Is my monitor suitable to use with my baby's mattress?

In this article we're going to discuss the Angelcare Movement Sensor Pad and mattresses.

As a consumer, you need to know why some types (not brand) of mattress work better with the Angelcare Movement Sensor Pad and why some don't.

A little about how the Movement Sensor Pad works:

All Angelcare Movement Sensor Pads are designed to monitor the movements of baby over the full surface of their mattress, from corner to corner. One Sensor Pad is sufficient to monitor the entire mattress surface.

The Sensor Pad is best placed under the mattress and in the middle of the cot. As the pad detects baby’s movements, you need to take into consideration the thickness of the mattress and the amount of layers your baby is wearing when put to bed.

Too many layers and/or too thick a mattress may affect the Sensor Pad and it's ability to monitor your baby effectively. However there is no actual mattress minimum/maximum thickness, but there is a reason for this.

The sensitivity of the Sensor Pad CAN be adjusted to suit most different sleeping situations. There are more topics on this in our Help Centre, simply search for "(**your model**) Four Corner Test" for to get started.

Recommended mattress types:

"Recommended" isn't really the correct term to be using, it's perhaps more accurate to say "we know these types work better than others", but that doesn't make a simple title:

• Standard hypoallergenic
• Spring based
• Coir based
• Spring/coir combination 

These all allow the Sensor Pad to fully detect your baby's movement which is transferred through the mattress.

Not recommended mattress type:

The Sensor Pad will NOT work with:

• Hollow Frame
  
• Dual Sided
• Memory Foam Mattress

Why not Hollow Framed?

Hollow Framed Mattresses are mainly found in the US, they contain a number of poles that are fitted together with a tight cover fitted. As a result of there being nothing inside the mattress (i.e. hollow), no movement is transferred down to the Movement Sensor Pad. As a result, the monitor may false alarm indicating that baby's movements are not being detected by the Sensor Pad.

Why not Dual Sided / Memory Foam?

A full Memory Foam or Dual sided Memory Foam Mattress masks the movement of baby on the surface due to the density of the foam: again, movements do not transfer down to the Sensor Pad. As a result, the monitor may false alarm indicating that movement is not being detected by the Sensor Pad.

Unfortunately, it is not possible for our technical team to test the Movement Sensor Pad with every type or brand of mattress available within the UK and Ireland.

That isn't to say we don't work with any manufacturers or retailers, however we cannot recommend a specific brand to use at this current time.

We do suggest, when purchasing any mattress for your baby, that you take the above points into consideration. If you're unsure of the internal composition of any mattress, contact the retailer/manufacturer for clarification: quite often simply speaking with in-store staff will help you decide.