Eufy S340 Review

Anker Innovations is the parent company of Eufy. Anker is a well known US electronics company. The Eufy portion of the company is focused on smart home technology with a variety of products designed to simplify daily living, like monitors, robot vacuums and security systems.

Performance Comparison

Audio / Visual

If you want the best in audio and video, it is hard to top Eufy's combined scores. This 2K resolution camera offers some of the best videos in the bunch, and the sound features help create a clear and helpful audio experience.

The sound quality and clarity are important because it is the sound that first draws your attention to what is happening in the nursery. It has a maximum volume of 103 dBa with crisp and clear tones and nothing interfering with the sounds of baby crying. There is a very quiet wind noise or muffling in the background, but it is not a disruption, nor does it make it hard to hear.

The noise cancellation on this monitor is good, even if it isn't the best. It drops the ongoing sound decibels to 44 dBa with a noticeable white noise hum, but it isn't terrible or disruptive, and those who like white noise will find it easy to sleep by. When crying occurs, it is distinctive and easy to hear. The sound activation works well with an almost silent result of only 6 dBa above the ambient noise level of the parent's room of 33 dBa. These kinds of features create a monitor that is easier to fall asleep with since it doesn't relay other noise or static through the camera.

The 2K resolution is on full display with this monitor with some of the best images we've ever seen. It also has the coolest swivel remote-controlled camera that spins around like a magical eyeball.

It has a wide field of view and excellent clarity and color accuracy, mimicking what is in the nursery. The daytime video shows great contrast on the color chart, and the eye chart is legible, almost to the fifth line.

Nighttime images are almost more impressive than day. The night vision works well with a fairly even lighted area and no significant hot spot. There is no tunneling effect, and even the edges of the image are clear.

This monitor has some of the best separation and contrast between the colors, and the eye chart has a lot of detail. You can see if the baby's eyes are open or closed, but some other details seem lost, like the elephant pattern on the crib sheet in our tests. In fairness, none of the top-performing cameras showed the sheet detail.

Range

While the Eufy is a WiFi-enabled monitor that should be useable wherever there is the internet, it can be a little more complicated if you plan to use the sock.

Internet is required to use the camera to communicate with your personal device, but Bluetooth is required for the sock to communicate with the base station. Eufy claims this range between the sock and base is 300 ft. We suspect this distance varies, and it appears it doesn't impact the use of the camera if you only use the camera.

Also, some of the similar competition will not work on public WiFi systems for privacy reasons. If you plan to use it in hotels or spaces with similar public internet, this is something to consider. As always, we recommend that you open and set up your monitor as soon as you get it before the return policy is up.

Ease of Use

The Eufy is one of the easier options to use. This is a breath of fresh air, given that complicated monitors are typically more challenging. Because it is app-driven, you do need to download an app and set up an account. How challenging this is depends on your tech-savvy ability. If you frequently use app-driven tech, we suspect it won't be an issue. If you aren't as familiar, you might find the user manual lacking.

The app is intuitive and syncs pretty fast. You can continue to video monitor with picture-in-picture while doing other things. And you can monitor sound with the phone closed. This is different than monitors that are more traditionally security monitors that typically do not allow you to do other things or work when the phone is closed. When there is an incoming or outgoing call, the monitoring stops until you can reopen the app, where you can continue to watch and listen with deprioritized sound.

The app has a clean home page and readily understandable icons. The menu is not confusing, and the main dashboard has everything you need, so there isn't a lot of time wasted looking from one menu to another. Controls are clear, and remote camera movement is smooth.

Battery Life

Our battery life tests are done on the dedicated monitors for the parent units. As the Eufy utilizes your smart device instead of a dedicated paired parent unit, we did not test battery life. This will depend on your device, its age, and what other things you are using it for.

For scoring, we based all smartphone-capable monitors on the average life of the average iPhone, which is 9.6 hours. If you have concerns about battery life and monitoring, keeping it plugged in as often as possible is probably best.

Features

The Eufy has many features—so many that we suspect most families will not use them. They may use them initially, but their shine will wear off over time, and the love affair will end. We think parents should focus on features that help them and their baby get a better night's sleep.

Sound activation helps keep a monitor quiet so you can fall asleep. Sound detection helps wake the monitor, so you hear what is important. Being able to move the camera or zoom in can provide peace of mind and details to determine if you are needed in the nursery. Many of the other features are nice to have, and some parents will use them, but most will largely go unnoticed and unused.

• 4 Cameras can be added
• 5 viewers
• Track sleep patterns, naps, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation
• Push notifications for crying, vital thresholds, sock problems
• Customizable alerts
• 3 Socks suitable for 0-18 months
• Room temperature sensor
• Sound detection
• 2-way talk
• Wellness tracker
• Remote camera, Pan 330 degrees/Tilt 110 degrees
• 4x zoom
• FSA/HSA eligible
• Color ring status indicators
• Sound activation
• Sound monitor with a closed phone

In the Box

• Camera
• Sock
• Crib mount
• Wall mount
• Cable
• Sock base station
• Charging block

Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Levels

This monitor emits EMF from both the camera and the sock. For our video monitor review we tested the average EMF reading at 6 feet for the camera. This unit had a reading value of 0.92 V/m.

While science has yet to determine the effects of EMF exposure over time and the safety of exposure on developing systems, we like to err on the side of caution and limit the exposure whenever possible. Other ways to help limit exposure include turning the device off when not in use and moving the camera as far from the baby as possible to still be effective at monitoring.

Security

Eufy isn't entirely transparent about the security they use to keep monitors safe from hackers. They have a blog post about what users can do to protect themselves, but not much on what they are doing on their end. The only information we could find was a note about using AES 128. We found no article online about previous or known Eufy hacking incidents.

Should You Buy the Eufy?

Depending on your monitoring goals, the Eufy can likely fulfill your dreams. This full-service monitor is a video, sound, and vital tracker all in one. It offers impressive visual images with details you can rely on and sound activation and noise cancellation that creates a silent monitor for those who might have trouble getting to sleep. We think the setup is easy, and the app is intuitive. So, if you like gadgets and want it all, it could be an excellent fit for your family. However, it is a lot of monitor and sports a higher price. If you don't need all the bells and whistles it could be more monitor than you want to bother with. You can save money by choosing something that is less complex or offers fewer features.

What Other Video Monitor Should You Consider?

If you'd like WiFi but do not need vitals tracking, the iBaby M8 2K is a compelling option. This WiFi monitor is easy to use, has good video, and features designed for little ones like an overhead projector and lullabies. This monitor has all you need, no subscription fees, and is quick to set up. If your monitoring goals are even simpler, the Babysense MaxView. This is a dedicated monitor with no internet requirements. It has a better range than much of the competition and has features and video good enough to get the job done with ease. We love how straightforward this option is and that anyone can use it without an app or tutorial.

Manufacturer Video