Smart doorbells are getting better and better — and companies are quickly working on ways to ensure that they improve our lives. For example, some companies employ the use of a wide-angle camera to ensure that the doorbell can see things like packages. Eufy, however, is taking a slightly different approach — and the Eufy Dual Doorbell, as the name implies, has a dedicated package camera built right in.
The Eufy Dual Doorbell has other advantages too. Not only are there two cameras built-in, but those cameras are pretty high-quality, and they work with the well-designed and easy-to-use Eufy app. It’s really a complete package.
But it’s not perfect. Here are our thoughts.
Eufy Dual Doorbell
Pros
- Excellent video quality
- Smart features
- Alexa and Google support
- No subscription required
- Good battery life
Cons
- No HomeKit
- Very bulky
Eufy Dual Doorbell design
The first thing you’ll notice about the Eufy Dual Doorbell is its design — and mainly, how big it is. Some video doorbells are relatively small and sleek, and this is not one of those. The Eufy Dual Doorbell is big, bold, and easily noticeable.
Of course, that’s somewhat to be expected given the fact that the doorbell is so feature-packed, and battery-powered. It needs a battery big enough to stay powered for more than a week. But still, if you want something small, you’ll want to keep looking. The Dual Doorbell measures in at 6.5 inches tall, 2.1 inches wide, and 1.1 inches deep.
That’s not to say that the device is ugly though. The Dual Doorbell is built with black plastic, and while it doesn’t feel the most premium out there, it doesn’t look or feel cheap. On the front, you’ll get the main camera sensor with a button, while an angled bottom edge is where you’ll find the downward-facing camera. It comes with both an angled mounting plate and a straight one, which is nice.
You’ll need to use the Dual Doorbell with Eufy’s Homebase 2 hub. That brings some real advantages, which we’ll get into. I already use Eufy security products, so I didn’t have to set up a new Homebase. Setting one up is as easy as downloading the app, and plugging it into the power and your router. The Homebase 2 is a little big, but it should fit next to most routers.
Eufy Dual Doorbell features
The Eufy Dual Doorbell is packed with features that help make it better than some other options. Most of these features are accessible through the Eufy Security app, and make for a well-rounded, high-end smart doorbell experience.
Perhaps the most notable feature is the advanced package detection, which works through the second camera, and keeps an eye on any packages delivered to your door. Once there’s a package, the app offers a Package Live Check Assistant, which keeps track of any events surrounding the package. You can also use a Package Guard feature, with which the doorbell can say things like “Excuse me, can I help you?” to those approaching your package. I live in a condo, and the neighbor’s front door is pretty close to mine — so I disabled this feature. A live video feed was enough for me to protect my packages.
When the button on the doorbell is pressed, you’ll get an alert on your phone. But, if you don’t want to be disturbed when you’re at work, for example, you can set up an automatic response. The app lets you set the time and days for this response, and you can either choose from a list of responses or create your own.
The doorbell can be used in wired or battery-powered mode, and when battery-powered the device will last between three and six months on a charge. You’ll have to remove the device from the wall to charge it. We weren’t able to use the doorbell for long enough to test the battery claims.
One of the best things about the Homebase is the fact that it works with the doorbell to store video. That means that you won’t need to subscribe to a cloud storage plan — which is awesome. Many security companies build products aimed at getting you to subscribe to cloud storage, and while you still can here if you’re worried about your internet connection and power outages, it’s nice that you don’t have to.
The Eufy Dual Doorbell also supports Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, however unfortunately you won’t get Apple HomeKit support. Eufy has been great at supporting HomeKit thus far, and it seems as though the lack of support has more to do with Apple than Eufy. Still, HomeKit users will want to look elsewhere.
Eufy Dual Doorbell app
The Eufy Security app has been getting better and better, and it’s currently well-designed and easy to use. The app is split up into a few different tabs, and while it offers plenty of settings and features to dive into, they’re not all in-your-face in a way that makes the app difficult to navigate.
The main tab is the home tab, and it’s where you’ll see a quick overview of your security devices and a thumbnail of their most recent events. In the case of this doorbell, you’ll get a view of both cameras of the device, which is handy. You can also quickly snooze notifications, which can come in handy if there’s a lot of activity outside your door.
From the main tab, you’ll be able to dive into the device’s settings. Eufy prioritizes some of the settings at the top of the interface, which is nice. And if you want, you can dive into settings like the chime, the video quality, and more. You can also customize notification settings, which is nice.
Other tabs in the app allow you to see a list of events, and customize recording modes, which can work based on your location. The last tab lets you buy new Eufy security products.
Eufy Dual Doorbell video
The Eufy Dual Doorbell isn’t just smart — it’s also high-quality. The camera offers a detailed view at what’s happening outside your door, with support for things like HDR.
The two cameras built into the camera aren’t the same — but that’s not a huge deal. The main camera offers a 2K resolution with a 160-degree field-of-view and a 4:3 aspect ratio, while the downward-facing package cam has a 1080p resolution with a 120-degree field-of-view. I think it’s perfectly fair for the secondary camera to have a lower resolution, and it probably helps save on battery life too.
Perhaps the biggest issue with the camera is that, at times, it can be a little slow to react. It takes a second or two for the camera to start recording after detecting motion, and while I never ran into an issue where I missed something, particularly fast-acting thieves might be able to get away with it.
You get two options for viewing the two video feeds next to each other — a stacked view, and a picture-in-picture mode. The stacked view is so close to stitching the two feeds together that it seems like a missed opportunity to not do that. Of course the different video qualities might create some funky results. I still preferred stacked view over picture-in-picture mode, but that’s down to personal preference.
Generally, colors are good, and the night mode is able to still capture relatively detailed footage. The main camera uses infrared to get night vision, while the package camera has two LED lights that illuminate the area.
Conclusions
Eufy has created an excellent video doorbell in the Eufy Dual Doorbell. The device may be a little chunky, but it still offers excellent video quality, a range of helpful features, and decent support for your smart home. I do wish that the device worked with HomeKit, and it would be nice if was a little quicker to detect motion. But, most will be happy with the doorbell, and the fact that they don’t have to subscribe to an ongoing cloud plan.
The competition
There’s plenty of competition in the smart doorbell space. Perhaps the biggest competition comes from Ring, with the Ring Video Doorbell 4. However you won’t get quite as good of a view of your doorstep, and you’ll likely end up wanting to subscribe to Ring’s subscription. There are other cheaper options too, like the Blink Video Doorbell and the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro, both of which are also battery-powered.
Should I buy the Eufy Dual Doorbell
Yes. If you like the idea of a dual-camera video doorbell, this is an excellent option.
