EZVIZ Mini 360 Plus Review

The EZVIZ Mini 360 Plus Home Security Camera is a home surveillance camera that plays to various strengths without creating additional weaknesses.

Thanks to a camera quality of 1080p and a more than decent audio capacity, you will find that feeling safe in your own home isn’t just a far-off dream.

The 360-degree camera angle is another big plus, especially in big rooms. However, the feature we love most is the internal memory storage, something that other cameras would do well to emulate.

Of course, this great power does come at a price, and for the EZVIZ Mini 360, that price is a better than average Internet connectivity.

Streaming live camera footage to your phone or PC can be taxing, especially with such a clear image. Because of this, you would do well in making sure your data plan is up to the task. But is this truly the only drawback we could find in this camera?

We made sure to write down our findings, so be sure to read up on what makes this a great camera – or possibly a bad one.

EZVIZ Mini 360 Plus: The Details

Specs

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches.
• Product Weight: 7.7 ounces.
• Product Type: Smart surveillance camera.
• Compatible with: Amazon Alexa.
• Data storage: 128 GB (131,072MB) microSD card for up to one month of video storage.
• Camera angle: 360 degrees.
• Camera resolution: 1080p.

How Does it Work

Installing the best smart security camera should be easy, and that has certainly been noted by EZVIZ.

The first thing you need to do is download the EZVIZ app, available on any system. After that, you make sure your smartphone, tablet, or other device is on the same network as your camera(s). Create your account and follow their set-up steps. This is all you need for a functioning surveillance camera.

Setting the EZVIZ Mini 360 up for connection with Alexa is easy as well. Have Alexa discover your camera with the ‘Enable Skill’ function, and choose a name for your camera.

Once you’ve chosen a name for your camera or cameras, you can ask for living room footage and switch to the backyard or kitchen in a flash. Just be sure to name your cameras appropriately and they’ll do all the work for you.

Alexa connectivity won’t be that impressive if you only have one camera, but you might as well indulge the tech lover in you.

Viewing the rooms is easy with a 360 angle view, though you’ll want to place the camera in a way that completely takes advantage of this. This is a feature that sets this camera completely apart from most other security devices – and certainly makes it worth considering.

The night vision is accurate for about 33 meters in an indoor environment. This is ideal to monitor the baby room or your sleeping toddler without flicking on a light and disturbing their rest.

Any cat owners will also be interested to get some idea of what their furry friends are up to while the rest of the house is sound asleep.

EZVIZ: The Brand

EZVIZ is all about the cameras, and it’s clear that they have found their passion.

While they have a deep appreciation for their handheld cameras, their surveillance devices give them a chance to really show off their expertise.

Being available worldwide proves that this Holland-based company has true confidence in their products. All they want is to offer devices that are easy to use and give you a sense of security.

We’re happy to say they have succeeded in this mission, and we can’t wait to see more of them in the future.

EZVIZ Mini 360 Plus Review

The Positives

Internal Storage

A rare feature in surveillance cameras, you can add internal memory to your EZVIZ Mini and have up to a month of footage recorded.

While it doesn’t beat Cloud storage in certain cases, it is a step up from not being able to save any footage at all. Many other cameras of this kind usually only offer Cloud storage at an additional cost.

Be sure to occasionally either switch memory or relocate this to a hard drive if you need access to this footage in the future. No subscriptions and no added fees – but like any localized storage, it can be damaged.

That being said, EZVIZ does offer an optional Cloud storage subscription (with a 30-day free trial). You can choose this option instead, or use both methods so you’ll have a backup of your recordings.

On the other hand, those who aren’t interested in hoarding video footage can get on just fine with a large sd-card.

Great Video Quality

What good is a security camera if you can’t see anything? Gone are the days of grainy, black and white footage – with the EZVIZ Mini 360 Plus, you’ll get video in full, 1080p high-definition.

With video quality like this, you’ll be able to see all the details thanks to EZVIZ’s crystal clear video.

And when darkness falls, and the camera’s night vision kicks in, it will continue giving you clear, quality footage, instead of the grainy, blurry security feeds many of us are accustomed to.

Automatic Judgment Calls

Having a 360-degree vision isn’t necessarily great if it means this camera will miss out on important things happening because of it.

Luckily, this device will pan toward any significant events such as movements or even an unexpected change in light.

You won’t risk missing out on anything that’s out of the ordinary, especially since the camera will send you an email if things are happening that aren’t considered normal.

So, you can carry on with your busy life without constantly checking for changes in your rooms. The camera will catch it all.

Time to Sleep

Sometimes you don’t need your camera to be recording. This can especially be true if you’re at home yourself, so sleep time for the camera can be entered in the settings.

A ‘privacy mask’ is installed on the camera that hides the lens should you need to give your camera some downtime, and your home some privacy.

This will decrease the chance of any feelings of being watched in your own home, something which will also put guests at ease should they not be as enamored with technology as we are.

Communication Goes Both Ways

Need to ask a question to an unexpected visitor before letting them enter, or do you just want to ask your partner a question without shouting halfway through the house?

With two-way audio, you can easily communicate with another person, as long as they’re within earshot of your camera.

This also makes it easy to hear what’s happening in other rooms (if you want to listen out for baby crying, or your dog rustling through the garbage).

The audio quality is great too! So you don’t have to worry about reading lips or deciphering muffled noises.

Unobtrusive

Home security is great, but you don’t need to be reminded it exists every second of the day. With its compact design, it’s easy to ignore this home surveillance, right until you need it.

Its spherical design is both modern and sleek, with a basic white color that can seamlessly fit into a variety of decor options.

These cameras are super lightweight, weighing under a pound so they won’t be a pain to move around or too heavy to have on shelves. Chances are, your family and guests won’t even know it’s there.

The Negatives

No Automatic Updates

While this camera does enjoy a Cloud connection, you won’t be receiving all of the latest updates without putting in some effort.

Be sure to check the site at intervals to see if there are some cool new software features waiting for your approval.

It’s too bad they couldn’t automate this process, especially since there is an available Cloud connectivity, but we’re hoping to see an upgrade like this in the future.

High Resolution Comes at a Price

Be sure that your Wi-Fi connection is up to the task of showing you live footage. With 1080p video quality, this camera can be taxing for anything but advanced data plans.

Adding more cameras can increase the strain on your home network, so plan accordingly. You also have the ability to switch between HD and standard footage if the camera’s demand is too much.

Here’s a video showing the EZVIZ Mini 360 Plus out of the box and in action.

Overall Verdict

This automatic surveillance camera is a great fit for those who want to be able to access their footage without shelling out a monthly fee for Cloud storage.

It’s this feature that really stood out for us, in combination with the excellent camera quality and more than decent audio.

Because of this, we can recommend the  EZVIZ Mini 360 Plus Security Camera to the tech lover with a wallet that says no to the Cloud. Just be sure to manually check for updates every once in a while.

While we can’t imagine anyone who would not love this camera, it might be a wasted item if you’re only using it as a baby monitor or live in an apartment where a 360 view isn’t exactly a necessity.

Since we couldn’t find any downsides that aren’t common in other cameras, we feel safe in recommending this camera to everyone who’s looking for a surveillance device that allows you to be budget-friendly.

Where to Buy the EZVIZ Mini 360 Plus Security Camera

There are a number of well-known companies manufacturing smart cameras in recent years, but EZVIZ has managed to stand out amongst many with the affordable, high-quality Mini 360 Plus Security Camera.

Thanks to their success and growing popularity,  it won’t be too hard to find the EZVIZ Security Camera, available both in-store or online.

While it’s always best to check tech, department, and specialty stores, you can kick-start your search with the following online retailers.

• The Home Depot (from $69)
• BH Photo Video (from $69)
• Wal Mart (from $69)

But of course, you can also find this smart security camera on Amazon.

That’s our EZVIZ Mini 360 Plus review. Are you tempted to give it a try?