The baby monitor industry is competitive and many recent baby monitors have come up with different smart functions like analytics tracking which belongs to the realm of Wifi baby monitor. For parents who don’t care much about all latest analytics and tracking and using a mobile app, there are still non-Wifi baby monitors like Angelcare AC517 with the more traditional make.
Upon unboxing Angelcare AC517, you will see that there are 3 parts to it: The parent unit, camera, and wireless pad. It is not a Wifi baby monitor and thus there is no mobile app.
The parent unit has a 5-inch display coupled with its camera’s ability to capture excellent image and audio quality. There are many other features like remote pan, tilt and zoom, and the ability to see room temperature.
General Review
Angelcare AC517 faces a lot of competition in Wifi baby monitors like Nanit Plus which have similar features with smart analytics elements which makes it hard to really compare. What is different about them is their wireless motion pad which can track your baby’s movements and breathing at night.
Angelcare AC517’s wireless motion pad requires you to slide it under your baby’s crib. It tracks your baby’s movements and sounds. If there is no activity for 20 seconds, an alert notifications will be sent to you.
Their wireless motion pad is really appealing to parents who are worried about SIDS. What Angelcare AC517 offers to parents is a peace of mind, knowing that you get every single alert, especially when your baby is not moving. It is more for the first few weeks of your baby’s life as you won’t need this when your baby is older.
For parents who are concerned about SIDS, especially for premature babies, do note that Angelcare AC517’s motion pad is not a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis or treatment. It simply alerts you and gives you peace of mind.
Image & Audio Quality
Angelcare AC517 has excellent image and audio quality. It has a 5-inch parent unit display which gives you good user experience. When navigating the parent unit, it is pretty straightforward as it has a simple user interface.
You can also turn off the display screen when you are going to sleep. This helps to conserve battery life as well while you still get to hear what’s going on in the baby’s room. It has VOX function, which will alert you if they pick up any sound and on the display screen. The wireless motion pad also picks up movement and breathing and alerts you if there’s anything wrong.
Angelcare AC517 comes with infrared night vision, and it automatically switches to it when it encounters dim lights. Parents will be able to view clearly in both day and night time.
The camera unit is easy to detach as it is using magnets, which makes it really easy to adjust views. Or, parents can simply remotely pan, tilt, and zoom to get the view that they want.
Signal strength
Angelcare AC517 has a decent signal range, but Eufy has a wider range. But still, it can cover an average house size so unless you are staying in a huge house, the signal range shouldn’t be an issue.
It is using a wireless 2.4GHz FHSS signal that can reach up to 820 feet in an open field. In your environment with all the interference and obstacles, it can probably reach up to 150 feet, so do keep this in mind to ensure that you are picking up the camera signals
Battery Life
The battery is being used up pretty fast. It might be the high-resolution display that caused this to happen. You can get about 5-6 hours without plugging in. It is good for naps in the afternoons but you will need to plug in to charge if you are using it overnight.
You can get up to 8 hours if you keep the screen off with audio-only. It takes 5 hours to charge and there will be a beeping sound to alert you once it is fully charged
2-way Talk Function
Parents can press a button and talk directly to their baby with its 2-way talk function.
Security
This is a non-Wifi baby monitor, so its security is not contingent on the security of your Wifi connection, which can be quite vulnerable to hackers. It uses an encrypted FHSS signal which makes it harder to be hacked.
Health & Safety
As Angelcare AC517 does emit EMF, do keep a minimum of 6 feet distance away from your baby. In general, if you are worried about radiation, keep devices away from your baby. Do check out our article on radiation and baby monitors to find out more.
The Verdict
Angelcare AC517 is one of the pricier non-Wifi baby monitors that we have reviewed. It has excellent image & audio quality, and a 5-inch parent unit which makes it easy to observe your baby.
A lot of recent baby monitors have similar features but what differentiates Angelcare AC517 is its baby movement and breathing wireless tracking pad which you slide under your baby’s crib.
It is useful for parents who are worried about SIDS in the initial few weeks of your baby. Also, there are other vital tracking monitors in Owlet and Miku if you are really concerned.