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

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I love Hatch baby products, and the Hatch Rest+ 2nd gen is no different.

Hatch Baby is one of those companies that’s able to take a complicated question and turn it into a user-friendly product. With each iteration of their product, they’ve found ways to improve on their designs to give you a product that bundles many items into one.

The Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen combines nursery essentials like a white noise machine and audio monitor with other features, like an OK-to-wake digital clock and access to mindfulness practices and stories, extending its usefulness for years to come.

Here’s what the Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen brings to the table, and how it stacks up to the Rest 2nd Gen.

dad putting baby in crib with nightlight on side table at night, Hatch Rest Plus Review

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.
Good sound options – It has 18+ different audio options including nature, white noise, lullabies and even a dryer with easy-touch controls. There are also bedtime stories and mindfulness tracks included in the Hatch Sleep Membership ($49/year or $4.99/month after your free trial is up).
You can control it all from your iOS or Android 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.

Alexa compatibility – Voice control is handy to have when you don’t have a spare hand… because your hands are filled with a baby.
It has an OK-to-Wake function – you may be thinking in terms of newborns right now but before you know it, you’ll have a crib escaping little gremlin that has no clue how to tell time. You can set this sucker and tell your child “if it’s a blue light it’s okay to get up”
It has a digital clock with adjustable clock brightness – 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 baby monitor – using your phone, you can listen to and speak to your baby without any extra equipment or cords with the two-way audio.
You can set up a schedule – Time for a nap? Quiet time? Bedtime? Time-to-rise? You can set up a custom timer so your child knows “when the light and ocean sounds come 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 buttons and 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’. Plus, it has a toddler lock so tiny fingers can’t fiddle with the volume levels.

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 or a perfect reading light.
It’s great for nighttime feeds or diaper changes – there is a touch ring tap function on the top so you can turn it on instantly – casting enough light so you can see what you are doing.
It has a built-in battery for cord-free use meaning 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 Wi-Fi, and you’re ready to go.
User friendly app – Setting schedules, accessing sleep programs, customizing lighting options and sounds and more can all be done through the easy to use Hatch Sleep app.

Things to Consider

The Hatch Rest Plus is $90, so it’s more than a Dollartree night light. Still, it’s a quality sound machine and I think it has a long shelf life – considering ours is still in my 10-year-old child’s room, that would work out to be $9 a year.
Even though it has a great selection of sounds, I wish I could play my music through it like an actual speaker sometimes.
It requires both a Wi-Fi and a Bluetooth connection to operate from your phone, so if your house has spotty Wi-Fi, you may run into some issues.

How does it compare to the Hatch Rest?

The Rest+ has a backup battery and charging base so you can use the main unit wherever your kiddo decides to snooze. The Hatch Rest 2nd gen is still a solid option if you’re looking for a straight nightlight, sound machine, and OK-to-Wake device. But if the flexibility of a rechargeable battery appeals to you, the $20 price difference makes the Hatch Rest+ a sensible option. (They also have a mini-option perfect for strollers or naps outside the house called the Rest Go.)

In conclusion

I love the simple, clean design of the Hatch Baby Rest and the Hatch Rest+. They’re both an easy to use, thoughtful, smart sound machine with usability for a number of childhood stages. I think it’s a solid purchase that will light the way for a long time.

You can find the Hatch Rest+ on the Hatch site, Amazon, and Target. (Check the Hatch site first – they often have a promo running.)