Thursday, October 2, 2014

SnotSuk Nasal Aspirator: Reviewed (It's pink and purple!)

When my first child was born she would cry every time I tried to suction her nose, and of course the crying would make her more in need of suctioning. She was breastfed and when her nose was sick and full of nasal mucus she had difficulty breathing. We had 3 or 4 of those traditional bulb type nasal aspirators. They were all different shapes and sizes, but variations of the same idea. None of them worked, and all were hard to use and frustrating. I can only imagine how uncomfortable they were on her tiny nostrils.

After about 4 or 5 months of not really knowing what we were doing, we bought a nasal aspirator that was highly praised but not as well known. It was more popular on sites like Amazon and the more trendy type big box baby stores. It was a simple tube device and you had to use the breath and lung power of an adult to suck out the mucus/snot. When I first saw it I was disgusted and could not imagine myself or anyone else using that. But we decided to purchase it and my husband said he simply would not use it. I wanted her to be able to breathe and nurse more effectively and so I tried it. I was amazed at her improved breathing and how easy and not gross it was. It had a filter (tiny sponge) cylinder that blocked the plastic storage area (where the nasty junk collected) and most times the mucus-liquid did not go even half the area of the hard storage part, and certainly not no where near the foam or tube. It said to use a fresh sponge filter each time, however I simply washed the entire aspirator (including the sponge after taking the entire thing apart fully) with hot soapy water and then put it back together. We ended up only changing the sponge filter every 3-4 uses or so. Never did any undesirable liquids get anywhere near the tube or sponge. At first she hated it and was afraid, but then after several uses, she barely noticed it.

Around age 14 months, we were visiting family, 22 hours away from home, and my daughter got sick. REALLY sick, she was coughing, runny nose, could not breathe, it was terrible. We never thought that in the middle of summer she would be sick. We never thought to bring the nasal aspirator. So we left it at home, far far away tucked into her dresser 22 hours away. We were in a hotel room near a small ski resort town during the summer so there was not much going on, there were no normal, well known stores or drug stores, and it was going on 11 pm at night. Most things in the town closed at 9 pm or earlier. There was a big box store (one we all go to when we don't want to, but absolutely have to) in the next town over, and it closed at midnight. It was going to be a 30 minute drive one way. If we were lucky, my husband would make it there before they closed.

Of course they did not have that particular type tube aspirator, and they never heard of it either. They had an electric nasal aspirator that when I looked it up online for a quick browsing of reviews, it had between 2-3 stars on average. It was either that (and spend about $25--yuck) or get another of the uncomfortable bulb ones. He bought the electric one hoping it would work. It was pretty much junk. But it does play music! We've used it maybe 3 times. Not one time did it capture any nasties or liquids.

From then on, we made sure to take the tube nasal aspirator on trips, even ones where we were 2-3 hours from home. Our daughter is now 3 1/2 and her nasal aspirator has seen better days, it is missing the red mouth guard and the tube has gotten a bit bent and cloudy from so many hot water washings. We still had been using it every now and then.

Recently I was able to try out a similar tube style nasal aspirator. Our old one was blue with a red mouth piece. The new one is called the SnotSuk and is pink and purple (love). I am a lover of girly colors and this one is pretty! Now I must say I think they work equally well. I would say they are almost similar, except the mouth piece on this one seems a little lighter/thinner, and *might* need replacing sooner if one were to be to rough with it it their mouth. Sometimes I accidentally get my teeth on the mouth piece to hold it while adjusting baby and aspirator.

I now have a 5 month old, a son. No, I do not care that this aspirator is pink and purple. Until he decides to suck his own nasal passages, I will be using this pink and purple one. :) I feel it works well. It is quick, comfortable to use (for both of us) and is fairly easy to hold him and the aspirator. Our son has had more nasal congestion than our daughter did, so this has been a wonderful thing to have. It works on solid and liquidy mucus. It often helps to put a few drops of saline nasal drops or spray (the kind intended for babies) in each nostril to held moisten and loosen before using this.

My son is also breastfed, so nursing is so much easier when he can breathe well. He does not get frustrated with feedings. I find that he breathes easier, is less fussy, and sleeps better at night when his nose is completely clear. This came with 9 foam filters and I think those will last quite a while, as for us, the mucus never goes very far and doesn't get close to touching the foam. This little device is BPA and phthalate free. There are no sharp edges. It appears to be just as good as the other brand (more well known brand) we had. I like this one better because it is more attractive.

The only complaint or suggestion I have (which is the same as with the previous one we had) is I would have liked this to come in a little plastic hard case. The tube makes it hard to store. It would also be more sanitary to keep in a diaper bag or car, if it came in a case. As mentioned, this was the same issue I had with the other similar one. Otherwise, they both are highly recommended. I choose this one, solely based on the color. It is really nice looking. I LOVE the color.

Isn't it stunning? Well, if a nasal sucker could be considered stunning this one is. :)


You can find this little beauty on Amazon: SnotSuk


Please Connect with me, follow me on:

Facebook for updates to this blog, reviews, and giveaways. Check me out on bloglovin and Twitter.

If you found this review or any of my other reviews enjoyable or interesting, please let me know with a friendly comment. I am fond of writing reviews and hearing feedback about what I have written. I feel that reviews help those interested to make an informed decision before purchasing. I also feel that honest and informative reviews improve a product by providing insight to the company. Reviews should always be honest no matter whether an item was free, at a discount, or purchased. This was sent to me as a sample, as courtesy, in exchange for my honest opinion.



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.


No comments:

Post a Comment