This news comes after the FDA sent the company a warning letter regarding its smart socks.
Baby tech company Owlet announced a new smart baby monitor dubbed the Owlet Dream Duo, which was designed to help track a baby’s sleep and provide insights about the child’s sleep needs.
The system, which will set users back $399, includes a wearable sock monitor called the Dream Sock, an HD video camera and a digital sleep coach. Users can tap into the Dream App, which includes information about a baby’s sleep status, sleep quality score, sleep trends and sleep quality indicators.
This news comes just months after the Utah-based startup pulled its signature baby smart socks from the market, following a warning letter from the FDA regarding the products’ regulatory compliance. The agency warned that the company was marketing the product as a “diagnosis” tool, meaning it would mean it would need a 510(k), which it did not have.
While a form of smart socks are included in the Dream Duo set, the system promises different measurements than its predecessor, the Monitor Duo.
“The Monitor Duo had features notifying users that Baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels departed from preset values. The Dream Duo does not have those notification features. The Dream Duo’s prompts are based on sleep quality indicators,” Owlet wrote on its information page.
WHY IT MATTERS
Newborns and infants need more sleep than adults and older children. In fact, the Sleep Foundation recommends that newborns get 14 to 17 hours of sleep a day, and infants get 12 to 15 hours of sleep. However, babies typically don’t sleep through the night before six months, according to the foundation.
A consistent sleep routine can be beneficial to helping babies improve their sleep.
Owlet is pitching its technology as a way to help parents and children get better sleep.
“A survey found that parents can lose an average of 44 nights of sleep in the first year alone, but with the Dream Duo’s sleep learning program for babies 4 to 12 months, 90% of parents report improved sleep for their baby in just one week.
“The new Dream Duo aims to help babies – and their parents – sleep better. Owlet’s mission is to empower parents with the tools, training, and support they need to keep their baby happy and healthy,” Kurt Workman, cofounder and CEO of Owlet, said in a statement.
THE LARGER TREND
Owlet was founded in 2013, and its reach has quickly grown. In July, the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange via a SPAC merger with Sandbridge Acquisition Corp.
The stock has struggled on the public market. When it first hit the NYSE in July, it was initially offered for $10 per share, but over the last month the stock has hovered between roughly $2.70 and $4.00.
Owlet isn’t the only baby-tech company on the market. Smart baby-monitoring system Nanit landed $25 million in Series C funding last February, bringing the company’s total funding round to $75 million.
