Eufy SoloCam S340 Review

For someone who wants things in life to be completely fuss-free, the Eufy SoloCam S340 Security Camera is a seriously compelling option. It’s the latest in the line of Eufy security cameras and is designed to be more efficient and sharper than the a single S330. When it comes to the world of garage security products, this is a good one.

The name, SoloCam, gives a strong indication of what it is. The Eufy S340 is a single outdoor security camera which comes with a mounting bracket and a solar panel. The latter, we’ll explore the efficiency of later on. But the whole unit measures in at roughly the same size as a small lamp.

It’s designed to fit snugly in a corner of your home and monitor the happenings using solar power during the day and the battery at night. It can be installed pretty much anywhere with a flat surface, making it a sustainable example of garage door security.

The Eufy SoloCam S340 is being tested by Aaron Hussain. A commercial content writer for Parkers and its sister automotive brand, CAR.

Eufy SoloCam S340: The pros

Above all else, the Eufy Security app is what deserves the most credit. You download it for free on either Apple or Android devices, spend about 10 minutes pairing the camera to the WiFi in your home, and away you go.

But when the camera is set up and in use, the app couldn’t get simpler. You do have to explore it and navigate all the menus to get a grasp of what you’re living with. But turning on/off the solar panel and viewing what the Eufy S340 is seeing is just a tap away.

You have to use the app to monitor the battery performance and how long is left. But it’s always displayed as a default when you open the app. You can even use a remote control to move the camera around in a 360 rotation, and use the spotlight. The spotlight is blinding, so be careful not to surprise anyone delivering a takeaway in the evening.

Going back to the battery performance, the solar panel seems mightily effective at trickling the battery and keeping a healthy amount of charge. You have to manually set the power source to solar panel in the app, but once you’ve got it going, the carbon footprint becomes nil.

On longer, winter nights, the battery does take a lower dip. By the morning, the battery would usually be around 77% charged, but the solar panel would keep it maintained by up to 80% each time. There were no significant dips and there was no need to remove the camera and plug it in.

If you’re wondering why that isn’t closer to 100%, that’s because I forgot to set the thing to solar power until the third day of use.

What about the camera itself?

The good news is that the image quality is reasonable. It’s not the best money can buy, but you have to remember that the price of the S340 – around £180 – reflects that quality. It’s a 3K camera which while it’s superior to 1080P units, doesn’t match the top-end 4K security cameras.

During the day, you can comfortably monitor delivery drivers and anyone parking up outside your home. At night, it’s relatively clear as well. But you do lose some of the crispness that daylight brings.

It’s also nice to have a quick share feature on the app (pictured below), so you can quickly send evidence of suspicious activity to someone.

Best of all, no subscriptions are in sight, and you can enjoy what you’ve paid for. While other brands will often require an in-brand (usually monthly) subscription in order for the camera to record and save the footage, the Eufy is cost-free. This is a hugely welcoming aspect of Eufy products, as well as getting a comprehensive camera and solar power with many features. Well, it just makes it all the more recommendable.

Eufy SoloCam S340: The drawbacks

As ever, what is great about a product is always balanced out by the not-so-great. Or, in this case, the ever-so-slightly annoying.

What is incredibly annoying is the sensitivity of the motion detection. Even if you have the sensitivity halfway at 4 (you can choose from 1-8, it will record about 15 seconds of me getting in and out of the car on the driveway. Each day, I found myself deleting 10 or 20 clips a day of silly footage that simply took up space.

For anyone who may not have expertise in tech, this can be a massive inconvenience when the storage fills up, and there’s no space to record an important clip. Or, more worryingly, to find a clip that may be relevant to the authorities.

Price and competition

At £180, the Eufy SoloCam S340 is fair value for what it is. You can get multiple cameras for similar price brackets or, for nearly £100 less, a Ring Stick-Up Cam. However, the latter and most others require a monthly subscription which will undoubtedly add up and become more pricey than the S340 over time.

Eufy SoloCam S340: The verdict

Overall, this is a highly recommendable security camera that has a plethora of uses. It can be used to monitor your driveway, your garden, or the front of your small business. It isn’t a 4K camera, which some similarly priced options do offer, but the lack of subscription and ease of use outweigh the drawbacks. The app is a pleasant thing to use as well, albeit it has a tendency to be too sensitive.

If the sensitivity could be dialled back a little more, it would be even more recommendable. Nobody needs footage of the binmen filling up their phone.

Verdict score: 4/5

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Who tested it?

The Eufy SoloCam S340 was tested by Aaron Hussain. He is a commercial content writer for Bauer Media’s automotive brands, Parkers and CAR. He has an interest in car-related security products designed to lower your worries when it comes to protecting your vehicle.

How the Eufy SoloCam S340 was tested

The SoloCam S340 was tested throughout the holiday period in the year just gone. This is to determine how well the S340 stacks up to cold weather, rain, and long nights. This is to test the in-built battery and the efficiency of the solar panel. Of course, you can opt for wired CCTV systems too, if you don’t want solar power.

The camera was mounted facing the front of the house – where most customers would probably place it. It had to face the two cars as well as a decent viewpoint out onto the driveway entrance. Regarding the question of light, it is perhaps best to match it with a set of solar security lights if you want extra illumination.

It relied on solar power alone as the crux of the test was to see how efficient the whole package was. Upon opening the box, the camera unit needed to be plugged in. This is because it came low on power, and charging was a requirement for setup. Afterwards, it only relied on a big and beautiful star sitting 93 million miles away from Earth. Overall, it joins the rankings of our favourite smart security cameras.

Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.

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