Are you considering purchasing a Slumberpod? As certified sleep consultants, here is our honest review and professional advice.
What is the Slumberpod?
The Slumberpod is a portable, blackout tent designed to help create a dark and cozy sleep environment for babies and young children, especially during travel or when room sharing. It fits over a standard-sized play yard or crib and provides a dark, enclosed space for sleeping.
The Slumberpod can help block out light (up to 90%) and noise, creating a more conducive sleep environment for babies and young children.
Some families have reported that the Slumberpod has helped improve their child's sleep, as it creates a more consistent sleep environment.
Having had three children in Dubai, where the windows are huge and the daylight inundates the room from very early in the morning and is still present when young children should be in bed, I know the struggle that comes with wanting to block out the light.
Over the years I have found quite a few different solutions to make my children's room pitch black and so I have shared with my clients. The one that I have loved and used the most has to be the most affordable one: foil paper on wet windows. I used to tape around to guarantee that there would be no light coming in. And IT WORKS! It is amazing when you travel but hey, you are not taking it off everyday and it can be a little annoying not being able to let light in in the summertime because it's too hot outside.
So now with the third baby I went for the Slumberpod. I will share my personal reasons:
It works!: It is made of a unique fabric that not only blocks most of the light, but is also breathable. It is also equipped with ventilation windows and pockets for the baby monitor, a fan (usually included in the purchase), and/or a sound machine.
It is safe: This product passes applicable consumer product safety tests. You can read more about it in their blog
It is portable: You can quickly disassemble the whole thing and take it with you when you travel. Most times you will have to share your room with your child so this is the way to provide him or her with their separate sleep space. Below a quick video of me assembling the Slumberpod.
How I introduced the Slumberpod to my baby
When my little one was 3 months old I set up the slumberpod in my bedroom. Even though I wanted to still share my bedroom, I wanted to start getting her used to the big crib, and so I started offering naps in the big crib with the Slumberpod. At nights she would still sleep in the minicab attached to my bed but she quickly got used to napping in the crib. As soon as she was 4 months, I was confident to have her sleep in the big crib all night long. The crib is about 1,5m away from the end of the bed so I am gradually giving her more and more independence.
A few things to bear in mind:
We do not recommend to introduce a sumberpod when your child is a toddler. A Slumberpod is safe to use from 4 months of age and all the way until your child is out of a crib. However, introducing it to a toddler may only upset them as they can feel trapped, not being used to it.
It is pricey: although if you are using it everyday you can safely say that it is actually quite cheap. You can purchase the Slumberpod in UAE here.
It takes a few days to get it home: it ships from the UAE so plan accordingly in case you are thinking about using it when traveling soon.
Overall, the Slumberpod may be worth considering for families who frequently travel or need to share a room with their child, but it is also amazing for everyday. However, it's important to carefully weigh the benefits and drawbacks. And, guess what, we can help you with that! A Mini Consult is the best option if you want to talk about the pros and cons of using a Slumberpod. Together, we will make sure your money is well spent and your baby or toddler is happy with their sleep environment.
You can purchase the Slumberpod in UAE here.