Hatch Baby Rest Night Light and Sound Machine Review
Price $69
BUY NOW Amazon Hatch BabyHatch Baby is known for creating innovative “smart” technology baby products to give new parents peace of mind.
You may have heard of Hatch Baby from their famous changing pad/baby scale, called the “Grow.”
When I first learned of Hatch Baby, I assumed they were just another company trying to over-engineer simple baby products (using smart phone apps unnecessarily, etc.).
So I kept my distance for a while.
But when my 7-year-old decided she wouldn’t sleep in her bed anymore because she’s scared of weird shadows, I decided to give the new Hatch Baby Rest a whirl.
Let me first say I’ve used MANY night lights and sound machines, partly because it’s my job and partly because I’m addicted to white noise. I like my sleep, people!!
I don’t want anything to get in the way of me and sleeping: not the 5:30 a.m. garbage truck, not my barking dog, and especially not my kid-who’s-scared-of-weird-shadows. No one ever told me that after the newborn phase, kids continue to wake you up for, like… YEARS to come.
YEAH.
Anyway.
Both the product and the accompanying app are elegantly designed and very easy to use. The speaker quality is an 8 on a scale of 10 (IMO), and MUCH better than other sound machines at this price point (it’s not a Bose, but waaaaay better than the tinniness (is that a word?) of cheaper sound machines). Bottom line: it’s very well built.
Another cool thing: you can also get adorable plastic covers (coverlets) to customize the design. The only problem is, if you pick it up by the sleeve, the light falls out the bottom. You’ll learn how to hold it so it doesn’t do this, but just… FYI.
The product has a touch-activated chrome ring around the top speaker, which is very surprising (in the good way) the first time you accidentally touch it. Note: you can also disable this feature so your kiddos can’t mess with it.
The business end (the buttons, controls, etc.) is on the very bottom, which is concealed unless you pick it up, but I always just use the app.
I love that I can customize the color and the intensity of the light (this is very hard to come by!!!). I don’t want it to be as bright as the surface of the sun in their room at night, like most night lights are. Let’s just put it this way: if your kid wakes up at 3am to go pee and thinks the sun is up, your night light is too damn bright!!
You can also control the selected sound (11 white noise/nature sounds to choose from) and the volume. Or you can mute the sound as well.
That’s really all you need.
Routines, routines, routines
Listen up: as a parent, I love routines. Routines keep our family functioning normally. I use the app to set the light (and sound) to pop on at 7:45 p.m., which signals to my kids that it’s time to get in bed and turn the lights off.
Night light’s on: it’s bed time!!!
That’s right, it’s not me watching the clock and saying, “OKAY kids, it’s 7:45, it’s time to turn the light off.” No, it’s the light; the light is telling them it’s bedtime. Go toward the light, children, mwaaaa. I don’t have to be the arbiter of bedtime because it’s not up for negotiation.
Must obey the light.
Another example of following “routine cues”: on weekday mornings, I have an alarm that goes off on the kitchen iPad at 8:05 a.m. My kids know when they hear the chiming that it’s time to leave for school. They’re like dogs responding to a cue.
It works amazingly well.
The Rest also has an “OK to wake” feature that can be used in a similar way. Lucky for me, my kids are sleepers and I don’t need this function, but for all those kids who like to wake up too early on a Saturday (or everyday), parents, this one’s for you!!
So I embrace this use of technology because it keeps us in our routines, much like the sun did for cave people.
And there’s no negotiating with the sun.
I used to say that my biggest complaint about this product was that it wasn’t cordless.
BUT.
As of 2019, the newer edition — the Hatch Baby Rest+ ($89) — comes with the standard features from the original (the time-to-wake, night light, and noise machine) AND it’s also portable (WiFi enabled), has a digital clock display, plus an audio monitor. Talk about multi-tasking.
Bottom line: The sound quality and light options for the Hatch Baby Rest are excellent and I actually love using the app to control it. It helps maintains bedtime and morning routines, which is priceless. For $59, the Hatch Baby Rest is a highly-functional, great-looking night light and sound machine that will serve you well for many years to come. And for $89, the Rest+ covers all your bases from the get-go: a noise machine, monitor, night light, rise-to-wake, etc. We’re very excited about it!
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Did you find the sound volume to be too loud? Specifically, how does it compare with the Dohme sound machine in terms of volume and sound? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer! Meg feels that the volume level and sound is the same as the Dohm.
Yeah, Its a nice idea and a great article. But how does it compare with the Dohme sound machine in terms of volume and sound? Thank you so much.
Hi Anne! Meg owns a few Dohm sound machines and says that the Rest is very comparable.
Very nice clock. Well featured. Easy to set up. Especially like the Mon – Fri alarm feature and the fact that you do not need to turn the alarm on and off each day. Once you turn it off, it is ready for the next alarm time. The night light is nice but I do not use it much. The display has an auto dimming feature that dims and brightens the display depending on the available light in the room. The USB port powers my wireless charging station for my phone while eliminating another plugged in charging station. Very satisfied and I would definitely buy again
Regards
D. Reddrik
if you love staring at your phone waiting for an app to load while your baby is screaming, this is the device for you. setting up favorite settings and trying to tap the rim while it malfunctions with a wailing baby in your arms is the best. you can never tell which button on the actual device is the volume or the light, or which one is up or down. even if you could see which button you’re pressing it’s not made for human hands. idk maybe a professional basketball player could use the buttons one handed with a baby in the other. we’ve returned and tried a new one 3 times with the same problems. wifi down? good luck with your screaming baby while you reset your router. it only takes 3 minutes with a screaming baby to reset the modem or restart your phone. god forbid the device came with a simple slide or dial to make things simple. also a great plus if you love having your phone out around your kids. i heard screen time is great for their development.