Tom's Guide Verdict
The Eufy Video Doorbell is inexpensive, delivers all the basics and doesn't require a subscription, though anyone who wants wider smart home consideration should look at more-expensive options from Ring or Nest.
Pros
- +
Good video quality
- +
Easy-to-use app
- +
Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
- +
Doorbell chime included
- +
Built-in storage
Cons
- -
Cloud video storage requires subscription
- -
Requires wired connection
- -
Doesn't support multiple users
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Want a video doorbell but don't want to spend a fortune? The Eufy Security 2K Video Doorbell (wired) by Anker provides a low-cost way to install a video doorbell in place of your existing, wired doorbell. Priced at $117.99, it costs less than some of the best video doorbells, such as the Ring Video Doorbell 3 and the Nest Hello, but offers many of the same features. And you can use Eufy's doorbell without signing up for a subscription.
Design: Simple and straightforward
The Eufy Video Doorbell is a sleek-looking black rectangle. A large, friendly-looking button on the bottom glows a dull yellow when the doorbell is ready to use. It's a wired doorbell, which means that Eufy's offering requires a 19-volt AC wired power source. If you have a traditional doorbell, you probably already have one of these powering it, and the Eufy can usually use this with a little simple rewiring.
The Eufy Video Doorbell also includes a chime, a small white box that plugs into a wall power socket. That's an optional add-on with most video doorbells, a nice touch for a low-cost device like the Eufy that means you can still hear when someone is at the door without your cellphone.
Eufy Video Doorbell review: Simple installation
The Eufy Video Doorbell is simple to install. If you have an existing wired doorbell, Eufy's product can work as a direct replacement, relying on the same wired power supply. First, you bypass the existing chime with an included jumper wire, which removes the chime and feeds power to the doorbell. Next, you remove the old doorbell, connect the power source to the new one and attach the Eufy to your door frame. It's a simple process that's not beyond the skills of anyone who knows one end of a screwdriver from the other.
If you want to change the angle of view for the camera, you can use the included wedge, which can fit behind the doorbell to tilt it left or right. Templates are also included for drilling mounting holes and routing the cables through the door frame.
MORE: The Best DIY Home Security Systems
If you don't have an existing wired doorbell, you'll have to buy a power supply and wire it in. These aren't expensive; you can pick one up from Amazon for less than $15.
Eufy Video Doorbell review: App
You answer the doorbell and see who is calling through the Eufy Security app, which is available for iOS and Android. This app is simple to use and shows you the view from the video doorbell within a couple of seconds of launching the app. The process takes a little longer if you are out of the house and not on your Wi-Fi, but the process is the same. We found that the video and audio quality was about the same over a cellular connection that had decent signal strength as it was over Wi-Fi.
Motion detection is also included; the app can notify you if the doorbell camera spots motion outside your front door. You can then look at the live view from the camera and see who is out there. With motion detection enabled, the Eufy records and stores video to the 4GB of memory built in to the device, which is enough for several hours of video.
The Eufy also has a limited form of face detection; when the video doorbell detects motion and alerts you through the app, it will try and detect a face in the image and provide a thumbnail in the alert. You can both control the sensitivity and set the zones that will trigger detection. This is useful if you want to avoid having the motion detection triggered every time a car drives by your front door.
This video is stored on the device itself and can be accessed through the Eufy Security app. It is stored in the cloud only if you spring for a subscription, though. It costs $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year to store 30 days of video from a single doorbell, or $9.99/$99.99 a month/year for the Premier service, which stores video from up to 10 doorbells and cameras. That's comparable to services from Ring, which start at $3 and ramp up quickly from there.
The Eufy Security app also offers a number of modes for different situations. Home and Away modes are for, well, when you are at home or away and want to be notified when someone is at your door. Disarmed mode turns off the motion detection but still notifies you when someone is at the door. Schedule allows you to set a schedule for enabling and disabling motion detection — useful for offices where you don't want motion detection during the day, because people are coming and going.
Integration with Alexa and Google Home is also included; after setup, you get alerts and can view the doorbell image from any screen with Alexa or Google Assistant. There is no support for Apple's Homekit at present, although Anker promises that it's coming. The apps for both Ring and Nest offer deeper integration with other smart home devices, such as the ability to open a smart lock from within the app.
There are a few issues with the Eufy app, though. Only one person can be logged in to the service at a time, so only one person gets the remote notification that someone is at the door. If you don't subscribe to the cloud service, the videos are stored on the doorbell itself, so you can view or download them only when connected to the doorbell. In a power outage (or if someone removes the doorbell), you won't be able to download the stored videos.
Eufy Video Doorbell review: Video quality
We found that the video quality of the Eufy Video Doorbell was excellent during both day and night. Daylight video is sharp and clear, making it easy to see who is at the door or if there is someone messing with your car in the driveway. Sound quality is also good; the voices of those at the door were clear and easily understandable when we listened from the app.
The video at night is also excellent, with strong detail captured in the images. Captured video did have a tendency to get washed out when the subject was close to the camera, thanks to the infrared LEDs below the lens. The camera did a decent job of using ambient light, though; we found that it captured good detail outside of the range of the LED lights.
One thing to note here: Anker advertises the Eufy Video Doorbell as a 2K video camera, and it can capture video at a 2K resolution of 2560 x 1920 pixels. But first, you have to enable this feature in the settings, because the doorbell captures video at 1600 x 1200 resolution by default. The unusual 2K resolution may confuse some apps or services. Either way, the Eufy captures video within a 150-degree field of view, which is comparable to Ring video doorbell cameras.
Eufy Video Doorbell review: Bottom line
The Eufy Wired Video Doorbell is an attractively designed, well-thought-out device that does what you expect it to do at a low cost. The doorbell looks good, captures clear, sharp video and doesn't lock you in to a long-term contract to store the video locally.
However, the Eufy doorbell lacks the wider integration of comparable devices from Ring and Nest, though. You can't unlock a smart lock from the Eufy app like you can with the Ring Video Doorbell. So, if you are looking for wider integration with your smart home, give this doorbell a pass. But if you want a cheaper video doorbell that just does what a video doorbell needs to do, the Eufy is well worth a look.
