Hatch Restore vs Rest (2022): Comparing Smart Sleep Devices

In the simplest sense, the Hatch Restore is made for parents, whereas the Hatch Rest range is designed for children. As one might expect, they have features tailored to their target audience. However, they’re all the same at their core: They’re a sound machine, albeit a smart one. In other words, their differences boil down to what bells and whistles they have or lack.

To clear things up, we compare the adult-oriented Restore to the Rest lineup, which consists of the Rest, Rest 2nd Gen, Rest+ and Rest Mini. Sure, it’s already obvious which one to get based on whom you’re buying it for, but this better highlights what sets each one apart from the others.

Hatch Restore vs Rest Comparison Chart

Model	Hatch Restore	Hatch Rest	Hatch Rest 2nd Gen	Hatch Rest+	Hatch Rest Mini
Price	Check Price at Hatch.co	Check Price at Hatch.co	Check Price at Hatch.co	Check Price at Hatch.co	Check Price at Hatch.co
Sounds	Presets, sound library	11 presets	11 presets, sound library	11 presets	11 presets
Time-to-Rise or Sunrise Alarm	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Programmable Sleep Routine	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Dimmable Clock	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Audio Monitor	No	No	No	Yes	No
Wi-Fi Connectivity	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Amazon Alexa Compatibility	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Battery-Powered	No	No	No	Yes, up to 8 hours	No
Dimensions	7.5″ x 2.75″ x 5.75″	4″ x 6.25″ (D x H)	4″ x 6.6″ (D x H)	4″ x 6.5″ (D x H)	4″ x 2″ (D x H)
Weight	1.18 lbs	0.81 lbs	0.81 lbs	0.9 lbs	0.58 lbs

Design

All Hatch products have lighting that works as a sunrise alarm, except for the Rest Mini.

In contrast to the rest (no pun intended), the Restore takes up the most space on the nightstand. That’s in part due to its half-moon form factor that measures 7.5” x 2.75” x 5.75”. Also, its light faces only one direction, but it does spread for a softer effect rather than a focused spotlight. It has strong LEDs too, allowing it to operate as a sunrise alarm and reading light.

Meanwhile, the Rest, Rest 2nd Gen and Rest+ have a cylindrical shape that tapers near the top. They have wrap-around lighting that features a variety of colors and gets bright enough for kids who are afraid of the dark. Also, this is used for their Time-to-Rise feature that signals when it’s time to get up. On that note, the Rest 2nd Gen exclusively has Time-for-Bed. As its name suggests, it lets children know when it’s time to wind down and get ready for bed with, again, lights and sounds.

From a design standpoint, the Rest Mini is an outlier in that it has a puck-like body and lacks any form of lighting. For that reason, it can’t function as a night-light, much less have features like Time-to-Rise. But in its defense, it’s the most portable, which makes it perfect for travel. At any rate, all four Rest models measure four inches in diameter. That means they have the same footprint and differ only in height. In short, neither one will dominate a bedside table.

It’s also worth mentioning that only the Restore, Rest 2nd Gen and Rest+ have dimmable clocks. If nothing else, they’re a tad more functional because of that.

Sounds

The Hatch Restore and Rest models have impressive audio quality.

The Restore features typical sounds you’d expect, such as white noise and nature recordings. Other so-called sleep content curated by experts are locked behind a paid subscription, which costs $4.99 a month. If you do opt for a membership, you’ll get access to guided meditations and a wide variety of stories and soundscapes. 

The same goes for the Rest 2nd Gen. Without signing up, it only has eight presets available, including white noise, ocean and rain. For the record, the others in the lineup can’t use content from the sound library, thus they don’t require a subscription.

For the most part, the sound quality of all Hatch devices are excellent with a rich and full characteristic. That includes the Rest Mini, which is surprising considering its smaller build. However, some of the built-in sounds are of lower quality, particularly the recordings, as opposed to the electronically generated. It’s hard to tell, though.

Click here for our list of the best white noise machines.

Features

Setting the Hatch Restore aside, each Hatch Rest model has its own advantages over the others.

Geared toward adults, the Restore has features to help wind down after a busy day. That includes breathing exercises and the aforementioned reading light and guided meditation. As a sunrise alarm, it gradually lights up over the course of a certain time frame you set. There are plenty of options to personalize the colors it’s going to use too.

Now since the Rest is the original product of Hatch, it’s no surprise it doesn’t have as many features as its newer counterparts. That said, it does have basic features like Time-to-Rise, a customizable sleep routine and app control. 

Between the Rest 2nd Gen and the Rest+, it’s more of a mixed bag. First off, both build on the standard model with a dimmable clock and Wi-Fi connectivity. However, only the Rest 2nd Gen includes sleep library access and Time-for-Bed, as noted earlier. On the other hand, only the Rest+ has a two-way audio monitor and a backup battery that’s good for up to eight hours. Also, it has Amazon Alexa voice controls, like the Restore.

Lastly, the Rest Mini is relatively bare-bones, as it’s essentially a simple sound machine with a few smart features. At the very least, it’s compatible with a companion app. What’s more, it has Wi-Fi, tilting the scales to its favor on at least one aspect compared to the first-generation Rest.

Verdict

Put simply, the Hatch Restore is the obvious choice for parents. On other hand, it gets a bit tricky to choose for your kids among the Rest, Rest 2nd Gen, Rest+ and Rest Mini.

Hatch Restore

Hatch Rest 2nd Gen

In summary, the Hatch Restore is made with adults in mind, while the Hatch Rest is for kids. As sound machines, they all get the job done and done right. And aside from the Rest Mini, each one works well as a sunrise alarm.

To help you decide among the Rest models, here’s a quick recap of their unique benefits: The Rest is basic, but it does have essential features like Time-to-Rise. The Rest 2nd Gen stands out in the lineup with sleep library access and Time-for-Bed. In a similar fashion, only the Rest+ has an audio monitor and an eight-hour backup battery. Last but not least, the Rest Mini is the most affordable and the most portable.

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