Sleep is likely one of the most sought-after activities for the average person, yet we all seem to cut corners to get as little as possible. For those who are starting to feel the debilitating effects of poor shut-eye, it may be time to look at products focusing on improving the quality and length of your sleep.
Hatch has a laundry list of white noise products with various features designed to give you restful sleep. This is also beneficial if you are up several hours a night because your child has a genetic predisposition to the opera.
In this article, we are going to take a detailed look at what each of those products comes with and how to better decide which is ideal for your home. We have previously compared the 1st generation Hatch products (Rest, Rest+, and Rest Mini) and looked at changes between the Hatch Rest 1st Gen. and 2nd Gen.
Here, we will compare the Hatch Rest+ 2nd Generation to the Hatch Rest+ 1st Generation, to see whether or not it’s time for you to upgrade.
Brief Summary
The Hatch Rest Plus 1st Gen is the ideal product for people who want a barebones, no subscription required, ambient noise machine. These two products are incredibly similar — the big difference will come down to how important the additional options are to people.
While some customers enjoy that added versatility, others prefer the more streamlined, simplistic 1st generation.
For a less Wifi dependent product that doesn’t push premium options, the first generation is recommended.
The 2nd Generation has brought an add-on or two, though not without some complaints from consumers. The additional subscription service (which is not required) has upset some, while others enjoy the regularly updated library of additional features.
If you aren’t afraid to toss a few bucks on your sleepless nights, this is a good option. It also would benefit you to have a fairly reliable Wifi connection, as outages may prevent it from working optimally.
For a product with a charging base and (optional) monthly subscription service that adds countless new features, the second generation is a good pick.
~~~ Check Price: Hatch Rest Plus 1st Gen. ~~~
~~~ Check Price: Hatch Rest Plus 2nd Gen. ~~~
Features
These white noise machines are not the box fans of previous decades. They come with a wide array of audio options, colors, and various accommodations to make your life far easier.
Unfortunately, they are also incredibly similar. So while they have a few key differences, this will largely go over mutual features both share. We will specify generation-exclusive features towards the bottom.
White Noise Options
These products would serve little purpose without the several accompanying sounds that come with the nifty sleep machines. Without that additional premium membership, both devices come with up to 11 sounds. These choices are birds, lullabies, forest noises, rain, dryer, ocean waves, crickets, a water stream, wind, and white noise.
You can access more in the premium plan for the second generation which we will go over further down.
Night Light
While these products will come with a dimmable light that you can adjust to fit your needs, you also have the option to change the color. Like all of the Rest products, you get ten different vibrant hues with adjustable intensity should you desire it. You also can utilize a feature that shuffles through the different colors if you wanna give your toddler a light show.
These features can be customized to mesh with your ambient noises as you see fit, and you can personalize your mornings and evenings. This is nice if you are worried about your subconscious mind getting used to the sound of a dryer or the color blue.
2.4 GHz Compatibility
Hard to call it a feature, though it is important to know that these products are incompatible with a 5.0 GHz connection. This means that you will be sacrificing the range of your wifi for a faster connection. Because of this, you may have to rearrange your router configuration if you live in a bigger house where your preferred bedroom is well out of reach.
This will affect the second generation much more palpably than the first generation.
Voice Commands (Via Alexa)
In what is quickly becoming the standard for most smart home tech devices, the Hatch Rest Plus products both come with vocal options. This comes with the caveat that you already have Alexa, which may be tough for those who utilize other smart assistants. While this is a notable improvement from standard Rest products, it is likely going to divide those who utilize Google Assistant or Siri.
Once you connect your Hatch to the Alexa app, you are free to shout as many commands as you want at the little guy. Some of the more common options include turning the device on, adjusting volume levels, changing the brightness and color as well as being able to set a manual timer. These commands can get pretty wild, however, and range from the more basic commands all the way to keeping notes of when your child last ate.
Back-Up Battery
Whether you live in the fertile crescent (also known as the midwest) or deep in the swampland of Louisana, you will be subjected to the occasional power or wifi outage from poor weather. While rain or thunder might be its own form of ambient sound, it can keep your kids scared and awake for several hours throughout the night. To make this less likely, Hatch has given their devices backup batteries.
These batteries have an estimated eight hours of life on one individual charge and work as a sort of miniature generator should your power go off. This allows you to have a working light should you need to see and also can make sure your kids sleep through the better parts of nature’s wrath. Considering most folks’ sleep is based entirely on the consciousness of their children, this is a lovely touch.
Hatch Sleep App
Most of the features listed here will be accessible exclusively through the Hatch app. Any of the features you see on this list are likely the result of the well-made Hatch Sleep application that maintains a 4.5 on Google Play.
The biggest drawbacks for Android issues may come from sketchy connectivity. While a majority of people were more than satisfied, a vocal minority did speak on infrequent, random disconnections
Moving over to Apple, the Hatch app sits at an impressive 4.8 on The App Store. This seems to be the preferable version of the app, with very few drawbacks to be found.
Out of the relatively small group of complaints, the leading cause of dissatisfaction was a lack of knowledge about the premium plan. While we sympathize with the plight of those who hate subscriptions, it’s hard to hold it against the app.
Alarm Clock
This is not your grandmother’s alarm clock, though Christmas is right around the corner. To start with, if you want a basic, reliable alarm – this is a good option. If you want a little bit of flare added in, it offers that and a fair bit more.
The first thing worth mentioning is its time-to-rise/time-for-bed feature that gives you full autonomy over what colors and sounds accompany your return to the waking or resting world.
It is recommended that you skip the time-to-rise/time-for-bed feature until your child is at least two.
You can also keep a regimented timeline of what you have done in the day with the Dream Schedules feature which is a convenient method of keeping track of your daily activity.
Whether that be as simple as maintaining times for going to bed and waking up or a detailed account of every time someone has fed their child is entirely up to the consumer. This unique level of customization makes the products very appealing to a much wider range of consumers other than sleepless toddlers.
Sound Monitoring
Unlike the standard Rest products, the Plus options come with audio monitoring so you can keep an ear on the ground for the little ones. The biggest drawback to this is that because the Hatch devices typically play ambient noise, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish what is your child and what is the lapping of waves.
Thankfully, most reviews seem to be satisfied with the product’s ability to pick up sound, and the ambient channels shouldn’t drown out your kid crying or fussing. It may be worthwhile to test the monitor prior to flipping on the sleep sounds, however.
Exclusive to First Generation
While exclusive might not be the best word for what the 1st generation offers, it certainly carries benefits for a specific group of customers.
If you want a product that doesn’t require Wifi to run effectively, this is going to be the best option at your disposal. This is an added benefit of the backup battery, because if you don’t have power – it is unlikely you will have working internet.
The device is a tad bit more compact than its newer sibling, though most people won’t be able to spot the difference. It measures out to around 4 x 4 x 6.5 inches and weighs a bit over a pound.
The outer shell is comprised of ABS plastic, a slightly more versatile and durable iteration of the common material. The lights are LED, which does a good job of keeping the electric fees down.
The first-generation product does not come with an additional charging base.
Exclusive to Second Generation
The second-generation Hatch Rest Plus is putting in a lot of effort to make it the standard for modern white noise machines. On top of the additional backup battery that both products come with, this one also offers an additional charging base that resembles an electronic coaster that you set underneath the Hatch device.
The device is barely more robust at 5 x 5 x 6.8 inches and weighs slightly more than a pound. The newer generation comes with the same reliable plastic as the previous as well as LED lighting.
These two products are comparable enough in size and shape that it shouldn’t affect your decision too much. The biggest deciding factor will be the premium plan, which is exclusive to the newer generation.
Hatch Sleep Premium
While we are on the subject of the Hatch Sleep premium plan, let’s discuss exactly what it offers. Listed at around $50 annually, the sleep plan opens up a compendium of ambient noise, children’s stories, and far more.
You do not need this app to get any of the features previously listed and it is not at all required to use the product.
The premium plan does not seem to be a list of additional options hidden behind a paywall. Instead, it feels more like an ever-evolving library of ambient noises, sounds, and stories. While there isn’t an exact list of all of these different auditory aids, suffice it to say it will take a while to get through all of the additional ambient options.
A new add-on to the premium option is the quietly creative “Wind Down Channels” which feature a manually selected list of optimal noises, sounds, and stories to get you or your children to sleep. These wind-down channels are picked out by folks at Hatch to help increase the likelihood of restful sleep. Whether there is any real evidence of this proving more effective than a fan is still up in the air, though the variety is pleasant.
Final Thoughts
You can put a price on a good night’s sleep, and it plays a big part in which product you will choose.
The second generation is only justifiable if you want to leap for an annual subscription or really like the charging base. Most folks that don’t take advantage of the Hatch Sleep Premium plan tend to prefer the 1st generation’s more straightforward user interface
It should be said that both products retail for the same price, so technically you aren’t getting charged more from the second generation initially.
Those that do utilize the premium subscription seem to be “Hatch people” for lack of a better term that uses multiple Hatch products throughout the house. If you intend to keep one for each bedroom, the subscription service makes a bit more sense.
FAQs
Do I need to pay for the Hatch Sleep Premium subscription to use the Hatch Rest Plus?
No, the Hatch Sleep Premium subscription is entirely optional. Without the subscription, you can still access the device’s primary features, including up to 11 ambient sounds and a variety of light color options.
Do the Hatch Rest Plus devices work without WiFi?
The Hatch Rest Plus 1st Generation can run effectively without WiFi, making it an excellent option for those without a reliable internet connection. The 2nd Generation device, however, is more reliant on WiFi for its additional features.
Is there any difference in size between the 1st and 2nd Generation Hatch Rest Plus?
The Hatch Rest Plus 1st Generation measures about 4 x 4 x 6.5 inches, while the 2nd Generation is slightly larger, measuring 5 x 5 x 6.8 inches. However, these differences are minimal and are unlikely to significantly impact your decision.
