We’ll provide you everything you need to know about Angelcare AC517 review. If you want to know what are the features, pros, and cons of Angelcare AC517 and determine if it’s the best option for you, keep on reading!
Overview of the Angel Care Baby Monitor
The Angelcare AC517 is the second latest baby monitor in the Angel Care baby monitor line. And if I may say, it’s also one of the most advanced ones.
This baby monitor is a product of Angelcare, a company who claims to have been providing peace of mind to parents for over 20 years. The company was founded in 1997 with the goal of giving parents peace of mind while helping their children thrive. With this, they allow parents to tackle on their new life with confidence.
It’s the most expensive baby monitor in the Angelcare baby monitor line. It has features similar to that of the Angelcare AC527. Their only differences are the latter has a smaller sensor pad and is considered to be more affordable.
What makes the Angelcare AC517 monitor stand out is its high-tech wireless sensor pad that allows you to monitor your baby’s movements and ensure that your baby is still breathing, giving you a sense of security even if you’re in the other room.
While it may not prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), it can give you extra pair of eyes to ensure that your baby is safe and sound while he’s sleeping.
Inside the Angelcare AC517 box, you’ll find the rechargeable parent unit, the nursery camera, wall mount, tabletop stand, wireless movement sensor pad, AC adaptors for parent unit and camera, Lithium ion battery, flat cable, double- sided tape for flat cable, and quick start guide.
Pros:
- Under-the-mattress sensor pad
- Two way talkback feature
- Long-lasting sensor pad battery life
- Good audio and video quality
- Alarms when no movement is detected for more than 20 seconds.
Cons:
- One of the most expensive baby monitors in the market
- No built-in lullabies
- Takes long to set up
Commonly Asked Questions About Angelcare Video Baby Monitor
The advanced design and movement sensor pad that comes with this video baby monitor are designed to help parents ensure that they’re child is safe and sound while sleeping. However, its price tag may not be for everyone. With that in mind, this video baby monitor is recommended for parents with budget to spare.
If you’re on a budget, the next best options that you have are either a simple baby video monitor or baby audio monitor—depending on the budget that you have. You could also consider getting baby monitor apps on your mobile devices.
Aside from that, here are some of the other frequently asked questions about this product:
Does the Angelcare AC517 pair with an app?
Unfortunately, no. The Angelcare AC517 is not a WiFi baby monitor. You can see your baby and monitor the camera’s position via the parent unit.
Can it pair with more than one camera at a time?
Yes, you can actually pair this with multiple cameras—up to 4 in fact, so this is a good monitor to watch over two rooms. You can also view them all at once. However, the sound you’ll hear would be only on the last camera that you viewed.
Is the Angelcare AC517 good for travel?
To be honest, this baby video monitor is not really designed for travel. It’s designed to be mounted on a wall or placed at a tabletop.
But of course, you can also use it for travel even though it’s not meant for that. After all, you can set it up wherever you are. It’s also portable since both the parent unit and camera are compact and lightweight.
Does the alarm sound on the parent unit or nursery unit or both?
The alarm will sound only on the parent unit. In this way, the baby won’t be startled with the beeping noises the unit will give.
Is this baby monitor suitable for twins sleeping in the same room?
Since it’s expandable to up to four cameras, you can use it to monitor twins. However, you can only hear one of the babies when watching on both cameras.
Angelcare AC517 Review: Features and Benefits
Now that we’ve answered these commonly asked questions, let’s now proceed to check out the unit’s amazing features one by one. These are as follows:
Camera
The camera, often referred to as the nursery unit, measures around 3.5 by 3.5 inches. You can remotely pan and zoom the camera.
However, you can’t tilt it sidewards or upward and downward. Because of the limitations in its movement, its’ recommended that you ensure that the camera is already properly positioned from the start.
The temperature inside your baby’s room is shown in the camera so you can easily check if the room is too cold or hot when you visit the nursery.
Another great thing about this camera is it comes with night vision. In fact, it will automatically switch to this mode under low light conditions, allowing you to see your baby clearly without having to open a nightlight. In this way, your baby’s sleep won’t be disrupted.
Video Quality
With the size of 5 inches, the video of your baby in the parent unit is quite crystal clear. It will be easy for you to determine what he’s doing and how he is even when the camera is on night mode.
The camera also has wide angle lens that will allow you to have a better view of the nursery.
Sound Quality
Similar with the monitor’s video quality, the sound quality is excellent too. You can hear even the slightest movement of your child.
The good thing is, the audio is focused on your baby’s movements alone. The white noise inside his nursery won’t be picked up by the camera.
Security of Transmission
As a mom, I know this is one of your biggest concerns. Thankfully, the baby monitor transmits sounds and images using FHSS radio signal—one of the most secure mode of transmission for radios. Because of this, there is little to no risk of hacking or security breach.
Since this is not a WiFi baby monitor, there’s also no way that a person outside signal range can hack into the monitor.
Battery Life
This is the part where the performance of this baby monitor is quite mediocre. The parent unit usually lasts for 5 to 6 hours only. This may be due to its high resolution display. When you put the screen on standby, it can last for up to 8 hours.
The charging time takes a while too—5 hours! The good thing is you can charge it at night while you’re asleep so it won’t be too much of an issue.
On the other hand, the camera doesn’t come with a battery so it should be plugged in at all times.
Range
The signal strength of the camera is not the most impressive that we’ve ever seen but it’s already decent enough. With a range of 820 ft, you can use this with up to 4 walls between you and your baby. It can also work up t0 250 meters when you’re outside.
Considering these, it’s already enough for a normal sized home without too many walls.
Ease of Use
This is one of the easiest baby monitors to use. The controls are well-positioned and properly indicated so you don’t have to second guess which button to push.
Pairing the parent unit and nursery unit is also quite a breeze. In fact, it takes only a few minutes.
However, the sensor pad will take more time to fix and set up since you need to find the right position for it under your baby’s mattress, similar to another baby monitor called Mimo.
Sensor Technology and Pad
Of course, this is the standout feature of this baby monitor so we need to talk about this.
What I love the most is the sensor’s wireless design since there are no wires that may get in your baby’s way while he sleeps.
This pad will work well on solid surface so if you baby’s mattress has springs and slats, you would need to insert a hard board so you’ll have a stable platform to place the pad on.
The sensor pad comes with the trademark Angelcare Sensasure Technology. Since the pad is placed under the mattress, it doesn’t come in contact with your baby’s skin. This allows your baby to sleep soundly and at the same time, ensures that the pad won’t easily get removed or touched.
The great thing about this pad is you can adjust its sensitivity to minimize false alarms. When it didn’t detect any movement for 20 seconds, it will send alarm and notify you.
Angelcare AC517 Review: Alternatives
How does the Angelcare AC517 fare with other baby monitors with almost the same features or price range? To help you gauge the monitor’s performance, I’ve listed down some of its counterparts in the market. Here they are:
Nanit Plus
This is one of the most popular baby monitor in the market. Both monitors are designed to monitor your baby’s breathing.
Differences:
- Nanit Plus uses a breathing wear instead of a sensor pad but you need to buy the former separately.
- Nanit Plus is a bit more expensive when you consider the accessory’s price.
- Nanit Plus can only be mounted one way, but it’s mounted in a way that will give you a bird’s eye view of your baby for a closer look.
- This monitor is it comes with sleep stats that will help you understand your baby’s sleeping habits.
- Nanit Plus is a wifi baby monitor.
If you have a high budget and you often go out (work or run errands), you may want to consider the Nanit Plus. Check our review on Nanit vs Nanit Plus to learn more.
- ALWAYS BE CONNECTED: Get a crystal clear HD bird's eye view of your baby, day or night from anywhere on your iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, or Echo Show device. Hear or speak to your baby with two-way audio. Listen while using other apps or even when your screen is turned off with background audio. Receive real-time sound and motion notifications with adjustable sensitivity. Plus, monitor the temperature and humidity of the nursery to ensure they're comfortable.
- SLEEP TRACKING & GUIDANCE: Nanit gives you your baby's sleep stats each morning, plus a timelapse highlight reel of their sleep, so you can rewatch their entire night in seconds. Get personalized, science-backed sleep guidance and tips from the world’s leading pediatric sleep experts, right in your Nanit app.
- MAKING MEMORIES, MADE EASY: With Nanit Memories, your Nanit camera captures your baby’s finest moments automatically right in your app. Celebrate fun moments and growth milestones every step of the way, wherever you are. Share with friends and family, and hold onto their Memories forever.
eufy Video Baby Monitor
The eufy Video baby Monitor is a cheaper alternative to Angelcare AC517. However, it doesn’t have the breathing and motion sensor technology that the latter is known for.
Differences:
- The eufy Video Baby Monitor has a wide range—1000ft.
- You can pan and tilt the baby’s camera remotely.
- This also has a longer battery life than the Angelcare.
If you’re tight on budget or have a large house, the eufy Security Video Baby Monitor is one of the best options that you have.
- Sweet Dreams on the Big Screen: The large 5" 720p video baby monitor display shows a sharp picture with 10 times more detail than ordinary 240p-display baby monitors.
- Ready for Their First Steps: When your baby starts to walk and run around, just attach the included lens to expand the view to 110°. No need to purchase another lens.
- Pan from Pillow to Pinky Toes: Pan the lens 330° to see corner-to-corner and tilt 110° to see floor to ceiling.
Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor
This is actually the most affordable baby monitor in this list and same with the eufy video baby monitor, this doesn’t have a sensor technology too.
Differences:
- It’s a lot more portable and lightweight than Angelcare.
- This has a lower range—only 700 ft.
- It comes with different lens, so you have better viewing control.
If you plan to travel, the Infant Optics DXR-8 monitor may be a better option than Angelcare.
- 2022 AWARD WINNER: Awarded "Best Baby Monitor Overall, 2022" by NBC News. The DXR-8 video baby monitor offers clear and reliable sound/video, long battery life, exceptional signal range and user-friendly controls — the dependable choice to help keep your baby safe and provide you with peace of mind.
- INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES: Conveniently switch between different lenses to choose the perfect viewing angle. Use a zoom lens to get a closer look at your baby and a wide-angle lens (sold separately) to capture a broader view of the room. Keep a trustful eye on your children while they sleep or play using this kids' room camera.
- OPERATES WITHOUT WIFI: Unlike wifi baby monitors for smartphones, there is no loading time to open apps, offering instant playback with lag-free video. With a dedicated monitor unit, no phones are necessary to view your baby, enabling parents to efficiently manage day-to-day tasks on their phone screen without compromising their baby's safety.
Final Words
As parents, we always want to make sure that our baby is doing well. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is one of our biggest fear and that’s why we want to make sure that they’re sleeping soundly at night.
The Angelcare AC517 takes supervision to a whole new level as it also allows us to not just check on our baby but to monitor their breathing and movements as well. There are three reasons why this product may be a great fit for you.
- Reliable and accurate breathing sensor
- Alarms and notifications after 20 seconds of no movement or breathing
- Crystal clear audio and video quality
We hope you find all the information presented in this Angelcare baby monitor review helpful. If you like this article, help us share it out or tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
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Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
