A video doorbell with intelligent functions is definitely an interesting part of any smart home. Such is also the case, for example eufy Video Doorbell 2K, which we have just tested in detail to be able to share our experiences.
This video doorbell is the first smart security device we test from the eufy brand. In the review, we will look at how this doorbell works, we will also focus on image and sound quality and overall reliability in use.
Where to buy eufy Video Doorbell 2K?
You can buy a eufy smart doorbell directly from the manufacturer on eufy.com. It will be delivered to you from European warehouse within one working week, so you don't have to worry about any additional customs fees.
Eufy Video Doorbell 2K
Express delivery from a European warehouse free of duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you expressly from your local warehouse in Europe. Delivery from EU warehouses usually takes 7-10 days and delivers courier. No extra charges, no customs duties or VAT.
Express delivery from a European warehouse free of duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you expressly from your local warehouse in Europe. Delivery from EU warehouses usually takes 7-10 days and delivers courier. No extra charges, no customs duties or VAT.
Technical specifications
| Model | eufy Video Doorbell 2K |
|---|---|
| Bell dimensions | 13.9 x 5.3 x 2.8 cm |
| Weight | bell 212 g / HomeBase 283 g |
| Resolution | 2K - 2560 x 1920 px |
| Video aspect ratio | 4:3 |
| Power options | battery or cable connection |
| Smart features | person detection and face recognition |
| repository | 16 GB of internal memory in the HomeBase |
| Drums | 6500 mAh |
| Endurance per charge | 6 months |
| Two-way audio transmission | Yes |
Rich packaging
The eufy video doorbell arrived in a box measuring 20.5 x 18.5 x 11 cm and weighing 1196 g. The manufacturer took care of the packaging, so everything has its place in the box. In the upper part is the instruction manual, under which lies the doorbell itself together with the HomeBase unit, which is necessary for connecting and using the doorbell.
Under the shaped plastic reinforcement, in which the aforementioned main units are stored, we find another smaller box that hides the accessories. It consists of several components.
Specifically, the package also includes: power cable for HomeBase, Ethernet cable, stand for holding the doorbell, card for pre-drilling holes, 15° mounting wedge, extension cables with plates, USB charging cable, needle for removing the doorbell from the stand and screws with dowels.
In addition to the screwdriver, the package contains everything necessary for connecting and mounting the wireless version of the doorbell. If you would like to use the doorbell with direct power, you will need your own electrical network cabling.
Design and layout of elements
The eufa bell is sold in black. The dominant element of the doorbell is a large camera lens and a similarly large, backlit button.
Among these elements we can also find a motion sensor, infrared LEDs around the lens and a microphone. On the back, the charging micro USB connector (it's a shame it's not USB-C), which is hidden under a rubber cover. There is also a button for synchronization and a pair of screws for connecting to the electrical network.
Unlike the bell, the internal unit is white and measures approximately 8 x 8 x 12.5 cm. In the front part there is only a signaling LED and the brand logo, while in the back part we find a speaker and ports for connecting the Internet cable, USB and power cable. There is also a button for synchronization and reset.
Turning on and pairing the HomeBase indoor unit for the first time
As we indicated in the previous chapter, the bell consists of two components. This is the HomeBase indoor unit and the outdoor unit, which is the doorbell itself with a camera. For proper functioning, the first step leads to connecting the indoor unit, to which the doorbell is then connected.
All eufy smart security devices work with their own smartphone app called eufy Security. Registration is required for its use.
Pairing the indoor unit starts by searching for it in the device list. It is a HomeBase 2 model. The application nicely shows the individual steps, including an illustration of connecting the base. It must be connected to the electrical network and also to the home router using an Ethernet cable. Later it is possible to switch to a WiFi connection.
After switching on, the indoor unit is ready for pairing when the indicator unit in the front part lights up in blue. When pairing with the app, just press the Sync button on the back of the home unit during the process and the pairing is complete.
Adding a bell
The doorbell is also connected to the HomeBase unit using a similar principle. In the same menu of adding a device as when adding an indoor unit, this time we searched for a doorbell in the application.
At this point, HomeBase will start making a sound that symbolizes the doorbell search. After a successful search, we pressed the Sync button on the back of the doorbell and the pairing was successful.
The whole process seems a bit lengthy at first glance, but in reality it is very simple, fast and hassle-free.
Assembly of the doorbell
After successfully adding the doorbell to the eufy Security application, instructions for mounting the outdoor unit - doorbell will be displayed with some tips to achieve a better result. The manufacturer recommends mounting the bell so that there is no busy road or sidewalk in the shot, which could cause unnecessary notifications about unwanted movement.
It is better to place the doorbell so that only the space in front of the door or gate is in focus. A plastic adapter for tilting the bell to the side by 15 degrees will also serve for this. For mounting it on the wall or anywhere else, you will find screws, dowels and also a template for pre-drilling holes in the package.
Principle of operation and image quality
The outdoor unit connects to the HomeBase indoor base using a private wireless connection, which is additionally encrypted with the AES-256 algorithm. This makes video transmission between individual units safe.
If the visitor presses the button on the doorbell, a ringing tone will be heard, both from the outdoor unit and from the indoor unit. The doorbell captures a short video and photo of the person, which it then sends encrypted to HomeBase. Here, the video is stored in the internal memory, which has 16 GB.
The video is decrypted with the private key associated with our account only when we want to play it. The level of security is also increased by the fact that the video is not uploaded to any cloud. On the contrary, it still remains only in the memory of HomeBase.
The video captured by the doorbell has a 2K resolution of 2560 x 1920 px and its quality is excellent. The colors in the video are close to reality and people, objects and vehicle license plates are clearly visible.
Night mode
Night vision is also a matter of course with the help of infrared LEDs, which are located around the camera lens. Even in slight darkness, these diodes can be seen nicely, and there are eight of them in total.
Video quality in night mode is also very good. Persons or objects are easily recognizable, and any security camera would not be ashamed of such an image during the night.
Notifications and motion detection
If someone presses the doorbell button, we will immediately receive a push notification on the smartphone about this fact. After clicking on the notification, a live video transmission with sound will be displayed.
Here we have the opportunity to communicate directly with the person at the doorbell using two-way audio transmission. The sound quality is good, but the volume could be higher. Even the maximum volume is quite low.
The eufy Video Doorbell 2K can also function as a security camera, thanks to the PIR sensor. The doorbell can notify you of any movement in front of the doorbell using a notification.
The length of the video based on the movement in front of the doorbell is variable and adapted to what is happening in front of the doorbell camera. However, the maximum length is 30 seconds in the preset mode.
In the notification settings, we can choose whether we want to receive only text notifications, which are the fastest, or also with a preview in the form of a photo. The third option is an instant text notification followed by another preview notification.
You can also view notification videos retrospectively in the notification history in the eufy Security application, under the Events tab. The camera's response to motion is generally good, but occasionally we found that the video started recording a little later than we expected.
Safety modes
The doorbell can work in several modes, each of which has its own settings. In total, we can find the following modes under the Security tab:
- Home – 0 second alarm delay, 0 second exit delay, video recording and push notification when motion is detected
- Away – same settings as in Home mode
- Disarmed – all detections and notifications are turned off
- Geofencing – activates Home, Away or Disarmed mode if we move away from the defined location according to GPS
- Schedule – timing of Home and Away modes according to specified time intervals
- own – a mode with its own name and settings
For unknown reasons, Home and Away modes have the same preset values, but they can be changed. These are the values of the settings we mentioned in the Home mode above and turning the alarm on or off. If the alarm is on, the HomeBase indoor unit will start a warning sound for 15 seconds after motion is detected.
So you can set the delay of this alarm by 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 180 or 300 seconds from motion detection and the exit delay with the same options. The departure delay serves so that we do not trigger the alarm when we ourselves leave the home.
Person detection and preset responses
The doorbell from the eufy brand can also function as a security camera, as it alerts you to any movement in the field of vision. However, if you would not like to receive notifications about movement from the entire frame, you can create a so-called activity zone. This is an area that you mark on the live broadcast from the camera and you will only receive notifications about movement if there is movement in this zone.
We appreciate that we can mark the zone using six points, thanks to which it can have an irregular shape. Although the functionality is not XNUMX%, it works better than most security cameras we have tested so far.
If you would like to reduce the number of notifications to only those where people are located, that is not a problem either. The bell can distinguish whether a person or something else is walking in front of the camera. In the settings, you can choose whether you want to receive all movement notifications or only those on which people can be seen. In the second case, you will also receive a photo of the person in the notification. The only thing missing here is the ability to intelligently recognize specific people based on a photo.
An interesting function is also the preset answers, which you can play to the person at the doorbell simply with one click. Here you will find three preset answers in English, or you can record your own answer, which you often use. For example, if you have some instructions for the courier that you have to repeat often, just record them and then start playing them when the courier rings.
Endurance and charging
The bell has a 6500 mAh battery, but it also offers an alternative. This is the connection to the existing electrical network for the doorbell, which eliminates charging. The package includes a pair of straps for attaching the cables to the back of the doorbell.
We used the bell for the battery, which should provide enough capacity for up to 60 days. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to fully verify this data, as our testing does not last that long. Duration depends on the number of bell presses and how often you watch the online broadcast. The battery capacity is also reduced by a high number of notifications, so it is difficult to give any general endurance.
The application shows the battery capacity on the initial screen only with the help of a symbol. The percentage expression can be found in the so-called Power reports along with various interesting information. This includes, for example, the total number of events captured, false events captured by artificial intelligence, and also the number of saved events with video.
During our testing, battery capacity dropped by 7% over 8 days of use. We received about 10 activity notifications and about 2 button presses each day with short communication via both video and audio transmission. If it were to continue like this, the mentioned 60 days are not so unrealistic. Everything depends on the intensity of use.
The battery in the doorbell is charged using the included USB-C cable, which you can connect to the internal HomeBase unit or to a regular charging adapter for smartphones.
Working modes
In addition to security modes, we also have the so-called working modes that are closely related to the endurance per charge. They belong here:
- Optimum Battery Life – serves only as a doorbell without motion detection. The LED is off and the video is recorded only if someone presses the button on the doorbell.
- Balanced Surveillance – the length of the video is a maximum of 30 seconds, and the system automatically adjusts the detection time so that it does not unnecessarily capture the same event multiple times.
- Optimal Surveillance – video length is a maximum of 60 seconds. The system captures every event.
- Customize Recording – custom customization of the video length (5-120 seconds) and also the interval between events (2-60 seconds). At the same time, we have the option of quickly ending the video as soon as the movement in the field of view ends.
We used the default mode, Balanced Surveillance.
Additional settings
To make those settings not enough, we also have more available. This includes, for example, the selection of a ringtone, turning on or off the LED backlight of the doorbell button, automatic night mode, watermark or video quality settings. The video quality can be adapted to the quality of the Internet connection or we can manually choose low, medium or high quality.
It is similar with the compression of 2K video, where we have a choice of high or low compression. The settings also offer a link to an existing indoor unit for ringing a melody. But we don't have another doorbell that we could connect, so we used the included HomeBase for internal ringing.
You can also share the doorbell with other users in the household who have the eufy Security application installed and have created their own account. There is also the possibility of automation with the help of other devices such as eufa cameras. This brand has several smart home devices in its portfolio, such as cameras, sensors and locks.
eufy Video Doorbell 2K: Final review
The doorbell from the eufy brand, namely the Video Doorbell 2K, pleasantly surprised us. It offers a high-quality 2K image, high-quality processing and a huge number of customizations in its own eufy Security application.
The doorbell works on the principle of a secure and encrypted connection with its HomeBase, which serves as both an internal ringing unit and a charging station for an external doorbell. It also has 16 GB of internal storage, so videos are not uploaded anywhere to the cloud.
Eufy Video Doorbell 2K
Express delivery from a European warehouse free of duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you expressly from your local warehouse in Europe. Delivery from EU warehouses usually takes 7-10 days and delivers courier. No extra charges, no customs duties or VAT.
Express delivery from a European warehouse free of duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you expressly from your local warehouse in Europe. Delivery from EU warehouses usually takes 7-10 days and delivers courier. No extra charges, no customs duties or VAT.
We were very satisfied with the overall operation of the doorbell and its reliability. We appreciate the ability to record quick responses to ringing, two-way audio transmission, and the ability to monitor the area in the field of view of the doorbell camera.
