Low Bow Tech

Key Takeaways

• The Eufy S3 Pro offers 4K resolution, color night vision, and AI features without a subscription.
• The price starts at $550 for a two-camera system with solar power.
• HomeKit support, no monthly fees, and top-notch color night vision make the Eufy S3 Pro a standout choice.

Finding an outdoor smart home security camera is often about compromises. Some of the best models require a subscription to view recorded video, while others don’t require a monthly payment but provide lower-quality video. The Eufy S3 Pro is one of the best exterior smart home camera systems on the market with remarkable color night vision and no subscription needed to view recorded video.

Price and Availability

The system starts at $550 for two cameras and the HomeBase S380. There is also a three-camera and four-camera system available for $700 and $800, respectively. A single add-on camera is $220.

You can find the systems through Amazon and Eufy.

Made for the Outdoors With Built-In Solar Charging

The Eufy S3 Pro is made for exterior surveillance. The most inexpensive starter kit comes with two cameras and the HomeBase S380. Whether you’re a long-time smart home camera user or new to installing a camera outdoors, Eufy provides everything you need to get started.

Along with mounting brackets, you can make use of positioning stickers and the included screws to find a perfect spot for the camera installation. Instead of worrying about a power source, the Eufy S3 Pro sports a built-in solar camera, so make sure to find a spot that receives some type of direct sunlight.

Eufy says that just one hour of direct sunlight can keep the camera charged without any issues. In my few weeks of use, both of my cameras have remained completely charged with a few hours of direct sunlight. If, for some reason, you need to place the camera in a shady area, there is also an additional external solar panel included to put in a spot with more sun.

Before installation, you must completely charge the cameras inside with a USB-C port.

Then, you’ll need to plug the included S380 base station into a power outlet and a free Ethernet port on your Wi-Fi router. I have an Eero mesh system with multiple points throughout my home, so finding a free port on one of the nodes was easy. But that might not be as easy with a single router.

To complete the pairing process, follow the quick instructions on the Eufy Security app for iPhone or Android.

The app is also a great reference for installing both cameras. I was done in around 20 minutes and just needed a ladder to get to my chosen spots near my front door and backyard. The cameras are a little larger than other models I’ve tried because of the built-in solar panel and other nice technology, so take that into account when installing.

Color Night Vision Is Spectacular

During the day, thanks to the 4K resolution of the camera, the recorded video quality is outstanding. I could clearly see the faces of anyone who walked in view of the camera and of most car license plates of parked cars or vehicles who passed by. With both radar and PIR motion detection in the cameras, I can’t remember a false alert from a blowing tree branch or anything else.

But the S3 Pro truly shines when the sun goes down. The headlining feature is the Max ColorVision, and it’s spectacular. There are two modes to choose from. The first, Daylight, provides the best color brightness but loses some action clarity. Standard is not as bright but offers a clearer view of the action.

I started both of my cameras with Daylike and was truly taken aback to see how well the mode works. My home is on a small, quiet street with minimal lighting at night. Even with that, I could see everything from the view of the camera in bright, full color. I was amazed when I went outside and compared the front yard with the view from the camera.

If you’re concerned about keeping an eye around your home at night, this is the camera to get. In the few weeks I’ve used the system, I’ve been able to see almost as clearly as in full daylight. I’ve seen the faces of my neighbors taking their dog for a middle-of-the-night stroll and other neighbors returning home at night after work. Even cars going down the street, the plate is clearly readable.

For the first few days looking at recorded footage, I had to rely on the timestamp to see when the video was taken since the scene was so bright, even in the darkest parts of the night.

You can also choose to use an Adaptive Spotlight mode that turns on the camera’s light when motion is detected at night or the usual infrared mode. But the color night vision is substantially better.

There’s no need to worry about paying for a subscription to use the S3 Pro. All of your recorded video is stored on the base station. It comes with 16GB of storage, which Eufy says can store footage from two cameras for up to three months. You can also add in an optional hard drive for up to 16TB of storage.

Using the base station also allows you to take advantage of Eufy’s AI for a number of features. The first is that it can recognize cars, pets, packages, and people. It can also remember up to 50 faces. Add in a few pictures of family members, and the notification will tell you the name of the person. For example, it will say, “Brent was spotted at the front door.”

Even better, that will allow you to see when a stranger is detected. With the Security Report feature in the app, you can see daily report of people seen by the cameras. If a stranger is seen, just select their face and the home base will show you videos of the person. There’s no need to search for them. You can also see a summary of all activity captured around your home categorized by human, vehicle, or pet.

AI also powers the Cross-Camera Tracking feature. When the same person is seen on multiple cameras in a short time frame, you’ll see all of the footage in a single video. It worked quite well and showed my yard service working in both the front and back yard. And if something did happen, it makes it even easier to see the entire issue.

HomeKit Support and Companion App With Great Features

Just like most of Eufy’s other smart home products, the cameras are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Surprisingly, the cameras can also be used with Apple HomeKit. Adding it to HomeKit to see in the Home app just takes a few steps in the Eufy app.

You can also use the cameras with HomeKit Secure Video. You’ll need an iCloud+ plan and a Home Hub—which is a HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV. When using HomeKit Secure Video, all video is stored in iCloud and won’t take up space on the home base. The big downside with HomeKit support is that video is just recorded in 1,080p.

I’ve added my cameras to HomeKit but not to HomeKit Secure Video because of the nice storage options and other features directly from Eufy. It’s nice to see that no matter what smart home system you use, the S3 Pro will fit right in.

I continue to be impressed with the Eufy Security app. It’s well-designed and easy to use, even for smart home novices. You can also access a number of great features. One of my favorites is the Power Manager section, where you can see detailed information about solar charging and battery life.

Another nice feature I used is Snapshot. That will capture a image at regular intervals you select from to give you a better idea of what is happening in the camera’s field of view when video isn’t being recorded.

Should You Buy the Eufy S3 Pro?

The Eufy S3 Pro is by far the most impressive exterior security camera I’ve ever reviewed. Its built-in solar panel, HomeKit support, 4K resolution, and top-notch night vision make it a wonderful package for anyone looking to add security to a home.

While the system costs more than similar offerings from competitors, not having to pay a costly monthly subscription adds up in the long term. Especially if you have multiple S3 Pro cameras around your home, you’ll likely even save money in the long run. That’s a winning combination.