Honourable Mentions
Several other video doorbells have been tested. These are the video doorbells that just missed a spot above.
Doro at home for PS150: A simplified smart-doorbell for seniors is an excellent idea, and Swedish manufacturer Doro does a great job with the Hemma. It’s a battery-powered, easy-to-install doorbell with a 1,440×1,440-pixel resolution and a frame rate of 30 fps. Local recording is possible via microSD card and the plug-in ringer is loud enough to be heard throughout the house. The app was deliberately simplified and it worked well during testing. It also has a handy feature that allows you to send calls to a family member or trusted friend (they will need the app as well). The two-way audio is good, and the zoom function works well when you livestream. There’s also a siren that will scare people away. The simplicity of the device means that there are no privacy zones, package alerts or other features. It may be too sensitive to work on busy front doors. However, you can set up an alert for only doorbell rings. The battery life is good, but the battery isn’t removable. You will need to remove the doorbell to charge it or use a portable charging device. Unfortunately, it’s only available in Europe and the UK.
SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro at $170: If you are looking for a good security system, SimpliSafe will be on your radar. The Video Doorbell Pro is a great addition to a SimpliSafe installation. After an update, former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano says that it works almost perfectly. It sends alerts quickly and offers a clear view of the porch. The camera can only record in 1080p but it has HDR for glare reduction and a 162-degree viewing angle. SimpliSafe offers professional monitoring, which is rare for doorbells, starting at $32 per month.
Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro.
Photo: Simon Hill.
Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro, $230: The top-of the-line battery-powered doorbell from Amazon’s Ring brand was close to earning an entire recommendation. It has a crisp, high-quality video with HDR and color night vision. The notifications were accurate and quick, and the two-way audio quality was good. I liked the option to create multiple motion zones. This included a bird’s eye zone that could be useful for defining range. Preroll captures a few moments before each clip, albeit in a lower quality. This can be useful. Ring Protect is the only option for recording locally. It costs $5/month ($50/year), but you get a generous 180 days of video storage, rich notifications and package and person detection. All these bells and whistles are expensive, and the battery life is disappointing (three weeks). You can mitigate this by purchasing a second battery, as it is removable. Or, you could opt for the Wired Doorbell Pro (though we haven’t tested it yet).
TP Link Tapo (D230S1) Intelligent Battery Video Doorbell, $120: This Tapo doorbell offers a local storage solution that does not require a subscription. The indoor hub accepts a microSD and can be used as a chime. Notifications are sent quickly and include a picture. Video quality is excellent even at night. It is bulky and the AI onboard (which is supposed recognize people, vehicles, pets, and packages) can be flaky.
Tough To Recommend
Photo: Simon Hill
Photographer: Simon Hill
Not all video doorbells we tested were to our liking. These are the video doorbells we do not recommend.
Reolink video doorbell (Battery), $120: I was excited to test Reolink’s first battery-powered product, but it turned out to be a disappointment. It has a 1:1 aspect that allows you to see the entire porch. However, you have to turn HDR on and the frame rate is low (15 fps). It’s nice to be able to cancel my subscription, but I have to put a microSD in the doorbell. This is a fairly easy doorbell to remove. Reolink claims a battery life of up to five months, but the first unit I reviewed died after only two weeks and refused to charge. Reolink sent me another replacement which performs better. However, when the battery runs out, you cannot remove the rechargeable batteries inside. You have to remove the doorbell to recharge. The app is a bit confusing, the loading times are slow, and there are connection issues. This makes it impossible to recommend.
Ezviz EP3x for PS133: This is an improved-looking doorbell compared to Ezviz’s earlier models. It’s also nice to see solar panel options for doorbells. However, you’ll need a porch that can catch some rays. The video quality is excellent, and you can get a split-view (like the Eufy model above) to include packages or waiting cats at your door. The distortion correction is good, and the color night vision option with a built in light works only at close range. I like the 2FA with fingerprint login and 32 GB onboard storage. Cloud storage is optional. Unfortunately, if you choose to use the solar panel you will not be able to connect your wired chime. The lack of HDR was disappointing, the human detection was a little off (it pinged my cat a lot), and I had problems with alerts not coming through on some Android smartphones. (Even though I followed Ezviz’s directions, they never worked reliably with my Xiaomi 14 Ultra. This model is currently not available in the US.
Botslab Video Doorbell 2 for $170: The setup was a bit flaky and the screws were so cheap, one of them broke off. The camera has a “fisheye” effect, which you can correct with different views. The VR mode was my favorite, as it provides a 360-degree view of the front porch. It has a plug-in chime that is handy, the alerts are reliable, it has an HDR option and you can either record locally (32GB included) or on the cloud. You can also specify a detection area, which is useful for cameras facing the street. The app is confusing with an AI tab listing various skills that can be purchased. The app has a login history, and it is limited to two devices at a time. However, there is no 2FA. It is versatile, but also relatively costly. Wyze Video Doorbell Pro (WIRED Review, 7/10) for $98
It was reliable, had clear video and accurate AI for people detection. But you need to subscribe to Cam Plus (from $3/month). This camera was not affected by the Wyze security flaw that Wyze failed either to fix or report to customers for over three years. However, after Wyze’s repeated security breaches, including most recently exposing thousands camera feeds to othersit is hard to recommend their cameras any longer. Swann SwannBuddy video doorbell for $150
(or): This doorbe ll has a wireless battery powered chime, but that’s about it. The video quality is poor. The app is slow and glitchy to load, and the doorbell often fails to register movement. The battery life was disappointing. I also have to question the decision of providing local storage via a MicroSD Card inserted in the Doorbell (the chime makes more sense and is more secure).
Ezviz DB2 video doorbell for $180- A good value video doorbell with a plug in chime. The Ezviz DB2 is chunky and a bit ugly. The video footage is very detailed, but there were some areas that were blown out when the sun was shining. The app is fast and stable to load. Doorbell presses will trigger a call from your phone. You can record locally using a MicroSD card inserted in the chime. It only allows you to set a few motion zones, which can be a problem if your home is on a busy road. The battery life was also below average and it’s difficult to remove.
