Zoë the penguin – Sound machine and Bluetooth speaker for your baby
By Natasja from www.natasjaonline.nl
Why we necessarily wanted a sound machine where we could upload our own music to.
You might think: “Why are these people acting so difficult. Is this really important for a sound machine?” Who is following my vlogs knows why we want this so badly. Roy’s father was a professional musician and recorded a few of his songs. Unfortunately my father in law passed away in 2010 and therefore our kids will never get to know their grandfather Theo. By putting on his songs every night, when it is time for ‘the big sleep’, grandpa Theo is a little bit there for them and they will grow up with him in a certain way.
The pursuit of a suitable sound machine
Although we came across many potential music boxes, it was a disappointment after reading the description more carefully and when we found out that it wasn’t what we were looking for. Ve-ry frustrating!
In December we visited a baby shop where we noticed, among other things, a few music boxes. Even being a bit skeptical in finding what we wanted, we still looked at the packaging. And then we saw ZAZU’s Zoë. Another music box that seemed to have potential, but this time it lived up to its potential!
What features does ZAZU’s Zoë have?
First, ZAZU’s Zoë is a wireless speaker. Therefore, not only suitable for the baby room, but you could also take Zoë in, for example, the pram or in the car. Ideal to soothe your child anywhere with the music he or she is used to. ZAZU has also their own playlists on Spotify that you could use to play songs or fairy tales.
Next, Zoë has 7 pre-programmed melodies. It has three lullabies, one option with lounge music and three “white noise” sounds: heartbeat, noise and natural sound. In addition, the head of Zoë is also a night light with two light settings (bright or dimmed light).
Another very helpful feature is Zoë’s cry sensor. Zoë activates itself when it hears the baby crying. Perfect! Even better than an app. But there is one disadvantage to this, too, but I’ll tell you later. Finally, next to its cry sensor, Zoë switches itself off automatically after 20 minutes. Both the sound and the light.
Two modes
Zoë has basically two operating modes. Using the button on the side of Zoë you can either choose the pre-programmed settings or you can choose the Bluetooth function. As Bluetooth tends to cost more battery it is good to have different modes available.
That having said, the downside is that the cry sensor does not work when in Bluetooth mode, only in pre-set melodies mode. That’s a pity!
But you can’t store music on Zoë, can you?
That’s right. Although we were looking for this, Zoë does not have that feature. We can show Grandpa Theo through a workaround. As I wrote earlier, it is a Bluetooth speaker and, in this mode, you can basically make it play whatever you want. So, it’s a matter of pairing your phone, choosing a song on Spotify and tadaa … Your ‘own’ music!
And what is your experience with Zoë?
We really it! I need to charge Zoë once a week after which we could use Zoë again for a week. Although we have reached our goal in a somewhat cumbersome way, I think for many of you it is certainly doable. So, listening to music through Bluetooth is working for us. Sometimes I select the pre-programmed mode when Lucas is in his bed during the day while I’m upstairs. The cry sensor function is amazing. Unfortunately, he does not work when Zoë is in Bluetooth mode.
The penguin feels solid, looks great and has many features. I can recommend Zoë to anyone who is looking for a sound machine with nice songs and sounds, which can also be used for your own music.
Written by Natasja Hufnagel- from Schijndel – owner of www.natasjaonline.nl
Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are mine and are not influenced by ZAZU Kids.