EHEAR E2: A wearable Bluetooth video camera that won't break the bank [Review]

You never know when you’ll see or hear something interesting when out and about. If you want to record what's going on around you, the easiest solution is to whip out your smartphone, but that’s not always practical -- if you’re driving for example, or performing any task that requires both hands (like mountain biking down a treacherous slope).

The EHEAR E2 is a small finger-sized recording device that hooks over your ear, and lets you record what you see. You can fire up the camera with a single tap, and then view your recordings on a phone or tablet later on.

Setting up the device involves firstly turning it on and charging it via microUSB (it takes around four hours to charge fully). You’ll then need to insert a microSD card for recording on to (not supplied), and install the companion Android app by downloading and sideloading an APK file.

Once that’s all done, you’ll need to open the app and pair it to the E2 via Bluetooth. Use the ear loop to attach the device to the side of your head, put the earbud in your ear, and you’re good to go. The device has three buttons and an on/off switch. The buttons let you record video, answer a call on your mobile and share a recorded clip. You can also record directly from the app if you prefer.

When you want to review your recordings, tap on the Video or Audio sections in the app, and tap on the refresh button to get a list of available clips. Select one and tap the download button. Depending on its size, the clip will probably take an age to download, but when it has scroll right to the local storage area, select the downloaded item and hit play to watch the recording. It all sounds rather complicated, and it’s not especially intuitive truth be told, but you soon get the hang of it.

The app shows you the E2’s remaining battery life and free storage, and you can delete recordings from the device via the app, instantly freeing up space.

The quality of recorded video isn’t great. You can choose between 320p at 20fps, and 480p at 15 fps, so it won’t replace your smartphone for recording important events, but for casual use, it’s acceptable. Constantly recording will eat into your battery life -- you can expect around 1.2 hours when recording at 480p.

The E2 weighs just 17g so you can wear it for extended periods, and recording something quickly becomes second nature. The video below will give you an idea of how it works.

The EHEAR E2 is available from GearBest for $65.40 with free shipping, but BetaNews readers can buy it for $54.99 using the coupon code EHEARCN (the code expires November 30).