Home security doesn’t need to be stuck in the past. Signing up for an expensive home monitoring system through a third-party company has some advantages, but if you’re a DIY’er like me, you want your own solution. Luckily, these products are getting a little cheaper which is perfect for the homeowner on a budget.
Today, we’re looking at the eufyCam E Security System, a two-camera solution that gives me complete control over the interior and exterior of my home, even when I’m away.
In the box, we find two rectangular cameras and a home hub that connects everything together. The cameras are made of high-quality materials and are rated to be mounted either inside or outside so they’re perfect for everyone. They can stand up to the conditions even if they’re outside permanently, which should give you peace of mind.
The cameras mount through strong magnets inside the mounting bracket and should stay in place, even if they’re being tugged on. I felt pretty secure leaving them up outside even if someone wanted to try and steal them.
Read more: Vimtag P1 Smart Cloud IP Camera: Step up your security and have peace of mind
The cameras and hub all connect through the Eufy Security app which you can find on the Play Store. This gives you access to live looks through the cameras and controls like movement alerts, playback controls, and more.
One of my favorite things to do is talk to my dogs through the included speaker and microphone while I’m away. It has helped me stay on top of my dog’s separation anxiety and made a true change in his behavior.
You can set the sensitivity of the movement alerts so you’re not picking up on every piece of dust (no, they’re not really that sensitive) and the LED light on the camera allows you to see when the camera has picked up motion or when your wife is spying on you from upstairs. Not that ever happens…
Night vision is also included here and it’s frankly awesome. My wife and I both tend to pull night shifts so without night vision, we’d not be able to use these at all in the evening. I’m actually surprised at just how well it works and what I can make out through the 1080p cameras when its pitch black in our house.
There are options for different recording modes including Optimal Battery Life which records video clips of up to 20 seconds once it has detected motion; Optimal Surveillance which give you 60 seconds of recordings; an option to customize your settings with recordings of up to 120 seconds and a retrigger interval to cut down on the cameras capturing clips in quick succession.
Obviously, battery life will decrease the more you use the cameras, but in the month that I’ve been using them, the battery icon hasn’t moved off the “full” icon. Uefy says that there’s a 13,400 mAh battery in each camera (which amounts for most of the size and weight of the cameras) and they’ll last for up to one year. There’s also QuickCharge 3.0 on board that allows a complete recharge in under two hours.
Read more: eufy wants to help create the best smart home experience
The security of your security cameras is important too which is why there’s AES 256-bit encryption built in. Most people don’t realize that their IP cameras they pick up for $50 on Woot or Amazon can easily be broken into by outside sources and how big of a problem this is. There are entire websites with links to publicly-facing cameras that should not be, and you don’t want to end up on a site like this.
Possibly the best thing about the eufyCam E system is that it’s completely wireless. With huge batteries inside the cameras and WiFi built in, there are no cables to run except power and ethernet to the base station. An IP65 rating and 140-degree panoramic view are just the cherries on top.
If you want to pick up a pack for yourself, you can get a single camera unit for $279, a two-camera system for $399.99, or a three-camera setup for $499.99. You can also buy additional cameras to add to your collection for $179.