Product Review: The SlumberPod HomeBase

Jul 6

As you might already know, I LOVE the SlumberPod. I think it was one of the greatest baby-item inventions EVER. If you aren’t totally sure that it is, I invite you to watch this product review video, and then read this blog post about the pros and cons.

SlumberPod reached out to me as one of their Canadian Affiliates and asked if I would be willing to review their HomeBase in exchange for the product. So before I jump into the product review, I want you to know that the HomeBase was gifted, but the review doesn’t have to be positive. The product review is still 100% authentic.

So - let’s get to it!

If you haven’t heard of what the HomeBase is, it’s an attachment for the traditional SlumberPod that allows you to use your SlumberPod WITH your crib at home. I can’t even tell you how many times people come back to me to report how much they LOVED using the SlumberPod and just wished that there was a “bigger” one that would fit over the crib at home. Now - there is! The fabric is stretchy and durable, so the top portion of your crib is covered by the SlumberPod, while the bottom portion is covered with the HomeBase.

When I got the HomeBase in the mail, it was in the same sized box as the SlumberPod - reasonably small and could easily fit into a luggage or carry-on while travelling. It’s also easy to stow while not in use because it hardly takes up any room.

Setting it up was simple as the instructions came printed right on a tag - easily seen on the bag. However, I was confused when there were so many different poles in the bag it came in. I had stretched the HomeBase around the bottom of my daughter’s crib, and then noticed the amount of poles and felt some dread…I wondered if I would have to attach the poles all of the way around the HomeBase - making the set up longer than anticipated.

But, much to my short-lived demise, I realized that ‘nope’, those extra poles were for the SlumberPod. SlumberPod has graciously made the HomeBase compatible with every version of their SlumberPod, and they actually send new poles in with the HomeBase to ensure that the poles will fit together easily upon set-up. So my “too many poles” confusion was quickly corrected.

All together, the entire set-up took 8 minutes to fully put together. This is an impressively small amount of time when you have to consider how long other blackout solutions take to assemble.

Here are a list of some of the pros and cons for the SlumberPod HomeBase set up.

Pros:

Assembly: Once I realized that the HomeBase only require 4 short poles, it was a breeze to set up. The full set up from box to assembled took only 8 minutes. That includes the time it takes to put the SlumberPod together.
Blacked Out: This set up is 100% blacked out for your child. The only thing I can compare it to is like sleeping in a cave. There is absolutely NO light that creeps in from the base or from the sides where it attaches.
Portable: I know that some hotels have roll-away cribs rather than pack n plays available for their guests, so if you have the HomeBase and the SlumberPod, you’ll be set for any environment your child sleeps in. However, it would be more to pack, so call beforehand. The bag for the SlumberPod and then bag for the HomeBase are the same size, so they can both easily fit in a luggage or carry-on.
Opening: One of the cons I had when reviewing the actual SlumberPod, was that as a mid-to-tall woman, I found my face was getting caught on the fabric as I laid my baby down into the SlumberPod. This is NOT a problem with the HomeBase. The base of the opening is right where the crib rails are, so there is ample amounts of room to place your baby into their crib without having fabric interfere with you.
Room-Sharing: This is probably one of the biggest pros in my mind. The SlumberPod was well-known as a room-sharing item before they even came out with the HomeBase, but now even more so. When siblings begin room-sharing, it can be tempting for them to stay awake playing together for hours on end. The HomeBase makes it so that they can still hear each other, but they wouldn’t be able to see one another. I can’t WAIT to use this set-up for when my children start room-sharing this winter.
Monitor Pouch: There is a functional monitor pouch so that you can have eyes on your baby all night long! Many parents worry about using the SlumberPod and not being able to see their babies, but thankfully there is a pouch designed specifically for the monitor!
Options: I had blackout blinds in my daughter’s room already, but now I have options. Options to open her blinds all day, open her window to let the breeze in, leave the HomeBase set up, but the opening window part open, close up the HomeBase even with her blackout blinds set up - I’ve got it all!

Cons:

Packing it away: One of the cons of using your SlumberPod 24/7 is that if/when you do go and travel, you’ll need to pack it up to bring with you. This means for extra time spent taking it down, rolling it up, and then eventually setting it up again. This con is tiny because the set-up time is hardly noticeable at all, but it can be annoying that it’s 1-more-thing to worry about while packing.
Warmth: While the SlumberPod is breathable and designed to be the same temperature inside and outside of the pod, I have found that my daughter gets a little extra warm while sleeping in her SlumberPod/HomeBase all night long, so attaching the fan can be helpful. I have also snuck into her room at night and just opened the front window part of the pod so that it doesn’t get too warm in there. Since her room is blacked out with Blackout EZ blinds already, I know that there isn’t any light creeping in to wake her up in the early morning hours.
Exploratory Toddlers: The HomeBase connects to the SlumberPod with the use of poles and magnets. If you have a toddler that is very curious, they might be able to figure out where the magnets are, creating a small gap in between the base and the pod. It would still be deemed “safe,” but there would be some light that crept in. This wouldn’t be a concern with babies at all, just toddlers who are adventurous.

All in all, I think the HomeBase is ABSOLUTELY worth a purchase. Not only does SlumberPod make quality products, they last a long time, they are safety rated, and they make travelling and room sharing a breeze.

I do have an affiliate code for you to use to save money at checkout. Head on over to their website (Canadian Site & American Site) and use discount code: midnightmama to save on a SlumberPod or a SlumberPod/HomeBase combo.

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions related to the HomeBase!