Baby wearable company Owlet is expanding its scope to young children with the launch of Owlet Dream Sock Plus, which is intended for children up to 5 years of age. Previously its smart socks only covered children up 1o 18 months. 

The technology, which was designed to give insights about a child's sleep, can be around a child's foot. The wearable can send data via Bluetooth to a caregiver's Owlet Dream app about a child's wakings, heart rate and movement. Caregivers can tap into the app to see sleep status and statistics over time. 

The app also includes content about a baby's first 18 weeks and a sleep learning program for children up to a year old. Owlet is selling the Dream Sock Plus for $359, which comes with the sock sensor, a base station and three sizes of fabric socks. The company specified that the tech is intended for children weighing up to 55 pounds. 

WHY IT MATTERS 

According to the CDC, sleep is important to prevent Type 2 diabetes, obesity, poor mental health, attention problems and injuries. The agency recommends that toddlers get between 11 and 14 hours of sleep a day, and preschoolers get 10-13 hours.

Owlet is pitching this new tool as a way to help keep track of young children's sleep. 

"The need for a good night's sleep doesn’t end after 18 months, and with the Dream Sock Plus, we’re providing a solution that parents have long been asking Owlet for," said Kurt Workman, cofounder and CEO of Owlet.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer the award-winning Dream Sock technology to families for use over a much longer period of time. Having monitored over one million babies, Owlet’s mission has always been to empower parents with the tools, training and support they need to help keep their baby happy and healthy."

THE LARGER TREND  

In 2021, Owlet went public on the New York Stock Exchange via a SPAC merger with Sandbridge Acquisition Corp.

It hasn't been all smooth sailing for the Utah-based startup. In November, the company pulled its connected-sock wearables from the market following an October FDA warning letter that the company was out of regulatory compliance. Following this announcement, investors filed a class action lawsuit against the company alleging that it failed to disclose the socks needed FDA clearance before hitting the market.

The company's stock has taken a tumble since the regulatory issues surfaced. The stock is trading for roughly $2.20, down from its all-time high of $10.77 in February 2021. 

In January, the company released a new baby sleep monitoring system, the Dream Duo, which was designed to help track a baby's sleep. This system made fewer promises about the health metrics it could track compared with the predecessor that was pulled.