I'm a First-Time Mom and the Owlet Dream Sock Has Worked Wonders to Quell My Postpartum Anxiety—Here's My Honest Review

• Value: 19/20
• Functionality: 20/20
• Ease of Use: 18/20
• Aesthetics: 20/20
• Reliability: 19/20

TOTAL: 96/100

One of the most anxiety-induing things for a postpartum mom is newborn sleep, especially as a new parent. The looming fear of SIDs is an obvious thought, but there are a myriad of very unlikely scenarios that always leave you lowering your ear to your baby's face while they sleep so you can hear their breath (and then repeating that process 15 minutes later, obviously). I will always be a stickler when it comes to safe sleep, and as a first-time mom, using the Owlet Dream Sock has helped ease my mind during night and nap time. 

Given that the brand touts over 1.5 million tiny clients worldwide, you've probably heard of it. But if you're wondering how it works, or are on the fence about whether it's actually worth it for you and your little one, allow me to provide some insights I've gathered after four months of using it.

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The Pros

I'm big on tracking and analytics when it comes to my baby, and if you like to see all the numbers and overviews of health readings, sleep cycles and wake ups, this is the monitor for you. I started off my newborn journey with a different monitor, but whenever he slept in the bassinet, it would read that he was constantly awake and moving since the bassinet itself was moving. The Owlet, however, is much better at tracking my baby's actual movements, and the switch to the sock has been more conducive to accurate analytics.

As far as accessing the data, the Owlet app is incredibly easy to use. Everything is laid out right in front of you as soon as you open it: the camera feed, health readings, sock battery level and even some other key details like the room temperature and humidity, number of times your baby has moved in their sleep and the current noise level. One of my favorite features on the home screen of the app is the dial that shows his sleep comfort at that moment (i.e., whether he is sleeping peacefully, lightly asleep or awake and active). You can also scroll through the details throughout the course of their sleep to see when your baby was active, or sleeping lighter or deeper.

My little guy has puked on his sock a couple of times and I love that I can pop the sensor off and clean it without worrying about damaging any of the technology. There are four socks, two sizes for each foot (though they only need to wear one), so once your baby sizes out of the first one he can size right up to the next. When it comes to buying pricey devices like this, getting everything with your purchase is important to me. So the fact that the Dream Duo comes with the four socks, as well as the USB wall plug and camera is such a big bonus.

Another great inclusion with the Dream Duo is the cord cover. The cord running from the camera to the plug can be covered with the plastic topper pieces to make it look neater and deters your baby from being able to grab it once they're mobile enough.

The base where the alarm sounds is also where you charge the sock, which is magnetic, so it's easy to pop it on the charger after they wake up. This is a routine I got into so it stays fully charged for each snooze session. The camera comes with a mounting kit so you can put it on your wall and had very easy instructions to follow. It can be manually turned on the mount and even pops off if you have to bring it with you elsewhere (which is what I did when my kiddo was still in his bedside bassinet). The picture is very clear on the app, and makes it easy to see your baby, even when in the dark.

The Cons

Despite the visual instructions in the box, it is still a bit tricky to get the sock lined up just right the first few nights. It took several tries during the first week-ish to get the sock on my baby comfortably and have it stay in the correct spot for monitoring, which led to a few alarms going off on the base because it would slip out of place or read that it's off center. On these nights, I would end up just turning off the base because my baby would already be asleep, and I didn't want to unswaddle or wake him up to readjust it.

I've also had some connection issues with the app that I didn't have with my previous monitor. Even if my Wi-Fi is working and I have service on my phone, there are random times where the camera will not connect and I have to unplug it and plug it back in to restart; needless to say, those instances are frustrating because I have to sneak in while he's asleep to do so.

Like I said, I didn't start off with the Dream Sock as my first monitor, but it was a game-changer once I started using it. However, as my baby gets older, I find myself using the sock less frequently. Not only am I more confident in his sleep, but he has also figured out how to un-velcro it through his sleep sack, so the alarm goes off more and more, causing unnecessary worry for me. I also now worry he'll find a way to get the sock out of his sleep sack and be able to pull the sensor off and put it in his mouth (we're teething over here, so everything is up for grabs to chew on). I do, however, still use it when he has a stuffy nose or is in a routine of sleeping face down to ease my mama-worry.

My final issue with the device has to do with the camera. While the picture itself is very clear, I had to put it up pretty high on his wall for the view to be far enough to get a visual of the full crib, which makes the cord stretch a little farther from the plug, forcing it to lay at an angle on the wall. The camera also doesn't come with a stand, so when your little one is still in a bedside bassinet, you have to either mount your camera temporarily beside your bed or find a way to set it up without drilling a hole into your wall since you'll be moving it once they're in a crib in their own room.

My experience with the Owlet Dream Sock may sound peachy keen and laid-back since I have thankfully not had any scary moments of sudden drops in readings, but I am still incredibly grateful for all the information—and, therefore, peace of mind—the monitor gives me. Plus, knowing that if something had happened, I would have been able to take action immediately, makes it totally worth it in my book.