Hand2Mind Luna Review: A Well-Lit Cat for Kids That Teaches Calm

Hand2Mind Luna Review

Hand2Mind Luna is a night light that looks like a kitten. The feline night light’s1200 mAh battery keeps the light burning for up to 30 minutes (charged via micro-USB). But that’s boring. A tap on the paw selects one of five colors for the night light. A bit less boring. Flip the switch another way and Luna breathes, at least in a light pulsing kind of way—like a mouse or a keyboard breathes for gamers. That’s its superpower.

The $12.99 Luna comes with six cards, which can be confusing for those who don’t know other languages. I appreciate the conservation of resources and the exposure to other cultures, but when a young child is trying to master their temper, trying to find the English-language card should not add to their stress levels. English, Spanish, French or German speakers really only need three cards, the three cards with exercises in their language.

Note to parents: Take out the cards in your native language and put the others away. Consider applying some white tape across the language on the back of the native language to end up with easy access to the three required cards.

Now, the next trick is to figure out if your child likes or is even open to behavior modification exercises. I have never liked behavior modification, so I would probably not have taken to Luna’s exercises very well as a child.

I also have received several review items as an adult I have not written about because I was unable to evaluate them properly—having resisted their attempts at changing my behavior, like headsets with lights that flash in patterns, earbuds that buzz my vagus nerve after the application of water to conductive gel. I tried them all, but I never found a way to integrate them into my life. They were either too messy, too intrusive, or too time-consuming to set up, or all of those things.

After extensive effort to find a path to adoption, I found the benefits did not outweigh the inconvenience of a new routine. I share this obstacle conversation with physical therapists as well. My sense is resistance to new routines is not uncommon. For a tool like Hand2Mind Luna to work, parents and children must both be open to adopting new routines, and willing to invest in adopting them.

So, my granddaughter, at 4, seems to take after her grandfather: more interested in the light and the reading and the talking then doing a breathing exercise. She also noted that Luna turned off, meaning that the Hand2Mind Luna did not, like her Llama night light, stay on all night.

Some children like the lights on all night…or at least the lights on for as long as they are awake. I would like to see Luna include an “untimed” mode. Untimed, of course, as long as the battery lasts, but I could also see it remaining lit while on the charger. It might not be ideal for battery life, but it would be a nice feature.

For those interested and amenable to breathing exercises, the three cards align with three modes: Triangle, Rainbow and Star. Children watch Luna and learn to breathe to the rhythm of the lights. For young children, the exercises require instruction as the cards offer dense information that needs to be decoded in order to be applied. Older children may be able to follow along with the cards. I found the single page in the instruction manual easier to follow than the cards.

The foot button, which also controls the night light color, is used to select which of the exercises to apply. That is the entirety of control. The number of cycles is pre-programmed: green cycles five times, rainbow four, and yellow twice.

Unfortunately, the cards all seem to be of equal value. There is no, “I’m about to take a test” or “recover from a temper tantrum” designation to explain when to use one technique over another. I would like to see a little more science to help guide use and make a case for Luna’s extra-light-powered skills.

The cards do offer a touch sensory experience that complements the lights. Children can move their fingers along the card, keeping time with the lights.

As a design note, I would like to see Hand2Mind use black ink on the control labeling on the bottom. Seeing the numbers and modes is very difficult in low light, with the labels simply embossed into the white plastic. The serial number is in black, and it’s much easier to read than the 5, 15, 30 toggle labels sitting directly above it.

All cardboard packaging is sustainability evident, including the paper wrapping for Luna.

Luna: The bottom line

The Hand2Mind Luna is cute. It’s a fun night light. It requires interest, dedication and patience to gain value from the breathing exercises. I cannot attest to their efficacy, as we rarely experience bedtime anxiety, save for the fake crying that accompanies the requests for just one more book. Some children may find Luna a great companion for calming down. My granddaughter finds Luna a fun nighttime buddy, but she wishes she would stay on longer.

Hand2Mind provided the Luna for review. Images courtesy of Hand2Mind unless otherwise noted.

Serious Insights is an Amazon Affiliate. Clicking on an Amazon link may result in a payment to Serious Insights.

For more serious insights on hardware and accessories, click here.