I’ve only been using the EufyCam E for a few days now, but I wanted to share my initial thoughts. Also, to be transparent, Anker did send me this camera so that I could test and review it, but they did not pay me to say good or bad things about it.
Setup Process
I’ve tested cameras from all of the major brands (Arlo, Ring, Nest, etc.), and the EufyCam E is just as easy to setup as those. In fact, the entire system reminds me a lot of Arlo—obviously, that’s what Anker was going for.
Forget about the unboxing. All I did was plug the Home Base into my router and the wall and power it up. The mobile app recognized the Home Base in about five seconds. From there, I just started adding cameras. Truthfully, the setup process was pretty much as easy as it gets and took about 10 minutes.
Design
The Home Base is about the size of a small tablet and is just a few inches thick. It won’t take up much space in your office or wherever you keep your router. Here’s a look at that.
On the back of the Home Base is a slot for a MicroSD card (it comes with a 16GB card), ethernet port, power port, reset button, and quick-charge port (for the cameras). On top of the main sync button.
As for the cameras, they are a lot more compact than the standard EufyCam. I also appreciate that they have a built-in, rechargeable battery, as opposed to removable standard batteries. The cameras are magnetic on the back, but also have threads, allowing you to choose which mount is best for your situation. The cameras charge with a MicroUSB cable.
On the front, the cameras are pretty simple. You have the lens, motion sensors, LED indicator, and IR LED. On the bottom, but still forward-facing, is the speaker for two-way audio.
I did notice that the cameras are IP65 certified this time—not IP66 like the original EufyCam. Probably not an issue, but the cameras are technically less water-resistant this go-around. The operating conditions are the same, however: -4° F to 122° F.
Mounting the cameras was easy. It was just like any other camera system. The box even has screws.
Mobile App
The Eufy Security app is actually really nice. I mentioned the setup process was a breeze, but the app is also intuitive. It basically has three sections: Devices, Events, and Mode.
The Devices tab allows you to preview all of your devices, alongside adjust the settings, record video, blare the siren, and engage two-way audio.
The Events tab houses all of your footage—pretty straightforward. I should, however, point out that the camera does not require a cloud storage plan. In fact, since the Home Base has the MicroSD slot, you can store all of your footage locally, even though you can access it remotely. I like the system. I believe Anker says 16GB should last a year, but that depends on your recording settings. I’d say to expect six months on a single MicroSD.
The Mode tab allows you to switch between “Home” and “Away” as well as to establish a schedule. You can even customize what the presets mean. For instance, if you want the camera to not record while you’re home, you can set that up. Here’s a look at the screenshot.
One thing that is missing from the app is a geo-fencing feature. Not a huge deal, but it would be nice to have the camera automatically turn off/on based on your location. That said, it does have the schedule feature so you can try to have it follow your daily routine.
There is a siren on the cameras and base station, and let me tell you, it gets loud—very loud. I believe Anker says 100db. That’s more than loud enough to alert neighbors. You can even set the siren to go off if someone moves or takes the cameras. This is a very thoughtful addition.
Camera Quality
I’m sure you’ve read the label. The camera records at 1080p and it has night vision. It’s clear, but a lot of this depends on your internet signal. You can easily make out faces, though, you lose quality (obviously) when you zoom in. It’s on par with most of the other cameras out there. Not the best solution for reading license plates if they aren’t close.
The camera even does a good job of adjusting when the background is blown out. To me, this was impressive.
In the image above, you can still clearly see the subject’s face even though the background is extra bright.
What I like
- Setup was easy
- Cameras and base station seem well made and durable
- Weatherproof design to cameras (indoor/outdoor)
- Local storage with base station and no subscription required
- No false alarms (yet)
- Completely wire-free design
- Helpful and intuitive mobile app
- Compatibility with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT
- Mobile app provides real-time alerts and two-way audio
- Video quality was pretty good
- Two-way audio
- Loud siren on base station and cameras
- Cameras have two mounting options
What I don’t Like
- I think $469 is too expensive (Update: I was using the original press release for this. MSRP is apparently $449 now)
- No wired option
- No geo-fencing feature (Update: Anker tells me that this is on the road map)
- Camera to base station range is only about 50 feet (not great if you have a huge house)
- No built-in spotlight
What did you not comment on battery life?
Anker claims 365-day battery life. I’ve only had it for a week, so I can’t opine on battery life. The mobile app does have a few battery-saving features that you can enable.
Who wrote this review?
My name is Jeff. I run RIZKNOWS and The Slumber Yard, which are review websites. We cover all sorts of consumer products, including cameras, home goods, tech and more.
