Eufy E21 Review

Audio / Visual

The Eufy impresses both for video and audio with some of the clearest sound and images in the group.

The Eufy has one of the highest volumes, at 89 dBA. The baby's cries are unbelievably loud, and we suspect most parents will be startled awake. They are clear and almost instantaneous from the time they start until the parent monitor alerts and awakens. There isn't much lag or grittiness, but at the highest volume, there is some feedback, so we didn't use it at full volume very much.

With a smartphone (we used an iPhone), the cries are clear, with lots of detail and richness, and no graininess, but the noise can be somewhat choppy on occasion.

Alerts and alert volume can be set in the Eufy menu on the parent device and through the app.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

The Eufy Menu is easy to navigate.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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At the highest volume, the background noise has a high-pitched feedback that goes away when you turn the volume down. Even on the phone, it is there, though somewhat intermittent. Unplugging the camera and plugging it back in helped, but there was still some fuzz. Again, it is less so on the phone. There is some white noise when the baby makes sounds, but it doesn't interfere or feel annoying. Turning the volume down helps isolate the baby's sounds, so if you can still be roused at lower volumes, that's what you should try.

Sound activation (VOX) on the parent unit worked well, and the monitor was silent until the baby started crying. The parent unit VOX turned on within 10 seconds of the baby crying, and if you have notifications on, that will chime first. It does an ideal job of monitoring and helping parents get good sleep with peace of mind.

The phone doesn't offer sound activation, but you can reduce the volume and enable background audio notifications if you think they will wake you. While it alerts you to crying in the room with a chime, the baby's crying does not transmit automatically. There is a delay of about 3 seconds from the time crying starts until the app sends a notification.

The Eufy camera is 4K UHD, which might be overkill for viewing your baby, but darn it, it has impeccable video with so much detail you can see the baby's eyes blinking. The instructions advise you to place it at least 3 ft away and 2.6 ft off the ground on a shelf. The field of view is wide, and the camera is remotely controlled for pan and scan.

The day colors are rich and saturated, and we could read down to the 4th smallest line. The smallest and tightest patterns do not blur and retain good definition. The lens is somewhat fish-eye in nature, and as a result, images around the edges of the field of view can look a bit stretched. As a result, we think it is best mounted higher up and looking more down into the crib.

Night images are almost as good, but there is some light bleed in the center of the image. The image remains crisp and clear, with no loss of resolution when the lights turn off. Some of the color tones aren't perfect in the grey scale, and the tones are very similar, but the image doesn't suffer, and there is good contrast between the objects.

The main viewing screen in the Eufy app has most of the functionality you need.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

The Eufy parent device image is somewhat bluer than real life.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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When using the parent unit, the image is bluer than on the phone, but otherwise it is equally crisp, and the resolution is strong.

Range

When connected via WiFi, the range is limited only by your ability to access it. When using the dedicated parent monitor without the WiFi, the manufacturer claims a range of 800 feet. This claim is likely an open field with no walls or other interference.

In our tests, we averaged about 175 feet through 8 walls. There was a pop-up alert that told us when the signal was getting weak, which was much appreciated, so we didn't have to guess. Eight walls are a lot and would likely work for most homes, though not for the largest homes or those seeking coverage from one floor to another.

Ease of Use

The E21 is pretty easy to use once you complete the setup. Its score took a minor hit as it requires downloading an app and setting up an account before you can get started.

We appreciate that Eufy provides everything you need to set up your monitor, including the wall mount hardware.   Credit: Rachael Lamore

The Eufy parent device user interface is straightforward and fairly intuitive.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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The camera setup requires the app, and you have to make an account. It can be wall-mounted or put on a shelf, and there is a helpful informational video that walks you through the steps. While it shows an option for crib mounting, we do not recommend this, as there is no real safe way to route cables and prevent strangulation.

Many of the features on the Eufy are adjustable.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

The Eufy offers audio adjustability with sound activation and power-saving mode.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

Some Eufy menus can take some getting used to, like sleep mode, since it isn't clear what you'll find there.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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The parent unit feels intuitive, but it has a lot of functionality, so the learning curve is a bit longer than some competitors if you plan to use features beyond the basics. It doesn't feel disorganized or cluttered, but the sound activation feature and stream controls are under “sleep mode setting,” which was confusing to us, and we always forgot and ended up needing to search for it. The dedicated parent unit is more straightforward than the app.

The Eufy app has similar menu options and adjustability as the parent unit.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

You can choose which kinds of sounds will trigger the Eufy's sound activation such as crying or loud sounds.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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You can set alerts on the parent unit and in the app. The notifications on the parent unit are very loud and independent of the sounds coming from the baby's room (ie, crying). You can adjust this, and we did, because it was almost too loud. We appreciate the thoughtfulness in offering two different alert systems, as some parents might sleep through crying but be more easily awakened by a chime.

The app has the same features as the parent unit and then some. It allowed us to set critical alerts and prompted us to do so during setup. We thought some of the alerts were too frequent and less useful, so we had to go into the operating system to disable them. It can even alert you in do-not-disturb mode on your smartphone, which could be critical when monitoring little ones but also trying to get some shut-eye, but you need to enable the feature to get the alerts.

This monitor is very sensitive to movement, and movement detection (actual movement in the room, not movement indicative of breathing) can sometimes alert to movement outside the frame, but you can toggle this feature off if it isn't desired.

The Eufy is travel-friendly and easy to set up in new locations, especially if you are forgiving of what the camera sees. If you set it up with WiFi, it uses 2.4 GHz, so it should connect to most public WiFi, like the kind you'd find in a hotel. While privacy concerns might inhibit some parents from doing this, it is nice that it is an option.

Battery Life

The Eufy has a battery backup in the parent unit, which is fairly standard, and one in the camera unit in the event of a power outage. While the camera battery is not intended for long-term use (say, for camping or similar locations without electricity), it could help you get through the night in the event of a power failure.

We tested the battery life of the dedicated parent unit. How long your personal device lasts while using the app depends on the device. In our tests, the parent unit lasted 8 hours and 52 minutes. This is long enough to make it through most nights, but not the best in the group, where one lasted over 25 hours. However, in fairness, this was done with the unit at full brightness, the screen on continuously, and the volume at 50%, so real-world mileage will vary. The manufacturer claims a 12-hour battery life.

Features

The Eufy has several useful features and some baby-centric options. Some features are app-only, while others work from both the app and the parent device. Notably, there is no nightlight, which we don't see as a deal-breaker since many parents already have one, but given how many include one, it was worth mentioning. The features include:

The Eufy can pair with 2 cameras.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

The Eufy app interface is easy to use.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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• 2-way talk to baby
• Digital zoom
• Sound activation (VOX)
• Lullabies
• Pan and tilt remotely
• Room temperature sensor

The Eufy has a subscription service that you can elect to use or ignore. It is a cloud system for storing video and images. As of October 2026, Tier one of this service is $39.99 for one year, and Tier 2 is $99.99. The subscription is not required to use the monitor; it is only required for storage.

Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Levels

The EMF reading for the Eufy was 0.85 V/m on average with the reader 3 ft from the camera.

This is one of the lowest readings in the group, and exposure can be further decreased by mounting the camera as far from the baby as possible without impacting usefulness. If EMF is a concern for you, the Eufy is a strong contender.

Security

This hybrid monitor can deliver feed over a local network or WiFI, which is great flexibility. It features a “Full Privacy and Security in One Switch: Toggle,” which allows you to toggle the switch to cut off WiFi for a secure, private local connection. It features RSA-1024 and AES-128 encryption to help prevent hackers and unauthorized users from gaining access. Every recording is protected with a unique key.

If you choose to use the WiFi connection, there are some things you can do to protect your system and your little one.

Should You Buy the Eufy E21?

Maybe. While it is one of our favorite monitors, we can admit the price is higher than some will want to or be able to spend. It is one of the more expensive video monitors, but we think the value is there and would recommend it to those who can afford it. This hybrid system hits a sweet spot by offering a parent unit and WiFi capabilities for a smart device to view remotely. We love the video, sound activation, easy-to-use interface, and more, making it a tester favorite. But the price could be a deal-breaker, as it is closer to that of a movement monitor but lacks movement capabilities.

What Other Video Monitor Should You Consider?

If you want something cheaper, we like the Momcozy 1080p HD, but it is a dedicated unit with no away-from-home watching. It also doesn't have as good video, but it is good enough to get the job done, even if it isn't IMAX-worthy. The best WiFi options in the group, aside from the Eufy, are also movement monitors, which means the price is even higher but potentially worth it for the new capabilities. The Nanit Smart System is one of our favorites, with an easy floorstand setup and some of the best video in the group.

Manufacturer Video