Eufy Video Doorbell Dual Review - PCMag

When we reviewed the Eufy Video Doorbell backmost successful 2019, we were impressed with its high-res camera, intelligent question alerts, and section video storage, but lamented its wired installation and deficiency of third-party integrations. The caller Eufy Video Doorbell Dual ($259.99) besides offers intelligent alerts and escaped section storage, but this exemplary is equipped with 2 cameras, 1 of which is designed to support an oculus connected bundle deliveries, and it has 2 question sensors. It’s besides powered by battery, making for casual wire-free installation. That said, it inactive doesn’t connection overmuch successful the mode of integrations, and it’s expensive. If you tin unrecorded without 2K video, you tin prevention a batch of wealth by going with our apical prime for smart doorbells, the $119.99 Toucan Wireless Video Doorbell.

Hub Required (and Included)

The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual comes with the doorbell portion and a HomeBase 2 hub that connects the doorbell to your Wi-Fi web and stores recorded video locally. The doorbell itself measures 6.5 by 2.2 by 1.1 inches (HWD) and uses a achromatic IP65 weatherproof enclosure. At the apical of the doorbell are a superior video camera, a microphone, 4 infrared LEDS for nighttime vision, a PIR question sensor, a radar question sensor, an ambient airy sensor, and a doorbell button. At the precise bottommost are a secondary downward-facing camera for viewing packages, a speaker, and 2 tiny LEDs that proviso airy for the bottommost camera. The doorbell fastener LED momentarily glows bluish erstwhile pressed and erstwhile question is detected.

The doorbell uses an interior rechargeable artillery that volition past up to sux months earlier requiring a charge. If you person existing doorbell wiring you tin link it to the 2 terminals connected the backmost of the doorbell to supply continuous power.

(Credit: John Delaney)

The precocious camera is simply a 2K HDR camera with a 160-degree tract of presumption and the bundle camera is simply a 1080p camera with a 97-degree tract of view. The cameras grounds video erstwhile the fastener has been pressed and erstwhile question events instrumentality place, and volition store the video successful the HomeBase 2. Intelligent alerts archer you if a bundle has been delivered and usage look designation to archer you who is astatine your door.

The HomeBase 2 hub is achromatic and measures 5.2 by 3.1 by 3.1 inches (HWD). It has an LED indicator connected the beforehand that blinks reddish during initialization, blinks bluish during setup, turns coagulated bluish erstwhile everything is moving properly, and turns coagulated reddish erstwhile determination is simply a connectivity issue. It has a built-in chime and a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi vigor for connecting to your location network, and it holds 16GB of eMMC representation that lets you store up to 180 days of video based connected 30 (20-second) clips per day. The rear sheet has a LAN port, a USB-A port, a powerfulness jack, and a Sync button.

The Delivery Guard diagnostic protects your packages portion you’re away. It volition person the doorbell play a prerecorded effect erstwhile idiosyncratic approaches a delivered package, and it volition nonstop alerts to your telephone reminding you to prime up uncollected packages. The Package Live Check diagnostic locates delivered packages and identifies them with a bluish container icon that appears successful the bundle video sheet portion viewing a unrecorded stream. When enabled, this diagnostic volition archer you precisely erstwhile the bundle was delivered and supply video clips of immoderate radical who person approached the package.

The Video Doorbell Dual supports Alexa and Google dependable commands and routines and tin trigger different Eufy devices, but it doesn’t enactment Apple HomeKit oregon IFTTT applets that let it to enactment with scores of third-party devices.

It uses the aforesaid mobile app arsenic different Eufy devices specified arsenic the Eufy Floodlight Camera and the archetypal Eufy Video Doorbell and is fixed its ain sheet connected the app’s Devices screen. The sheet displays the past captured representation and has a play arrow that erstwhile pressed launches a unrecorded watercourse with 2 video panels. The larger apical sheet displays video from the main camera and the smaller bottommost sheet displays video from the bundle camera. When you pat the 2 arrows you tin presumption the streams successful full-screen mode and you tin reverse the surface predisposition to amusement the bundle camera successful the larger panel. 

(Credit: Eufy)

Below the video panels are buttons for manually signaling a video, taking a snapshot, initiating two-way talk, muting the sound, and selecting a speedy effect specified as, “Excuse me, tin I assistance you,” “Please permission it astatine the door,” oregon “We volition beryllium close there.” Tap the settings fastener to make your ain response.

At the apical of the surface are AI and cogwheel icons. Tapping the AI icon enables and disables the Package Live Check diagnostic and tapping the cogwheel icon takes you to a Settings surface wherever you tin configure question sensitivity settings. You tin besides configure a loitering detection scope and duration play and make a customized effect that volition play erstwhile the duration threshold has been reached, and you tin make abstracted enactment zones for each camera. 

Other settings fto you alteration and configure Delivery Guard settings, acceptable up acquainted faces (face recognition), take a power-saving setting, configure audio and video prime settings, and customize car responses. Here you tin besides configure however the 2 camera streams volition beryllium displayed successful the app (split view, representation successful picture). 

Eufy Video Doorbell Dual Installation and Performance

Battery-powered doorbells are typically precise casual to instal and the Eufy Dual is nary exception. I already had the Eufy mobile app installed truthful I tapped Add Device connected the Devices screen, selected HomeBase 2 from the paper (the HomeBase indispensable beryllium installed earlier you tin instal the doorbell), and followed the instructions to link the HomeBase to my router and powerfulness it up. When the LED began blinking bluish I tapped Next and utilized my telephone to scan the QR codification connected the bottommost of the instrumentality and pressed the sync fastener erstwhile prompted. With the instrumentality added to the app I gave it a sanction and updated the firmware.  After you’ve installed the HomeBase you tin disconnect it from your router and usage it wirelessly if you prefer.

(Credit: Eufy/John Delaney)

Once the firmware was updated I tapped Add More Devices, selected Doorbell, and used my telephone to scan the QR codification connected the backmost of the doorbell. Following the dependable prompt, I pressed the sync fastener until I heard a beep, tapped Next, and utilized the doorbell camera to scan the QR codification that appeared connected my phone. I confirmed that I heard 2 beeps and waited a fewer seconds for the doorbell to beryllium added to the network. I tapped Next and made definite the doorbell artillery was afloat charged. At this point, you tin presumption a video tutorial that shows you however to instal the doorbell oregon usage text-based instructions.

Using the included mounting hardware, I attached the doorbell to the siding connected the near of my beforehand doorway astatine a tallness of astir 4 feet. I tapped Check Live View to marque definite my full doorstep country was covered, configured my question detection settings, and the installation was complete. 

The doorbell performed good successful testing. The precocious camera delivered crisp 2K video with agleam colors and the bundle camera provided a crisp representation of my doorstep area. Delivery Guard features worked flawlessly—the camera ever issued a effect erstwhile idiosyncratic approached a bundle near connected my doorstep and the Package Live Check diagnostic ever located and identified a bundle transportation and supplied video of erstwhile idiosyncratic approached the box. Face designation besides worked arsenic intended.

(Credit: Eufy/John Delaney)

The doorbell chime is adequately large and question and bundle alerts arrived instantly with precise fewer mendacious alerts. Two-way speech came done large and wide and the doorbell responded rapidly to Alexa dependable commands to watercourse video to an Amazon Echo Show smart display.

Two Doorbell Cameras Are Better Than One

With the Eufy Video Doorbell Dual (Battery), you tin spot who is astatine your doorway and show bundle deliveries from your telephone without having to woody with wiring. Its unsocial dual-camera plan provides crisp 2K video of visitors and a crisp 1080p presumption of your doorstep, and it offers astute alerts that archer you who is astatine your door, erstwhile there’s a delivery, and erstwhile idiosyncratic has approached the delivery. It’ll adjacent play a recorded connection to ward disconnected structure pirates. If you get a batch of deliveries during the time and privation to marque definite they are inactive determination erstwhile you get home, this doorbell camera is simply a solid, albeit costly choice. If $260 is much than you attraction to spend, our Editors’ Choice winner, the $120 Toucan Wireless Video Doorbell, offers wireless installation, crisp 1080p video, escaped 24 hours of video storage, and dependable power astatine astir fractional the price. It doesn’t person a bundle camera, but its 180-degree tract of presumption and 1:1 facet ratio fto you spot what’s connected your doorstep and springiness you a wide presumption of your yard.