Hatch Rest+ Review

Ann Weiss and her husband Dave believe technology can improve lives. As entrepreneurs at heart, their passion for helping people led them to create Hatch, starting with products specifically for babies before branching out to adults. Their experience with their first baby and insomnia, in general, inspired them to create Rest and Rest+. Since being featured on "Shark Tank" in 2016, the company has grown into a leader in restorative sleep products.

Performance Comparison

The Hatch app has a simple user interface with only a few sound related options to worry about.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Sound Clarity

The Hatch Rest+ isn't super impressive for a sound monitor, but it manages to get the job done despite lacking sound-specific features. This product does not have sound activation or microphone sensitivity adjustment but still manages relatively impressive sound filtering technology keeping a quiet monitor quiet unless your baby is crying.

However, for sound quality, this product isn't the best or the worst in the group, with a score that manages to be just below average. The Hatch Rest+ has a maximum dB output of 96.3 in our tests which is better than most of the competition. Unfortunately, the sound it emits isn't impressive at higher volumes. It wasn't until the sounds dropped below 75dB that we could decipher what was said in the nursery. You will be able to hear your baby crying, but if the noises are more subtle or super loud, the details could be lost. This monitor is never totally quiet, but the features let you turn it down low enough for most parents to sleep. Of course, if you use the sound machine or lullaby features, you will hear those through your device as well.

While the Hatch Rest + requires the use of an app, it is easy to navigate for those familiar with smartphones and other apps.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use

The Hatch Rest+ is one of the easier options to use, which is surprising given the more involved setup and app-enabled user interface. While we doubt your average grandparent will love this unit, we think most tech-savvy parents accustomed to utilizing their smartphones will have no trouble with this setup or application.

This monitor automatically connects to your phone as soon as you open the Hatch sleep app, as long as you are in range and the product is on. This is far superior to products that require linking or syncing to start. If it doesn't connect, you can manually sync the Hatch to your phone after setting up an account. The app also automatically registers your Hatch, which is a nice feature should you have problems.

The app itself is intuitive and straightforward if you are familiar with smartphone apps. We were able to set up programs and nightlight/sound schedules easily. The touch ring on the top of the Hatch allows you to toggle through your pre-programmed settings, and there are buttons on the bottom for volume and brightness control. One of the best advantages is that all features can be operated from the parent device and outside the nursery.

You can operate the Hatch in your nursery through presets and touching the ring. This product uses WiFi for a longer range than most of the competition.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Range

The Hatch Rest+ is a WiFi option that requires this technology to work. The upside is this typically extends range past where most dedicated monitors can go.

The Hatch Rest+ has a better than the average range in our tests but will depend entirely on your WiFi range in your home. It should work wherever you have a WiFi connection.

The Hatch is not designed for long-term battery use, but it did last for 13 hours in our tests.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Battery Life

The Hatch Rest+ battery life is long enough, with 13 hours in our tests. While this is plenty to make it through the night should the electricity go out, it isn't on par with some of the competition.

Depending on your use of this option, your battery life will be affected. Using the sound machine and nightlight will decrease your overall battery life overusing it as a monitor alone. The manufacturer writes that the battery is not intended for frequent or all-night use and is designed as a backup or for shorter nap times.

The Hatch has an infinite number of color selections for the nightlight feature.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

Features

The Hatch Rest+ has some fun features for little ones, but none are helpful for a sound monitor. So depending on your goals, the available features may be exciting or disappointing. While we'd like to see a sound activation or microphone sensitivity adjustment, it didn't offer either, instead choosing to focus on soothing features for little ones like sound and light.

The features for the Hatch can be accessed and programed in the app.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

The Hatch also features a basic digital clock.

Credit: Abriah Wofford

• Nightlight with infinite colors and brightness levels
• Sound machine
• Lullabies
• Ok to wake clock for toddlers
• Talk to baby
• Clock
• Remote capabilities
• Alexa capable

EMF

The Hatch offers one of the lowest EMF readings in the group, with a reading of 0.43 V/m at a distance of 6 ft. This result is even more impressive than it might be with an ordinary monitor because it uses WiFi, which often increases the production of EMF.

If you want even lower levels near your little one, we recommend placing the Hatch as far from the crib as possible for it to still be effective. Given that it is also a nightlight and sound machine, this might not be as far as some of the competition as you'll want your little one to be able to see and hear everything the Hatch has to offer for soothing.

Manufacturer Video