Is the Owlet Baby Monitor Worth It?

I’ve combed through Reddit discussions to see what real users think about the Owlet Baby Monitor, a popular device designed to track an infant’s oxygen levels and heart rate.

The Good

Peace of mind for anxious parents: “The Owlet gave her peace of mind. She was able to sleep and even go take a shower without worrying if her baby’s breathing stopped.” (51 upvotes)
Potentially life-saving alerts: “Just read a post this morning about it saving a baby’s life with RSV when oxygen dropped.” (67 upvotes)
Worth the false alarms: “The Owlet isn’t perfect but I would gladly react to every false alarm if it catches a real issue once.” (57 upvotes)
Helpful for parents with SIDS history: “My mom bought us ours because way back in the 70s she had two babies die of SIDS and would’ve given anything to know that her babies were passing.” (69 upvotes)
Mental health benefit: “As a person with lifelong OCD, it was the only way I got any sleep at night… I was so, so much better off mentally and physically.” (68 upvotes)

The Not So Good

Marketing to parental anxiety: “Unpopular take – but I feel like there’s so many products that prey on nervous first time moms and this is one of them.” (165 upvotes)
False readings: “When I went to the ER with my baby who had RSV I made a comment about getting the owlet to monitor her and the doctor said they do not recommend it, that it gives both false low and false high readings.” (184 upvotes)
Security concerns: “Don’t use a WiFi/internet-connected monitor. When your WiFi goes down, so does your baby monitor… Security concerns as noted in this post.” (75 upvotes)
Medical skepticism: “I had a NICU baby… Neonatal paediatrician still said she doesn’t recommend them – says they either make people more anxious or complacent.” (59 upvotes)
Skin irritation/burns: “It’s a common complaint. I don’t see why people continue to use them.” (585 upvotes)

Compared to Alternatives

Non-WiFi monitors preferred: “We bought a monitor that doesn’t use WiFi for this specific reason. I can’t check it from my phone so I have to carry the monitor around.” (54 upvotes)
Closed-system alternatives: “We got a Motorola video monitor closed system and I love it. It reaches 1000ft so if baby is sleeping I can go outside or even to the neighbours and it reaches.” (60 upvotes)
Radio antenna monitors: “You want a baby monitor that runs on a radio antenna like the Infant Optics DXR-8. It’s got a bad screen but the connection is rock solid.” (75 upvotes)
Budget-friendly: “Hello baby monitor is $50 on Amazon and doesn’t use wifi!” (51 upvotes)

Worth it?

Worth it for high-risk situations: Parents with premature babies or SIDS history find value despite issues.
Not worth it for typical situations: “I don’t see why people continue to use them.” (585 upvotes)
Value depends on parental anxiety: “I wholly disagree with everyone who says using it will add to your anxiety. For me, it’s the only way I’ve been able to relieve it.” (57 upvotes)

Pro Tips

Age restrictions: “The owlet is only supposed to be used on babies that are 1 month or older. If younger, it’s normal for O2 levels to fluctuate.” (57 upvotes)
Proper sleep environment: “With a proper infant mattress and tight-fitting sheet with nothing else in the crib, issues should be minimal.” (135 upvotes)
Swaddling caution: “If your child is swaddled, stop as soon as they start to roll. Reflexes help reposition if O2 drops.” (90 upvotes)
Initial month advice: “I use it religiously every night on my 9-month-old. But the first month, you just can’t use it effectively.” (57 upvotes)

Final Verdict

Reddit discussions highlight the Owlet baby monitor as a polarizing product. It provides essential reassurance for high-risk infants and anxious parents, yet faces criticism over false alarms, and potential security issues. Yet, for parents with premature babies or SIDS history find value despite issues.