Levana Oma Sense Review
The Skinny
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This Product
Levana Oma Sense | |||||
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Awards | |||||
Price | $100 List $69.99 at Amazon | $138 List $129.99 at Amazon | $80 List | $200 List $199.99 at Amazon | $130 List $127.50 at Amazon |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | Portable wearable with vibration rousing and in-nursery alarm that is easy to use and often on sale | Highly portable, clip-style wearable with vibration stimulates baby without upsetting loud alarm | With just a sensor and a smartphone required, this simple option has a shorter battery life but works relatively well | This simple wearable is easy to use and connects via WiFi, but it does have some false alarms and only pairs with one smart device | Easy to use mattress style sensors with 2 sensor pads but no parent unit or adjustability |
Rating Categories | Levana Oma Sense | Snuza Hero SE | Monbaby Smart Butto... | Sense-U Baby v3 | Babysense 7 |
Expected Reliability (25%) | |||||
Set-up (20%) | |||||
Ease of Use (20%) | |||||
Monitoring Cababilities (20%) | |||||
Alerts (15%) | |||||
Specs | Levana Oma Sense | Snuza Hero SE | Monbaby Smart Butto... | Sense-U Baby v3 | Babysense 7 |
Sensor Type | Wearable | Wearable | Wearable | Wearable | Sensor Pad |
Parent Unit | No | No | Smartphone | Smartphone | No |
Monitoring Type | Movement | Movement | Movement, Position, Activity | Movement, Position, Activity | Movement |
EMF (at baby) | .2 (lower than ambient) | No increase above ambient | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 |
Recommended Age | 0-6mo | Not Listed | Not Listed | roll-over alarm is for babies up to 6 months | 0-12mo |
Adjustable Sensitivity | No | No | No | No | No |
Wireless Mobility | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Baby Alert | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The name Levana comes from the Latin word "levare," which means "to lift" a newborn child. Levana is also the Roman goddess of childbirth. Two reasons the company chose its name. Levana has been around for almost 20 years designing products to help families.
Performance Comparison
Expected Reliability
Wearable movement monitors are arguably more reliable than other kinds of movement monitoring. Because the baby wears the device, they can't roll away from the coverage field like the sensor pad models or camera algorithms.
This device seems similar to others with a like design, with fewer false alarms and restless nights of getting up to check on a perfectly fine infant.
We recommend pairing this type of monitor with a top-ranked sound monitor to help ensure you hear the alarm should it go off.
Set Up
Set up for the Om is super easy. There is none. There is no pairing as it is standalone, and there is nothing to connect to, like WiFi, a parent unit, or a personal device.
Ease of Use
The Levana couldn't be easier to use. It is as easy as it gets with a simple on/off button and the ability to turn the alarm off. This monitor clips onto your baby's diaper near their tummy, similar to phone holsters or old-fashioned beepers. With no other features or functions, this one is great for anyone afraid of technology or setup.
The Om is one of the most portable options available, and it comes with a carry case for travel. This device doesn't require a special mattress type or hardboard like sensor pad monitors, making it perfect for nights at Grandma's or on the go. All you need is a baby and a diaper to clip the monitor on, and you are good to go.
Monitoring Capabilities
The Levana only monitors movement that indicates breathing is happening. It does not offer any other feature or monitoring capability. Given the in-nursery alarm, it could be wise to pair this with a sound or video monitor from our best baby monitors review to ensure you hear it wherever you are.
Alerts
This monitor has a vibration feature when movement isn't detected for 15 seconds. If the baby's movement doesn't resume in a set period, it will issue an audible in-nursery alarm. The hope is the vibration feature prevents unnecessary or false alarms from emitting in the nursery. The problem is when and if there is a false alarm, you now have a very loud alarm going off inside your baby's nursery, which could be upsetting for your little one. While we can all agree a crying baby is better than one having a breathing issue, it is something you should consider as some competitors alert to a parent device only.
Electromagnetic Field (EMF)
This monitor has fewer EMF emissions in our testing than much of the competition. It is less than ambient test results, and we think it is nice that there is a low EMF option for little ones.
We measured the EMF from the device next to the monitor, taking an average of three readings.
Should You Buy the Levana Oma?
There is no reason not to buy the Oma, especially if your goals are simplicity and high portability that does not rely on other technologies. If you want to avoid an app or a crib mattress setup, then the Oma could be the solution you want. If you want other forms of monitoring or you want to combine products like video and movement in one purchase, then the Oma will not meet your needs.
What Other Movement Monitor Should You Consider?
We think some parents will prefer the Snuza Hero SE. Both options are similar, but the Snuza scored higher in our tests. If you want something more with the increased functionality of video and sound monitoring, then our pick would be the Nanit Pro Complete Set Monitoring System. The Nanit has a more complicated setup, but it is easy to use and is a one-and-done option for parents who want more.