Eero 7 review: it’s no speed demon, but Eero’s latest is an affordable Wi-Fi 7 mesh system for larger homes
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Eero 7: One Minute Comment
this Amazon– The owned Eero started when it was launched in the Wi-Fi 7 market (and quite expensive) at the 2023 Eero Max 7. Then came the Eero Pro 7, which earlier this year, now launched its most affordable Wi-Fi 7 grid system in the form of the Eero 7.
But like many of the “affordable” Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems launched in recent months, the Eero 7 has to make an important compromise to lower the price. This means it lacks support for the high-performance 6.0GHz band and limits itself to the basic dual-band Wi-Fi 7, which uses only the older 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands.
This tradeoff means the Eero 7 isn’t as fast as its three-band Wi-Fi 7 competitor, which also supports the 6.0GHz band. But it’s worth remembering that the Wi-Fi 7 standard focuses more than just speed. It is also designed to provide greater reliability when connecting devices with many different devices, such as smart lights and speakers you may have in your home, as well as your personal computer and mobile devices.
So while the Eero 7 may not be the fastest grid system around, it still provides an affordable mesh Wi-Fi system for those who need reliable Wi-Fi that can reach into every corner of the house.
Price and availability
- how much does it cost? $349.99 / £349.99
- When will it be available? Now
- Where can you get it? Available in the United States and the United Kingdom
Eero notes that each Eero 7 grid router can cover 2,000 square feet of area, and we like that it allows you to buy one, two or three Eero 7 units as needed. This allows you to choose the option that suits you best and offers more competitive pricing for the two-pack and three-pack options.
You can also mix and match different Eero models, maybe buy a single Eero 7 as a low-cost add-on to your existing Eero grid system.
The single Eero 7 costs £169.99/$169.99, and the two-pack grid system costs $279.99/$279.99. However, we tested the three-pack option for £349.99/$349.99.
This is certainly much cheaper than the Eero Pro or Max, which costs $699.99/699.99 and the three-pack is 1699.99/$1699.99, although of course, their triple-band Wi-Fi speeds are much faster than the dual-band Eero 7.
The Eero 7 is currently available in the US and UK, but – but it seems often – Australia has to wait for the latest Wi-Fi 7 products to arrive. However, the Eero Max 7 is recently sold in Australia, so hopefully the Eero 7 and Pro 7 will also be available soon.
Value: 4 /5
Eero 7: Design
- Compact (and sturdy) design
- Two 2.5GB Ethernet ports
- Powered by USB-C
Unlike the larger Pro and Max models, the Eero 7 sticks with the now familiar white plastic and curved space design the company has used for several years. The Eero 7 models are slightly larger than their predecessors, but they are still quite compact, 64.1mm tall and 130mm wide, making it easy to keep the router on any convenient shelf or workbench when setting up the system.
They are also very securely built – I actually dropped one while opening the box, but once plugged in, it was fine.
Each router has two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back, which are “auto-sensing” ports, meaning they can be used to connect to your existing broadband router or modem, or to provide wired network connections to devices such as gaming PCs or Consoles.
Each router also has a USB-C port on the back, although it is used for power supply rather than connecting to a shared network drive.
Most of Eero’s competitors offer more Ethernet ports, but this may not be an issue for most home users, and we like the Eero’s 2.5GB port supports high-speed broadband connectivity. However, we are somewhat dissatisfied with Eero’s description of router performance.
The Eero 7 is cited as having a “BE5000 Speed Rating” which many might interpret as a Wi-Fi speed that means 5000Mbps (or 5.0Gbps). In fact, a closer look at the Eero 7 technical specifications show that dual-band routers only support 1.8GBP Wi-Fi faster.
To be fair, this is still fast enough for most domestic broadband connections, but we can’t help but think that Eero is overblowing the speed.
Design: 4 /5
Eero 7: Features
- Well-designed apps
- Quick Setup
- Limited parental control
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The Eero 7 is of course carefully designed, but the low price of this dual-band grid system does mean it is a bit sparse in functionality.
Getting started is very easy – although the bad documentation does mean we noticed a potential ic. Eero 7 doesn’t provide a manual, and the Eero app (for iOS/Android) starts telling you to connect to Eero “gateway” without explaining what the word “gateway” actually means.
In fact, the “gateway” is simply the first Eero router connected to an existing broadband modem or router using an Ethernet cable (included in the box), and any Eero router can act as a gateway.
Once the problem is solved, establishing a new Eero 7 network is a piece of cake.
You need to turn on Bluetooth on your mobile device, and then the Eero app connects to the Eero router using Bluetooth, and then links them together to create a new mesh network.
It provides tips on where to find each router, and even check the tests to check the strength of the Wi-Fi signal when placing the router in different locations around the home.
To make things simple, the Eero app combines 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequencies into one network and also provides the option to create a guest network.
However, other features, such as parent controls and content filters, VPNs and malware protection, do require an additional Eero+ subscription. Eero+ Service has a two-month free trial, but it will be available for 9.99/$9.99 or 99.99/$99.99 per year (and automatically renews at the end of the trial period, so be aware of this).
So while the Eero 7 offers impressive ease of use, there are competitor routers and grid systems that offer a wider range of features without charging an additional subscription.
Function: 3 /5
Eero 7: Performance
- Good Wi-Fi range and coverage
- 1.8Gbps Wi-Fi 7
- Dual band only (2.4GHz/5.0GHz)
Without supporting the 6.0GHz band, the Eero 7 obviously cannot match the performance of some of the more expensive three-band competitors. Even so, its 1.8Gbps Wi-Fi is fast enough to work with most domestic broadband services, and there is no hassle when it comes to the annoying Wi-Fi Deadsept we have in the building.
Our aging office routers are much lower than the maximum 150Mbps offered by our office broadband connections, and are typically down to 120Mbps even for devices in the same room nearby. Our old router also struggled to reach the office at the back of the building, leaving us with a Wi-Fi DeadSpot, which we had to rely on a set of Powerline adapters to provide wired connections.
Eero handled both cases admirably, immediately hitting our Wi-Fi speed to 150MB on the same room device while running the Ookla speed test steam. Our office dead point didn’t bother it, and effortlessly stuck to the 150mm speed as we picked up our laptop and walked down the corridor to that backstage. There is no doubt that the low cost of the Eero 7 means its functionality and performance are fairly basic – but at least it can make the basics right, deliver considerable performance, and provide ease of use for home users who just want to upgrade older routers that still have Wi-Fi 5 or 6.
Performance: 3 /5
Should you buy an Eero 7?
|
property |
notes |
grade |
|---|---|---|
|
value: |
It may not be particularly fast, but the Eero 7 is very expensive, especially for large homes that require a two-pack or three-pack grid system. |
4/5 |
|
design: |
The curved design of the Eero 7 routers is very eye-catching, but it also means they are compact and easy to place in a convenient location around the house. |
4/5 |
|
feature: |
The EEERO app lets you launch quickly and easily, but it is fairly basic and requires additional subscriptions to parental controls and other features. |
3/5 |
|
Performance: |
The lack of support for the 6.0GHz band means that Eero only offers modest performance – but it can still be fine for most home broadband connections. |
3/5 |
|
Average rating: |
It’s not particularly fast, but the Eero 7 is a very affordable grid system for larger homes and needs to increase its Wi-Fi coverage |
3.5 / 5 |
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