new and relevant to research.
While there is a lot of joy around having a baby I have to admit I had no idea what I was doing. I would have loved to have had some of these smart home baby devices to help. I doubt many (if any) new parents realize the actual level of responsibility that comes with the job. With smart baby gadgets though, like video baby monitors, smart formula dispensers and smart socks — yes, there are even smart baby wearables — you can enjoy a little more much-needed peace of mind and a helping hand.
There are a variety of smart home products for newborns but I’ll highlight some below I thought were pretty interesting. And wished we had around for our four rugrats …
iBaby Smart Air Quality Monitor is a smart air monitor and purifier. Equipped with the top of the line air sensors, it will inform you about the air quality, temperature, and humidity in your baby’s room. The monitor will alert you about volatile organic compounds, such as carbon monoxide, methane, ammonia and other ones that might be in the air. It will also send you lifestyle suggestions to improve the wellbeing of your family. iBaby Air comes pre-set with four lights to indicate air quality or you can pick colors from the millions available. The best part, you can use iBaby Air as a smart light stand and the night mode feature turns the light on/off day or night. Also, with any changes in the air, you will receive alerts and visuals to help you get a better and healthier life. Babies know their mother’s voice before they’re born. The two-way audio speaker allows you to talk to your baby when you’re away, play lullabies and bedtime stories through the app, as well as let you connect to iTunes library or add any MP3 music. Also, if your baby cries, the app will send you a notification. The monitor also features two-way audio speakers that allow it to double as an audio-only baby monitor, an alarm and air station map to track nearby iBaby Air monitors. iBaby Air comes with a free iBaby Care app (iOS and Android compatible) to control the monitor. At only six inches tall, iBaby Air is the smallest and smartest connected air quality monitor and purifier available.
With the wall-mounted Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor, you’ll always have a high-def view of your baby, day or night, no matter whether you’re away from home, at work or relaxing in the next room. It also lets you take and save snapshots. From the app (available on iOS and Android), you can view the live feed or use the two-way audio feature to soothe your baby if they are fussy. In addition, Nanit gives you your baby’s sleep stats each morning, plus a timelapse highlight reel of their sleep, so you can rewatch their entire night in seconds. Get personalized, science-backed sleep guidance and tips from the world’s leading pediatric sleep experts, right in your Nanit app. 256-bit encryption keeps your data safe and two-factor authentication keeps your account secure. Invite the whole parenting team to access your camera, and with user permissions, you can control exactly what each user can see and do. Nanit includes one year of Nanit Insights sleep tracking and video history.
Few things are better for a new baby and parent than a good night’s rest. With the Snoo Smart Sleeper Crib, you can help your baby achieve quality sleep every time you lay them down. The sleep bassinet provides a firm, flat sleep surface and only bassinet, sleeper, or bed that keeps your baby safely on the back, following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Safe Sleep Guidelines. SNOO Sleeper boosts sleep 1–2+ hours per night, so parents get more sleep than with other baby cribs or smart furniture. The moving sleeper bassinet soothes babies with the constant rumbly sound and gentle rocking motion they loved in the womb. It also detects fussing and the self-rocking bassinet responds with gradually stronger white noise and motion to calm crying. Their smart app (iOS and Android) logs sleep and naps, and lets you adjust the bassinet’s motion, sound, and cry sensitivity. Included is a preemie mode and weaning option for the best transition to the crib.
The Owlet Smart Sock offers you peace of mind, by keeping a watchful eye on your baby’s oxygen levels and heart rate. You can view readings and receive alerts in real time via the iOS and Android app. The Owlet lets you know when your baby needs you as the Base Station and Owlet app notify you when readings leave “safe” zones. The Smart Sock has fitting flexibility by fitting babies 0–18 months or 5–30 pounds and can be worn on either foot. It has a 16-hour battery and can wirelessly quick charge for 8 hours of use in 20 minutes with the drop-and-go charging on the Base Station.
The Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad and Scale offers you and your baby a comfortable place for diaper changes while doubling as a weight gain tracker. It keeps a running list of your baby’s weight in between doctor visits and can even measure how much your baby is drinking in each feeding (in grams and ounces). From the iOS and Android Hatch Baby app you can view charts of past readings, easily record nursing sessions, sleep, pumping amounts and add additional approved caregivers so that everyone who watches your precious bundle is always in the know.
If you need a break or you’ve got chores to complete, let the 4moms mamaRoo Smart Baby Swing rock your baby to sleep. It has five unique motions (car ride, wave, kangaroo, tree swing and rock-a-bye), just like parents do when comforting their baby. And 5 speed options to find the perfect combination to soothe your baby and improve their sleep. And it can play four white noise options — ocean, fan, shh and rain — or connect it to any MP3 player which you can control through the iOS or Android apps. The mamaRoo is also Bluetooth enabled so you can control the motion, sound, speed and volume from your compatible smart device without disturbing your baby. With so many combinations, it’ll be easy for your baby to feel comfortable and ready to sleep through the night. The 4moms app also features a timer that can be used to help establish a bedtime routine and improve sleep. The overhead toy mobile includes interactive, reversible toy balls to keep your baby’s attention with the sound of the crinkle ball, rattle or reflective mirror ball. The adjustable recline options are good for sleeping babies or relaxing while awake, and the removable machine-washable seat fabric makes for easy cleanup. The swing is designed to hold babies up to 25 pounds.
With a continuous monitoring thermometer, you can see your baby’s temperature at any time, and be sure they’re not running a fever. The VAVA Smart Baby Thermometer alarm beeps immediately upon detecting a body temperature higher than 38°C / 100°F plus blinking LED indication at 39°C / 102°F, you’ll be alerted even while you’re sleeping. The thermometer has round-the-clock monitoring with 24-hour battery life with notifications for low battery, disconnection, and device falling off your baby. The VAVA has a large backlit display for clear viewing at night — no complicated Bluetooth or mobile app. The soft silicone patch simply sits comfortably and safely on the skin by your baby’s armpit during use. It’s also medical- and food-grade silicone for simple cleanup.
Bottles are a handy alternative to breastfeeding but sometimes they can be a bother to make, especially in the middle of the night. With the Baby Brezza Smart Formula Dispenser, you can get a perfectly made warm baby bottle when you need one. It works with all formula brands and bottle sizes, and you have full control over formula portions and temperature settings. You can choose 1 ounce increments between 2–10 ounces, 3 temperature settings and formula/water or water only dispensing. Its patented mixing technology automatically mixes formula and water to perfect consistency. The Baby Brezza may be the most advanced way to automatically make a warm, formula bottle instantly
Running through this post I’ve realized just how far caring for your baby has come since Debbie and I had our first. Not that I’d want to change a thing but it might have been nice to have some of these smart home conveniences for us and our kids. Now as grandparents we get the opportunity — and pure pleasure — to spoil our grandkids. And with another on the way we now have some great smart home options for the next one. We’d love to hear if any of you have experience with any of these above or other devices for babies.
We’re anxious to get started on next steps once our floor plan is finalized. We’ve already starting working on options for exterior elevation, brick color and interior finish out. I’m looking into using reclaimed basketball court maple planks in the office as it’ll have a definite sports theme from the memorabilia collected over the course of my career. Debbie continues to work on her kitchen design, including her coffee bar and wine rack. We’re even planning a special place for the Roomba. Stay tuned as we keep rolling through this project and as always, let us know if you have questions or comments.
Interesting poll per Front Office Sports this week — 33% of respondents plan on buying a house in the next 12 months
