This is a series of product introductions about the finalist products at the 2016 BabyTech Awards. The Owlet Baby Monitor won the top prize for a product that aims to help babies grow up in a safer environment.
How to use Owlet Baby Monitor
The baby wears a monitoring device on a sock called Smart Sock. This device monitors the baby's heart rate and blood oxygen levels while the baby sleeps. Data is sent via Bluetooth to a device called Base Statiton; data stored in the Base Station is viewed through the Owlet smartphone app. The most important feature of the system is that monitoring blood oxygen levels allows the user to see if the baby's breathing becomes excessively shallow during sleep.
business model
Smart Sock and Base Station for $$249 on a buy-one-get-one-free basis. The app is free to use. It is a buyout, not a rental. In a sense, this is an ironclad model where the devices are purchased on a buy-out basis as an initial investment and then the consumables are purchased.
User Reviews
There are 228 customer reviews on Amazon.com and 64% is 5 stars.
The one that bothered me was the comment, "It's annoying that if the baby moves a little or something, the monitor "Is the baby awake? The Owlet device seems to require the baby to be asleep (lying down and not moving much) to take measurements, so that seems to be an area for future improvement.
Fatherly, a YouTube channel for baby tech-loving dads, also has a review of the Owlet Baby Monitor. What I found most interesting is that the distance between the Base Station and the Socks can only reach 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6.0 meters).
