Eufy Security Video Doorbell E340 Review: dual cameras without the monthly fees

I picked up the Eufy Security Video Doorbell E340 (renewed version) mainly because I was fed up with subscription fees on my old Ring-style doorbell. Every year the price crept up, and it started to feel like I was renting my own front door footage. So this one caught my eye: dual cameras, local storage, and no forced monthly plan. I’ve been using it for a while now, and I’ll be honest, it’s not perfect, but it does most of the basics pretty well.

From day one, what stood out is that it behaves more like a straightforward home gadget than a locked-in service. You install it, connect it to Wi‑Fi, set your zones and notifications, and that’s pretty much it. No endless pop-ups telling you to upgrade or pay more. The whole "no subscription" thing really changes how you feel about using it, because you’re not constantly thinking about what features are hidden behind a paywall.

That said, you still need to think about power (battery vs wired), Wi‑Fi signal, and maybe whether you want to add a HomeBase 3 for storage and some extra security if someone steals the doorbell. Eufy gives you options, but you do have to make a couple of decisions at the start. If you’re not into DIY at all, the wiring side might feel a bit annoying, but it’s not harder than most other video doorbells in this price range.

Overall, my first impression was: solid video quality, decent app, and nice to finally have a doorbell that doesn’t feel like a subscription trap. There are a few quirks and some rough edges with the ecosystem, but if you just want to keep an eye on your front door and your parcels without paying every month, it already looks like a better deal than a lot of the big-name competitors.

On value, the main selling point of this Eufy doorbell is clear: no mandatory subscription. If you’re coming from Ring, Nest, or similar, you already know how annoying it is to pay every month just to see recordings longer than a few hours or days. With the E340, once you’ve bought the device (and maybe a HomeBase if you want that), you’re basically done. That alone makes it feel like better value over time, even if the upfront cost is similar to a brand-new subscription-based doorbell.

The fact this is a renewed/refurb unit also plays into the value side. You’re getting dual cameras, 2K video, color night vision, and flexible power options for a lower price than the brand-new equivalent. In my case, the unit I got worked perfectly and looked clean, so I didn’t really feel like I lost anything by not buying new. But there’s always a small risk with refurbished gear, even with a 1-year warranty. If you’re unlucky and get one with Wi‑Fi or chime issues (like the user who couldn’t re-pair after a router change), that’s when the savings start to feel less worth it.

Compared to its competitors, it stacks up pretty well. Versus a Ring 2nd gen or similar, you usually get

• better resolution (2K vs 1080p)
• dual camera view instead of single
• local storage instead of forced cloud

So in terms of value for money, I’d say this: if you hate subscriptions and just want a straightforward, capable video doorbell with good picture quality, the renewed E340 is good value. If you want a fully integrated smart-home hub with rock-solid third-party support, or you get nervous about refurbished electronics, you might want to look at other options or buy it new. For most everyday users, though, the balance between price, features, and ongoing costs is pretty hard to argue with.

Design-wise, the E340 is pretty standard for a video doorbell: a tall, rectangular black box with the main camera at the top, the smaller downward camera below it, and the button near the bottom. It’s not stylish or anything, but it doesn’t look cheap once it’s on the wall. It’s the kind of thing that just disappears into the front of the house, which I actually prefer. I don’t need my doorbell to look like a gadget from a sci‑fi movie.

The body is plastic, but it feels solid enough. It’s not heavy, but it doesn’t feel like a toy either. The button has a clear click and lights up, so visitors know where to press. At night, the small light system around the camera kicks in for color night vision, and it looks like a discreet white light rather than a floodlight. If you live in a flat or a shared entrance, that’s handy because it doesn’t blast people with harsh lighting.

Mounting is straightforward: a wall plate that you screw into the surface, then you click the doorbell onto it. There’s a release mechanism for the battery if you’re on battery mode. I’ve seen cleaner mounting systems, but this one does the job. One thing I noticed: if you don’t screw the plate in tight or your surface is uneven, the doorbell can feel slightly wobbly when you press the button. So it’s worth taking five extra minutes to get the plate level and solid, or even use wall plugs if your wall is crumbly.

In daily use, the design is practical. The two cameras give you a tall field of view, so you see faces and what’s on the ground. It doesn’t shout “expensive gadget” from the street, which is probably a good thing from a theft point of view. Overall, the design is pretty basic but functional: plastic box, clear button, small footprint. Nothing to brag about, but it gets the job done without drawing too much attention.

This doorbell gives you two power options: run it on the built-in battery pack or wire it into a doorbell transformer (8–24V, at least 10VA). I tested both over time. If you already have doorbell wiring in place, wired is the easiest long-term choice because you just forget about charging. Once it’s wired, it basically runs like a normal doorbell but with all the smart features on top. That’s the setup I ended up sticking with at my place.

On battery, life really depends on how busy your front door is and how you configure motion detection and recording. With moderate traffic (a few visits a day, some motion events, standard settings), you’re probably looking at a few weeks to maybe a couple of months between charges. If you live on a busy street and it triggers a lot, you’ll be charging more often. The good point is the quick-release battery pack, which is simple to remove and swap. If you buy a second battery, you can just swap them and avoid downtime, which is nicer than having to take the whole doorbell off the wall.

Charging time is reasonable; you plug the battery in, and within a few hours it’s full again. The annoying part is more the fact that your doorbell is either dead during that time or you need to spend extra on a spare battery. That’s why, if you can handle basic wiring, I’d say just wire it and be done with it. It’s similar to what several users do: they either tap into existing chime wiring or use a small plug-in transformer and run a cable to the door.

In day-to-day use, once I wired it, I basically stopped thinking about power. If you’re in a rental or can’t drill or touch the existing wiring, battery mode is still fine; just expect to manage it every now and then. Overall, the flexibility is nice: you’re not forced into one mode, and for a lot of people, starting on battery and later switching to wired after they’re happy with the position will probably be the most realistic path.

In terms of durability, this is a plastic, IP54-rated unit, so it’s built to handle basic weather but it’s not some heavy-duty industrial device. IP54 means it’s protected against dust and splashes, so rain is fine as long as it’s not getting direct high-pressure water all day. Mine’s been outside through several wet and windy weeks, and it’s still working normally: no water inside the lens, no condensation, and the button still clicks properly.

Because this is the renewed version, I paid close attention to whether there were any signs of previous use or wear. The one I got looked nearly new: no obvious scratches on the lens, no cracks, and the mounting plate fit tight. Long-term, I’d keep an eye on the plastic around the mounting points and the release button for the battery, because that’s where cheaper plastics usually start to loosen up over time. So far, it still feels snug on the wall plate, and pressing the button doesn’t feel like it’s stressing anything.

The only real durability concern with any video doorbell is theft or vandalism. This one isn’t especially theft-proof. If someone really wants to rip it off the wall, they probably can. That’s where using a HomeBase 3 or at least backing up clips regularly makes sense, because if the doorbell disappears and you only store video on the device itself, you lose your evidence with it. Eufy’s local storage pitch is nice, but you still need to think about where that storage physically sits.

Overall, for a mid-range plastic doorbell, the durability seems fine. It’s not built like a tank, but it doesn’t feel fragile either. As long as you mount it properly, keep the firmware updated, and don’t expect it to survive someone attacking it with a hammer, it should last a few years outdoors. For the renewed price, I’d call the build quality pretty solid for normal home use, with the usual caveats about plastic housings and potential theft.

On performance, this is where the E340 is mostly strong, with a couple of annoyances. The 2K video looks sharp enough that you can clearly see faces and read things like delivery labels if the person is close. Compared to my old 1080p subscription doorbell, this one is noticeably clearer, especially during the day. The dual-camera layout means you genuinely see more of what’s happening at the door, not just a narrow slice. For people who get a lot of deliveries, this is actually useful and not just a marketing bullet point.

Night performance is decent. The color night vision works thanks to a small light that turns on, and within about 3–5 meters you see things in color rather than the usual black-and-white infrared look. It’s not perfect; if your street is very dark and the person is far from the door, it’s still a bit noisy and grainy. But for the area right in front of the door, it’s more than good enough to see who’s there and what they’re holding. The claimed 16 ft range feels realistic for basic visibility, but the best detail is closer in.

Motion detection is fairly reliable once you tweak the zones and sensitivity. Out of the box, mine was a bit too chatty, sending alerts whenever someone just walked past on the pavement. After adjusting the detection area and lowering sensitivity a notch, it calmed down. The app lets you set activity zones, and that helps a lot if your door faces a busy street. Notifications to my phone usually arrived within a couple of seconds of movement or a button press, as long as my Wi‑Fi signal at the doorbell was strong. When the Wi‑Fi was weak, there were delays and occasional missed live view connections.

There are some weak spots. A few users (and one of the reviews you shared) had issues when changing routers or trying to reconnect chimes, and I can see how that would be frustrating. Eufy’s ecosystem is not as polished as Ring’s when it comes to switching networks or integrating with things like Home Assistant. If you’re a smart-home nerd, you’ll probably find the integration side a bit rough and unreliable. But if you’re just using the Eufy app and maybe Alexa for basic announcements, performance is pretty solid: clear video, decent night view, and reliable alerts as long as your Wi‑Fi setup isn’t weak or constantly changing.

The Eufy Security Video Doorbell E340 is basically a 2K Wi‑Fi video doorbell with two cameras: one facing out at visitors, and one pointing down at the ground to watch parcels. On paper, you get 2K video, color night vision up to about 5 meters, motion alerts, and the choice between running it on its battery or wiring it into an existing doorbell transformer (8–24V, at least 10VA). It’s also IP54 rated, so it’s fine for outdoor use as long as it’s not getting blasted by a hose all day.

The renewed version means you’re not getting a factory-fresh unit. Mine looked clean, but don’t expect fancy unboxing. Functionally, it behaved like a new product: no scratches, lens was clear, and the battery and Wi‑Fi worked fine. Just keep in mind this is basically a refurb, so if you’re picky about cosmetics or long-term reliability, that’s something to weigh against the lower price.

Eufy pushes the dual-camera angle and the color night vision. In practice, the top camera is what you actually use most of the time: that’s where you see faces, talk to people, and check who rang the bell. The bottom camera is more niche. It shows the doorstep area and is mainly for deliveries, so you can confirm if a parcel is there or if someone picked it up. If you get a lot of packages left at your door, it’s useful. If your delivery drivers never leave anything outside, it’s more of a bonus than a must-have.

Another thing worth mentioning: you can use it on its own (local storage on the device), or pair it with a Eufy HomeBase 3 to store video separately. I ended up using it with HomeBase because I like the idea that if someone rips the doorbell off the wall, the recordings stay safe. Without HomeBase, it still works, but if the doorbell disappears, your footage goes with it. So overall, the feature list is pretty solid for the price, as long as you understand you’re paying for local storage and flexibility, not a deep smart-home integration or fancy cloud services.