SANDY, Utah — You’ve heard of a “smart home,” but what about a “smart nursery?”
We’re in the age of technology where the appliances and devices in our homes can be operated with an app or remote control.
“Technology, when used correctly, is there to help you as a parent,” said Morgan Byrge.
Byrge is the assistant manager or “cubby mom” of The Baby Cubby, a small-owned business with locations in Sandy and American Fork. The retail store is adamant that technology should assist parents, not replace them.
With Utah having some of the highest fertility rates in the country, FOX 13 News stopped by the new Sandy location to check out the hottest “smart” devices new or expecting parents should add to their Christmas lists.
“We as a company really pride ourselves in doing so much research and testing out different products. We bring them in, we see how parents like them, we see how they respond, we see how we like them, and we really handpick our favorites,” explained Byrge.
One of those “favorites” is the Snoo Smart Sleeper: a $1,695 baby bassinet that can react to the baby and switch levels of white noise and motion.
“There are gentle motions that go up in level as your baby wakes up and needs soothing,” said Byrge. “It responds in real-time to what is going on with your baby.”
There’s also the Nanit Pro Camera. The monitor is an overhead HD camera that also tracks sleep data and alerts you of possible problems with the help of a special swaddle.
“The Nanit actually reads the custom design on the swaddle and tells you about their breathing, about their movement,” she said. “So as a parent, I think that can give you super sound of mind when they’re sleeping.”
One of the cheaper “smart” options is the 4mom mamaRoo 5 Multi-Motion Baby Swing for $269.99. Like the others, you can use your phone to change sounds and settings that mimic parent motions.
“When you need that time where you need both your hands to do a task or you can’t rock them in that moment, I think this is a great tool that parents can use to assist them in helping soothe your baby,” said Byrge.
A warning to be aware of; hackers can get access to wifi-connected baby monitors. One way to protect your family is by installing very strict security measures.
A lot of the products, like the Nanit monitor, explain implemented security measures like encrypted video streams and multi-factor authentication.
If that worries you, there are also highly-rated wifi-free monitors out there.
To check out the items listed above, you can visit The Baby Cubby’s FOX 13 Gift Guide by clicking here.
