Skylight Calendar 2 Review: What's New, What's Not, and Is It Worth $380?

Skylight just announced Calendar 2 at CES 2026, and it's getting a lot of attention. The company has 1.3 million families using their calendars, and this is their first major hardware refresh for the 15-inch model.

We make Sense, a family organization app that competes with Skylight in some ways. So take this review with that context - but we've tried to be genuinely fair. Skylight does some things well, and for certain families, the Calendar 2 might be exactly what they need.

Let's break down what's actually new, what the real costs are, and help you figure out if you need it.

What's Actually New in Calendar 2

Skylight made real improvements here. This isn't a minor refresh.

Design and Hardware

• 20% thinner profile - The new design matches their larger Calendar Max, with a curved chassis that looks more like a picture frame
• Magnetic swappable frames - Change the frame style without tools. There's a limited-edition brass frame from Joanna Gaines' Magnolia line ($340)
• Adjustable stand - Tilts up to 180 degrees for counters, shelves, or wall mounting
• 3x faster processor - Navigation is noticeably quicker, which matters when you're making quick edits
• Better screen - Clearer, brighter, better color reproduction

AI Features

• Sidekick AI - Snap a photo of a school flyer, sports schedule, or invitation and it extracts events automatically
• Fridge scanning - Take a photo of your fridge contents and get recipe suggestions based on what you have
• Magic Import - Forward emails or PDFs and events get added to your calendar (this existed before, but they're emphasizing AI more)

The hardware improvements are genuine. If you already have the original Skylight and found it sluggish or wanted a sleeker look, Calendar 2 addresses those complaints.

What Hasn't Changed

Some things that frustrated users about the original are still present:

The Subscription Model

The Calendar 2 costs $299.99 - same as the original. But the features most families actually want require the Plus subscription at $79/year.

Without Plus, you lose:

• Magic Import (email/PDF to calendar)
• Sidekick AI features
• Photo screensaver
• Meal planning
• Chore rewards

So the realistic first-year cost is $378.99 ($299.99 + $79), and $79/year ongoing after that.

Connectivity Requirements

• Wi-Fi required - The calendar is essentially useless without internet. If your Wi-Fi goes down, so does your family calendar.
• Must be plugged in - No battery option. You need a spot near an outlet, which limits placement options.

Sync Limitations

Google Calendar is the only service with full two-way sync. Outlook, Apple Calendar, and others work, but syncing is one-way or less reliable. If your family isn't on Google Calendar, this could be frustrating.

Physical Limitations

Users still report fingerprint marks on the touchscreen and occasional lag. The faster processor helps, but it's still a touch device that multiple family members (including kids) will be poking at constantly.

The Real Cost Breakdown

Item	Cost
Calendar 2 hardware	$299.99
Plus subscription (year 1)	$79.00
First year total	$378.99
Years 2-5 (subscription only)	$316.00
5-year total cost	$694.99

For the Magnolia edition or larger Calendar Max, costs are higher - up to $630 for hardware alone.

What Skylight Does Well

Let's be fair about where Skylight genuinely excels:

• Always-visible display - A mounted screen in your kitchen means the schedule is always in view. No opening apps, no unlocking phones. Everyone can glance at it.
• Kid-friendly interface - Young children can check the schedule and mark chores complete using pictures, without needing to read.
• Single-purpose focus - Unlike a tablet that might get used for YouTube, Skylight stays a calendar. That's a feature for some families.
• Photo frame mode - When not showing the calendar, it displays family photos. You're not staring at a blank screen.
• Established company - Skylight is bootstrapped and profitable with 1.3 million users. They're not going anywhere.

If you want a dedicated wall display that the whole family can see at a glance, Skylight is genuinely good at that. The Calendar 2 does it better than the original.

Who Shouldn't Buy It

Skylight isn't right for everyone:

• Budget-conscious families - $380+ is significant, especially with ongoing subscription costs
• Families not on Google Calendar - The sync limitations with other services are real
• Renters or families who move frequently - A mounted display is less practical
• Families who mainly want email automation - You can get that without buying hardware
• Parents who need calendar access everywhere - A wall display only helps when you're home

The Question Most People Should Ask First

Before spending $380, ask yourself: Do I want the wall display, or do I want the email-to-calendar automation?

These are different things. Many families are drawn to Skylight because of Magic Import - forward an email, get calendar events. That's genuinely useful. But you don't need a $300 display to get it.

The email automation exists in software. Forward a school email to an app like Sense, and events appear on your calendar automatically. Works on your phone, costs nothing to start, accessible anywhere.

And if you want a wall display too? Sense's Hub mode turns any tablet into a dedicated family calendar - mount an old iPad on the kitchen wall and you've got the same always-visible experience without buying single-purpose hardware.

If you already have a spare tablet, you can get the wall display AND the email automation for a fraction of Skylight's cost. If you don't have a tablet and want purpose-built hardware with a polished frame, Skylight Calendar 2 is a solid choice.

How Sense Compares (Honest Assessment)

We make Sense, so here's our honest comparison:

Feature	Skylight Calendar 2	Sense
Email-to-calendar automation	Yes (Plus required)	Yes (free)
PDF schedule extraction	Yes	Yes
Dedicated wall display	Yes (dedicated hardware)	Yes (Hub mode on any tablet)
Accessible from anywhere	Via app	Yes
Kid-friendly touchscreen	Yes	Yes (Hub mode)
Chore tracking	Yes	Yes
Meal planning	Yes	Yes
First year cost	$378.99	Free to start
Works without Wi-Fi	No	Limited (cached data)

Where Skylight wins: Purpose-built hardware with a sleek design. If you want something that looks like a picture frame and don't have a spare tablet, Skylight is a polished option.

Where Sense wins: Hub mode turns any tablet into a dedicated wall display - so you get the always-visible calendar without buying single-purpose hardware. Plus email automation, access from anywhere, and a lower total cost.

The main difference now is whether you want to buy dedicated hardware or use a tablet you already have.

The Bottom Line

Skylight Calendar 2 is a legitimate improvement over the original. The design is sleeker, performance is faster, and the AI features are useful. If you were already interested in Skylight and the original felt dated, Calendar 2 fixes that.

But it's still $380+ for a single-purpose device that requires ongoing subscription fees, Wi-Fi, and a power outlet. For many families, that's hard to justify when the core feature they want - email-to-calendar automation - is available in software for free.

Our suggestion: If you have a spare tablet, try Sense's Hub mode first - you get the wall display AND email automation without buying anything. If you want purpose-built hardware with a polished design, Skylight Calendar 2 is a good choice.