An Honest CradleWise Review
A crib or bassinet is one of the items that parents should carefully consider before your baby arrives. There are LOTS of options for cribs and bassinets and now, there are even smart cribs and smart bassinets. A crib or bassinet can definitely impact and affect your baby’s sleep. With the advancements in technology, there are now bassinets and cribs that will claim they monitor your baby’s sleep patterns and will help your baby sleep longer stretches. You may have heard of the SNOOwhich is a popular smart bassinet invented by Dr. Harvey Karp. The SNOO was the first smart sleeper but there is now another one, CradleWise. CradleWise is one of the up and coming popular smart sleepers on the market. I’m here to share my honest thoughts and opinions on the CradleWise Crib so you can make a decision before investing in it!
An Honest CradleWise Review
CradleWise Features
Cradlewise is the only crib that responds to your baby before they cry. The built-in baby monitor will sense when your baby is starting to wake up and will start a bouncing motion to sooth your baby. It also has a built-in sound machine that includes white noise, pink noise and brown noise. The two features that make it unique are that it includes motion and sound and the built in baby monitor. This does simplify the number of products that you need and combine it all into one.
They claim they are different from the SNOO and other smart cribs or bassinets because their technology addresses movements rather than cries. I don’t think any newborn baby necessarily NEEDS a product that has motion included. While it may be convenient for the parents, many babies don’t like the motion and it can actually upset them more. Some babies also may get too reliant
Cradlewise technology learns the babies sleep patterns and claims to provide guidance to help with their schedule and optimal sleep and wake-up times.
CradleWise Safety
Cradlewise is safe to use until your child is 24 months of age or 33 pounds, whichever comes first.
One great feature of the CradleWise is that they do have a trial period to determine if it’s a product that you want to keep. They have a 100-night trial that starts on the first day you put your baby in the crib. If the crib doesn’t work then they will pick it up and give you a full refund. In my opinion, this is a great warranty plan.
CradleWise Cost
The last item I’ll share is the cost. Dun, dun, dun … this item costs $1,999. WOWZAS. They do offer some order in advance deals which can bring the cost down to $1,399. To compare this to the SNOO – to purchase the SNOO it costs $1,695 and you can rent it for $159/month. The CradleWise does last for the bassinet to crib transition so you get a longer runway with it.
Is CradleWise Safe
CradleWise has done significant testing on their products and they state that their crib meets or exceeds all U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission safety standards for bassinets, non-full-size baby cribs/play yards, and crib mattresses. They are also GREENGUARD Gold Certified which ensures their crib is clear of 10,000 chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) commonly known to pollute indoor air.
They have also ensured that their WiFi module for their baby monitor is placed as far away from the baby as possible. The sides of the crib have mesh walls which help with ventilation for the baby. their In addition to the mandatory certifications, we have taken care of the following:
The motion is the only component of the crib that concerns me. While the bouncing isn’t technically considered unsafe, it is still being controlled by a piece of technology. And we all know, technology is not human, it can fail at any time. When purchasing a crib, you’ll want to be sure that you know of all the crib hazards prior to purchase.
Is CradleWise Worth It
If you have an extra $2,000 to spend on a baby item, I do think the CradleWise is an interesting product to consider. When it comes to the SNOO vs. CradleWise debate, I would vote for CradleWise and here’s why. It would convert from a bassinet to crib so you’re getting those two products combined. It also has a built in sound machine and monitor that both seem to get great additions. I also definitely prefer the bouncing feature in the CradleWise well over the rocking motion in the SNOO. I also like that you don’t have to use a specific swaddle in the CradleWise and you can disable that bouncing feature if needed.
At the end of the day, I think this is just another product that is taking advantage of tired, desperate parents telling them that they will have a peace of mind and get longer sleep stretches with their products. Babies aren’t robots and we can’t treat them that way. Some babies will thrive in this product and others will hate it – that’s just the reality!
CradleWise Dimensions
The crib is similar to other mini cribs. The exact dimensions are 40” L X 25” W X 42” H, weighing 88.2 lbs.
If you ready to transition your baby to a crib whether it be from cosleeping or a bassinet, I would purchase a good ‘ole fashioned crib. They are safe and your baby won’t get reliant on constant motion or bouncing to self soothe. If you don’t know how to start the transition to a crib, reach out to me today!