Music in my crib!

There are a ton of portable speaker options on the market when it comes to your MP3 player but how many of them have you seen that actually hook to the crib?

The iCrib Sound System by Munchkin will work with any mp3 player you can throw at it and it hooks right onto the crib, which brings a whole new meaning to "Party at my crib!".

I've been having some nap issues again with Connor since he got home from his latest adventure with his Grandparents and Aunt Jennifer. Honestly I think they both spoil him silly *cough* (eh.. sorry Dad) and Connor has been on nap time strike since he got home. Not that he was ever a good napper but lately it seems like I have to stand on my head and sing the pledge of allegiance backwards to even get him to close his eyes for two seconds. So today I busted out the mp3 player and loaded it up with every "sleepy appropriate" song I could find. I waited for the tell tell sign that Connor is sleepy (constant nagging) and put him in his crib and turned on the iCrib and the mp3 player. At first he seemed a bit shocked, I mean the realization that someone installed a sound system in your "crib" while you were away must be a shock to the little guy. I laid him down and yes he did complain for a minute or two but he didn't immediately jump up and stand at the edge of his crib and scream bloody murder like on an average day.

Needless to say he fell asleep a few minutes later talking along with the music and he slept a whole hour which if you know my little guy at all you know thats really something. He actually stayed in his crib a good fifteen minutes after waking up just listening to music as well.. a first.. EVER... the normal routine is wake up.. SCREAM.

Overall I am super pleased with the iCrib, it really takes no learning curve to set up.. just install batteries, plop mp3 player in the back, and turn it on. It does have a timer switch that will allow the speakers to turn off on their own after a set length of time, this does not include your mp3 player though which depending on your mp3 player it may or may not turn off after your playlist is done (mine does). The sound quality is good and its actually nice and loud (something I have found lacking in some other mp3 player speakers).

My complaints are small and short: The velcro straps though sufficently long enough for a standard crib do not attach to my crib that has a wider rail. I delt with this problem by just moving the unit up onto the rolled edge of my crib which keeps it out of Connor's reach and gives it a much more secure mount. The mp3 player cage on the back of the unit that holds your mp3 player is very bias toward the ipod series of mp3 players. I have a generic model which is a bit thicker than an ipod and it didn't fit perfectly in one of the handy sizes that are included with the unit. Though honestly I think they would fit 90% of the players on the market, mine just happens to be the odd one out. I just stuck a piece of velcro around the player to keep it in, not an huge issue. The unit itself does not include a volume switch. You can control volume with your mp3 player but even on my mp3 players lowest setting the sound is still a bit louder than I'd like for nap time (though its PERFECT for playtime) it certainly did not bother Connor at all. Otherwise on a standard crib the Velcro will not be an issue, and if you own a ipod again not an issue, I have not checked with other models of mp3 players if the sound adjusts down lower for them.. which may be the case.

My favorite feature though is the color changing night light thats included on the iCrib. It can be set to go off with the sound timer and it slowly changes between colors. The combo of both in the same unit is really helpful as you can easily turn on the night light for diaper changes since it will be right there waiting on you when you go to the crib!

The iCrib is available for sale on Munckin's webpage as well as on Amazon.