The Lelo Smart Wand 2 Medium is one of the least powerful wands I own. Its vibrations are gentle from start to finish. I can orgasm with it, but it takes time and effort.

I have bullet vibrators that are stronger than this wand. If all you want is the strength of a bullet, I would recommend something less expensive like the Lovense Ambi, or the We-Vibe Tango X if you prefer more rumbly vibrations. Or if you want something with a bit more length and a handle to grip, consider the Lelo Mona 2 or Lovense Hyphy.

But if you want the strength that wands are famous for, then there are several stronger, cheaper wands. Consider the Lovense Domi or BMS PalmPower Extreme for powerful mid-sized wands. Or the Magic Wand Plus for a full-sized wand.

The Maia Nala has an exceptional top strength but a mediocre power range. It’s best for those who prefer strong to extreme intensity.

First, there’s one odd aspect to note – since you can use the Nala cordless or plugged into the wall, its power range is slightly different depending on which way you use it. Plugged-in gives everything a slight power boost. I actually enjoy this oddity because I can choose whether to use it plugged in or not based on how much power I’m in the mood for.

When unplugged, the top strength reaches a 7.9 out of 10, which is plenty for me. I typically stick to the first couple settings. And it’s even stronger when you plug it into the wall, reaching a strength of 8.5 out of 10. Very few wands have more power, and very few people will need more.

The power range is mediocre though – it starts at a strength of 5.8 when unplugged or 6.2 when plugged-in. Although it skips over soft and moderate settings, I find its starting levels comfortable since they’re extremely rumbly. But if you’re especially sensitive to overstimulation, you may want a wand with a softer beginning setting, like the Magic Wand Plus, Magic Wand Rechargeable, or BMS PalmPower Extreme. But I find the Nala’s vibrations comfortable and effective.

In fact, if you look at the graph of the Maia Nala’s and the famous Magic Wand Rechargeable’s vibrations below, you can see the two wands provide a similar experience – the Nala is just missing the Magic Wand’s gentlest settings. So, if you don’t need those settings, the Nala is a cost-effective alternative.

With 5 settings spanning the power range, steps between levels are also gradual and comfortable.

This wand’s vibrations are rumbly (low-frequency) rather than buzzy (high-frequency). And typically, rumbly vibrations are what people prefer.

However, the Smart Wand 2 Medium’s vibrations are so low-powered, that they still have little impact on me even with their rumbliness. But there are many wands that have more power with the same amount of rumbliness, and our rumbliness rating takes this into account.

Some of these include the Lovense Domi 2, We-Vibe Wand 2, and the full-sized Lelo Smart Wand 2 Large – each is a powerful, rumbly wand.

We rate rumbly vibrations higher than buzzy ones because it’s what most people prefer. The Maia Nala has great rumbliness.

The first setting (whether plugged in or not) feels extremely rumbly. These deep vibrations feel more diffuse and travel deeper into your body than buzzy vibrations. I find rumbly vibrations are great for a warm-up, so even though the Nala’s first setting is strong, I still find it very comfortable.

The middle power levels feel moderately rumbly to neutral. And the top strength feels neutral when unplugged or moderately buzzy when plugged in. I happen to love neutral-feeling and buzzy vibrations since they carry more of a kick at the surface-level that I often enjoy. But if you prefer rumbly vibrations, you can stick to the Maia Nala’s first few settings or consider a more rumbly wand like the Lovense Domi 2.

But I like that the Nala gives you a lot of variety to enjoy.

The Lelo Smart Wand 2 Medium is a comfortable and easy-to-use wand. Its thin, curved handle is comfortable to hold and easy to maneuver.

The smaller head has a tiny bit of flex in the neck, which is perfect for comfy, yet firm pressure. And the buttons let you increase and decrease power to get the right stimulation level. You don’t need to cycle through power levels.

But if you’re going to buy a wand at this price, you can find more better options that are just as comfortable. The Magic Wand Mini is an excellent option that’s a similar size, has stronger vibrations, is just as comfortable – and is much cheaper.

The Dame Com is another mid-sized wand massager with a curved handle that’s helpful for applying firm pressure. But I enjoy its vibrations more.

The Maia Nala is a comfortable full-sized wand that’s easy to use.

The controls are easy to use – two buttons allow you to increase or decrease strength, and a third lets you cycle through patterns. You can even adjust the intensity of each pattern. The vibrations start on the constant setting every time you turn the wand on. So if you accidentally switch to a vibration pattern and don’t want to rotate through all the others, you can just turn the Nala off and back on – this is one advantage it has over the comparably-priced Viben Sultry.

I often have to look at the handle when I adjust the intensity because the buttons don’t have a distinct feel. But the level of control they provide is excellent, and they don’t take up too much space on the handle. So you have plenty of room for your hands to get a comfortable grip. I can feel the vibrations a bit in my hands, but they’re subtle, and I don’t find them distracting.

The solid, long handle is easy to leverage. This makes it great for applying pressure without wrist strain. And the Nala is lighter than most full-sized wands, so it’s easy to maneuver.

The large, firm head can bump into you a bit on the lower, more rumbly settings. However, the slightly flexible neck helps keep this comfortable unless you prefer very firm pressure. In which case, you may want a wand with a more plush head like the Magic Wand Plus.

This wand’s size and curved shape are fairly convenient during sex, but the stimulation is too low to be truly enjoyable.

If you want any sort of stimulation from these low-powered vibes, you have to apply the pressure more directly to your clit than is usual for a wand. And even though the head is not large – it’s not as small as my bullets. So I have a more difficult time getting good clitoral contact during sex, between our bodies.

I recommend either using a smaller vibrator like the We-Vibe Tango X or Lovense Hyphy.

Or if you prefer a wand massager, you can just get something stronger. This way, you don’t need contact with your clit to be as direct to feel the vibes. I enjoy plenty of other wands during sex.

The BMS PalmPower Extreme and Lovense Domi are two of my favorites.

The Maia Nala is great to use during sex.

The large head makes it most comfortable and effective in positions where you’re not facing your partner, like spooning or doggystyle. In these positions, there’s plenty of space in front of you to get the head close to your clit, and the broad head stimulates your entire vulva. And there is plenty of space in front of you to maneuver and angle the wand’s handle however you’d like. I can also prop the handle against the bed if my arm gets tired.

In positions where space is more crowded, like cowgirl and modified missionary, you can’t fit the Nala’s large head in as close as you can with smaller wand heads. And it may bump against your pubic bone more during heavy movement. However, the strong, rumbly vibrations travel far, so you can still get great stimulation even without the Nala’s head in direct contact with your clit.

But if positions where you’re facing your partner are a priority, a wand with a smaller head like the Lovense Domi 2 or an angled head like the BMS PalmPower Extreme is better.

The Lelo Smart Wand 2 (Medium) is definitely one of the quietest wands I own. But it’s not hard to be this quiet with such low power. There are many stronger wands that also remain discreet.

The We-Vibe Wand 2 for instance is a compact option that’s about 5x stronger and very discreet. My partner can’t hear any of its power levels on the other side of the closed bedroom door.

The Maia Nala has disappointing noise levels. My partner could hear it on every power level while standing on the other side of our closed bedroom door. Considering the strength, this isn’t too surprising, and you can easily drown out the sound by turning on a box fan or playing music.

I don’t personally find the vibration noise annoying. But if you live with housemates and need something more discreet, consider the Viben Sultry. It reaches a close strength to the Nala but was inaudible to my partner on all but the top couple settings.

The Smart Wand Medium has limited compatibility with wand attachments.

Its head is close enough in size to the Lovense Domi’s that the attachments designed for it also fit the Smart Wand. These cover a decent range of stimulation (G-spot, anal, prostate, penis, clitoral texture). But you don’t have many options beyond these attachments.

If attachment compatibility is important to you, a full-sized wand is a better option. Most attachments are designed for the Magic Wand Rechargeable and Plus (or comparably-sized wands).

The Maia Nala has reasonable compatibility with attachments.

The head is a tiny bit smaller than average full-sized wands and tapers down towards the base, which causes some attachments to slip off easily. However, I was still able to find a variety of attachments covering a broad range of stimulation types that fit the Maia Nala. Insertables were the most common attachments to fit, but you can review my wand attachment compatibility table here to see the specific attachments.

I test my wands’ mount compatibility with my two Liberator mounts – the Axis and Wanda. These hold your wand for you so you can enjoy hands-free stimulation.

The Lelo Smart Wand 2 Medium fits well with the Wanda mount. This mount holds the wand in a slightly angled upright position. Then you straddle the mount for hands-free vibes. With the Smart Wand Medium’s more compact size, its head is positioned at just the right height. You can easily lower your weight onto it – whereas full-sized wands can stick up too high in the Wanda.

It doesn’t work as well in the Liberator Axis. With this mount, you lie on your stomach and the Axis holds your wand to the side at a slight upward angle. In this position, the Smart Wand’s smaller size hurts it. It doesn’t reach my clit as easily as larger wands and I have to focus on keeping my body in just the right position.

With mounts, I prefer wand vibrator’s with larger heads. The BMS PalmPower Extreme and Dame Com are my two favorites to use with both mounts. They have larger heads and angled shapes that help keep them in better contact with my clit than the Smart Wand Medium.

I test my wands with the Liberator Axis, and Wanda mounts for hands-free stimulation. The Maia Nala has fantastic compatibility with both mounts.

In the Axis, the larger head provides good pressure for consistent contact to transfer the vibes well. And since the vibrations are so rumbly in the first half of the settings, they travel far and are really impactful.

The Wanda holds the wand at a great angle to kneel over during penetration from behind. The broad head comfortably distributes pressure, essential when you’re going hands-free. You can also sit directly on the mount since the head is positioned just above the fabric, which is a really comfortable position.

The Lelo Smart Wand Medium has one of the shortest battery lives of all my wands. It lasts just 40 minutes on its highest power.

There are several longer-lasting options with more power. The comparably-sized Magic Wand Mini has more power and lasts for 3.5 hours on high! It’s a great option if you’re like me, and forget to charge your wand between uses.

The Maia Nala is both a rechargeable wand and a plug-in wand.

When using it unplugged for our battery life test, it lasted 53 minutes vibrating on its highest power which is below average. However, for most people that won’t be a big deal because you can always plug it directly into the wall to power it instead. You never have to wait for its battery to charge.

The Maia Nala has an automatic shutoff after 30 minutes of continuous use to protect its motor from overheating. If you run into the automatic shutoff, it won’t let you turn it back on for 15 minutes which can be annoying. You could bypass this 15 minute rest period by turning the Nala off and back on before the 30-minute shut off is triggered, but the shutoff is in place to protect the wand.

The sleek, silicone and metallic plastic handle gives a sleek look to the Lelo Smart Wand 2 Medium that’s comfortable and functional. Overall this wand feels well-built and solid, though its motor is gentler than other wands.

The Maia Nala has a fair build quality. But it’s a mid-budget wand, so it doesn’t feel super luxurious. The handle is light plastic, which can feel a little cheap but still seems sturdy. And no extra weight in the handle keeps it easy to maneuver quickly.

I don’t typically like the pin-hole charging ports like the Maia Nala has, but it hasn’t caused any issues, and the wand is fully waterproof (when unplugged – never submerge it while plugged in). The slightly flexible neck feels sturdy, and I’m not afraid to apply pressure with this wand.

Maia Nala also has an impressive 10-year warranty when you register your wand here.