Happiest Baby paywalls previously free SNOO features behind a subscription
On July 15, 2024, Happiest Baby moved several previously free features of its $1,695 SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet behind a $19.99-per-month SNOO Premium subscription, so that a family who buys the device secondhand must pay a recurring fee to use functions the original owner received for free.[1][2] In September 2024, Consumer Reports and U.S. PIRG named the SNOO in a letter asking the Federal Trade Commission to curb what they called "software tethering", the use of software to limit a device after it is sold.[3]
Background
[edit | edit source]The SNOO Smart Sleeper is a Wi-Fi-connected robotic bassinet made by Happiest Baby that rocks an infant, plays white noise, and responds to crying with more motion and sound; many of its settings are controlled through the Happiest Baby smartphone app.[1] A new SNOO sells for $1,695 direct from the company, a certified pre-owned unit for $1,195, and the device rents for $159 per month.[1] The resale market is a common way to buy a SNOO for less.[1]
The subscription
[edit | edit source]Announced in June 2024 and effective July 15, 2024, Happiest Baby began charging a $19.99-per-month SNOO Premium subscription for app features that had previously been free to every user.[1][2] The paywalled settings include the weaning mode, which eases a baby off the bassinet's motion toward a crib; Level Lock, which holds the SNOO at one motion level; the daily sleep log and reports; the responsiveness and motion-start settings; Car Ride Mode; and control of more than one SNOO from a single account.[2] The basic app stays free, covering starting and stopping the bassinet, adjusting the volume, a motion limiter that caps the rocking, alerts, real-time status, and manual tracking.[2]
Access to the premium features depends on how and when a family obtained the bassinet:[1]
| How the SNOO was obtained | Premium access |
|---|---|
| Bought new from Happiest Baby or an authorized partner before July 15, 2024 | Free[1] |
| Bought from Happiest Baby or an authorized partner after July 15, 2024 | Free for nine months[1][4] |
| Rented from Happiest Baby | Free for the rental plus one month[1][2] |
| Bought secondhand or borrowed | $19.99 per month[1][2] |
Happiest Baby's response
[edit | edit source]Happiest Baby attributed the change to the cost of supporting resold units. Its announcement said that over eight years many SNOOs had been resold and had "changed hands up to 10 times", and that tens of thousands of second-hand users had contacted the company for help.[4] CEO Harvey Karp told The Verge that the subscription let the company "provide the same level of care" to people who bought a SNOO "through the resale market", and that it needed to be able to "adjust our business structure".[1]
Consumer response
[edit | edit source]The change infuriated many SNOO owners.[1] One told The Verge she was surprised that features advertised as coming with the Snoo were being paywalled, comparing the move to "a mechanic intentionally breaking your car just so they can sell you the repair".[1] Another buyer, who found a SNOO on Facebook Marketplace, said he might not have bought it had he known about the fee.[1]
On September 5, 2024, Consumer Reports and the U.S. PIRG, joined by 15 other groups, sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking for clear rules against software that limits how a device works after a consumer has bought it, and cited the SNOO as an example.[3] The letter said Happiest Baby had "limited consumers' ability to resell their product" by putting advertised features behind the subscription for anyone who bought the bassinet second-hand.[3]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Peters, Jay (2024-07-20). "This $1,695 smart bassinet's best features are now behind a premium subscription". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2026-01-15. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Consumer Reports, U.S. PIRG, and 15 other groups call on FTC to create clear guidance for 'software tethering'". Consumer Reports Advocacy. 2024-09-05. Archived from the original on 2026-09-07. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Our Expanded Happiest Baby App Is Here: New Features & New Subscription". Happiest Baby. Archived from the original on 2024-07-18. Retrieved 2026-08-23.