Angelcare AC25-1 Baby Monitor review: medically approved - but does it really help parents sleep easier?

Price on writing: £170 £250 (-32%) | Buy now from Amazon

Our verdict

Overall, our tester Amber found the Angelcare AC25-1 to be a reliable, well-designed baby monitor with standout video quality, strong range and reassuring motion detection. It's not perfect: the symbol-heavy interface, modest audio volume and price were drawbacks that affected Amber's score. That said, she liked the peace of mind it offered her when used with both her children.

Amber also praised the high quality of the screen and the fact that the audio triggered before the video, adding that she would recommend the monitor to other parents.

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How we tested the Angelcare AC25-1 Baby Monitor

Mum-of-two Amber put the Angelcare AC25-1 through its paces over a testing period of several months with both her two-year-old son and baby daughter (aged between newborn to six months during the time of testing). During this time she assessed the monitor carefully for a number of important factors, including how easy it was to set up, how well it monitored her children and overall value for money. She provided detailed notes and scores on eight carefully-curated criteria (listed above) which informed the monitor's overall score and star rating.

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First impressions of the Angelcare AC25-1 Baby Monitor

On unboxing, the monitor initially made a good impression: "The monitor looked very good quality," explained Amber.

However, it did take some getting to grips with. "Once turned on, there were a lot of different symbols which required us to consult the instructions, so I wouldn't say it was simple to use initially," she reported.

Unfortunately, Amber did find that her first Angelcare monitor had a fault with picking up noise which wasn't there, but when she contacted customer services they were "very quick and helpful", and a replacement monitor was sent out very promptly.

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How durable is the Angelcare AC25-1?

Amber thought the Angelcare seemed reasonably durable: "It feels fairly sturdy and probably would survive being dropped, dependent on the floor surface."

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How practical is the Angelcare AC25-1 Baby Monitor?

Amber rated the Angelcare AC25-1 highly for practicality and overall performance, pointing out that the battery life was very good. She also really liked the fact the camera can be wall-mounted, though the short cable was a bit of a drawback: "Unless it's mounted to the wall directly above a socket, it has to be plugged into an extension cable."

How well does the sensor pad perform?

The Angelcare AC25-1 Baby Monitor is equipped with a medically-approved motion sensor pad which is placed under the baby's cot mattress and alerts parents if no motion is detected for 20 seconds. This pad is one of the stand-out features of the Angelcare monitor, having been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and The Lullaby Trust, the UK's leading baby safe sleeping and SIDS charity.

Amber said that the sensor pad worked well, pointing out the benefit of its wireless design meaning no potentially-hazardous cords. She added, "The sensor plate was easy to set up and it sits underneath the mattress with no wires, which is handy. It picks up if movement stops, giving an initial beep if there is no movement and then the alarm starts. You can pause the monitor plate when you're lifting the baby in and out of the bed via a button on the camera or the monitor itself - there is a light which flashes green to let you know it's paused."

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How is the audio quality on the Angelcare AC25-1?

"The audio quality was good overall, however I would have liked to have been able to turn up the volume," Amber reported. "In a busy household it wasn't always easy to hear it over the sound of things like the dishwasher or if a lot of people were talking in a room."

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How is the video quality on the Angelcare AC25-1?

“The quality of the video is very good," said Amber. "In daylight the monitor is in colour, and it goes black and white in the dark. It is easy to see if the little one’s eyes are open.”

How is the signal range of the monitor?

The Angelcare AC25-1 claims to work up to 150m in terms of signal range. Amber said: "We never had a problem with signal, it has worked in all areas of our three-bedroom semi and out into the garden too."

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Does the Angelcare AC25-1 Baby Monitor offer good value for money?

Amber pointed out that the Angelcare is "quite expensive compared to other baby monitor options on the market," but added: "we did value the sensor pad which we didn't have with a cheaper baby monitor used previously."

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About the author

Jenny Wonnacott is a Content Editor at Mumsnet, specialising in writing, editing and optimising pregnancy and baby care content. As a parent of three primary school-aged children, Jenny is passionate about making Mumsnetters' lives easier through rigorous research of all items recommended in reviews, features and buyers' guides.

As part of the core Baby & Child editorial team at Mumsnet, Jenny has extensive experience with researching, testing and reviewing baby monitors from leading brand - from Leapfrog to VTech - as well as editing and updating our popular best baby monitor guide page.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet baby and child product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.