Nuna Leaf Grow review

Pros

• Elegant and contemporary design
• Easy to assemble
• Motor-free, no batteries required
• Three positions: lying flat, sitting upright and in-between
• Quiet

Cons

• Bulky, so not very easy to store away
• Need to pay extra for a toy bar
• Expensive

Key features of the Nuna Leaf Grow

• Motion-activated and motor-free
• Locks into position for feeding and playtime
• Suitable from birth until toddler
• Three sitting positions
• Three-point harness
• Comes in four neutral colours: champagne, blush, granite, midnight
• Accessories include a toy bar and canopy
• RRP: £170

How big is the Nuna Leaf Grow?

• 45cm (H), 71.1cm (W), 73cm (L),
• Weight: 6.9 kg
• Suitable from birth until 60kg

The folks at Nuna are working tirelessly to improve the baby bouncer category. After picking up a Mumsnet Best in 2017 for the Nuna Leaf Curv, the company went away and designed a super-duper upgrade. And we love it.

Nuna Leaf Grow review

The Nuna Leaf Grow is really all about the sway. Rather than jiggling your baby up and down, the Nuna Leaf Grow has a gentle side-to-side gliding motion – like a falling leaf. You know that side-to-side swaying you do to get your baby to doze off? That’s what it does.

A gentle push gets the motion going for a good two minutes before you need to push it again.

This bouncer is uber-comfy, with a soft, 100% cotton mesh which allows air to get round your baby, preventing her getting hot and sweaty in the seat. It’s motor-free and the motion is almost silent. All-in-all, it’s a one-way ticket to dreamland.

Oh, and the Nuna Leaf Grow can be adjusted in height so your baby can bounce or nap in it. When they’ve outgrown the “bouncing stage”, the Nuna Leaf Grow can be used as a toddler seat. If you have two little ones close in age, they can both get use from it, or the Nuna Leaf Grow can simply grow with your child.

How good is it on a day to day basis?

Our tester used the Nuna Leaf Grow on a friend’s baby (who is just a few months old) and also her own one-year-old. The younger baby feel asleep almost instantly in it and our tester said you could really see how comfortable she was - the bouncer isn't suitable for sleep, however; if your baby falls asleep, move them as soon as possible to a firm, flat sleep surface such as a crib.

The cotton material is incredibly soft and feels like it is really supporting the baby. There are no sharp edges and the seat doesn’t sag when the baby sits in it.

Our tester’s one-year-old loved the fact he could sit up straight in the bouncer (as you can adjust the height) and look at a book, which also gave our tester a few minutes to make herself a cup of tea – moments that feel really hard won in the early years.

The Nuna Leaf Grow has three positions: lying down, sitting upright and then an in-between position. It’s very easy to change the recline using a little latch at the base of the bouncer and it also easily locks in a stationary position for feeding or playtime, when you want your baby to be alert, rather than nodding off. One downside, we feel, is you have to pay an extra £20 for a toy bar, which is annoying, given the already pretty hefty price tag.

Let's talk about the sway

The Nuna Leaf Grow doesn’t make a sound and its soothing side-to-side rocking motion calms even the most fractious of babies. It really is incredibly smooth. With a gentle nudge, the bouncer will do its thing and continues gliding from side to side for around two minutes without intervention. This is great because you don’t need to push it constantly and risk waking your baby. Obviously, a motorised seat will keep going by itself but this one, being un-motorised, requires no wires or batteries and is much quieter.

How easy is it to put together?

The Nuna Leaf is simple and quick to assemble. Simply take it out the box and attach the base to the bouncer. Instructions are very easy to follow – even a sleep deprived parent can follow them easily. Our tester had the bouncer set up – with her baby happily swaying side to side – within seconds.

One the one hand the Nuna Leaf Grow is easy to store because you can remove the bouncer from the base. On the other, it is a bulky product (hence its great stability), so you need a decent amount of space to store it out of sight.

When your baby is ready for the toddler seat, the seat pad’s three-point harness can be whipped out. This is a handy innovation from the Nuna Leaf Curv, where the harness couldn’t be removed and had to be tucked underneath the seat.

How easy is it to clean the bouncer?

The Nuna Leaf Grow is wonderfully easy to clean as you just take the cover off the organic cotton insert and pop it in the wash. All other parts of the bouncer are very easy to clean, too, as it’s sleek appearance means there’s nowhere for dirt to accumulate. It took our tester five minutes to give the bouncer a wipe down after her baby threw his entire breakfast over it.

Sometimes luxury products don’t fare well in the washing machine but this cover remained in great condition after being washed 20 times and didn’t transfer any colour from baby clothes or vice versa.

What does the Nuna Leaf Grow look like?

The Nuna Leaf Grow scores top marks in the looks department for its stylish, elegant and contemporary design. It’s reassuringly sturdy without being bulky and would look right at home in the most stylish of living rooms.

Someone who isn’t familiar with children might not even immediately clock it as a baby product, due to the muted colourways and eye-pleasing curves. We tested the slate grey version and it scored many admiring glances in our tester’s home, from fellow parents and non parents alike. Although the product is big, because it doesn’t immediately scream “baby bouncer” at you, it is pretty unobtrusive.

The padded insert is made from 100% organic cotton and the mesh underside of the seat keeps everything beautifully breathable. The whole seat is really soft and plush and cocoons your baby gently.

The Nuna Leaf Grow comes in four neutral colours: champagne, blush, granite and midnight.

How safe is the bouncer?

The Nuna Leaf Grow scored top marks in our safety test. It’s easy to get your baby in and out of the bouncer and you can strap them in using the Velcro straps which are incredibly sturdy. The design means there is nowhere for your baby to trap their fingers when putting them into the harness. If only all straps were as scream-free.

The only complaint our tester had is that the Velcro fastenings can be quite loud when you undo them so if you are trying to move a baby from the rocker to her cot whilst she is sleeping it could wake her. They are, however, really easy to adjust and if used by a toddler they can be removed completely if needs be.

Our tester put the bouncer through its paces by dropping it on the floor multiple times to see if it broke (it didn’t) and she also tried to push it over (replacing her baby with a bag of flour, first) to see if it could topple over. Again, it remained safe and sturdy. The bouncer doesn’t move around on any type of flooring – many bouncers tend to “wander” a little on some surfaces. We tested it on wooden floors and laminates, too, and it didn’t move at all.

The greatest safety feature though, is the simple fact the Nuna Leaf Grow is motion-activated, so there are no cords or wires for your baby to chew, or for you, as a parent, to trip over.

When can the bouncer be used as a toddler seat?

Nuna recommends using the Nuna Leaf Grow in its “stage one” mode (with built-in harness) from birth until your baby can sit upright and climb out unassisted. When this day comes (all too quickly), the padded cotton insert and harness can be removed, transforming the bouncer into a toddler chair which can be used until your child weighs 60kg.

The three-point recline means the Nuna Leaf Grow can be adjusted lower for a sleeping baby and higher for a toddler who wants to sit more upright.

What age do you need the harness?

Nuna recommends using the first stage from birth until your child can sit upright or can clamber out unassisted. Stage one includes the padded organic cotton insert and harness for extra support.

What's the difference between the Nuna Leaf Curv and the Nuna Leaf Grow?

Essentially, the baby set up on the Grow is similar to the Curv, with the Velcro harness insert, and other features that made the Curv feel so secure. But in toddler mode, improvements have been made to ensure an extra comfy seat as your baby grows into a toddler.

The harness on the old Leaf Curv model can’t be removed, meaning your child would sit on top of it once they are able to sit upright and it isn’t needed to hold him in. This is all a bit lumpy and annoying, so on the Grow, the harness and cushions are removable – a big plus.

Is the baby bouncer good value for money?

At £170, the Nuna Leaf Grow is an expensive product, however, it is important to note that it is also a seat which can be used from birth to big-kid size (up to 60kg) so it means you don’t have to replace it as your child gets older and bigger.

However, there’s no doubt that it is a lot of money for a parent to fork out in one go, especially when there's a whole list of baby essentials that you'll need if this is your first child. Pushchairs, baby car seats, cribs… Babies need a lot of stuff, and while a baby bouncer is nice to have, there are a whole host of affordable baby bouncers out there which will calm a soothing baby in much the same was as the pricey Nuna Leaf.

Our final verdict? If you’re a parent who loves luxury and style then this bouncer ticks all of the boxes (but it might just leave a slight dent in your credit card!)