I’m going to start this review with the obvious disclaimer that I’m not a medical doctor, I have no formal medical training and this is not a recommendation for medically using this particular device. I said “medical” a lot there but I think you got the gist.

The Bebird EarSight Ultra X is a multi-functional smart monitoring tool to check your ears, nose and throat. It’s primarily meant to help you peer inside your ears, clean out any nasties and get back to your regular, hopefully, non-eventful life. It’s relatively simple, includes a ton of useful tools and components, and offers smart functionality — you can see the camera’s view in the mobile app in real-time.

I would venture to guess it’s probably less harmful than jamming Q-tips in your ears. Especially if you wiggle them around haphazardly to get out ear wax and gunk. That is, of course, provided you’re gentle and careful with the EarSight Ultra X toolset while you’re in there. To be clear, it’s not a toy or a hobbyist device. It’s meant for earwax removal, daily ear care, and full ENT (ear, nose, and throat) inspections. You would certainly benefit more if you have a nurse in your social or family circles. My mother in law is a nurse, for example. It’s great to enlist her help and guidance when we need to. But, as far as I can tell, you can use it fine even without any prior experience or knowledge.

In this review, I’m not going to answer whether you should get one for you and your family. Nor am I answering whether or not it improves health. I am going to explain what it is and why you would want one. I’ll also share personal anecdotes to give you an idea of how helpful it has been for my family. Grab a drink or a snack and let’s peer inside, shall we?

Bebird EarSight Ultra X’s specifications, components, and inclusions

You get quite a lot packaged with the EarSight Ultra X. I’m going to do my best to break it all down in layman’s terms and explain what it all is.

Starting with the device itself, the best way to describe it is as a smart, body-safe probe or wand. It’s compatible with a wide variety of tools and attachments. At the end, or very tip of the EarSight wand is a 4K-resolution camera. It works exactly like an endoscope or telescopic camera. The difference here is it streams the live feed to a mobile app and your connected phone.

The wand is equipped with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, works with iOS and Android, and offers Type-C charging. The battery capacity is a 300mAh rechargeable battery that lasts for up to three months of use. That’s about eight uses total spanning 10 minutes each time or 80 minutes of continuous use. In my testing, I found that to be accurate, but it also depends on how long you end up using it per session. When you’re getting used to maneuvering the device for the first few times it takes much longer than 10 minutes to get a feel for everything. But once you’re used to it, that time per session goes down. The hose on the top of the EarSight wand bends to about 45 degrees and is pretty flexible.

What comes with it?

I don’t normally care about unboxing devices but Bebird’s presentation is top notch. Packaged with the unit is a hard, stylish charging and storage case, a depth stop collar that makes sure you don’t go too far into your ears and a huge collection of attachments, bits, and bobs. You get a nose inspection attachment, another for your throat, ear pick sets with six picks per set, five sets total, 24 disposable adhesive ear tips, 24 disposable sponge ear tips, an attachments storage box, an ear drop applicator, an ear inspection protective tube, and the Type-C charging cable. 

Yes, it’s a lot and, frankly, it’s a very generous spread. I don’t think I’ve seen a device from any company that comes with this much stuff right away. Most companies package it all separately and charge you extra.

Another thing to note, that’s welcome for sure, is that the ear pick sets are all color-coded. Each set, of the five, is a different color. That makes it much easier to keep track of which family member used what set so you don’t have cross-contamination. My immediate family has four members total, two adults and two kids. The color-coding was a very welcome feature.

What do all of these add-ons and attachments do?

It’s actually pretty-straightforward. The ear tools are to assist with cleaning, making it easier to scoop out wax or gunk or remove oils. The spongy and sticky ear tips, for example, help clean out oily or dry ear canals, respectively. They are meant to be single-use so you throw them out when you’re done. If you need more you can just order some from Bebird. 

The throat and nose attachments make it easier to inspect your other body canals. Why? Well, if you’re experiencing discomfort you can take a look and see if it’s something serious. The same is true for mouth and throat discomfort. You could discover mouth ulcers, sore or infected throat signs, even inspect your back teeth if you’re feeling pain there. That gives you a little more decision power as to whether or not you should seek professional help. But that also gives you an idea of what this device is used for — observation above all, minus the ear cleaning.

Setting up the EarSight Ultra X is as simple as can be

When you first open up the device, everything is neatly organized and packaged. The case and storage supplements make it easy to keep the myriad of attachments tucked securely away after it’s all unwrapped, too. Good thing, because there’s a lot here. You take the wand out of its case, turn it on and pair it with your phone. Assuming you’ve downloaded and installed the Bebird app beforehand. 

Surprisingly, you don’t have to set up an account before using the device unless you want to. I did that, anyway. But for those tired of managing dozens or even hundreds of smart device accounts it’s good to know. You do have to pair the device with the app every time you want to use it, before you use it. It won’t stay paired, it’s not that kind of device. That’s really all there is to it besides installing the type of attachment you want to use. You can twist off the hooked tip to twist on smaller attachments or use the disposable sets. Most of the attachments slide over the top of the wand’s tip, like the throat or mouth attachments.

Cleaning the wand and attachments is pretty easy. It comes with a brush you can use to remove grossness and you rinse the tip or tools with water and let them air dry before use.

Please ignore the nasty insides of my ear.

Of course, you have to make sure the EarSight Ultra X is charged before you use it, as well. You charge it via USB by plugging the cord directly into a port at the bottom of the wand. Despite being called a “charging case,” there is no way to charge the wand via the case. Unless you leave the top door panel open and plug the cable into the wand that way.

What do you see with the Bebird app?

When the app connects with the EarSight wand you see essentially what the small 4K camera sees (resolution of 3162 pixels by 3687 pixels). There are no major delays in the feed, provided the connection is solid. That’s important because you’ll be using that view to navigate the inside of the ear. The lighting is good, thanks to a small embedded light near the camera. Meanwhile, maneuvering the wand tip is fairly easy, though it does take some getting used to especially while relying on such a zoomed-in perspective.

The app presents the feed in a circular interface. You can capture photos and videos while you’re using the wand. You could then, theoretically, take these images or videos and share them with a doctor or medical professional if you have any questions or concerns. Otherwise, you use the gadget to clean the gunk out of your ears without hurting your eardrum or innards. It also makes cleaning your ears solo fairly easy, once you get used to the movement of the wand.

EarSight Ultra X in the real world with a real family

For those who like a good anecdote — and I certainly don’t blame you — the EarSight Ultra X has definitely helped my family in an unexpected way. You see, while growing up I always had ear infections. I had tubes in my ears numerous times, and I certainly had issues with water and my ears. My son, unfortunately, has inherited the same problems, but making it worse for him is the fact that we have a pool. We usually make him wear ear plugs but they don’t always help.

The EarSight Ultra X makes it super easy to check his ears and clean them out after a swim, not just making sure there’s no leftover water but also ensuring there aren’t any nasties in there that can cause a severe ear infection. They can still happen, but it’s less likely with the option to clean and inspect his ears. Since we have a pool at home, and the kids swim often, it’s convenient to have something like this handy at all times.

I use the device the same way and it makes a huge difference for my own ears and my general comfort as well.

When would you use the EarSight Ultra X and what for?

The after-swimming and after-water care scenario I shared is a great example. Maybe even after a long shower or bath this would help if there’s water in your ears. But some other times include after experiencing loud music, like at movies, concerts, or wearing earbuds or headphones for a long time. Also, after construction, physical labor, or yardwork, when you might have debris in your ear. Beyond that, for simple daily ear care to check your ears instead of using Q-tips and other harmful items.

When it comes to your nose and throat, it works similarly. You mainly use the device to monitor and observe, potentially identifying infections, cysts, lumps, and other complications. You can’t really do anything, nor am I sure you would even want to. You’re not going to want to poke and prod at a painful cyst or infected throat. But you can take the information you’ve gathered and either look up support online or reach out to a medical professional with tangible data. I’m sure your family doctor will love to see images and videos you’ve snapped with this marvelous little techpiece.

What’s the verdict, and the price?

I have always had ear problems that stem from my early childhood, and I could be wrong, but it certainly seems to have passed on to my children via genetics. My son especially has ear problems after a long swim. The Bebird EarSight Ultra X has made it possible to not only keep our ears clean and seemingly healthy, but prevent severe infections in some cases, or at the very least, get to the bottom of problems going on inside our bodies.

There are enough attachments and tools to keep things interesting, and very helpful. Moreover, the app works well, the 4K quality video is no joke — you can really see what you’re doing — and there are no additional subscriptions or fees to worry about. It can be a little frustrating having to reconnect the device every single time you want to use it, but it’s fast enough and simple enough to complete. You do absolutely need the app to see what’s going on, however, so keep that in mind. This is not really a device you can use without it. Moreover, it’s not a toy.

Bebird says it doesn’t sell or share data collected or used within the app. But I haven’t really encountered anything sensitive in there anyway, unless you consider some weird fetish business that makes money selling inner ear canal, throat, and nostril pics. I guess stranger things have happened — are happening as we speak, really.

What about the price?

The initial kit is $140 and it comes with the EarSight Ultra X, a charging and protective case, and a bunch of supplies to get you started. Bebird offers a two-year limited manufacturer’s warranty on the device. The app is free and there are no subscriptions to worry about. I think that’s a reasonable price and, for what you get, it’s actually quite generous if I’m being honest. I’ve also seen it on sale for much less and anything below the MSRP is a steal. If you use Q-tips a lot this can definitely replace those, something to keep in mind if you’re trying to justify the cost. It has no bearing on the experience, but I also really like the orange color they’ve chosen for everything here. It’s sleek and snazzy.

Ultimately, it’s a device that has made a noticeable difference for my family and I, and it’s something we will continue using for a long time to come.