Original Link:eufyCam vs Arlo – Which is best & is the Arlo Ultra or Pro3 worth it over the eufyCam 2 & 2C?
Posted by James Smythe | Feb 29, 2020 | CCTV, Home Automation, News
Arlo, formerly owned by Netgear has long been the dominant company for wire-free security cameras, I would argue that they are the company responsible for the popularisation of the battery-powered wire-free outdoor surveillance camera.
Since the launch of Arlo, many companies have come along replicating their features, many of them are inferior, plenty of them are more cost-efficient.
In recent years one of the standout competitors has been Eufy, the sub-brand of Anker. Eufy focuses on smart home products and includes some excellent robotic vacuums as well as the range of eufyCam security cameras.
The product range isn’t as extensive as Arlo, but in my opinion, eufyCam comfortably offers enough for them to be a worthy consideration over Arlo.
Table of Contents
Cloud Recording vs Local Recording
The biggest difference between the two brands is how they store data each one has its pros and cons. Cloud recording limits the chances someone can interfere with the local storage if they break in, whereas local storage is free with fewer privacy issues.
All the Arlo cameras offer local storage, but Arlo sneakily walls off certain smart features behind the paid service.
Arlo Smart Premier
With an Arlo Smart Premier subscription, you can record to the Arlo cloud with up to 2K video resolution on 1 camera or 5 cameras. Your clips save to the Arlo library for up to 30 days after recording. If you have more than 5 cameras, you can add a single-camera plan for each additional camera at half the original price.
Arlo Smart Elite
With an Arlo Smart Elite subscription, you can record to the Arlo cloud with up to 4K video resolution on 1 camera or 5 cameras. Your clips save to the Arlo library for 30 days after recording. If you have more than 5 cameras, you can add a single-camera plan for each additional camera at half the original price.
Arlo Free Cloud Recording Options
If you have an Arlo Pro 2, Pro, Go, Wire-Free, Q, Q Plus, or Baby camera, you will continue to have all the benefits that were included with the purchase of your camera. This includes free-rolling 7-day cloud recording, live streaming, 2-way audio, local storage, and activity zones on up to 5 cameras.
eufyCam Local Storage and Cloud options
While the big selling point of eufyCam is the free local storage, they do have a cloud storage option, this is $2.99 per camera per month or $29.99 per year. The premier plan offers upto 10-cameras and is $9.99/$99.99 both have 30-days recording. There is no UK pricing but that matches the Arlo monthly pricing while also offering the ability to add more cameras
Most people will stick with local storage here, all models come with 16GB EMMC. For the most common usage scenario of up to 10 events a day at 30s per video, the 16GB microSD card can store up to 1-year’s worth of video clips for a single camera. Therefore, if your eufy Security system has 2 cameras, a 16GB card could store 6 months of videos.
The older eufyCam E is upgradable via microSD, the new 2nd generation models have a USB port which will allow upgrades in the future.
Arlo Smart Features vs eufyCam smart features
All the features hidden behind the Arlo subscription service
Arlo offers more than just recording and the subscription offers quite a lot of useful advanced monitoring features. It could be argued that Arlo has fenced off valuable smart features forcing you into a paid subscription.
These features include
- Advanced Object Detection
- Detect people, vehicles, and more.
- Package Detection
- See when they arrive at your door.
- Cloud Activity Zones
- Set specific areas to monitor.
- Intelligent Alerts
- Take action faster with smart alerts.
The new eufyCam 2 and eufyCam 2C have human detection technology enables the camera to intelligently detect body shape and face pattern. Ensuring you are only alerted when a person, and not a stray cat, approaches.
During my testing of the eufyCam 2C I have found human detection to be highly accurate, and it dramatically reduces the notifications.
eufyCam also has built-in zone control on their models, again helping you reduce unwanted notifications.
What it lacks is package detection and the ability to identify other objects.
Doorbell
Arlo has two doorbells, a video doorbell and an audio doorbell which allows you to talk to people at the door. Currently, the video doorbell is not available in the UK, so we are stuck with the audio version which has so-so reviews on Amazon. It is, however, quite cheap at £76.
With the Arlo Video doorbell, this is a wired option with a max resolution of 1536×1536. Arlo Video Doorbells include 3 months of service, you will then need to pay a monthly fee.
Eufy has a very well-reviewed doorbell but for some reason, it is not available to buy in the UK either. In the US you can buy direct from Eufy for $159.99.
For the Eufy doorbell, you also require existing doorbell wires but won’t work with an existing chime with this you get 2560 x 1920 resolution. It has 4Gb of internal storage which can store up to 30 days of video, assuming you’re recording 30 videos a day and 30 seconds of each video.
Camera Options
eufyCam Wireless Home Security Options – Which is best?
eufyCam E
SALE
£329.99
- Price: £259.99
- Additional cameras £118.99
- Amazon Reviews: 387 with a rating of 4.6 with 4% 1-star reviews
eufyCam has a much smaller product range there is basically the older eufyCam E which is excellent and has a 365-day battery life per camera but lacks any of the advanced human detection features.
- Full HD Surveillance: 1080p resolution, combined with our exceptional night vision technology, ensures video is recorded with crystal-clear quality both day and night.
- 140° wide-angle lens
- IP65
- 1-year battery
eufyCam 2
- Price: £359.99
- Additional cameras £149
- Amazon Reviews: 85 with a rating of 4.6 with 0% 1-star reviews
The replacement for that is the new eufyCam 2 which has a lower RRP of the model it replaces and costs £359.99. This also has the 1-year battery adds in human detection and massively upgrades the sensor to a Sony Starvis lens which provides a large improvement to low light recording and depending on how much light there is, it should offer colour night vision recording.
- 1080p, Sony Starvis sensor
- 140-degree
- IP67
- 1-Year battery
eufyCam 2C
SALE
£189.99
- Price: £359.99
- Additional cameras £149
- Amazon Reviews: 249 with a rating of 4.6 with 3% 1-star reviews
Then there is the more affordable eufyCam 2C, these are smaller cameras and reduce the batter life down to 6-months, which is still plenty in my opinion. These lose the theft detection which both other models have, so depending on how accessible your camera is, this feature is worth considering. However, it does have a built-in spotlight and with this enabled you to get proper colour night vision recording (if there is also some other street lighting/ambient light).
- 1080p
- 135-degree view
- IP67
- 6-months battery
- Spotlight
eufy Floodlight
£179.99
- Price: £359.99
- Additional cameras £149
- Amazon Reviews: 16 with a rating of 4.1 and no 1-star reviews
The eufy Floodlight camera is an independent product so there is no need for a base station, it will set you back £179.99 but with a £30 voucher currently available. It requires wiring into your mains because floodlights use a lot of power, but it is one of the cheapest floodlight options available.
Arlo Options – There are lots of them
Arlo surely has an option for everyone, there are 6-different outdoor product ranges currently available, and at some point, they will also release their own floodlight camera which can work on a battery if needed.
Currently Amazon only stock 3 of the main ranges then also sim enabled Arlo Go, plus the is the indoor Q and a baby camera. To try and keep it simple I will list the 2-pack options because that’s how eufy sell there.
Arlo also has a confusing product range, it looks like the Pro is being phased out on Amazon with the HD sitting in its place, but the Arlo website makes no mention of the HD and instead lists the Pro.
Arlo Ultra Smart Home Security Cameras
£699.00
- Price: £699.00
- Additional cameras £329.99
- Amazon Reviews: 61 reviews with a rating of 3.2 and 32% of 1-star reviews
I didn’t realise this had so many poor reviews when I started writing it. The general consensus is that there are a lot of teething problems with issues of regular disconnections, not what you want from a security camera. When they do work, people find them excellent.
- 4K and HDR zoom in to see sharp details with Arlo ultra’s 4K and HDR advanced image quality technology
- Enhanced night vision: See what’s lurking with colour night vision allowing you to see video in colour rather than traditional black and white
- Integrated spotlight: Light up the night and ward off unwelcome guests using Arlo ultra’s integrated spotlight
- 2-way audio
Arlo Pro 3 2K (now available in Black)
£549.99
- Price: £359.99
- Additional cameras £149
- Amazon Reviews: White model has 22 reviews with a rating of 3/5 and 33% 1-star reviews
Not really enough reviews to ascertain what has caused the low ratings. One user states poor battery life, another issue with geofencing. I suspect it could be teething issues similar to the Ultra.
- 2K video with HDR: Zoom in on objects and see clearer details and colours in 2K HDR
- Colour night vision: See what’s lurking with colour night vision or black and white
- Integrated spotlight: Light up the night and ward off unwelcome guests
- 160 degree view
- 2-way audio
Arlo Pro2
SALE
£359.99
- Price: £359.99
- Additional cameras £149
- Amazon Reviews: 1566 reviews with a rating of 3.8 and 17% 1-star reviews
Generally, good reviews, the high number of 1-star reviews brings the overall rating down. Battery life and dropouts appear to be a concern.
- 1080p HD: High-quality video with sharper and brighter details; two-way audio
- 130-degree view
Arlo Pro
SALE
£310.99
- Price: £ 239.00
- Additional cameras £ 189
- Amazon Reviews: 1475 with a rating of 3.9 and 13% 1-star reviews
Good reviews but the 1-star review bring it down with complains about the battery
- HD quality – enjoy sharp 720p live video and save those important moments with free cloud storage
- 110° degree view
Arlo HD
SALE
£130.13
- Price: £201.69
- Additional cameras £78.99
- Amazon Reviews:4,182 ratings with a 3.5 rating and 20% 1-star
With over 4000 reviews this has long been a popular product, but it looks like it is a merged listing because the HD has not been out since 2015. Negative reviews state poor battery and disconnects.
The 2-camera system uses a picture of the older Arlo model, so I am unsure if this is the new HD or not. the 1 and 3-camera kits show the newer model
- HD quality – enjoy sharp 720p live video and save those important moments with free cloud storage
- 110° degree view?
Overall Recommendation
I haven’t used most of these cameras so I can only work off specs, price and reviews.
Arlo is the biggest name in the business because their products are excellent. Looking at the specs of all the options the Arlo Pro 3 and Ultra comfortably offer more features than eufyCam but come in at over £200 more when comparing the Arlo Pro 3 2K vs eufyCam 2. Then to get the most of the Arlo you are doing to be forking out £8.99 per month. So over a two year period that £200 price difference becomes £415.76 (£215.76 subscription cost).
I would say both the new eufyCam 2 and 2C sit somewhere between the Arlo Pro2 and Arlo Pro 3 2K. They offer better features than the Pro2 with colour night vision and human detection but can’t quite compete with the features of the Arlo Pro 3.
Personally, I wouldn’t bother looking at the Arlo HD, Pro, or the eufyCam E. I don’t feel that the cheaper Arlo products offer enough features to compete with eufyCam, and while I thought the eufyCam E was superb, my personal opinion is that the 2C is a better product for about the same price.
If money is no concern and you want the best wire-free model, I would have recommended the Arlo Ultra or the Pro3, however, after going through the reviews it is a bit hard to recommend a camera that costs £500 that may then come with all sorts of problems. These are quite new products, and I am sure they will improve with time, so I wouldn’t rule them out as a choice, just approach with caution. I’d also suggest if you are will to spend £500 on cameras you should seriously considering paying someone to install wired POE CCTV cameras and a decent quality NVR. The initial cost will be higher but it will be a far superior solution.
For people wanting a more affordable solution, you can’t fault the eufyCam 2C or the 2 if you need the benefit of a siren. The battery life is superb for both cameras, and the older eufyCam E lived up to the 365-day claim when I had it.
