Skylight Buddy Review (2026): Kid Routines Just Got Easy

The 7.5-inch touchscreen

The Skylight Buddy is built around a 1024 x 600 resolution touchscreen standing just under 7.5 inches tall, a footprint small enough for a child's bedside table. The hardware intentionally omits a camera and microphone, a design choice the article highlights as crucial for parental trust in a kid's bedroom. A large yellow half-circle button sits prominently for "select" actions, with volume controls on top and two speakers flanking the device, while the base doubles as a dim night-light. The reviewer found the night-light underwhelming compared with competitors like the Hatch Baby, but acknowledged the Buddy offers a reasonable set of options for families that need only a basic alarm clock or sound machine.

The setup runs through the existing Skylight app, the same one used for Skylight's digital calendars and photo frames. That integration means families already in the Skylight ecosystem get a unified management surface, with tasks created in the Buddy app surfacing both in the general Skylight menus and the device-specific section. Routines and chores live in a dedicated Tasks area, with routines allowing users to set time-of-day and repeat frequency, while chores support optional details and an "up for grabs" flag so any family member can complete them.

The $140 price point and Plus Plan

The device carries a $140 sticker price, dropping to $120 when bundled with Skylight's Plus Plan subscription. WIRED's reviewer notes that the main features do not actually require the subscription, which softens the otherwise common critique of subscription-locked consumer hardware. Some advanced features sit behind the paywall but are described as "not essential," keeping the core experience accessible without an ongoing fee.

A $20 silicone case add-on is offered in purple, green, or blue, while the device itself ships only in white. The positioning suggests Skylight is treating the Buddy as replaceable family infrastructure rather than a one-time gadget. The price is competitive with dedicated kids' sound machines from Hatch, and the integration with Skylight's existing calendar ecosystem gives the Buddy a networking advantage over standalone products in the same category.

Two weeks of testing

The article's most candid data point is the two-week home test with a 4-year-old, who initially was expected to be too young for the device. Instead, the child engaged immediately, running to brush his teeth after seeing the on-screen icons. The reviewer emphasizes that the device uses both words and picture icons, a critical detail for pre-readers, and rewards completed tasks with emoji showers that change each time, a small gamification loop that kept the child returning throughout the test period.

Some friction remained in real use. The child sometimes tried to trigger the celebration before finishing tasks, then unchecked the unfinished items to re-trigger the emoji rain. The reviewer also notes the device is "designed for one device per child," making it impractical for families with multiple children. The sound machine and wake-up features are functional but unexceptional, leading the reviewer to keep her existing Hatch Baby in the bedtime rotation despite adopting the Buddy for routines.