H. J. Matthews
I chose this Eufy door lock because of its top rating from Consumer Reports. My second Schlage door lock failed just like the first one, so no going back to that brand. Plus, this Eufy was more feature rich and cheaper by comparison (my Schlage locks had no video or audio, just codes).
The positives are overwhelming. Every little feature I could hope for - and some I didn't think to expect - are implemented intuitively within this product. It's clear that a lot of thought and development time went into this product, aimed at the end user experience. It's all done the same way I might have designed it and then improved it over time.
- First, the mechanical installation was quick and painless, with the lock working smoothly right away.
- Second, there are so many ways to open this lock. When my electronic setup hit a snag (my own fault), we were still securing our home by using the key for a couple weeks. After electronic setup, we added three more methods. #1: We quickly created unique passcodes for everyone. #2: Our favorite method for both locking and unlocking is to use our fingerprint. #3: But quite handy is the phone app by which we lock the door from work or from upstairs when we've forgotten.
- Third and also cool is that my wife and I both have Admin accounts for these two devices, meaning that either one of us can access the event logs, change the ringtone, unlock the door remotely, add other users, etc. from our phones. Meanwhile we setup regular access accounts for our adult children. They each can enter their unique code at the door itself to unlock, or to lock on the way out. The next time they visit, Eufy will scan their fingerprints to enable that method also for lock/unlock. Either way, the Event log records exactly who entered and when. And records the video.
- Fourth, it's so great that there's no ongoing subscription required. I made sure everything worked before ordering the micro-SD card, but we were still able to use all of the features above plus others not yet mentioned (Live View, Live 2-way Audio, doorbell, and phone alerts). Then with a cheap micro-SD card - so easy to insert - we also have tons of video and audio storage. It's all configurable if we want lower-resolution video to save space or perhaps no audio to save even more space. The 128GB maximum size has more than enough room for us to configure high-res everything. Then if there's a particular video we want to save long-term, a single tap within the app downloads it to my phone.
- For the fifth positive, I can only scratch the surface about how intuitively it all functions. The live feed is just one tap. The mute-myself button is obvious, again just one tap if we want to converse before replying. I pre-recorded a few auto-responses like, "Sorry, but we don't answer the door for solicitors". Again, my pre-recorded messages are a well-placed set of one-tap options. Motion detection is too simple a word for the continuously enhanced AI features. My list of "Events" labels significant motion as "Human Detected". Based upon settings, I have no events recorded for stray squirrels or passing vehicles. Night vision calibration accounts for the white door jamb in the picture. Even the plug-in-the-wall Wi-Fi doorbell is great, with app-based volume control and several selectable ringtones. The auto-lock feature is configurable for different time settings and seems useful, but we haven't turned that on yet.
The negatives are incredibly minor, especially in light of the strong positives.
- I'm a decades-experienced IT professional, assembly programmer, PC builder, and more. I'm "that guy" everyone calls to setup their own high-tech equipment, including a few video doorbells. Yet I struggled with the electronic side of this lock installation. The instruction booklet simply says to install the app and follow those instructions. The app itself is great, but the setup steps could benefit from some customer feedback. A key setup step is scanning the QR code from the device itself to get its Serial Number. That step was quick and efficient for the separate Wi-Fi doorbell device - which BTW comes included with this door lock. But for the video deadbolt device, the app kept telling me "Invalid Serial Number". No problem - I can enter the SN manually. Where to find it? The app says it's in two places: the inner documentation box, and on the door lock itself. I entered the SN from the door lock - still invalid. I entered a number from the inner documentation box - but it wasn't exactly a Serial Number, so still invalid. There was a real Serial Number on the documentation booklet itself, different from the door lock's SN - still invalid. In the end this was all my fault. Kudos to Eufy's support team for a quick E-mail response when their live call center was closed for the weekend. That response asked for details including my purchase receipt. Looking up that Amazon receipt, I noticed the exact model number I purchased: "S330". The app's setup steps require me to select the item type before scanning or entering the Serial Number. Where I had preciously selected "Video Door Lock & Doorbell Combo", I tried the app again and found the S330 in a not-so-obvious selection. With that choice the QR code scanned successfully, and everything worked fully a few seconds later. That quick step even integrated the video door lock with the included doorbell device. A better setup experience (A) would print the model number on the product box somewhere, and (B) would let the app select (or at least prompt for) the device type based upon the Serial Number scanned or entered. But with the one-time setup behind me now, everything about ongoing operation is wonderful.
- The other tiny negative is the advertised integration with Alexa. I don't use Alexa here except for my Fire TV remote, so I can't speak with much expertise about how this Alexa integration should work. Amazon's product page says (copy/paste) "WORKS WITH ALEXA Add voice control by combining with an Alexa device". From "voice control" I expected that I could ask any Alexa device to lock or unlock the door, and perhaps have an Alexa Show display the live video. I've been through every possible setting at least twice, and the only Alexa connection is "Alexa as Chime" whereby an Amazon Echo will announce when the doorbell is pressed. That's not even close to "voice control". Again, not a big deal for me because we haven't gone full Alexa in our household. But if we do, I don't expect the video doorbell to integrate fully like, say, the Echo-plus-Ring bundle does.
The bottom line is overwhelming positives for all the important functions plus responsive customer support. The negatives don't affect me, so five stars. Consumer Reports was correct in their recommendation.
| Brand | eufy Security |
|---|---|
| Special Feature | Keyless |
| Lock Type | Combination Lock |
| Item dimensions L x W x H | 8.7 x 7.08 x 3.13 inches |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Outdoor Security |
| Style | Video Lock |
| Color | Silver |
| Included Components | 2K HD camera, video doorbell, rechargeable battery, WiFi Door Lock, keypad, and mounting hardware |
| Controller Type | eufy Security App (if this value is to be used at all, it would more appropriate use 'iOS' or 'Android' as the `controller_type` value, depending on operating system of device which app installed) |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Control Method | Remote |
| Connectivity Protocol | Wi-Fi |
| UPC | 194644175634 |
| Manufacturer | Anker |
| Item Weight | 3.61 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 8.7 x 7.08 x 3.13 inches |
| Item model number | T8531 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Special Features | Keyless |
| Usage | advanced video doorbell, WiFi Deadbolt, Rechargeable battery |
| Batteries Included? | Yes |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Battery Cell Type | Lithium Ion |
Pam
