The Chillax Smart Candle 5” (DM568) is a feature-rich baby monitor but weak night vision and a disappointing battery life hold it back from being a genuine all-rounder. At £139.99 it’s a reasonable budget pick if those extras appeal to you.
- Nappy and feeding tracking baked into the parent unit and app, saving extra downloads on apps like Huckleberry
- Firmware updates run automatically when run for the first time
- Night vision is pretty weak with dull colours, poor contrast, and pixelation
- App feels cluttered with poorly organised widgets
- 90 degree tilt is limited on a low crib
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Nappy/feeding tracker Easy tracking via the parent unit, which syncs to the app
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2K QHD resolution Decent video quality with 355° pan, 90° tilt
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MicroSD support Up to 128GB (not included) but records in 30-second bursts
When you have a baby, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of tech out there. There are products to help your little ones sleep, keep tabs on their room temperature, and even track their day-to-day activities. So when a baby monitor promises to fold all of that into one sleek device, it’s worth paying attention to.
At least, that’s what the Chillax Smart Candle 5” (DM568) promises. Itis packed with features: a night light, a white noise machine, temperature monitoring, and nappy/feed tracking.
But are these features actually worth it and do they actually save you time and money? I spent a week testing the Candle to find out whether it can really compete with some of the best baby monitors on the market or if it spreads itself a little too thin.
Design and features
- 355° pan and 90° tilt
In the box, you get the Chillax camera, parent unit, two plugs, and two USB-C cables. There’s no mounting kit with this baby monitor, but you can mount the camera using a standard ¼” screw thread if you want to.
Setup is pretty easy: you just plug in the camera, turn on the parent unit, and the feed turns on. To setup Wi-Fi, you’ll need to download the Chillax Care app, create an account, select the camera, add Wi-Fi details, hit pair, and then scan the QR code from your phone to the camera. This takes no longer than five minutes to complete.
Camera control is available from either the parent unit or the app, alongside two-way talk, which I’ll go over in detail later. The parent unit itself is fairly feature-rich: there are eight brightness levels, ten built-in sounds, and mic/volume controls. The speaker for the unit sits on the back of the device, but I found it’s quite easy to obscure it when holding the unit in your left hand without realising it.
The unit also comes with dedicated buttons for logging nappy changes and feeds. Once clicked, this sends a notification to your phone that syncs with the app for tracking. You can add detail to these logs there, detailing what type of change it was, what you’ve fed from, and – if you want to go further – log things relating to sleep, health, growth, and more (although these categories are only available via the app).
I’ll be honest, I thought this functionality was overkill for a baby monitor, but after testing the device for a week, the feature is really handy and saves me from logging everything in Huckleberry. I just wish it was easier to amend the logs in the app.
Pan and tilt are motorised, offering 355° pan and 90° tilt, as well as a 2x zoom Although the tilt range proved to be pretty limiting with a low crib in my testing. I had to angle the camera from the foot end of the crib to get the best position, with the camera placed right on the edge of my changing unit. The 360° pan is nice to have, but not wholly necessary once the camera is in position. The only thing I’ve found it useful for is to ensure privacy in the nursery.
The camera’s base unit also houses a night light, which can be switched to one of seven soli colours or a rainbow effect. This night light works well – giving you enough light in the room without disturbing the baby. It can also be paired with specific sounds via the app to build a consistent sleep/wake routine. Ten sounds are built in and most are clear, but the harsher noises like bird calls, for example, sound a little tinny.
There’s also a microSD slot supporting up to 128GB (not included), recording in 30-second bursts – although there’s no way of reviewing footage without removing the card and plugging it into a computer.
The camera does have a subscription called the Chillax Care Plan (£3.49/month or £34.99/year). This is optional, but there are certain features like that are locked behind it. This includes extended video storage, unlimited live feed recordings (the free plan only includes ten), camera sharing with up to 10 people, 150 second voice recordings, daily video summary, and smart zone setup.
Unlike the Hubble GoBaby+ 5.0, the subscription here is truly optional – there’s no core features locked behind it and you can genuinely use the monitor without having to pay more than the upfront cost.
Video and audio quality
- 2K stream on the app, 720p on the parent unit
- Weak night vision
- Near latency-free two-way talk
Resolution wise, the parent unit runs at 720p, while the app streams in 2K Quad HD (2560x1440p). That resolution doesn’t fully translate to picture quality, though. I found that the colours look notably dull on the parent unit compared to some of the other cameras I’ve tested. They’re better on the app, but still not as good as the others.
The same could be said for night vision where this camera falls behind the competition. At 1m, you can still pick out the baby and their general position, but the level of fine detail lags behind the competition. There’s no over exposure or graininess but the contrast noticeably struggles compared to others. The viewing angle isn’t particularly strong either, although the responsiveness is good – under a second of delay on the parent unit during movement. Face detail also becomes notably pixelated when zoomed in, which is problematic if the camera is only stationed 1m away.
Camera movement does produce audible noise, though not enough to be a realistic risk of waking the baby.
As for audio, two way talk is close to latency free between the parent unit and camera in both directions – under 0.5 seconds. The app is noticeably slower at around 1 second of latency in both directions, and as with other cameras tested, there’s a brief wait after pressing the talk button before the audio actually transmits.
App and software
- Handles setup, camera control and events
- Temperature alerts and reminders
- Cluttered layout
The ChillaxCare app handles setup, camera control, and event tracking. Within the app you can tweak various video settings, check the storage of the MicroSD card, turn the night light on/off, set sleep/wake routines, as well as adjust the camera view.
The software is fine, but the app itself just feels a bit too cluttered for my liking. The live feed view is decently sized, but the widgets underneath feel oversized and poorly organised, making the overall experience feel busier than it needs to be.
Range and connectivity
- Clear signal up to 150m
- Wi-Fi switch on the camera
- Wi-Fi feed dropped out at times
Chillax says the range on the Candle is 350m, but in my real-world tests it was quite a bit shorter than that. Although that’s not necessarily a bad thing: I got clear signals to the parent unit throughout our house and garden, as well as 150m away at the end of my road. Although shorter than the rated range, you can be confident that you’ll always have signal in your house to keep an eye on your little one.
As for Wi-Fi, you can switch this on and off from the camera unit itself. Doing so ends the feed on the app – although, unlike some of the other cameras I’ve tested, the app doesn’t immediately show an error. It instead displays the last captured image and only shows a loading wheel if you try to manually refresh the feed. The parent unit remains unaffected during this time.
Wi-Fi coverage can be spotty at times – during my tests, the feed dropped out a few times and the camera movement felt sluggish. On local, I had absolutely no problems with connectivity, but if you know you’re going to rely on Wi-Fi more often than not, this is something to consider.
Security and privacy
- Automatic firmware updates
- Can be used as a local-only monitor
The app requires account creation and Wi-Fi pairing via QR scan before use, which is consistent with the setup of other cameras I’ve tested. Firmware updates run automatically the first time the camera connects to Wi-Fi, which is good from a security perspective.
The Wi-Fi kill switch on the camera works well and offers reassurance for any parents concerned about hacking – although it’s a shame this can’t be triggered from the parent unit. The MicroSD slot also allows you to record footage locally, so the Candle can be used as a local-only monitor without any issues, which is a real plus for security-conscious parents.
However, if you’re looking to share your monitoring with another, you’ll have to enroll in the Chillax Care Plan, as only one account can be linked to the camera at one time without it.
Battery life
- Rated for 10 hours
- Standby mode stops passive monitoring
The DM568 monitor’s parent unit is rated for 10 hours of battery life. In my tests, I found it was closer to 7-8 hours.
I wanted more from the battery life, really, especially since I felt like I had to be near a charger after a couple of hours use. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but it definitely weighs into the overall value of the camera – and on battery life, there’s better out there.
It’s worth noting that the parent unit also has a standby mode to help preserve the battery. You’ll need to press a button to wake the unit before you check on your baby, which removes any passive monitoring you might want to do.
Price and value
- Affordable at £139.99
- Fully usable without a subscription
- Cheaper subscription than rivals
At £139.99, the Chillax Candle 5” is an affordable baby monitor that rivals the likes of the Hubble GoBaby+ 5.0.
The camera is fully usable without a subscription – giving you access to things like cry, motion, and sound detection, two-way talkback, 24/7 live streaming, and more. The optional Chillax Care Plan is considerably cheaper than both the HubbleClub Premium and Motorola’s BeyondCry and cloud storage subscriptions.
This makes it a better value proposition, but it’s not completely necessary – at the end of the day, it just gives you access to unlimited recordings, extended storage, camera sharing, split-screen views, and more. All things that are additions and not core safety features.
If you’re looking for an affordable camera that works out of the box and doesn’t rely on a subscription to keep your little one safe, the Chillax is worth exploring. But if you want something a bit more high tech and a monitor that doesn’t have a subscription fee, I’d look at the eufy E21 or Motorola PIP1710 Connect.
Should you buy it?
You want an affordable monitor without a subscription
Core monitoring isn’t locked behind a paywall, and nappy and feed tracking are built in.
The Candle tries to accomplish an awful lot and is only partly successful. The nappy and feeding tracker proved to be a surprisingly good addition – reducing the amount of time we spent on Huckleberry. Combine this with the nightlight, the sounds, and the temperature monitoring, the Candle is a serious baby monitor that should save you from buying extra nursery gadgets.
Unfortunately that comes at the cost of the baby monitor’s core job: monitoring. Night vision is noticeably behind other cameras in my tests, with poor contrast and pixelation as soon as you zoom in and poor colour on the parent unit, even in daylight.
Battery life is also a weak point. With only seven or eight hours of juice and a standby mode that undermines the concept of passive monitoring, the DM568 isn’t my top pick in this area.
Nevertheless, I like the fact that the core monitoring isn’t locked behind a paywall and that the Chillax Care Plan is an optional extra for those committed to the ecosystem.
At this price, the DM568 is a solid affordable pick, especially if you’re a first-time parent looking to deck out your nursery. But if you want peace of mind with picture quality and battery life, I’d look elsewhere.
We test every baby monitor in a real-world nursery setting for at least a week. We check video and audio quality on both the parent unit and the app, run night vision tests at set distances, and check the range throughout the house and garden to test its reliability.
Security and privacy get particular attention – we check account creation, two-factor authentication, and local-only WiFi modes. We also check battery life against manufacturing claims and check the value of subscription costs where they apply.
We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Used as our main baby monitor for the review period
- We take samples during the day and night to see how clear each camera’s video is
- We check each camera’s security features in-depth to ensure baby’s safety
Yes, you can end the Wi-Fi feed by turning it off on the camera itself – doing so turns off the app live feed immediately, relinquishing control only to the parent unit.
No, you can use the baby monitor without a subscription. However, should you decide that you want additional features, such as extended storage, camera sharing, or smart zone setup, you’ll have to enroll in the Chillax Care Plan.
Yes, the parent unit features two buttons that allow you to log both nappy and feeds directly, sending notifications to your phone via the app. The app also allows you to log additional things, like sleep, health, growth, and more.
| Chillax Smart Candle 5” (DM568) Review | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | – |
| Size (Dimensions) | 96 x 110 x 180 MM |
| Release Date | 2026 |
| First Reviewed Date | 20/10/2026 |
| Model Number | DM568 |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1440 |
| Battery Length | 10 hrs |
| Camera Type | Baby monitor |
| UK RRP | £139.99 |
| USA RRP | TBC |