With its iconic wing and halo design, there’s no confusing the Angelcare Movement and Sound Monitor with any other – and it’s an innovative device that offers parents heaps of reassurance.
Which came first, the distinctive look of the baby unit or the product name? We may not know the answer, but it’s appearances that set this monitor apart at first glance. Delving deeper, there is also much else to catch the eye. The mattress sensor plugs into the baby unit, which will trigger an alarm if no movement is detected for 20 seconds. There is an array of lights on this, to tell you if the sensor is on, the batteries are low and whether the monitor is set for voice-activated or constant monitoring. The angel’s wing’s operate the on/off switch for the unit and the nightlight, which doubles as her halo and can be used regardless of whether the monitor is in use or not.
All of the main functions on the baby unit can be chosen and managed from the parent unit, which is now rechargeable for added peace of mind; there’s a belt clip, so this can be toted around from room to room or even into the garden without having to keep it plugged in. For complete peace of mind, fit batteries in the baby unit in case of power cuts, and it will automatically revert to these if necessary. With two frequencies and eight channels, there is minimal risk of interference, either from other appliances operating at 2.4Ghz or from neighbouring monitors.
What we love
The parent unit looks like a walkie-talkie, but is so much more. This is an innovative baby monitor that offers parents much in the way of adjustability – gadget lovers (yes, probably the dads) will love the fact that they can fiddle around with the parent unit and choose what’s on the display, and can set their own parameters regarding minimum and maximum temperature for the nursery. It can monitor movement and sound with or without the tic; movement only and sound only, so there’s no shortage of options. Parents can also choose sound activation or continuous transmission and select their desired sound level. The sound quality is clear enough to tell whether your baby s making contented or discontented noises and the alarm from the mattress sensor is plenty loud enough to stir you into action.
What to watch out for
Techno-phobes will hate the parent unit; everything is adjustable and with a small LCD screen that looks like a mass of icons, and four buttons to switch between functions and set them as desired, this can be a complicated and slightly daunting business. It’s very clever but not the most user-friendly monitor. The nightlight ‘halo’ is not particularly bright. You’ll either love the angelic styling of the baby unit or find it incredibly twee. This does not offer as secure a connection as many other monitors.
Who is the AngelCare AC401 Movement and Sound Baby Monitor best for?
Parents seeking ultimate reassurance who have no fear of gadgets.
A versatile monitor that offers great reassurance for nervous first-time parents, and a good range of functions, many of which are adjustable. If you’re looking for something to just ‘plug and play’, this probably isn’t the one for you as it’s a bit too clever for its own good.
