Owlet Dream Duo 2 Smart Review

Several parents came together and launched the Owlet monitor in 2012. They recognized the need for a monitor that could offer increased peace of mind for parents who wanted more information about what was happening to their baby in the nursery. They believe peace of mind and good quality sleep are important for all parents.

Performance Comparison

Expected Reliability

The Owlet scored well in our research and test for expected reliability. While it is impossible to test the reliability of a product like this over time, given the technology and variabilities that can impact performance, we do our best to assess what the average home might expect based on user reviews and our experience.

We had more connectivity alerts for this sock than similar products, as did multiple user reviews online. The connectivity seems to be the main culprit for reliability issues, and shorter distances and strict adherence to the user manual can help decrease connectivity issues. Fitting the sock and putting it on correctly can also increase correct connectivity.

Owlet calls their sock sensor “Clinically-proven, medical-grade accuracy” and perhaps this is why we found fewer complaints about inaccuracies with the vital tracking. We found more “false alarms” (when the monitor alerts, but there is no problem) than we did for poor sensitivity where it should have prompted but didn't.

We will take a false alarm over no alarm any day. However, this could lead to anxious sleep, and if it happens enough, ignoring prompts as they will seem insignificant if they occur too frequently.

Set Up

The Owlet has an easy enough setup, but it does require some tech savvy and a 2.4GHz WiFi router, or at least a split router with 5GHz, as you need to be connected via 2.4 to complete the setup but can operate on 5.

You can set up the sock and base station without the camera and only monitor vitals. You need to download an app to pair everything up and receive notifications on your phone. This option has better directions in the manual than most and also provides step-by-step instructions in the app. While not part of this process was hard, it can be new and challenging if you are unfamiliar with your WiFi router, switching to 2.4 GHz, or struggle with technology in general.

We also stumbled on information indicating that it cannot be used on public WiFi for privacy reasons and, therefore, would not be all that useful for traveling when staying in hotels.

Ease of Use

If you are comfortable with tech gadgets, WiFi, and apps, the Owlet is one of the easier options to use. However, if you struggle with pairing something with your phone, don't like signing up for app accounts, or aren't sure how to use tech, it could save you some frustration to look elsewhere.

The Owlet has a useful manual for setup but not much information on how to use it. Luckily, if you use apps frequently, it is intuitive, and the icons will largely seem familiar. It might take some clicking around or trial and error at first, but it is easy to maneuver around, and things are clearly labeled.

This monitor continues to monitor when your phone is closed. Alerts or prompts will come through via the base station and push notifications, and it has picture-in-picture should you be using video monitoring while doing other things. The sock will work with the base station via Bluetooth and will continue to alert without WiFi, but you can't watch live monitoring of vitals.

Monitoring Capabilities

The Owlet is a monitor that does it all and would likely easily meet your monitoring goals.

Alerts

The Owlet earns a higher-than-average result for alerts, but there are some considerations you will need to make based on your goals and situation. Since a movement-style monitor should create peace of mind and encourage better or more sleep, the alert should be one that will wake you when there is a problem.

The Owlet calls the alerts for this monitor “prompts.” The prompts are based on sock errors, connectivity problems, and vitals falling outside the “thresholds” the monitor defines (slightly adjustable by the user).

The thresholds being tracked are heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. Owlet describes this as the baby potentially being uncomfortable and that it could impact sleep. We suspect this is a response to the FDA and troubles they had years ago with the sock being too closely pitched as a medical device despite not being called one or being one.

The prompts are not loud enough, in our opinion, and the volume isn't adjustable on the base and only limited in the adjustment for push notifications on your phone. In our tests for the alerts, the base station's highest volume is 55 dBa. This might be no problem for light sleepers, and some parents will have no difficulty waking up and heading to the nursery quickly. However, if you are a deep sleeper or struggle to get up with a regular alarm, it might not be loud enough and we worry some parents will sleep through the alert. The alerts also come to your smartphone, but these are push notifications and are unlikely to wake anyone outside of light sleepers. It feels like a huge misstep to create a vitals alert monitor that lacks the ability to adjust the volume for each user and their needs. Waking the parent is job one for this kind of unit, and there is no reason we can think of why you'd want a quiet monitor with no adjustability.

Electromagnetic Field (EMF)

In past testing of the Owlet socks, we have been utterly disappointed in the EMF results, with levels significantly higher than cellphones and fitness trackers. However, the Owlet made some improvements and wowed us with a much lower result this time around.

We measured the EMF emissions for the movement monitor category right at the sock because it sits right on your baby and will not work at any great distance. The average EMF reading we got over three readings was 0.512 V/m. While not the lowest result in the group, it is relatively low and such an improvement over old Owlet socks we consider it a win.

Should You Buy the Owlet Duo Dream?

If you are the type of person who feels at peace with the most information possible, then the Owlet should absolutely make your shortlist. This monitor has a sock and sensor that tracks blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, movement, and more. It is a medical-grade tracker that seems more accurate than similar-style options. It also pairs with a camera and app, and while the camera is not a favorite, both are easy to use and provide even more information.

What Other Movement Monitor Should You Consider?

The Eufy Smart Sock S340 is a similar but less expensive monitor to the Owlet. It has a better video resolution, more adjustability for the alerts, and includes vitals tracking. We think it is a good stand-in for the Owlet, but it didn't seem to have as accurate vital tracking in our tests, with vitals appearing on the app when the sock was not in use. Alternatively, if you'd like something simpler, the Snuza Hero SE is the best bet with a reliable clip-style wearable that vibrates to alert the baby before an in-nursery alarm goes off. This monitor style can be paired with a video monitor or sound monitor so parents can hear the alarm in their room.

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