The report card
- Picture & night vision25% of score9.1
The 4K camera is the sharpest here, though the 5-inch parent screen is 720p, so the app looks better than the handset.
- Connection & reliability20% of score8.4
Runs over a direct link or Wi-Fi, and a physical switch takes it offline entirely.
- Alerts & smart features15% of score7.4
Cry, loud noise and temperature alerts, which Mumsnet testers found a touch over-sensitive; no sleep or breathing tracking.
- Ease of use15% of score8.2
Parent unit plus app, and a battery camera that moves easily between rooms; the 60 degree tilt means placement needs some thought.
- Privacy & security10% of score8.0
The Wi-Fi switch is a real plus and streams are encrypted, though eufy had a well-publicised data security incident with its cameras in 2022.
- Value & running costs15% of score8.4
Not cheap upfront, but there is nothing to pay later apart from a microSD card.
The full review
The eufy E21 is a hybrid monitor: a 4K pan-and-tilt camera that connects directly to a 5-inch parent unit, plus an app for when you're out. That combination is what most parents actually want, and eufy doesn't charge a subscription for any of it.
On paper the camera is the standout. It pans 330 degrees, tilts 60 degrees and zooms 8x, and Fathercraft, which tested eight monitors over more than six months, called it the sharpest in its test. The weak link is the parent unit. Its screen is 720p, and Mumsnet's testers noted the picture looks better in the app than on the handset.
The camera has a built-in 5,000mAh battery, which eufy says lasts around nine hours in normal use and five and a half with night vision on, so it's easy to move for daytime naps or take to the grandparents'. A physical switch lets you run it without Wi-Fi at all. That's reassuring, given eufy's security cameras were caught up in a well-publicised data security incident in 2022.
What it doesn't do is sleep analytics or breathing motion tracking. You get cry, loud noise and temperature alerts, which Mumsnet's testers found occasionally over-sensitive, and you'll need to supply your own microSD card.
Pros and cons
What I like
- Sharpest camera here, with 330 degree pan and 8x zoom
- Parent unit and app, with a switch to go fully offline
- No subscription for any feature
- Battery-powered camera is easy to move or travel with
What I don't
- Parent unit screen is only 720p
- No sleep tracking or breathing motion monitoring
- Alerts can be over-sensitive
- No microSD card in the box
Key specs
- Camera
- 4K UHD, 330° pan, 60° tilt, 8x zoom
- Parent unit
- 5-inch, 720p
- Connection
- Direct link or Wi-Fi, with a physical Wi-Fi switch
- Camera battery
- 5,000mAh, around 9 hours (5.5 with night vision), per eufy
- Alerts
- Cry, loud noise, temperature
- Encryption
- AES-128 and RSA-1024
- Subscription
- None
Head-to-heads
What I read
This is a research-led review. These are the main sources behind the scores, alongside patterns in verified owner reviews. How I review.