Video doorbells have grown in popularity over the years, not only offering a way to quickly check exactly who is at your door but also acting as a deterrent for opportunistic crime.
We put one of the most popular models, the Eufy video doorbell, to the test.
How does the Eufy video doorbell work?
Sitting proudly on or next to your front door, the Eufy video doorbell's built-in 2K sensor and professional-grade lens allows you to see visitors in high resolution and sharp detail as they approach your door.
The doorbell will then send you facial snapshot notifications through the app, so you can either go and open the door or if you're busy or even out of the house, to speak directly to your visitor.
Product specifications
What’s included: Video Doorbell 2K (Battery-Powered), Screw Pack, Screw Hole Positioning-Card, Mounting Bracket, 15° Mounting Wedge, USB Charging Cable, Extension Wires (for Hardwired Connection), Screw Packs, Doorbell Detaching Pin, Wi-fi Doorbell Chime, 16GB SD Card, Quick Start Guide.
Video resolution: 2K Full HD
2-Way Audio Talk
Battery: 180-Day Battery
Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant
Motion Detection and Notification
Built-in storage that saves up to 90 days of footage
IP65 Weatherproof
Buy the Eufy video doorbell
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Using the Eufy video doorbell
It took us no time at all to get the Eufy video doorbell up and running. It was just a matter of downloading the free accompanying app and walking through the step-by-step guide to connect it to the included base unit (called a chime). You then connected the doorbell to the chime via a QR code in the app.
Then it was just a case of setting up your preferences. I really liked that we could draw an Activity Zone to customise the area in which motion is detected by the video doorbell. We live in a cul-de-sac where kids often play and with the Activity Zone, we were able to exclude both these areas and the roads to reduce the number of false alerts we would otherwise receive.
Similarly, the doorbells AI instantly analyses each 'event' and accurately determines whether or not a human is present - meaning we weren't notified if a cat happened to wander past our front door.
Because it's battery-powered, all that was needed to attach the actual doorbell to our front door was to simply fix on the mount to the door or wall and snap the doorbell on.
The Eufy doorbell also came with a sticker to pop up in the window, highlighting that 24-hour monitoring was in place.
Apart from one occasion where the doorbell failed to register the delivery of an alcohol-fuelled late-night pizza (don't ask...), the Eufy video doorbell has picked up every visitor we've had, from the postman to the Halloween trick-or-treaters too small to ring the doorbell.
The 2K resolution quality is seriously impressive and the 4:3 aspect ratio ensures we get a head-to-toe view of anyone who approaches our door.
The sound quality of the two-way audio is also incredibly clear, even when someone isn't standing directly in front of your door. Originally I didn't see how this would be of much use to us but I soon realised it would enable us to speak to people at our door without them even realising if we were home or not, adding an additional security layer to the product.
As someone who works from home, the Eufy video doorbell has been a great help when it comes to identifying whether my very yappy sausage dog is kicking off about the neighbour's cat or if a delivery van has pulled up outside. I can just quickly pull up the live feed to check what's going on and whether or not I need to hurtle down two flights of stairs or not.
I also found the Eufy doorbell came in really handy while we were away for the weekend as it allowed us to look back at who had visited (and when) while we were out of the house as well as offering us the chance to speak with them directly if we wanted to.
What are the downsides?
When using the two-way audio talk, there is a short delay but we didn't find this caused any problems.
Although we quickly got used to it, the doorbell does pick up every time someone enters or leaves the house which can get annoying if someone is leaving for work or taking the dog for a walk, but it's easy enough to delete this footage. Without some seriously fancy facial-recognition element, I'm not sure how you'd get around this anyway.
The doorbell promises a 180-Day battery life and although I haven't had the doorbell long enough to confirm if this length of time is accurate, it does mean that the doorbell will need removing to charge.
Is it worth the money?
Absolutely. As well as doing a great job as its primary function as a doorbell, I also find it to be a really reassuring security addition to our home. Opportunistic crime has always been a concern of mine and the Eufy video doorbell makes me feel a lot safer, especially when home alone.
I appreciate that many may not see a video doorbell as a necessity and don't get me wrong, it's absolutely a luxury, but it's also a really useful piece of kit that I'm so pleased we now have.
The daily use you'll get out of the doorbell combined with the years it'll last more than makes the price worth it in my eyes.
Would you recommend the Eufy video doorbell?
Yes, definitely.
I really liked that you have complete control over what is detected through the doorbell camera’s motion sensor, smart human detection, and activity zones. This was a worry for me because I knew our road (like most peoples) can get busy with cars, animals and children playing and I didn't want my notifications constantly going off.
Unlike other popular smart doorbells such as the Ring, one of the biggest selling points of the Eufy doorbell is that you don't need to pay an extra fee every month to have the doorbell video footage stored. Instead, Eufy's built-in storage saves up to 90 days of footage.