EufyCam Pro 2
Two-minute review
Eufy isn’t well known in the home security market, but the company has made a name for itself offering stylish devices that offer plenty of smart features. And, unlike rivals from Ring and Arlo, Eufy’s products are subscription-free, which makes them a great choice for those who don’t want any on-going costs associated with their smart security.
The EufyCam 2 Pro is the company’s top-of-the-range device and a contender for a place on our list of the best home security cameras. Available in a kit that comprises two home security cameras and a base station, the latter ensures a strong and stable internet connection, while also providing local storage for footage.
The EufyCam Pro 2 cameras have a 140-degree lens. On detecting motion, the cameras will record 2K color footage during the day and, thanks to infrared, black-and-white video at night. The EufyCam will also push out notifications to your smartphone, so you can log in and view a camera’s feed.
An IP67 rating means the cameras will happily withstand the elements, making them ideal for use outdoors as well as indoors. They’re freestanding, although the inclusion of mounts in the package means you can attach them to a wall, too. A glossy white coloring ensures these rectangular units won’t make too much of a statement in your home.
Unlike many home security cameras on the market that require a subscription for cloud storage, the video capture by the EufyCam Pro 2 is stored on the 16GB of memory in the base station. Eufy says this equates to around three months of video, based on storing 20 video clips, 30 seconds in length, per day.
The base station is a compact unit, whose finish is matte white as opposed to the glossy white of the cameras. As well as offering storage space, it also doubles as a Wi-Fi repeater that boosts signal to the cameras.
Powered by a built-in rechargeable battery, which Eufy says will last up to an impressive 365 days between charges, the camera uses AI to identify whether the motion has been created by a person or other source, while integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit means you can use a compatible display to review the camera’s feed and use the camera for home automation, too.
The cameras also feature a built-in microphone and speaker, which enables you to also converse with anyone in the camera’s field of view.
At $349.99 / £349.99, the EufyCam 2 Pro is one of the more expensive home security cameras on the market. However, when you consider that it doesn’t require a subscription to review footage at a later date, it’s worth the investment. It’s also a more affordable alternative to the Arlo Pro 3, which offers detailed footage of similar quality.
EufyCam 2 Pro price and availability
- List price: $349.99 / £349.99
The EufyCam 2 Pro will set you back $349.99 / £349.99 and it’s available to buy direct from Eufy or through Amazon. It’s Eufy’s top-of-the-range home security camera but is still more affordable than the Arlo Pro 3, which also records in 2K. This kit isn’t currently available in Australia.
Eufy also offers a cheaper version, the EufyCam 2, which records in Full HD. It costs $299.99 / £299.99.
Design
- Battery-powered
- 16GB free built-in storage
- No freestanding mount
The EufyCam 2 Pro has the same dimensions as the brand’s 2K base-station-free camera, the SoloCam E40. This makes it one of the larger battery-powered weatherproof home security cameras on the market, measuring 1.9 x 1.9 x 3.9 inches / 4.9 x 4.9 x 10.6cm (h x w x d).
Just like the SoloCam E40, the EufyCam Pro 2 cameras can be used freestanding; however, without the use of a mount, it’s hard to angle the camera to the desired position to suit your room. Thankfully, it’s also wall-mountable and comes with a compact screw mount with a ball and socket joint that attaches to the back of the camera.
The glossy white and grey casing is complemented by a black front that’s home to the 140-degree angle camera lens. It’s here that you’ll also find an LED that glows red when motion is being detected and blue when the camera is being charged. There’s a microphone above this, ensuring you can talk to anyone in the camera’s field of view.
On the rear of the camera, you’ll find a micro-USB port for charging, plus the screw-mount attachment, while a sync button that’s used for setup – or to perform a factory reset – sits on the top of the camera.
As we’ve already mentioned, the EufyCam 2 Pro comes as a kit with two weatherproof cameras and a base station. The base station, which is relatively compact at 5.11 x 3.07 x 3.07 inches / 13 x 7.8 x 7.8cm (h x w x d), offers 16GB of local storage for footage recorded by the camera. Eufy claims this should suffice for three months' worth of footage, based on 20 events a day, each lasting 30 seconds.
We found the EufyCam 2 Pro super simple to set up. Just download the app on your smartphone or tablet and create an account. Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to connect the base station to your router using an Ethernet cable and then press the Sync button on the camera to pair the two units together. Follow the on-screen steps to name your camera, and it’s ready to start monitoring for motion.
Performance
- Clear, super-detailed footage
- Night video in black and white
- Camera lacks a siren
During testing, we were impressed at just how clear and detailed the captured video footage was, both during the day and at night. Daytime video is captured in color; however, since the camera lacks a built-in spotlight, night time footage is in black and white – unlike the Arlo Pro 4, for example. Captured video suffers a slight fish-eye effect, too, but not to the extent that it detracts from the detail on display.
The built-in AI proved extremely accurate when it came to identifying people in the camera’s field of view, even providing a small thumbnail of the person in the Events list. We found the two-way talk function clear, too.
There are a range of modes that allow you to arm or disarm some, or all, of your Eufy cameras at the same time. In addition, you can set a schedule for when the camera should be recording.
However, we were disappointed that while the base station has a siren, one isn’t built into the camera. This means that if an external camera spots an intruder, they may not hear the siren.
Battery life
- Battery lasts up to one year between charges
- A full recharge takes eight hours
- The battery isn’t removable
According to Eufy, the EufyCam 2 Pro’s battery will last up to one year before it requires recharging. As we’ve already mentioned, this figure is based on recording 20 videos per day, each at 30 seconds in length. We can’t confirm this ‘typical use’ figure since our testing involved heavy use of the camera over a short period of time.
However, how often motion is detected, how many times the live feed is viewed, and the number of times the two-way microphone and speaker are used, will all affect the rate at which the battery depletes.
If you find that the battery does require recharging more frequently than you’d like, the Power Manager feature in the app ensures you can reduce the footage length and frequency of motion detection to prioritize battery runtime. Unfortunately, the battery isn’t swappable, which means the EufyCam 2 Pro will be out of action when it needs to be charged. It took around eight hours to fully recharge using the bundled USB cable.
App
- Easy to navigate
- Integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit
- HomeKit integration doesn’t work at 2K resolution
As with all models in Eufy’s range of home security cameras, the EufyCam 2 Pro pairs with the Eufy Security app. We’re big fans of this clear, easy to navigate app, which displays a list of Eufy security cameras in your home as soon as it is launched. Each with a snapshot of the most recent motion detection.
Either tap the snapshot to view the footage from the motion detection, or view a list of motion detections from the current day. You can even access settings such as video quality, a battery life manager and access the ability to create activity zones, so you’re only alerted to motion in a particular area, reducing the number of unwanted notifications you receive.
The app also features an Events section that displays past footage in chronological order, and if a person created the motion, the camera highlights the face next to the footage, so you can see if it was indeed an intruder that caused the alert. The Security section allows you to control how a camera behaves when you're home or away.
The EufyCam 2 Pro offers integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit, so you can view the Eufy’s live feed on a smart display or TV with a compatible streaming device attached. However, we were disappointed that the camera’s footage is restricted to Full HD only when integrated with HomeKit.
Should I buy the EufyCam 2 Pro?
Buy it if...
You want subscription-free storage
With 16GB of local storage in the base station, the EufyCam 2 Pro is ideal for those who want a home security system without any on-going subscription costs.
You want extremely detailed video
The EufyCam 2 Pro records footage in 2K, making it ideal for covering a wide area by mounting the camera up high, but not having to compromise on the detail in the video.
You struggle with Wi-Fi in your home
The base station bundled with the EufyCam 2 Pro cameras acts as a Wi-Fi repeater, which means you can position cameras further away from your router and they’ll still work, even if the Wi-Fi in your home isn’t particularly strong.
Don't buy it if...
You want color night vision
With no built-in spotlight, footage at night is recorded in black and white. If you’re looking for a camera that can capture color night-vision, look elsewhere.
You want swappable batteries
The built-in battery means the EufyCam 2 Pro will be out of action for the time the unit is recharging. If you’re not keen on outage of service, then look for a security camera with swappable batteries, such as Arlo’s battery-powered range of wireless home security cameras.
You’re tight on space
Since the EufyCam 2 Pro includes a base station, it may not be ideal if space is at a premium; it’s one more item you have to make room for. In this case, consider the Eufy SoloCam E40 instead, since this doesn’t require a base station, connecting directly to your home Wi-Fi network instead.
First reviewed: October 2021
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