REASONS TO BUY
Video and audio
Wireless sensor pad
REASONS TO AVOID
Higher EMF than wired
Wonky camera mounting
Requires a hardboard under the mattress
Angelcare AC327 Review
All-in-one option for every monitoring need, from movement to sound and video
Credit: Abriah Wofford
RELATED: The Best Movement Monitors of 2023
The Skinny
The Angelcare AC327 is a one-and-done monitoring solution that includes movement, video, and sound monitor capabilities. This monitor works with a sensor pad that goes under the baby's mattress and includes the ability to hear and see a baby with a paired parent device that comes with the unit. This unit requires a hardboard under the mattress and won't work with all mattress types. Also, the lack of wires creates more EMF emissions than previous wired Angelcare options. It is also a little on the spendy side for its performance level, even if it can meet monitoring needs for your monitoring life. Overall, we can see why parents might be attracted to this option, but we think there are better all-in-one solutions, even if they are more expensive.
Editor's Note: This Angelcare review was updated on February 6, 2023, as a part of our movement monitor reset update.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Launching in 1997, Angelcare was one of the first companies to offer movement monitors to the masses. This Canadian company provides sound, video, and movement monitors for infants.
Performance Comparison
The AC327 comes with video, audio, and movement all in one purchase.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Expected Reliability
The Angelcare has a lower result in our testing and research for expected reliability. The pad can only cover so much area, and if your little one moves or rolls out of the coverage zone, the alarm will alert you as it no longer senses movement. This concern may not be an issue when your baby is still an infant, but it could be more of a problem as they age and begin to shift, roll, and scoot. Competing sensor pads we've tested include more than one pad for better overall coverage and fewer false alarms, which is why the competition ranks higher in our tests. We didn't experience false alarms while testing, but some users report that it does occur.
The sensor pad on the AC327 is wireless and has adjustable sensitivity for fewer false alarms.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The breathing pad has adjustable sensitivity to help prevent false alarms. Still, if an alarm happens inside the nursery, it will wake your baby, which is positive if they aren't breathing but upsetting if they are.
The AC327 sensor pad requires a hard surface to rest on and not all mattresses are compatible. The pad is adjustable to help avoid false alarms from any nearby device that causes vibrations.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Set Up
The monitor requires more setup than wearable options and has more parts than most competitors. With a parent device, camera, and sensor pad, there are more components to juggle. While you don't need to pair the parent device like old monitors, it requires mattress and bed setup, sensor pad positioning, camera mounting installation, and ensuring a connection between the camera and the parent device.
Mattress Selection
The AC327 sensor pad requires a hard surface to sit on under the mattress to work correctly. Also, the monitor doesn't work properly with all mattress types, including most memory foam, straw, or hollow-core mattresses. If your mattress is non-traditional, you might consider contacting Angelcare for specifics before you purchase.
The AC327 sensor pad requires a hard surface to sit on under the mattress to work correctly. Also, the monitor doesn't work properly with all mattress types, including most memory foam, straw, or hollow-core mattresses. If your mattress is non-traditional, you might consider contacting Angelcare for specifics before you purchase.
The Angelcare has a dedicated parent device but it feels dated and isn't the most intuitive.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The AC327 isn't hard to use, but there is more going on here than with most of the competition. With a parent device with few buttons and adjustable sensitivity on the sensor pad, it isn't a turn-on and walk-away device you can set up swiftly. We are not big fans of the user interface on the parent device, and it feels dated, with only a handful of buttons that are not intuitive and easy to fumble with in the middle of the night. With technological advances, designing a unit with easy-to-use buttons and features wouldn't be hard.
While this sensor pad is more portable than those with wires to worry about, it isn't the best choice for travel where you can't control the sleep surface you'll encounter. Because this monitor requires a hard surface under the mattress and is only compatible with some kinds of mattresses, you may not be able to use it with every hotel crib or friend's mattress. Also, if you mount the camera to the wall above the bed, it will be a pain to dismount it for travel or to move it.
Monitoring Capabilities
This monitor includes color video, voice activation, two-way talk, temperature alarm on the parent device, volume control, and low battery alarm. None of these features are standouts in this review or compared to video or sound monitors we've tested. The video quality is disappointing in both day and nighttime testing, and the sound is only so-so.
The alarm on the Angelcare starts with alert beeping after 15 seconds of no movement and ends with an audible alarm after 20 seconds of beeping.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Alerts
The alarm on the Angelcare has both an in-nursery feature and a parent unit alert. In the nursery, a beep sound happens first when no movement is detected. It is designed to rouse your infant and encourage movement to avoid the loud alarm. The alarm will sound if no movement happens after 20 seconds of beeping. In the nursery, the alarm is 45 dB, and the loudest volume at the parent unit is 56 dB.
Angelcare has one of the highest EMF test results in the testing group.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Electromagnetic Field (EMF)
The Angelcare AC327 emits more EMF than the competition in this lineup. While the jury is still out on the cumulative effects of EMF on developing systems, we believe less is better and err on the side of caution when we can. The AC327 emitted 3.1 V/m, which is high compared to the competition, some of which had no EMF.
Should You Buy the Angelcare AC327?
We understand the appeal of a one-and-done solution and see why parents will be drawn to this monitor. However, we think there are better, easier-to-use monitors in our best baby monitor review. Its performance in every testing metric makes it an overpriced option that does nothing very well.
What Other Movement Monitor Should You Consider?
We prefer the Nanit Pro Complete Set Monitoring System for an alternative one-and-done solution. This is a video, sound, and movement monitor with a wrap-around band that helps the camera determine patterns of movement that indicate breathing is occurring. This band is easy to use and clean, especially for swaddled babies than pairing a button with an app. We like the video on this monitor; the sound is good too. While many of the advanced analytics and tracking are subscription-only, many features come standard, and we think they are all you need. However, this option is on the spendier side, so it might be harder to justify depending on your goals.
—
Wendy Schmitz
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