• 

  Reolink E1 Zoom

  Hi-res goodness

  Full pan, tilt, and zoom options

  The sturdy Reolink E1 Zoom makes it easy to remotely watch over any room in your house, day or night, and even chat via the two-way speaker. In addition, you can easily pan and tilt or even magnify smaller details with 3x optical zoom.

  Pros

  • Full pan, tilt, and zoom functionality
  • Person and pet detection

  Cons

  • Slightly larger size
  • Much pricier

  $100 at Amazon See at Walmart

• 

  Reolink E1 Pro

  Budget-friendly security

  Basic reliable functionality

  The smaller Reolink E1 Pro is a solid security camera perfect for your home office or baby nursery. Its frills-free design offers reliable functionality, custom detection zones, and good image quality without busting your budget.

  Pros

  • Less expensive
  • Customizable alerts for motion detection

  Cons

  • No zoom option
  • Lower image resolution

  $60 at Amazon

If you're looking for an easy and affordable way to keep an eye on your home while you're away at work or on vacation, an indoor security camera is just as important to have as an outdoor security camera. Both the Reolink E1 Zoom and the Reolink E1 Pro indoor Wi-Fi security cameras are fantastic options, with pan-and-tilt functionality, two-way speakers, night vision, and more. But which one best fits your home's specific needs?

Price, availability, and specs

While the Reolink E1 Zoom is slightly pricier than its E1 Pro counterpart, both are actually fairly inexpensive, making them a great deal for anyone looking to add to their home security setups on a budget. The E1 Zoom retails for $80 on the Reolink site and $100 on Amazon. Likewise, the E1 Pro is also available on the Reolink website and Amazon, but it's a little more affordable at just $60. Although they're a little pricier upfront than cameras from other manufacturers, like the Tapo line from TP-Link, there are no additional costs for subscriptions or compatible add-on accessories.

Note that you'll need a microSD card to store footage, as neither camera comes with one. Either camera accepts cards from any brand up to 256GB. However, if you don't want to store any footage, the cameras will work without a microSD card.

Design

Design-wise, the Reolink E1 Zoom and E1 Pro look virtually identical. They have a white body, spherical housing for the camera lens, and a round base for mounting the camera pan-and-tilts. They're also similar in size — the E1 Zoom measures 2.8 x 3.1 x 4.4 inches, while the E1 Pro measures 2.9 x 2.8 x 4.2 inches. The Pro model is also available in a black colorway.

The two wired cameras have a speaker at the rear of the camera sphere and a port for the power cable. The E1 Pro also has a rear-facing Ethernet cable port for hardwiring for those who want that specific setup. Both cameras support dual-band Wi-Fi for a stable and fast connection anywhere you set them up in your home.

Rotating the camera lens down will also reveal the microSD card slot and the camera's reset button. In setting up the camera, you can place it on a surface or mount it from any angle (even upside down). Setting up either camera is a cinch, too: simply plug it in, download the mobile app, connect the camera to your home Wi-Fi network, and let the app walk you through setup in roughly five minutes.

Software and features

You can easily view either camera's live feed and access all its settings and features from the mobile companion app. They can also be controlled via Google Assistant. For example, using voice commands like, "OK, Google, show me the backyard," you can view your live feed on compatible devices like a Chromecast-enabled TV or Google Nest Hub. Plus, the company says support for Amazon Alexa integration is coming soon.

The mobile app has a simple and intuitive design that allows you to remotely view the live feed, manually pan-and-tilt (and zoom on the E1 Zoom), schedule recordings, talk through the two-way speaker, capture images, customize motion detection notifications, and more. The app will also walk you step-by-step through the initial setup process.

Both security cameras also work with network video recorders (NVRs) and file transfer protocol (FTP) services for those who want additional local or offsite backup. Although neither are included with the cameras, you can download the mobile app, APK file, or Windows or Mac desktop client directly from the manufacturer's website.

Video and sound quality

The Reolink E1 Zoom captures images with its 5MP camera and can record video footage in 2K. The E1 Pro sports a 4MP camera and can also grab video in 2K. Both cameras have a 1/2.7" CMOS image sensor and IR LED night vision to detect movement and capture footage up to 40 feet away.

Many indoor security cameras can only record at just 1080p, so this overall boost in quality is a welcome feature. In addition, the E1 Zoom camera has a great field of view, letting you see 355 degrees horizontally and 50 degrees vertically. It also rocks a handy 3x optical zoom feature that lets you see every important detail. While the E1 Pro lacks zoom functionality and has a slightly lower image resolution, it's still plenty effective and saves you a few bucks, too.

You can chat with your kids or pets anytime, thanks to either camera's two-way speakers and microphones. The speakers are loud; however, some users have reported they can be a bit muddy. The E1 Zoom also sports automatic tracking and alerts for people and pets, allowing you to receive real-time notifications of motion-detected events no matter where you are. Its automatic tracking feature follows a person's or pet's full movements, so you can see everything they do without manually fussing with the pan, tilt, and zoom features.

No subscription services

Fortunately, neither the Reolink E1 Zoom nor the E1 Pro requires (or even has the option of) a monthly security subscription service. Instead, the company keeps things simple with well-rounded designs for either camera, an intuitive mobile app, and rock-solid basic functionality, which is all most folks will want from a home security camera.

Many home security camera subscription services like Wyze's Cam Plus greatly boost the camera's range of capabilities. They usually offer additional custom motion zones, cloud video recording, preview notifications, fast forwarding, professional security monitoring, the ability to download and share unlimited video clips, and enhanced person, pet, vehicle, and package detection. Reolink skips this outright in favor of straightforward and intuitive usage, and we like that it doesn't add cost to your monthly budget.

Reolink E1 Zoom vs. E1 Pro: Which is right for you?

Both the Reolink E1 Zoom and Reolink E1 Pro are outstanding choices for indoor Wi-Fi security cameras, thanks to their clean design, powerful cameras, easy setup, and nice array of device and app features. The E1 Zoom's higher resolution, automatic tracking feature, full pan tilt, and zoom functionality allow for powerful coverage anytime. It is slightly larger and nearly double the E1 Pro's price, though.

Alternatively, the E1 Pro's smaller body and less expensive price point make it a sweeter deal for those on a budget. Despite lacking any zoom feature and having a slightly lower resolution, it's much more affordable and arguably a great deal, given what it offers. But if you want a little higher resolution, a wonderful zoom feature, and have a little extra room in your wallet, you can't go wrong with the Reolink E1 Zoom.