5 tech Christmas gifts for new parents
Being a new parent is an expensive time of life. There’s so much to buy that helpful presents are always welcome. Here are 5 tech Christmas gifts to bring a smile to their tired faces:
Owlet Smart Sock 3
There are plenty of baby monitors on the market, but this is one of the smartest we’ve seen. The Owlet Smart Sock 3 tracks the baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels, and if the readings leave preset ‘safe zones’ it will send an alert to a smartphone. In addition, the app lets parents see the baby’s sleep trends, such as total hours slept, number of wakings and sleep quality. It comes with different socks to fit babies from newborn to about 18 months. The Owlet Smart Sock 3 has a battery life of 16 hours and wirelessly charges to full in 90 minutes.
$479.99
NutriBullet Baby
The NutriBullet Baby is designed specifically for pureeing, mashing, mixing and chopping baby food, letting parents vary the textures as the child grows. The 200W machine can blend using a larger ‘batch bowl’ or directly into a short, double-handed cup. It comes with six date-dial store-and-carry cups with lids and a tray, and a six-compartment freezer tray with lid. There’s also a recipe book for both baby and parents.
RRP $99
Available from retailers such as The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Target, Myer, Big W and Bing Lee or www.bulletbrands.com.au
Connect SmartHome Wireless Pan & Tilt Smart Security Camera
This indoor camera will let parents keep both an eye and an ear on their bub. It’s a small, good-looking unit with motion detection, pan and tilt abilities and night vision. Though an iPhone or Android phone app, parents can control the Connect SmartHome camera’s field of view, listen to what’s happening in the nursery and even speak to the baby. For more info, read our Connect SmartHome security camera review.
RRP $89
Hatch Baby Rest
The right light and sounds can be invaluable for comforting a baby and getting her or him to sleep. The Hatch Baby Rest is a combination sound machine, night light and time-to-rise alert that, like most gadgets these days, connects to a smartphone. Parents can choose the light colour and sound – such as forest, rain, wind, surf or lullabies – and set timers for bedtime, wake time and nap time. There’s also a more expensive Rest+ model, which adds Wi-Fi, a backup battery, a clock, an audio monitor and the ability to control the unit through Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant.
$174.72 (with free delivery)
Google Nest Hub
One thing you just know any parent wants to do is display photos of their beloved bub. But instead of just buying a digital photo frame as a Christmas gift, check out the Google Nest Hub. Not only can it display pictures from Google Photos, but it can also do a whole lot more – such as show new parents recipes and videos on preparing baby food and allow them to control connected home devices in the nursery, such as smart lights and plugs. And it lets them do it by using simple “Hey Google” voice commands.
RRP $219
