Tag Archives: Child Safety

Angelcare Baby Movement Monitor Review

[xrr rating=5/5]
QUICK SPECS
From the Manufacturer
The Angelcare Baby Movement Monitor (AC300) is portable and can be used anywhere baby sleeps. The under-the-mattress sensor pad detects the slightest baby movements and alerts you if no movement is detected for 20 seconds. It is a great addition to the Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor from Angelcare if you have twins sleeping in different beds, in the same room. Can also be a great addition to the Angelcare sound monitor or any other sound monitor for that little extra reassurance.

Product Overview
Whether your baby is awake or sound asleep, the under-the-mattress Sensor Pad will detect all of your baby’s movements, even the slightest breathing movements. The Angelcare Baby Movement Monitor uses a sensor alarm which works in such a way that if movement is not detected after 20 seconds then an alarm will sound to alert you to the situation.

EDITOR’S REVIEW
The Good
  • Easy to set up and use.
  • Uses batteries, so no need to find an outlet, and one less cord to secure.
  • Portable and easy to use in a variety of situations, from bassinet to crib to pack-n-play.
  • Works very well for swaddled and/or wrapped newborns and infants that aren’t moving around too much.
The Bad
  • Manual switch requires you to remember to turn it on and off each time you pick up your baby.
  • Once baby starts to roll on their side, or moving to edges of crib, the sensitivity may not pick up their breathing properly, resulting in false alarms.
Why We Bought It
With our first daughter, we found ourselves always walking over to her bassinet and placing our hands on her chest to “make sure she was still breathing.” Like most new parents…especially first timers…on of our biggest fears was SIDs. After a few weeks, this paranoia got a little unhealthy, and right about that time, we discovered baby movement monitors. There are so many new pieces of gear for new parents to consider, but this was not something that was on our radar initially. Since we installed this movement monitor, we have recommended it to many of friends, and many have chosen to use it for their own babies. The Angelcare Baby Movement Monitor has really helped my wife and I sleep a little better at night. It provides an extra layer of monitoring that gives us a little extra piece of mind and comfort. It can be a little temperamental when getting it all set up, due to its sensitivity, and once a baby starts sleeping on their side, it may have trouble picking up their breathing, but all in all, we are very happy with its performance. If you already have a video/audio monitor, the basic model works just fine, as you can easily hear the alarm in your nursery through a regular video/audio monitoring system. Otherwise, they have integrated systems that may save you some money and keep your total number of gadgets down a bit.

Bottom Line
The Angelcare Baby Movement Monitor is definitely a worthy addition to your baby nursery, starting with the baby’s first day at home. It helped us sleep better at night, and we think you will too.

Chicco Cortina Travel System Review

[xrr rating=5/5]

QUICK SPECS
From the Manufacturer
The Chicco Contina Infant Car Seat is the #1 rated infant car seat in America. The Chicco Cortina Infant Car Seat is the premier infant carrier for safety, comfort, and convenience. The Cortina is packed with features that make this Infant car seat the easiest to install and thus the safest choice for your baby. This is designed especially for the Chicco Infant Car Seat, the Cortina stroller works as a travel system for your infant and a full size stroller for your growing baby. The Cortina stroller will satisfy your desire for convenience, comfort and safety.
Product Description
The Chicco Cortina Stroller Travel System features the stroller and the Chicco Infant Car Seat. It is one of the most fabulous systems on the market because it combines Chicco fashion and safety ideas. The Chicco Cortina Stroller features a lightweight, aluminum frame which comes loaded. It has a one hand fold to make life much easier on the parent. The Chicco stroller features a smooth ride which will assure the child that rest will be possible the entire way.

 

EDITOR’S REVIEW
The Good
  • Well built and sturdy, and has been very reliable for us for over 17 months thus far.
  • Easily collapses with just one free hand, assuming you will be holding your baby with the other.
  • Car seat snaps securely into the stroller and can be easily removed with just hand, while holding and lifting the seat with the other.
  • Removable, washable cloth cover on both car seat and stroller.
  • Removable, dishwasher-safe drink/food tray.

The Bad

  • The Cortina is only rated to 22lbs. Most babies/toddlers reach this weight by 12 to 18 months. At that point, you will need to purchase a larger car seat. You may want to consider purchasing the Travel System that is rated to 30 pounds instead, in order to get a little more life out of this Chicco system.
  • As our daughter got older, and wanted to check out everything going on around her while we were out and about, we realized that we wished the seat adjustment sat up a little bit more. Our daughter has to hold on to the food/drink tray in order to sit straight up.
Why We Chose This Product
After careful consideration, we chose the Chicco Cortina Travel System for our first child. We like it because it collapses and opens easily, has good build quality, and receives good safety reviews. After using for nearly 17 months of use, it is still in great condition and has held up very well. The carseat can only be used until your child is 22 pounds, so you may want to consider the 30 pound system instead, in order to get a little more life out of the carseat, before having to upgrade to a larger one.

 

Bottom Line
Regularly a top choice for new parents, you can’t go wrong with the Chicco Cortina Travel System. It’s build quality and ease of use makes it well worth the slightly higher price.