In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

Angelcare AC403 Review

Reliable sensor pad with sensitivity adjustment and sound monitor
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Angelcare AC403 Review (The AC403 includes a sensor pad and one to two parent devices.)
The AC403 includes a sensor pad and one to two parent devices.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $150 List
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Manufacturer:   Angelcare
By Juliet Spurrier, MD and BabyGearLab Review Team  ⋅  Jun 22, 2018

Our Verdict

The Angelcare AC403 is a mattress style movement monitor with a single sensor pad, nursery component, and dedicated parent unit. The AC403 is reliable with sensitivity adjustment on the nursery unit a feature that helps parents find the sweet spot in monitoring for consistent alerts without false alarms. While the setup of the AC403 takes time and patience, we think it helps create a high functioning monitor that can help parents get a good night's sleep. This unit is not the best for those who want a great option for traveling thanks to multiple parts and specific requirements for the crib and mattress. It also isn't great for larger or mobile children thanks to the single pad design. However, with parent alerts and sound monitoring, the AC403 is a good choice for many families.
REASONS TO BUY
Reliable
Parent unit
Sound monitor
REASONS TO AVOID
Not very portable
Need a hard surface
Not good for all mattress types
Update
Angelcare has discontinued the AC403 monitor and is completely rebooting their line of baby monitors.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Angelcare began in 1997. They offer a variety of sound, video, and movement products for monitoring babies. The company is located in Canada, the USA, the UK, Europe, and Asia. Angelcare tries to provide peace of mind by helping parents keep tabs on their baby's comfort and well-being.

Performance Comparison



angelcare ac403 - the ac403 has adjustable sensitivity on the back of the nursery unit...
The AC403 has adjustable sensitivity on the back of the nursery unit to help parents avoid false alarms.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Reliability


The AC403 is a sensor pad style of movement monitor that did not have false alarms during our testing after we set the sensitivity level. This adjustment feature can help parents find the best level for their nursery and mattress. We suspect being able to make this adjustment is why we didn't experience any false alarms. Parents should avoid placing the product and crib near any device that could cause false alarms by creating vibration or movement like a heater, air filter, or white noise maker.

Mattress Selection
The AC403 does not work with every type of mattress. You can't use it with a hollow core or memory foam mattress where the foam will have direct contact with the sensor.

The AC403 seems to be one of the most reliable products we reviewed, but some online users have reported false alarms once their baby is old enough to roll into areas not covered by the sensors. We acknowledge that this is definitely possible, but as indicated on several movement product websites, babies that can roll and move have usually developed enough to avoid the issues that lead to lack of breathing during sleep which makes the need for movement monitoring significantly decreased. Depending on your little one and your mattress, you may or may not experience this problem as your baby ages.

angelcare ac403 - the ac403 parent unit plugs in and has backup batteries, so you'll...
The AC403 parent unit plugs in and has backup batteries, so you'll have coverage no matter what happens as long as you are within range.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

We like that the AC403 has AC power and a battery backup. This feature is unique amongst the units we reviewed. Having both energy resources means parents can sleep soundly knowing they have coverage for the night.

angelcare ac403 - the ac403 can be purchased with a single or double parent unit. we...
The AC403 can be purchased with a single or double parent unit. We think having two parent units can be very helpful and provides additional monitoring opportunities.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

A parent unit is a unique component in movement monitors with most of the competition alerting only in the nursery to rouse the baby as you race to turn off the alarm. Pairing a movement product with a sound or video monitor can solve this problem, but it is far more convenient to have a single parent unit that does it all. The inclusion of a dedicated parent unit means you will get immediate alerts, have regular feedback on what is happening in the baby's room, and you can potentially avoid the loud false alarms that can distress a peacefully sleeping little one. A parent unit provides alerts in your location instead of inside the nursery. It gives you constant contact with your baby's room and you avoid loud in-nursery alarms found in some of the competition. Also, one product instead of two is simpler and you don't need to remember to turn on two products every night.

angelcare ac403 - the initial setup of the ac403 can be challenging, but the everyday...
The initial setup of the AC403 can be challenging, but the everyday use of the parent unit is far simpler. However, it can take time and the manual to figure things out.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use


This monitor is fairly straightforward once you familiarize yourself with the features and setup process. Angelcare suppliesuseful user videos in case you get stuck or need an assist. Initially, we found the parent unit somewhat confusing, but once you have the unit set, there isn't much to consider on a day-to-day basis.

angelcare ac403 - you need to turn the nursery sensor on the ac403 off before you...
You need to turn the nursery sensor on the AC403 off before you remove your little one from the bed to avoid the alarm going off.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

The difficulty we experienced with the parent unit is due to the impressive amount of customization during the initial setup. Once we familiarized ourselves with the parent unit, it wasn't a problem. You need to wait to turn the movement monitor on until after little ones are in bed, and you need to turn it offbefore you take your child out of bed. This process prevents the alarm from going off after it senses no movement with no child in the bed.

Set Up


Set up of the AC403 sensor pad is similar to any sensor pad monitor. The surface under the mattress must be firm with minimal flex to avoid false alarms and for the unit to function properly. The sensor pad is placed under the mattress and the wires from the pad are routed to the nursery unit. Be sure to route the wires out of the baby's reach to avoid potential injury or death related to strangulation. Angelcare recommends placing the nursery unit at least 39" from the crib.

angelcare ac403 - the tic feature on the ac403 gives you peace of mind that the unit...
The tic feature on the AC403 gives you peace of mind that the unit is working and the parent and nursery devices are connected.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Portability


The AC403 is not easy to transport making it a poor choice if you want to travel with it. It has multiple parts and requires more time to set up and a somewhat specialized crib and mattress set up. On the upside, most parents feel less worried about monitoring little ones because you are usually sharing a room.

Electromagnetic Field (EMF)


The AC403 did not register any EMF (Volts/meter) in our tests. These results make it ideal compared to other products that do have EMF. Some of the wearable movement products we tested emit high levels of EMF and in our opinion, are not good choices given the sensitivity of an infant's developing systems.

Juliet Spurrier, MD and BabyGearLab Review Team
 

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