We are BACK at the ABC Kids expo in Las Vegas. Not familiar with ABC? The All Baby & Child expo brings together hundreds of baby and maternity-focused companies — big and small — and gives them the opportunity to showcase their latest and greatest (and cutest) innovations.
After experiencing the initial sensory overload of day one, we were able to take a step back and examine some of the overarching trends of 2015. Granted, we have a lot left to see. But a first lap around the million-square foot Las Vegas Convention Center makes one thing clear: Technology is an integral part of today’s parenting. And that technology is more up close and personal than ever; wearables are officially in.
We already know about great infant wearables like the Mimo onesie baby monitor (from $200). A small turtle-shaped sensor clips right onto the onesie, tracking data like breathing patterns, sleeping activity, body position and skin temperature, sending it all to your phone. (Stay tuned; Mimo is turning out a smart mattress next.) But what if you were the one wearing the monitor instead of baby?
Enter the Babble Band. Resembling a running watch, this audio monitor by Summer Infant was built with something very important in mind: When baby is sleeping, there’s a good chance you are too. So why force yourself to keep your eyes and ears glued to a standard monitor or phone? Sure, you can hear baby’s every coo and cry if you’d like. But at the press of a button, the audio features of the band can be switched to a vibrate mode. So if the monitor senses a lot of noise and activity in the nursery, you’ll be alerted by a pulsating at your wrist. Otherwise, you can keep on snoozing.
Out in December, the Babble Band will retail for about $60. When fully charged (it comes with the charging dock pictured below), it can be used for 8 to 10 hours at a time. That’s basically two nights of sleep for parents nowadays.
Another game-changing wearable comes from Fridababy. Yep, the same company that’s brought you everything from the NoseFrida Snotsucker to the Fridet baby buttwasher. The mission — baby health — is still the same. It’s just gone slightly more high-tech.
This week, Fridababy unveiled the FeverFrida. With the help of included adhesive patches, the Bluetooth thermometer sits right under baby’s arm, taking her temperature and updating every four seconds. The FeverFrida will alert your smart phone or tablet when baby’s temperature goes above whatever threshold you set. Bonus: it stores all this data so you can keep your pediatrician posted, and offers medicine dosage reminders. Available now, this thermometer retails for $60.
Stay with us as we continue to cover ABC Kids this week! We’re so excited to share what we find.
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