Affordable SNOO Alternatives: Important Update

Affordable SNOO Alternatives: Important Update

• 8.17.2020

When Otto was a newborn, we really really struggled with sleep. I shared in this post how I found he slept better/longer napping in the Rock N Play than he did in his flat, plain bassinet, but of course the American Academy of Pediatrics' sleep guidelines say baby needs to be on a flat surface, i.e. NOT a Rock N Play or swing seat, for sleep. (Since Otto was a newborn, the Rock N Play has actually been recalled for safety reasons and we sent ours back in.) Otto also slept better in the wrap, or when we were rocking him.

The SNOO bassinet is an incredible invention by the author of a popular baby sleep book that aims to help babies get and stay asleep safely, on a flat surface, swaddled, in part by sensing their cries and rocking when they start to wake up. It's also very stylish, compared to all the ugly plastic-ey baby stuff out there. Oh, but it's $1,400.

They do have rental options and military discounts, but it wasn't an option for us. So instead, I found this alternative that plugs in and rocks, and lays flat. (A lot of baby rockers/bassinets are not "safe" because they are on a recline rather than flat, and a lot just vibrate, which I don't think really helped much for Otto.)

Well, even though it's only been 2 years, there have been a LOT of updates in the market and safety standards since 2018. I definitely needed to update this post and share what I would choose now!

(See our bedroom sources here)

Affordable SNOO Alternatives for Newborn Sleep

There are a MILLION bassinets out there, but trust me, most of them either are static, rock when you push on them, or only vibrate, so the list of rocking ones that have other SNOO-like features is pretty short! Here are the best options I found and some more details about them!

I've linked the best prices and options I could find online, multiple retailers in cases where you can get the same price at a couple places. 

1. This $160 option, the Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinet with Smart Connect, rocks and can be controlled from your phone. Great price, not too bulky or ugly (don't love the pattern, but it's not too bad). However it appears to only take batteries, not plug in, so it may go through them quickly if you leave the rocking on all night. (There is also a $140 version that doesn't work with your phone--some of the reviews say that feature wasn't worth it for them. Amazon/Target.)
2. The Graco® DreamGlider™ we have is now called the Graco® DuoGlider® but appears to be the exact same thing. They did take out the word "sleeper" from the name (see an article about safety reasons for that here). I chose it because it appeared to meet the safety guidelines because it lays flat (per the American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau recommendations). However the bassinet portion can move up to a few different options of incline, and I imagine people use those for sleeping, too, which would not be safe per the recommendations. Reading the article it sounds like Graco® chose to remove the word "sleeper" and not recommend this swing for unsupervised sleep but again, I think leaving it in the flat position should address some of the issues (?). Anyway it is $180 and we have been really happy with ours--has several swing settings plus white noise and music. And once Otto outgrew it as a bedside bassinet, we put it in our living room in the inclined position for him to sit in while awake. (Target/Buy Buy Baby)
3. Possibly the most attractive option on this list is the 4moms® mamaRoo sleep™ bassinet. It's $350 (before you apply your Bed Bath and Beyond/Buy Buy Baby 20% coupon that is easy to come by), so more expensive than the other options but still less than a third of the price of the SNOO. It sounds like a really great choice--it has 5 different motions as well as 5 speeds, plus white noise and a timer, and can be controlled from your phone. It looks like it would take up less room next to the bedside than our big Graco swing with its big base! Plus it's white instead of black/grey. 
4. This option is most like the SNOO in function: the Graco® Sense2Snooze™ Bassinet with Cry Detection™ Technology, which has a mic to detect when baby starts crying and turn on the rocking motion. It has several different motions, speeds, and white noise and music as well. It's only $240-300 before coupon. 
5. The Graco® Move 'n Soothe™ Bassinet is very similar to #4 but doesn't have the microphone to automatically sense baby's cries and turn on by itself. Other than that it's the same, with several settings and options. It's $225.

Overall several good options. None anywhere near as attractive as the SNOO, but you can get other pretty baby things (like a Moses basket/stand and this bouncer) to match your decor for elsewhere in the house. :P The bassinet will just sit by your bed for 2-4 months, probably, and function and safety are more important to me, anyway.

Note: if the automated rocking doesn't sound important to you, I also really recommend an adjustable height bassinet with a side that lowers so you can easily reach baby from laying down in bed (like this one). Read more about that in my baby registry essentials post!