Eufy Security Review

Low-cost home surveillance system

Finding the Right Camera System

My foremost requirement was a security camera system that doesn’t require a monthly subscription. Systems like Ring and other cloud-based options require a monthly fee that continues indefinitely. It also needed to be wireless, since running cables wasn’t practical for my setup. I have no way of running cables for Ethernet connectivity in the places where I wanted cameras except for one. Affordability and easy installation were also key factors. This combination of requirements severely limits a persons options. After researching on Google and YouTube, I settled on Eufy. I decided to start with a single doorbell camera and I can add more cameras as needed.

Home Base V2

The first thing to set up is the home base, which stores video recordings and connects to your home Wi-Fi. Inside the box, you’ll find the base unit and a power cord — that’s it. Place the base unit in a location central to your other Eufy devices so they can communicate more effectively.

Setup is simple. Just download the Eufy app, create a free account, and follow the step-by-step instructions to connect the base unit to your Wi-Fi network or Ethernet. Once that’s done, you can start adding your cameras. Easy!

Roughly a month after I made my initial purchase; Eufy introduced the new V3. That's the way my luck goes. Had I known, I would have waited and gone with the V3. Eufy does offer upgrade options periodically. I am still using the V2 at this time as I would need to spend more money to upgrade.

S220 Doorbell Review

The box includes the S220 doorbell, charging cord, access key, mounting bracket, and screws. First, you’ll need to charge the doorbell using the supplied cable, which takes a few hours. Once charged, open the Eufy app to add the device to your account — the base unit will detect it automatically.

From there, you can adjust settings like video length, motion sensitivity, and night mode. Be aware that some settings can drain the battery faster. Finally, mount the doorbell using just two screws. When motion is detected, you’ll receive a notification and can watch the video on your phone. Doorbell videos are stored on the base unit, with storage capacity depending on video length and quality.

Pros & Cons

Removing the doorbell to access and recharge the battery can be tricky. The access pinhole is located at the bottom, making it hard to find—especially in cold weather.

I did encounter a problem after about a year—the blue ring light around the button stopped working, though it still lit up while charging. Removing it from the app and re-adding didn’t cure the problem. Eufy’s tech support wasn’t much help and only suggested solutions I had already tried.

Everything else worked fine, so I moved the S220 to my garage entry door to monitor activity when the garage door is left open. Once inside the garage, the battery life improved to about four months since it’s sheltered from the elements. Eventually the blue ring light magically started working again. I have never been able to figure out why it quit in the first place. I replaced the front doorbell camera with the newer E340 model.

Battery issue with the S220 Doorbell

Eufy claims a battery life of up to 6 months but that essentially requires all features be turned off. Actual Battery life is around one month in winter and perhaps three months in summer.

After using this doorbell for several months, I began having concerns with the battery life. I charged it fully for the first 2-3 times it would last about 3 months. The second time I charged it, the battery lasted about 3 weeks. The third time it only lasted 3 days. This is terrible.

I contacted tech support via email and received a very fast reply. The support person advised me to try different settings. They advised to ONLY use the V2 base as the charger. I had already done these on my own, but I double checked everything just to confirm. This did not make a difference. My solution was to use a different charger. I purchased a UGreen USB charger from Amazon and left it charge the doorbell for at least 24 hours. Once complete I was back to a 3 month battery life. I now use the UGreen charger for the doorbell and my cellphones as it gives a better result.

Overall Impressions

Eufy’s 2k video quality is quite good. The lighting in the area being captured can make a big difference. Like any camera, bright sunlight tends to give the best results, while low light can cause graininess. The night vision is decent but not great. It’s sufficient for general monitoring but may not capture fine details in the dark.

The doorbell doing a good job of capturing faces assuming people turn towards it. I did find that some people will purposely avoid the camera. They don't realize they may be captured by multiple devices.

I had to lower the motion sensitivity to prevent excessive alerts—on the first day, it triggered over 700 times! Mowing the lawn also sets it off repeatedly as you go back and forth in your yard.

A tree in front of the doorbell camera sometimes triggers false alerts on windy days, which can be annoying. Otherwise, it performs well. Each user’s setup will require some fine-tuning for the best results. It does have it's issues and no setup will be perfect in every situation.

E340 Doorbell Review

This newer model features a second camera for package detection and an LED light. The box contains the doorbell, charging cord, access key, mounting bracket, and screws. Like the previous model, it requires an initial charge via USB-C, which takes a few hours.

Setup is nearly identical to the S220, with step-by-step voice prompts in the app. Once installed, it records motion-triggered videos that you can access on your phone. The new package camera is great for online shoppers, letting you check for deliveries or capture footage if a package is stolen.

One of the downsides of the E340 is that the access key is fragile and tends to break. It constantly wants to bend and then I need to straighten it out. Then it will bend again the with t next use. About 3-4 uses it breaks completely. I purchased a set of 3 replacements from a Chinese seller on Amazon and they were only marginally better than the original. I have broken one of those as well.

Significant Improvements Over the S220 Doorbell

• The access key pinhole is now at the top, making battery removal easier (minus the key issue).
• The battery is removable and allows for a quick swap with a second battery.
• The mounting bracket is larger but uses the same holes as the S220, so no additional drilling was needed.

On the downside - The E340 camera battery is much better than the S220 but still isn't great. I tried to get a spare so I could swap them out, but they are out of stock everywhere. The best route is to used your homes existing doorbell wiring. I Unfortunately my home isn't wired for it and there is no easy way of running a wire. My only solutions is to put up with the battery.

S220 SoloCam Review

I initially chose this camera because it has a built-in solar panel. Setup was straightforward: after charging the unit with a USB-C cable, I added it to the Eufy app like the doorbells. Then, I mounted it with two screws within Wi-Fi range.

A big advantage of the SoloCam is that it connects to standard 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, allowing for greater range and compatibility with Wi-Fi extenders. However, my camera is just far enough from the router that it sometimes struggles with high latency. I may install a range extender to fix this issue.

The SoloCam stores videos locally, overwriting old recordings when storage is full. The built-in solar panel keeps the battery charged, but it struggled in Illinois winters. In temperatures between -5°F and 15°F, the battery lasted only about three weeks, losing 4–7% charge per day. While battery life was disappointing, video quality was excellent.

3W Solar Panel Review

Adding Eufy’s supplemental solar panel was a game-changer! While third-party options exist, I wanted to stay within the Eufy ecosystem for maximum compatibility. I relocated my S220 SoloCam to the garage gutter for a better driveway view and connected the solar panel via a USB-C cable.

The only downside? The cable is unnecessarily long (2 meters), leaving me with extra wire to manage. A shorter option would be nice. The panel charges the camera by about 12% per sunny day, which should eliminate the need for manual charging. Low or no maintenance is always a plus!

I did have to experiment with the supplemental solar panel to find the most effective angle. Once I had that figured that out, my S220 has never run out of power. Even during cloudy winter days the charge ever went below 40%.

Drawbacks of the Eufy Eco-System

No Continuous Recording

The cameras will only record when motion is detected, with clips up to one minute long. They don’t support DVR recording, but you can view a live feed via the Eufy app (which drains the camera battery). This is less of an issue with the solar cameras which will simply recharge.

Proprietary System

You can only access Eufy cameras through the Eufy app or website, and an internet connection is required for viewing footage.

Internet Outages

You will NOT be able to view your videos if your internet goes down. (The app cannot communicate to the homebase even if your wifi is working.) If your internet is unreliable, you may wish to use a different system.

Connectivity

All of the products listed here only support 2.4G Wi-fi. It would nice to see future products to support POE or even 5G Wi-fi. This should help reduce any local latency.

Delay in Notifications

There’s a few seconds’ lag between motion detection and receiving video. The camera captures the event and transmits it to the homebase. Then the homebase connects to the internet to send the notification to your cell phone. This delay can be frustrating, especially when you need to respond quickly. Even a 2 gig fiber connection doesn't remove the delay. I suspect latency in the cloud is the real cause. Unfortunately there is little that can be done about it. Perhaps Eufy can address this in the future.

Privacy Concerns

Eufy faced a lawsuit for storing videos despite claiming otherwise. While they say the footage was used to improve motion detection, this could be an issue for indoor cameras. Avoid placing them in private areas like bedrooms or bathrooms. If privacy is a concern, consider a closed-circuit DVR system instead.

Future Plans

As new Eufy products are released, I will upgrade what I have and move the older devices to additional locations. I would like to have a camera for the back door or yard. I also plan to run a network cable to my garage which is the farthest point. There, I will install a range extender to improve connectivity. This will also help with my solar generator, which relies on Wi-Fi for communication.

Final Thoughts

Eufy is far from perfect, but it’s a solid, budget-friendly security system with potential. It’s easy to install and configure, making it a great option for those who want a low cost hassle-free setup. If you need long-range coverage, opt for Wi-Fi-connected models rather than ones that store video on the base unit. As always, make sure the system meets your needs before buying. I’ll continue updating this review as I expand my setup.