Hatch Rest Plus Review (and, how does it compare to the Rest?)

I love Hatch baby products, and the Hatch Rest+ is no different.

Hatch is one of those companies that’s able to take a complicated question and turn into a user-friendly product. This time they asked, ‘can you create a Night Light, Sound Machine, Audio Monitor, and OK-to-Wake combo and control it from an app on your phone?’

The answer? An enthusiastic yes.

Things I love about the Hatch Rest+

• It’s pretty – I love the simplicity of it so it can grow with your child – a glowing teddy bear may not be your 12-year olds idea of a good time one day.
• You can control it all from your phone – you don’t have to crawl on your stomach like a marine in training to turn the light down. You can also turn it on with your touch if bedtime is going down, and your phone is MIA.

• It’s Alexa enabled – you can have her turn it on and off for you without lifting a finger.
• It has an OK-to-Wake function – you may be thinking in newborn terms right now but before you know it, you’ll have a walking little gremlin that has no clue how to tell time. You can set this sucker and tell your child “if it’s glowing blue it’s okay to get up”
• It has a clock – again, this might not be high on your list of newborn needs, but as your kid gets older, a clock comes in handy. Plus, if you like to time things like feedings, or how many minutes of possible sleep you can get if your baby goes to bed THIS VERY SECOND, a clock is key.
• It’s an audio monitor – using your phone, you can listen to and speak to your baby without any extra equipment or cords.
• You can set up a schedule – Time for a nap? Quiet time? Bedtime? You can set up a series of ‘alarms’ so your child knows “when the light and music comes on it’s time for bed.” I had it set up in our room to come on at 6 am. When I’d wake up in the middle of the night and didn’t see it on I knew I still had sleeping time without having to put on my glasses to look at the clock. It’s the opposite of ‘okay to wake’ and is more like ‘hell yeah, more time to sleep’. (It’s the little things.)
• All the controls are hidden – It gives it a nice clean look, and reduces the chances of your nursery turning into a disco lounge when your toddler is toddlerin’.

• It isn’t too bright – even the brightest yellow is still more of a soft glow, instead of ‘surface of the sun’, so they are all nice for sleeping.
• It’s great for nighttime feeds or diaper changes – there is a tap function on the top so you can turn it on instantly – casting enough light so you can see what you are doing.
• You can change the design – It comes with a set of coverlets, as well as an option to purchase other designs, so you can customize it to your décor – swap out llamas for zig zags in a snap.
• It has a backup battery – you can take it on the go, or bring it to your slumbering cherub if they decide to nap somewhere other than their nursery.
• It’s simple – I HATE reading instructions, watching tutorials or walking through a step-by-step. You plug this in, download the app, hook it up to your Wifi, and you’re ready to go.

Things to Consider

• It’s $90, so it’s more than a Dollartree night light. Still, I think it has a long shelf life – considering that ours is in my 9-year old’s room that would work out to be $10 a year.
• Even though it has a great selection of music and sounds, I wish I could play my music through it like an actual speaker sometimes.
• I wish I could customize the coverlets even more. I fully recognize that this would be difficult to execute but I still think it could be cool.
• It requires both a bluetooth and wifi connection to operate from your phone, so if your house has spotty wifi, you may run into some issues.

How does it compare to the Hatch Rest?

The Hatch Rest is still a solid option if you’re looking for a straight nightlight, sound machine, and Okay-to-Wake device. But if even one of the other features appeals to you, the $30 price difference makes the Hatch Rest+ a sensible option.

In conclusion

I love the simple, clean design of the Hatch Rest+. It’s easy to use and I can see how useful it could be for a number of childhood stages. I think it’s a solid purchase that will light the way for a long time.

You can also find out more about Rest and Rest+ out on the Hatch site.

Related: Best Pregnancy and Baby Products for 2020