EZVIZ BM1 review: Keep an eye on your most prized possession from anywhere

If you’re in the market for one of the best baby monitors, the EZVIZ BM1 should be on your shortlist. It’s a one-piece unit that works in conjunction with a mobile app, allowing you to keep a close eye on your little one whether you’re downstairs folding washing, or enjoying a rare meal out at a restaurant (you’ll obviously still need a babysitter to do the heavy lifting for the latter).

Finding a baby monitor that ticks all the boxes is tricky – connections can be temperamental, night vision might lack clarity and interfaces are sometimes clunky – but the BM1 ticks a lot of them. I’ve been using it to watch over my seven-month-old at night for a full week now to see how the BM1 works and what could be improved. Here’s what you should know before parting with your money.

EZVIZ BM1 review: What do you get for the money?

The EZVIZ BM1 has a list price of £130, but during sales events it can be found listed for less. This puts it squarely in the mid-range tier, which I’d say is fair based on the level of performance and features it delivers.

So what are those features? Starting with the hardware, you get the BM1 unit, which comprises a camera at one end, an adjustable clamp at the other and a bendy arm connecting the two so that you can achieve the perfect camera angle, no matter where baby is sleeping. It has a rubberised coating that makes it easy to handle and grippy on a multitude of surfaces.

Some baby monitors come with a separate display unit that connects to the camera wirelessly, but EZVIZ has opted to forgo this in favour of a mobile app. The idea is to keep things as user friendly and fuss-free as possible, while including all the features necessary to keep an eye on your baby. These include movement/crying detection with adjustable range and notifications, optional soothing music playback, SD-card capability and a crystal-clear picture.

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EZVIZ BM1 review: What does it do well?

The first thing that struck me about the BM1 was how easy it is to set up and adjust. The clamp works perfectly to hold the camera in place, and the bendy arm allows it to be positioned in seemingly infinite ways. This means you can get a great angle, no matter the setup of your baby’s bedroom.

The camera unit is rechargeable, which means it’s completely wireless. This is excellent news; one issue I’ve often faced with some baby monitors is trying to find a plug socket that will allow me to get a good visual. It’s also one less potential hazard sitting close to a baby. Note that the camera will easily run for a night or two off a single charge.

I found the app easy to use. Once the unit is unboxed and the app downloaded, it’s simply a case of scanning a barcode using your phone’s camera to get things up and running – and the picture quality is spot on, even in complete darkness.

EZVIZ BM1 review: What could it do better?

Unfortunately, the BM1 does have a few issues. First and foremost, it doesn’t deliver a continuous live stream from the camera. If you want to see what baby is up to outside of the crying and movement notifications, you’ll have to keep refreshing the app every few minutes.

The lack of a separate display unit might be fine for some users, but I found it to be a slight inconvenience. I like to be able to use my phone while simultaneously keeping an eye on the monitor, but this isn’t an option with the BM1.

The BM1 does allow video to be saved. However, in order to do so, you’ll need an SD card or cloud storage – neither of which are included; both will obviously cost you more money.

Annoyingly, I found that the camera unit makes extremely loud and jarring voice announcements when being turned on/off and during setup. This is worth keeping in mind if you have an already sleeping baby that you’re keen not to wake up. Unfortunately, I found this out the hard way.

EZVIZ BM1 review: Should you buy it?

If you’re looking for a security camera-style baby monitor that notifies you when your little one is stirring, but otherwise leaves you be, the BM1 is a solid option. The display-free design makes sense if you’re viewing away from home, but parents who want to be able to glance at a screen as and when will probably get along better with a more traditional camera and display unit setup.

That said, the EZVIZ BM1 is a great piece of kit for the money, and well worth looking at if you’re in the market for an easy-to-use baby monitor for under £100.