Kodak Cherish C525P 5" Smart Baby Monitor review

Please note, the Kodak Smart Home product line has been discontinued as of September 2023 and users have reported issues with connectivity since the app ceased being supported. So we would no longer recommend purchasing this baby monitor. More information is available on the Kodak website.

Price on writing: £160 | Buy now from Currys

What we like

Multiple cameras can be connected and viewed at once
Freestanding monitor unit and an app
Straightforward set-up
Great video quality day and night
Can connect with or without WiFi
Comes with a strong Mumsnetter stamp of approval

What we don’t like

Sadly discontinued but still available to buy at time of writing
App connectivity can be patchy
Buttons instead of a touch screen

How we tested

We turned to Mumsnet users to find out more about the baby monitors Mumsnetters have bought themselves and recommend highly. After all, if anyone can give honest advice on the best baby products that have made their lives easier, it's the parents who have tested these products through vigorous, long-term use.

Once we compiled a shortlist of the baby monitors Mumsnetters recommended, we then interviewed our tester, in order to get their insights into what the Kodak Cherish was like to use with their little one. We asked them all about their experiences with the monitor, including the ease of set up, safety, design, and how they rate each of the monitor’s features. Through turning to real, independent Mumsnet users for reviews, we ensure we get honest opinions and feedback from people just like you.

Overview of the Kodak Cherish C525P

For parents looking for outstanding picture quality coupled with simplicity of use, the Kodak Cherish is designed to offer high-spec technology without complex controls. The monitor can be operated using a stand-alone parental unit or via an app, and can be connected to multiple cameras - which can be viewed on a split screen.

With pan, zoom and tilt functions, exceptional night vision, plus sound, motion and temperature sensors, the Kodak Cherish doesn’t miss a trick.

Key specs

How easy is the Kodak Cherish C525P to set up?

The direct monitor to camera connection is very easy to set up straight out of the box – you just turn it on and they are already paired. There’s also an option to connect via your home WiFi – which is essential to use the app and this proved to be a bit more fiddly.

“The monitor is very fool proof once it's turned on so it's great for non-techy people who happen to be there and might want to be monitoring (eg. elderly grandparents who don't get on with apps).”

Our tester paired three cameras to the monitor and found adding in more than one to be a bit of a pain - one camera wouldn’t connect via her phone, only a tablet, which wasn’t ideal.

What's the picture quality like?

Our tester was particularly impressed with the night vision picture quality, which allowed her to check on her little ones at any time of day or night without disturbing them.

“Picture quality is really good – especially the night vision function which is first class.”

Parents can zoom, tilt and pan the monitor’s camera in order to get the perfect view - with best results found via the app rather than the monitor. Our tester had been drawn to the monitor in part because of these functions, but in practice she didn’t find herself using them as much as she thought she would.

“They aren’t really necessary because the camera quality and angle are both very good. Once you have positioned your camera correctly you don’t really need to use the zoom or pan too much.”

How reliable is the signal?

Many Mumsnetters are concerned about the risks of using WiFi-dependant baby monitors, both from a cyber security perspective and worries about the router going down. So the option of using WiFi or not is a big plus of the Kodak Cherish.

Our tester found the monitor’s WiFi-free direct monitor to camera function to be pretty good signal-wise. Occasionally it would briefly drop out and reconnect a moment later, but nothing that worried our tester. When connected via WiFi, she couldn’t fault the monitor’s performance.

What's the battery life like?

Our tester found that the parent unit will last for a healthy period unplugged –so if you’re away from mains electricity for a few hours or an evening it’ll cope, but not for a whole day.

How user-friendly is the Kodak Cherish app?

Our tester found the Kodak Smart Home app easy and intuitive to use with the monitor. Compared to the freestanding unit, the app has marginally more functionality – for example, it allows you to turn off the blue “on” light on the camera (great for night times) plus the app allows you to set zones of sensitivity for monitoring motion.

What is the Kodak Cherish C525P like to use day-to-day?

The thing our tester liked most about using the Kodak Cherish day-to-day was how straightforward it is. She wanted a low-maintenance monitor she could just leave on rather than tying up a phone or tablet 24/7.

“It’s a smart little unit with a stand at the back so it stands up like a blackboard. You can just leave it on the side while you are working/elsewhere.”

What are the stand-out features?

Our tester bought the Kodak Cherish C525P after posting on the Mumsnet forums looking for a monitor that ticked all the boxes. She’d been searching for a monitor that would connect to multiple cameras and had both a freestanding unit and an app, but could she find one? Not without the help of Mumsnetters.

So it’s these features that really stood out for our tester, and she’s really appreciated the flexibility the monitor offers.

“I’m so glad I bought it because it’s a really excellent product.”

Are there any drawbacks to the Kodak Cherish C525P?

Astoundingly considering what a great product it is, the Kodak Cherish camera is apparently discontinued although still available for purchase on Amazon and Currys at the time of writing. Our tester was hesitant to buy a discontinued product in case it stopped working or the app became obsolete but another Mumsnetter assured her she’s recently downloaded it to a new phone.

Update: The Kodak Smart Home app has now been discontinued and is no longer functional. More info here.

One thing our tester would change about the Kodak Cherish C525P would be to make it touch screen. The parental unit is navigated by up/down/left/right key pads down the side which she found a bit old fashioned and slightly clunky. It’s this keypad function that makes the monitor a bit less sensitive when zooming/panning as compared to the app.

Is the Kodak Cherish C525P good value for money?

At £160, the Kodak Cherish is by no means a cheap monitor. However, it was exactly what our tester was looking for, so she wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it and thinks it’s great value.

While the fact that it's discontinued does give us pause, we think it's a brilliant monitor and the authentic stamp of approval Mumsnetters gave it on this thread gives us confidence. If you have multiples or toddler siblings you also need to keep an eye and ear on, we think it's a great choice at a fair price.

Buy now from Currys

Buy now from Amazon