Leolink E331 review

Reolink E331 Review: Introduction

Reolink, the brand I ditched all my Nest cameras for, has made a name for itself over the last few years by packing features into its cameras without locking the good stuff behind a paywall. The E331 may be the best budget offering ever.

Priced at less than $55 in the US, it competes with cameras like the TP-Link Tapo C220 and Wyze Cam v4, which top out at 2K. If you want to step up to 4K, something like the Eufy Indoor Cam E30 will cost significantly more.

E331 is right in the middle. Features like a 5MP sensor, fast F1.6 lens, full pan and tilt movement, auto-tracking and cry detection are all built into a compact indoor design.

Reolink positions it as a pet camera and baby monitor, but for everyday use it’s just as effective as a general-purpose indoor security camera.

I use it to monitor my home office setup, tracking daily movements and occasional minor disruptions.

Read our full review of Reolink E331 to find out how well it performs.

Design and installation

• Powered by USB-C
• microSD card slot
• Bookshelf or ceiling mount options

The E331 keeps things simple and that works to its advantage.

Compact and lightweight at only 171g, the rounded design gives a modern impression without being too hard. It’s not as playful as some of Aqara’s cameras, but it’s small enough to sit on a shelf or desk without becoming an eyesore.

The camera is mounted on a motorized base that handles both panning and tilting, providing almost complete coverage of the room. It’s much more flexible than fixed cameras in this price range, as it can rotate almost completely horizontally or tilt to cover a variety of vertical angles.

Tilt the lens up to reveal the microSD slot and reset button. This is a neat solution, but there is no real protection, so if someone gains physical access to it, the card can be removed.

Power is provided via USB-C and comes with a 2 meter cable and adapter. The port is located on the back, next to the QR code used during setup.

Most people can simply place it on a flat surface in seconds, but if you want a more permanent installation, we also include a ceiling mount option. In that case, you will need to flip the image within the app.

Setup follows the normal Reolink flow. Plug it in, wait for the voice prompt, scan the QR code, and you’re ready to go in minutes.

One interesting change here is that the app actually asks you to insert a microSD card during setup. This is something you don’t typically see with other Reolink cameras unless they have recently updated their onboarding process.

Like much of the recent Reolink lineup, it supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi in addition to Wi-Fi 6, so you can enjoy a faster, more stable connection if your network allows.

You don’t even need to create an account to get started. This only works if you want deeper integrations like cloud storage, smart assistant integration, or home assistant, at which point you’ll also need to set a password for your device.

Features and apps

• Detection of people and pets
• motion scheduling
• automatic tracking

The E331 runs through the Reolink app, but there’s a lot to dig into here.

You get a level of control that is rare at this price point. Alerts can be filtered by people, pets, or general movement, and even cry detection is possible if you’re using it as a baby monitor. You can fine-tune sensitivity, create detection zones, and set schedules to trigger various alerts.

If you enable motion alerts, you can expect to receive a large number of notifications. The real value comes from dialing in, for example, setting alerts for people and pets during the day and restricting them to just people at night.

It’s powerful, but not for beginners. There are a lot of options here, and it can be a little overwhelming until you spend some time with them.

Automatic tracking is one of the standout features. When enabled, the camera will track movement throughout the room, ensuring that even if your subject moves, it will remain in the frame. Maintain a clear line of sight whether your pet is walking around or your child is moving from one side of the room to the other.

You can also define tracking limits, set preset positions, and choose a default “home” view to which the camera will return after movement has stopped.

Recording options are flexible. If you have enough storage, you can continue using motion-triggered clips, set up scheduled recordings, or go all out with continuous recording.

And storage is where Reolink continues to stand out. Everything works locally via microSD, no subscription required. You can also expand via NVR, FTP, NAS, or Reolink home hub.

Cloud storage is also available, but it’s completely optional and significantly cheaper than most competitors (starting at $3.49 per month). Importantly, none of the core functionality is locked behind a paywall.

Playback is handled through a timeline interface with thumbnails and event filters, making it easy to find specific clips. One thing to look out for is the quality of the downloads. By default, it saves low-quality “fluent” clips, so you need to switch to “clear” to get the full 3K resolution.

There’s also two-way audio, a built-in siren, and support for Alexa and Google Assistant if you want to view your feed on a smart display.

The privacy mode is also nice. With just one tap, the camera physically turns away and disables recording. This is much more reassuring than simply muting it in software.

performance

• clear video
• Strong IR performance

The E331 offers significant features for the price.

The 5MP sensor records at 2880 x 1616 at 20fps, and daytime footage looks crisp and detailed. Colors are accurate and sharp enough to recognize faces and details without any problems.

The F1.6 aperture also helps here, letting in more light than a typical budget camera, which makes a noticeable difference, especially in less bright indoor environments.

Motion handling is also stable, with minimal shaking during normal operation.

The pan and tilt functionality is a huge advantage. A single device can cover an entire room, making it much more versatile than fixed cameras, and combined with automatic tracking significantly reduces blind spots.

At night, it relies on infrared rather than full-color night vision, but performance is still strong. The quoted 40-foot range is plenty for most indoor spaces.

In fact, the cry detection feature works better than expected. Even without having to try it on a real baby, it definitely picked up on the fake crying and felt like it was really helpful and not just a box-checking feature.

The audio is serviceable, but not the highlight. Two-way calls work fine, but the speaker sounds a little thin and lacks punch.

final thoughts

Reolink E331 is as easy to recommend as any product that falls into this category.

It’s affordable, easy to set up, and packed with features you don’t usually find at this price. The combination of solid video quality, whole-room coverage, and subscription-free local storage makes it stand out in a crowded market.

The apps take a little time to get used to, and the microSD slot is a bit unwieldy, but those are relatively minor drawbacks.

If you’re looking for an affordable indoor camera that doesn’t cut corners or charge monthly fees, this is one of the strongest options out there right now.

Test method

When we publish a review, you can rest assured that it is the result of long-term testing.

Smart security cameras typically exist within an ecosystem, or set of products that all work together in harmony. Therefore, it is impossible to use surveillance cameras for a week to reach a verdict.

We test smart home kits all day every day, so we know what’s important and how a particular camera compares to the alternatives you’re considering.

Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and unbiased, and of course we don’t receive direct compensation to review devices.

To learn more, read our guide to the smart security camera vetting process.

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