Nuna Leaf Curv

When I sat down to write this, I told my husband it would be the shortest review I’d written. Now, my brevity shouldn’t be taken as a lack of enthusiasm for the Nuna LEAF Curv (trust me, we’ll get to that), but rather a sign of just how easy this product is to use. The LEAF comes in two parts that simply snap together. Attach them, and you’re basically ready to roll, er, sway. It took maybe two minutes, and that’s mostly because I couldn’t find our box cutter.

Once the seat is attached to the base, all you need to do is unlock it with the flip of a switch and push it to start the calming side-to-side rocking motion. There are no plugs or batteries, which also means there is no sound. That’s right, no clicking or whirring or rumbling. That silence is music to this mama’s ears. It also means that you can use this seat anywhere without being restricted by cord length.

My husband was slightly concerned when I first told him the only thing powering our son’s new seat would be us (and momentum, of course), but it hasn’t been an issue in practice. With one good push, the LEAF will gently rock on its own for about two minutes, steadily slowing down. It takes minimal effort to get it going—and keep it going. But if you are turned off by the fact that you’ll need to reach over and give it a nudge every so often, you can add the Nuna LEAF Wind (sold separately). This genius accessory clips onto the base and moves the LEAF back and forth for you. It does, however, need to be plugged in to operate. The Wind features six different rhythmic speeds; we always use ours on the highest option because that’s what our little guy prefers.

Speaking of, why don’t we ask the person in my house who actually sits in the LEAF what he thinks? Well, he’s 2 months old, so he can’t talk … but if his grins and giggles are any indication, I think it is safe to say that he loves it. In fact, the very first time we slipped him into the harness, which is adjustable and secured with Velcro on either side, he looked up at us and laughed. That was before it had even moved. I would think it was pure coincidence, but he is all smiles whenever we give it a go. It is hands down his favorite perch in the house. He adores being reclined enough to be comfy and upright enough to see us. He loves sitting in the LEAF and babbling back and forth with us on the couch, and it is also a prime napping location. He’s actually snoozing in it right now while I type this. He started to wake up a second ago, but it rocked him right back to sleep with a smile on his face.

We’ve tried other entertaining seats for our kiddo, ones that bounce or use vibrations (you never know what your babe will like), and he lasts maybe five minutes if we’re lucky. He spends most of his time in our laps or arms because that’s where he prefers to be. But thanks to the LEAF, I can say that my husband and I sat down and had our first dinner together during which we did not eat in shifts and all four arms were free, without the use of a carrier. Cue applause.

The LEAF is designed for infants who cannot sit up on their own and children who can walk. That’s right, the LEAF can be used as a big kid seat, supporting up to 130 pounds. But you will need to take a short break from use during the months your child can sit unassisted but not walk.

I would be remiss to wrap up this review without mentioning how handsome this seat is. We have the bisque style (there are five other color options), and it is so pretty that I don’t mind leaving it out in the middle of our living room for anyone—more like everyone—to see.

To clean the LEAF, machine wash the seat cover and soft insert. Lay them out to air dry. The seat frame and base can be wiped down with a damp cloth and mild soap.

My entire family has fallen hard for the Nuna LEAF Curv because it keeps our bub happy and gives us the chance to eat together without testing our ambidexterity. We actually just ordered the attachable toy bar to make it even more fun for our son to hang out in, though I don’t know if that’s possible because he’s clearly already smitten.

Price: $300
To buy: amazon.com