Tried & Tested
On trial: Owlet Smart Sock
Monitor your baby’s vitals while they sleep with this innovative piece of wearable tech
You’d think that after two children I’d be an old hat with the angst that comes with a new baby – but as B-day approached with No 3 I found myself frantically googling new baby monitors after never previously finding one we got on with. Turns out things have come on leaps and bounds in the past six years and after doing a little research and speaking to friends, the Owlet Smart Sock Monitor kept coming up. So, is it worth the hype? I’ve put it to the test.
What is it?
Founded by four dads, Owlet’s mission is to ‘develop better care for babies by empowering parents with the right information at the right time’. Through careful innovation, the brand is revolutionising baby monitoring.
Enter: the smart sock monitor. This soft, comfy sock wraps around your baby’s foot (it must be touching the skin so put it under a sleepsuit, if using) to monitor heart rate and oxygen using proven pulse-oximetry technology. Notifications are sent to your phone via the free Owlet app. It gives peace of mind to know your baby’s readings are normal and even lets you go one step further by tracking sleep history. You get a notification if it thinks your baby needs to be checked on.
The sock also connects with Owlet Cam – which is sold separately but comes as a package with the model I’ve got. Owlet Cam streams live audio and HD video to your phone from anywhere. The line is secure, has a two-way function so you can talk to your baby, and monitors the temperature and humidity readings in their room. Using the sock and camera together gives you a comprehensive overview of how your baby is doing while they’re asleep.
What do you get in the box?
You can buy the sock and the camera separately – both can work without the other. However if you want total piece of mind and opt for this set, you’ll receive:
- Smart Sock Sensor
- Fabric socks, two for the left foot and and two for the right (size 1 fits babies up to 12lb and size 2 is for 12-30lb babies)
- Base station
- Charging cords and power adapters
- Owlet camera with magnetic base
- Cables with Owlet wraps (along with room-temperature sensor)
- Wall-mounting kit
There’s also a simple user guide and instructions on how to download the Owlet app.
The mounting kit means you can fit it to the wall about the cot and use it as a general camera once your baby outgrows the socks. If you’re renting or don’t want to mark your walls, you can simply use the camera on a flat surface.
You also get a base station in the box, which is a really important part of the monitor because it ensures that if your wi-fi drops out for any reason, you’d still receive the alerts.
The metrics that matter
Sanity savingWith two other children to think about, I don’t have as much time to sit and study the monitor like I did in the early days with my firstborn, so it’s great to know that technology has my back.
Long lastingThe Smart Sock has a battery life of 16 hours and takes 90 minutes to fully charge. Simply sit it on the base station, which acts like a charging dock.
Value for moneyDon’t get me wrong, this is an expensive bit of kit. But I don’t think you can put a price on peace of mind when it comes to a baby, especially in those first few months where you’re sleep deprived and more anxious than usual (just me?). You can also reuse the sock for any future additions to your family and the camera will come in handy for years after they’ve grown out of the sock itself.
Why do you need it?
Everyone has different approaches when it comes to parenting and I’m reluctant to say you need this. But for me, there’s something really reassuring about the sock monitoring my baby in such detail. You’re only alerted if your baby’s levels don’t register as ‘normal’ – and then you can just pop in to check on them.
I also love the night vision that lets you see the baby without needing to put a light on and the 130-degree wide-angle lens means you can always see a total view of the baby – as opposed to seeing, say, just a leg on the screen because they’ve fidgeted around.
