Owlet Smart Sock 2 vs 3: Key Improvements
By Naila Syifa
Updated March 2024
Owlet Smart Sock is a great way to monitor your baby's oxygen levels and heart rate while they sleep. This innovative device allows parents with newborn babies to have peace of mind and get some rest themselves.
The third generation of Owlet Smart Sock was released in 2020, and it brings a few notable improvements over the previous Owlet Smart Sock 2, which was released in 2017. What are these improvements and are they significant enough? Let's compare the Owlet Smart Sock 2 and 3 across a few key aspects!
Key Takeaways
Owlet Smart Sock 3 has an improved sensor that tracks the baby's heart rate and oxygen levels even during gentle movements, while the sensor in Smart Sock 2 only tracks these metrics during stillness. Smart Sock 3 also has a smaller base station with new wireless charging support, and provides more comprehensive sleep data and trends.
Owlet Smart Sock 2
Smart Baby Monitor
✓ Tracks Heart Rate and Oxygen Levels
✓ Basic Sleep Insights
✓ Base Station
✓ Owlet App
Owlet Smart Sock 3
Improved Smart Baby Monitor
✓ Tracks Heart Rate and Oxygen Levels through Gentle Motions
✓ Comprehensive Sleep Data and Trends
✓ Base Station with Wireless Charging
✓ Owlet App
#1 Design
Owlet Smart Sock 2
Owlet Smart Sock 3 now fits smaller and bigger babies weighing between 5-30 lbs (2.2-13.6 kg), whereas the previous Smart Sock 2 only accommodated babies weighing between 6-25 lbs (2.7-11.3 kg).
Both versions offer three different sock sizes to ensure a snug fit on your baby's growing foot, but the Smart Sock 3 includes two socks for each size, while the Smart Sock 2 only includes one sock for each size.
Another difference in terms of design is the sensor and its placement within the sock. The Smart Sock 3 has a redesigned sensor that is sealed, so you can wash the sock without having to remove the sensor. This is different from the Smart Sock 2, where the sensor needed to be removed before washing the sock.
The Smart Sock 3 also brings an improvement to the base station, which now is almost half the size of the Smart Sock 2's base station, making it easier to fit on a nightstand or table.
#2 Features
Owlet Smart Sock 3
Owlet Smart Sock 3 retains the Smart Sock 2's ability to track your baby's heart rate and oxygen levels, but it now has an improved sensor that can get readings even when the baby moves around. The new sensor is designed to track both heart rate and oxygen levels through gentle motion, an improvement over the Smart Sock 2's sensor which could only track when the baby was still.
The Smart Sock 3 also has more comprehensive sleep data, which includes sleep duration, wake times, overall sleep quality, and so on. The Smart Sock 2, on the other hand, only provided basic sleep metrics like light sleep, deep sleep, and awake duration.
With the Smart Sock 3, you can now also view monitoring and sleep history to see trends over time, so you can better understand your baby's sleeping patterns and make adjustments if needed.
#3 Charging
Owlet Smart Sock 2
Smart Sock 3 introduces a new base station with a wireless charging feature, which allows for quick drop-and-go charging. This means, you can simply place the sensor onto the charging base to charge it wirelessly. This is a huge improvement over the Smart Sock 2's charging system, which requires you to manually plug a micro-USB cord from the base station into the sensor to charge it, which is less convenient and time-consuming.
In addition, the Smart Sock 3 now takes less time to charge. You can get a full 16 hours of battery life in only 90 minutes of charging, or charge for under 20 minutes to get a quick boost of 8 hours of battery life. The Smart Sock 2, on the other hand, requires around 4 hours to fully charge to get 18 hours of battery life.
Owlet Smart Sock 2 vs 3
Final Thoughts
Owlet Smart Sock 3
The Owlet Smart Sock 3 brings significant improvements over the previous Smart Sock 2. The improved sensor, along with the wireless charging feature and more comprehensive sleep data, make the Smart Sock 3 a more convenient and reliable device for parents who want to monitor their baby's health and sleep.
However, keep in mind that the Owlet Smart Sock 3 is no longer available in the US and Canadian markets. The device is replaced by the FDA-cleared Owlet Dream Sock, which brings even more improvement in features and reliability compared to the Owlet Smart Sock 3.
If you like to read more about Baby Monitor, check out our other relevant guides here:
Owlet Dream Sock vs Smart Sock: Are They the Same Thing?
Owlet Cam vs Cam 2: Similarities & Differences
Nanit vs Owlet: Which Baby Monitor is Better?
Nanit Pro vs Cubo AI Plus: Which Baby Monitor is Better?
Nanit Pro vs Miku Pro: Which Smart Baby Monitor is the Best?
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