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Original poster

Angelcare sensor mat - yes or no?

76 replies

pinkie1982 · 22/03/2015 09:10

Can I please have any parents opinions on a monitor mat?
We are buying the baby things and this is something that we don't know whether to put on our list or not.
Would it give us piece of mind it make us more paranoid?

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Hello!

We've noticed this thread is quite old and some of the product recommendations are a little out of date. We've spent weeks speaking to parents and testing out baby monitors. Read our reviews to see which product was crowned best baby monitor.

We've also got some helpful advice on audio, video and sensor pad monitors in our baby monitors buyer's guide which might be useful.

Hope that helps! Flowers MNHQ

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BigfootFilesHisToesInYourTea · 22/03/2015 10:11

"I wouldn't mind having false alarms because the baby has moved. That wouldn't bother me."

You say that, but when it's gone off for the fourth time that night because baby's moved off it and woken both you and baby up in the process you may want to chuck it out the window reconsider.

We didn't get on with our one.

funnyface31 · 22/03/2015 10:12

I agree with others, it gave us reassurance and only ever went off when we forgot to switch it off.

I used mine twice and passed it on to my sister.

Mangobubbles · 22/03/2015 10:14

The best thing we bought! Our second baby was very ill and after we got home from the hospital when he was a month old it gave me so much peace of mind when he was asleep. I actually managed to sleep too. We don't have the video, just the mat and the listening thing. I have recommended it to lots of new parents and haven't heard anyone saying they didn't like it or use it.

Koalafications · 22/03/2015 10:14

Bigfoot I doubt it, but I will keep that in mind Smile

GozerTheGozerian · 22/03/2015 10:17

Best thing we bought. Tried the Tommee Tippee one first and had quite a few false alarms but the Angelcare has been spot on. And yes both DS1&2 have had all of their sleeps in a room with us but it's still great to know you'd be woken up instantly if they did stop breathing. Massive peace of mind and means you don't need to constantly check up.

It's also proved useful with toddler DS1 as an early warning system when he gets out of bed...

softlysoftly · 22/03/2015 10:18

No but just because there is something better! We had the "nanny monitor" mat with first DCs which gave huge peace of mind but when they could move they moved off and DD2 was a little bugger for cosleeping which obv you can't use the mat.

For DD3 we have this

It is awesome still use it at 8 months and used it for a week in hospital when she was born with an infection which you can't really take a mat.

Flingmoo · 22/03/2015 10:18

We got ours when we started putting DS to sleep on his front as it was the only way he would sleep. I think we've only had one false alarm when he rolled into a really funny sleeping position squeezed right up against the edge of the cot so the sensor momentarily couldn't detect him! Even then it wasn't really a scary moment for us, we just calmly went to check on him, no dramatic racing up the stairs with heart pounding, as we knew it was probably just due to him going into a funny position.

I think they offer great peace of mind and are not really that expensive especially if you find one on offer!

MetroMonkey · 22/03/2015 10:34

I found the Angel Care one to be invaluable with by first baby! The NHS and other orgs tell you to NOT use one and from what I can see this is because they fear you will then be too relaxed and might put baby in another room before 6 months but for me it alleviated constant anxiety and allowed me to sleep when baby slept or go take a shower during nap time.

The actual monitor is a bit clunky and definitely not as nice as the Motorola that I've used since DD was about 1 but the breathing mat makes it totally worth it.

stargirl1701 · 22/03/2015 10:41

Never used one with either of our babies. We followed the sleep guidance to reduce the risk of SIDS instead.

HazleNutt · 22/03/2015 10:46

I don't think anybody on this thread claimed they got the Angelcare so they could ignore the SIDS avoidance guidelines?

Murphy29 · 22/03/2015 11:04

We have the tommee tippee version and love it. Couple of false alarms but they've never woken DS.

He's 5 months so still in our room but just good for reassurance and it's let us pop him down in his crib at bedtime (8ish) and let DH and I have some time together in living room before we go to bed (10ish).

PinkParsnips · 22/03/2015 11:33

We have one and it was worth its weight in gold, it gave us great piece of mind. DD is a wriggler though so as she got older and used to squish herself right into the end of the cot we had many many false alarms, several times every night in the end and no amount of fiddling with the sensitivity seemed to help so we've reluctantly stopped using. She is 16 months now though, i dont know what age people nornally use them to.

CrispyFern · 22/03/2015 11:47

I don't think it's worth getting one, nor do I think it's a good idea for nervous parents.

It is like OCD, the worst thing you can do is pander to your irrational thoughts. That gives them strength. You have to realise the thoughts are irrational and carry on despite them, while ignoring them.

doobeedee · 22/03/2015 12:11

We have one and it's great. It doesn't set off buy just "rolling off the mat". We've had 3 false alarms in 18 months and that was because he'd got himself squashed right up against the bars and was hardly touching the mattress, so not a very regular occurrence. You calibrate it when you set it up do that the sensor reaches right out to the corners.

doobeedee · 22/03/2015 12:13

If it's going off 10 times a night then it's not been set up properly.

trilbydoll · 22/03/2015 12:16

I wouldn't buy one until baby arrives - we ended up with DD in our bed for 9 months, it would have been a total waste of money. You won't get much sleep the first couple of nights anyway, by which time Amazon can deliver one!

GunShotResidue · 22/03/2015 12:23

I think our one is babysense, it's got two pads that you spread out under the mattress so wherever the baby goes it still detects them. DD is 14 months and we've had one false alarm.

I have bad anxiety and was worried that a mat would make it worse, but it has helped me. A friend said her mat made her panic more though, I think it depends on the person.

Feckeggblue · 22/03/2015 12:26

I remember a few years ago general advice (seems to have give quiet since though) was that they were not useful not just because of the high number of false alarms but because most parents would not then either know what to do in a genuine emergency or would be unlikely to have time to act. Apparently you would have a minute or two from the alarm being activated to getting the baby breathing again.

micmacaroo · 22/03/2015 12:29

We had one but changed to a motorola. Kept going off when she rolled off, and pushed my anxiety to a whole new level. Not helped when I read they'd been recalled in the US and Canada As strangulation hazards (because they'd been incorrectly installed).

Dogsmom · 22/03/2015 12:39

We used ours until a few weeks ago when dd was about 22 months.
In all that time there was only 2 or 3 false alarms and that was when she was big enough to get right down the far end of her bed and lay sideways.
As she grew we just moved the mat more towards the centre of her bed so it could pick up movement pretty much everywhere.

Not a nice topic but my health visitor told me that if the worst does happen that a baby would continue to twitch for a short while and so it would still be too late by the time the pad kicked in.
However I think that it'd be better to know within a few minutes than a few hours in case there was a slight chance of resuscitation.

LollieLoves · 22/03/2015 12:45

I really want one, but also want to get a cocoonababy, and can't see how the Angelcare would work with that. The clip on one looks like a good solution.

I won't mind if it goes off accidentally. Would far rather that than the opposite. Think it will give me peace of mind and enable me to sleep.

GunShotResidue · 22/03/2015 12:49

Most mats also go off if breathing slows to a certain level so should give some warning. If your realy worried I did a red cross baby and cod first aid course. Cost £40ish and taught CPR and general first aid.

Trunkisareshite · 22/03/2015 14:33

I have one, used it with both of my two and will use it with the next. As PP said if it's going off all the time you haven't set it up correctly either for sensitivity or temperature.

I was an anxiety ridden first time mum and 100% disagree from actual experience that it made me worse- it was the only way I could sleep.

I 'met' someone on a forum who used one and it went off as her baby had stopped breathing, she was able to give CPR whilst waiting for the ambulance and therefore saved her babies life. Having the baby in with you won't tell you if it's stopped breathing if you're asleep but the monitor will, my understanding of having the baby with you for all sleeps for the first 6 months is so that the baby can hear/ smell you, not so that you can hear them.

Using a sensor monitor vs following SIDS advice isn't an either or thing!!!

My short answer is get one, if you don't like it/ use it then flog it on eBay!

Jenny1231990 · 22/03/2015 14:34

Haven't read all replies, I have one and I found it amazing when my dd went into her own room at 6months, I could rest knowing she was safe, the only time the alarm has sounded was when I've got her out and forgotten to turn it off.
One of my best buys, she is 10 months old now and likes to roll on her tummy to sleep never once moved off the mat x

scandichick · 22/03/2015 14:44

We didn't get one, don't regret it - but the video monitor we did get was great, so if it has that functionality it's a good thing.

As previous posters have said you need to complement the monitor with a first aid course, or most if the benefits are moot.