We try out the viral US baby monitor, the Levana Nala

If there's one thing that can reassure new parents, it's a reliable baby monitor. The Levana Nala HD baby monitor is relatively new to the Canadian and US market, but has already caused a stir on social media. So, we were keen to put it through its paces. The Nala can be purchased with either one or two cameras, both options coming with a sturdy travel bag as standard. Plus, it's a non-wifi monitor described as 100% unhackable.

Mother&Baby hub editor Stephanie Spencer tried out the Levana Nala for herself, here's how she got on...

Testing the Levana Nala HD baby monitor

I'm a mum-to-be and have already tested my fair share of baby monitors through my role at Mother&Baby, so there were a few things I already knew I wanted from my baby monitor. Personally, top of my list was non-Wifi - I didn't want anything with an app or that I had to connect here there and everywhere, so I was very happy to try out the Levana Nala.

My first impressions were of the travel case, which I thought was really impressive - I love to travel and don't want that to change when we have our baby so something that comes with a case as standard, that feels sturdy and is neat enough to pack in a suitcase was a lovely addition.

Thanks to the case you could easily take this baby monitor on holiday and not worry about the monitor being damaged, there’s padded areas for two cameras plus the monitor. The case has a little carry handle, and as well as the areas for the cameras and monitor, inside there is also a pocket which I've been using for the plugs, as you can fit the cables under the monitor. So big tick from me for the case.

The camera itself is modern, the rounded look giving it a sleek appeal and honestly it looks kind of cute! It would fit into any nursery or bedroom very easily.

The screen is much larger than my existing monitor, and I much prefer the menu of the Nala, it feels much more user friendly, it’s easier to navigate, and has explanations for each of the settings you can access rather than just symbols you’re supposed to memorise. The buttons also feel less ‘clunky’. Set up was really simple, it felt quite intuitive and I didn't have to look at the instructions to figure it out, the buttons on the side were easy to use. Again the ease of setup adds to the travel-friendly aspect of this monitor.

The cables are a good length, we’ve got the crib in the bedroom at the moment so the monitor is on our chest of drawers but when we move into the nursery the monitor will probably have to go on some shelves, so a long cable is ideal.

One thing I did notice when comparing against my existing baby monitor was that the screen on the Nala felt a little bit darker, and even if I turned up the brightness it didn't feel like it made much of a difference. It was still lovely and clear picture though, not something you'd probably notice if you didn't have another monitor there right alongside it, but something to mention.

In night mode the picture is still nice and clear, and the battery lasts really well. At night it would be good if the buttons lit up/glowed in the dark for visibility – or if it was black on white/white on black – the grey on grey is a bit tricky to see.

I love that you can move the camera from the monitor – my other baby monitor you can only move the camera manually. With the Nala you can zoom and pan easily while viewing the screen, so it’s easier to position in my opinion, and brilliant that you're able to alter the position of the camera without actually going into the room and risking waking a sleeping baby!

The audio is quieter than my other monitor, but it's enough and honestly my other monitor can be too sensitive! The speaker is on the back so you do need to have it standing to hear it, and the kickstand is a bit on the small side - it would be good if this was a bit sturdier.

You can also play lullabies from the camera, there are 5 to choose from plus birds, ocean and white noise. I do have a separate white noise machine, but being able to turn this on while I’m downstairs to help soothe baby is great for any evening wake ups where baby is stirring but can be soothed back to sleep.

If you get two cameras you can view them both on the same screen, ideal if you have two children – and you can buy this additional camera as an accessory/add on, or buy the set with two cameras from the get-go, so it can grow with your growing family which is great, saving parents from buying a brand new baby monitor. There’s also lots of additional useful features such as voice activation, low/high temperature alerts and feeding reminders. You can also purchase a baby breathing monitor from the same brand for additional peace of mind.

I had seen some reviews which said the signal range wasn’t good enough so I was keen to test this to its limits, and I still had signal at the bottom of our garden. It did drop out a few times while I was walking around but as long as the monitor was placed somewhere stationery it would pick up signal.

Final thoughts

I would definitely recommend this to parents as a good all rounder baby monitor that can work for home and away – the fact that it comes with such a premium case makes it easy to pack away ready for a trip, and the setup and that you can remotely adjust the camera positioning means you can just plug the camera in and you’re good to go.

Price-wise, I think the monitor is priced very competitively, especially considering you get the premium travel case included as well. There seem to be regular deals and offers available too, if not from Amazon then directly from Levana - Mother&Baby readers can also access an exclusive offer of 35% off, plus an additional $20 off!

Stephanie Spencer is the Hub Editor at Mother&Baby and currently pregnant with her first baby. She is also a proud auntie to four nieces and nephews. With a particular interest in health, she loves discovering products that make parent’s lives easier.