Other Video Doorbells to Consider<\/h2>\n
I’ve tested several other video doorbells. These are the ones that narrowly missed out on a place above.<\/p>\n Photograph: Simon Hill<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n SwitchBot Smart Video Doorbell for $100<\/strong><\/a>: I don’t love the design of this wide doorbell, but it does come with a wee display that you can use to view who\u2019s there and answer. This could be handy for folks who don\u2019t want to rely on a phone and it lets anyone in the house check who is calling. Video quality is decent, though the frame rate is limited to 15, and the display is low res. You can record locally, and there\u2019s a subscription option if you want cloud storage. Sadly, I found the display was often slow to wake up, and sometimes I had trouble playing back recorded videos.<\/p>\n Aqara G400 Select for $100<\/strong><\/a>: This wired doorbell from Aqara is a mixed bag. It\u2019s affordable, comes with a chime, and offers decent video quality (up to 2K). There\u2019s local video storage if you insert a microSD card. It supports PoE or regular doorbell wiring, and has onboard motion and person detection. But it\u2019s a big, chunky lump of plastic, night vision is below par, and you need a HomeGuardian subscription to unlock smarter AI detection (faces, animals, vehicles, and packages), rich notifications with screenshots, and AI video search. The subscription starts from $5 per month ($50 for a year) and also gives you 90-day cloud storage. Alternatively, you can use this doorbell with Apple HomeKit Secure Video (though it will limit the resolution), or with your own NVR or NAS, as it supports RTSP and ONVIF. It also works with other smart home options (Amazon, Google, and Samsung), but it lacks the Matter and Zigbee connectivity of the Aqara G410 above.<\/p>\n Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell for $170<\/strong><\/a>: After a fiddly installation, you get a stylish doorbell offering sharp 2K resolution day or night and a wide view that takes in your whole porch. Notifications are swift and reliable, and you can sync up your Hue lights in interesting ways. But if you don\u2019t already have a Philips Hue setup<\/a>, I\u2019d pick something from above instead. There\u2019s no local storage option and you must buy a Smart Chime separately. Although you can get 24 hours of video for free, the false alerts will drive you mad. You must subscribe (from $40 a year) to get vital features, like people detection, activity zones, and back-to-back video recording.<\/p>\n Wyze Battery Video Doorbell for $66<\/strong><\/a>: Another solid budget option, you get decently sharp 1536 x 1536 resolution video with a 150-degree field of view from this doorbell. You can record locally on a microSD card and there\u2019s good smart home connectivity, but you need a Wyze subscription, from $3 per month, to get person, package, pet, and vehicle detection, back-to-back video recording, and rich alerts (it\u2019s not worth getting without this subscription). The indoor chime is sold separately, and if you want advanced features like facial recognition or descriptive alerts you have to pay more ($10 or $20 a month).<\/p>\n Photograph: Simon Hill<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Logitech Circle View Doorbell for $200<\/strong><\/a>: As close as you can get to an Apple video doorbell, this compact hardwired doorbell boasts a 160-degree field of view with a 3:4 portrait aspect ratio that takes in your whole porch. Video is crisp and clear, in bright or low light, and the live feed is impressively quick to load. The notification system can tell the difference between animals, people, and vehicles, and will start to recognize familiar faces over time. It works directly through the Apple Home app, though there are pros and cons to Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video<\/a>. Ten days of encrypted videos are stored in your iCloud account (if you have a 50-gigabyte subscription or higher). Alerts come via Apple devices, but your regular chime will also sound when this doorbell is pressed. I love that live video pops up on the Apple Watch or Apple TV when someone rings the doorbell. The complete lack of support for Android or Alexa will turn some people off, and I encountered several issues with this doorbell cutting out and having to be rebooted at the fuse box.<\/p>\n Amazon Blink Doorbell for $60<\/strong><\/a>: One of the cheapest doorbells worth considering, (wait for one of Amazon\u2019s frequent discounts to save even more) the Blink Video Doorbell only needs two AA batteries to run for months. But you need a subscription unless you buy with the Sync module (I recommend it). The Blink Basic subscription is $3 a month or $30 a year. Video quality is 1080p with a limited field of view (135 degrees horizontal and only 80 degrees vertical). The lack of HDR shows in mixed light, with bright areas blowing out and shaded areas losing detail. If you have a person at the door with light behind them, it can be tough to see their face. Notifications lacked images or video and were slightly slower than some of the competition, but they always came through. The two-way audio is passable.<\/p>\n Nest Doorbell (Battery) for $200<\/strong><\/a>: If you can\u2019t hardwire your doorbell, the battery version of our top pick is still a great doorbell. I tested it alongside several competitors, and it consistently outperformed them. Alerts are swift, and notifications include animated previews that make it easy to decide whether you need to act. While the resolution isn’t the sharpest (960 x 1280 pixels), and the field of view is 145 degrees, Google compensates with HDR video at up to 30 frames per second.<\/p>\n Photograph: Simon Hill<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Doro Hemma Doorbell for \u00a3150<\/strong><\/a>: A simplified smart doorbell for seniors is a solid idea, and Swedish maker Doro gets plenty right with the Hemma. It is a battery-powered doorbell that\u2019s easy to install and use, offering a 1440 x 1440-pixel resolution with a decent frame rate (30 fps), local recording via microSD card, and a plug-in ringer that gets loud enough to hear throughout the home. It worked reliably during testing, and the mobile app is deliberately straightforward, with a handy option to pass calls off to a trusted friend or family member (they\u2019ll need the app too). The two-way audio works well, there\u2019s a handy zoom function when you livestream, and there\u2019s a siren to scare folks away. It is simplified, so there are no privacy zones or package alerts, and it may be too sensitive for busy front doors, though you can set it to alert just for doorbell rings. Battery life is decent, though the battery is not removable, so you need to take the doorbell off to charge or use a portable charger. Sadly, it is only available in the UK and Europe.<\/p>\n SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro for $170<\/strong><\/a>: If you\u2019re looking for a solid security system, SimpliSafe is likely on your radar, and for folks with a SimpliSafe setup, the Video Doorbell Pro fits in neatly. Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano found it sensitive at first, but, after an update, she says it worked nearly perfectly, sending swift alerts and offering a good, clear view of her porch. Footage maxes out at 1080p, but the camera supports HDR to banish glare and has a 162-degree field of view. It does have to be wired, and you need a subscription from $5 per month to record videos, but SimpliSafe also offers the option of professional monitoring (from $32 per month), which is a rarity for doorbells and might make sense if you have a complete security system with them.<\/p>\n TP-Link Tapo (D230S1) Smart Battery Video Doorbell for $109<\/strong><\/a>: For folks seeking a local storage option that doesn\u2019t require a monthly fee, Tapo’s smart video doorbell is worth a look. Notifications come through swiftly and include a still image; video quality is excellent, even at night, and the indoor hub takes a microSD card and doubles as a chime. On the downside, it is chunky, and the onboard AI (which is supposed to recognize people, pets, vehicles, and packages) is flaky.<\/p>\n We didn’t like every video doorbell we tested. These are the ones we don’t recommend.<\/p>\n Photograph: Simon Hill<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Ezviz EP8 Ultra<\/strong><\/a>: It took me several attempts to set up this doorbell. Despite following the exact same process each time, it only worked on the third try. Once I was able to set it up, I found it to be a feature-packed video doorbell offering dual cameras for a view of your front step and visitor, two batteries so you can switch in a charged one when it runs low (it can also work with doorbell wiring), onboard AI motion detection that includes facial recognition without a subscription, local video storage with 32 GB built in, and a plug-in chime. There\u2019s also a light, color night vision, and AI characters (panda, raccoon, or husky) that will delight kids, but likely confuse delivery people. The video quality is decent, though the fixed frame rate (15 fps) is disappointing. It worked well when it worked, but I had real issues with it going offline. Even after I moved it closer to the router just to test, it regularly showed as offline in the app, and I couldn\u2019t access the feed. It still came to life and rang the chime when I pressed the button. The EP8 Ultra is only available in the UK and Europe right now.<\/p>\n Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera<\/strong><\/a>: Formerly known just for smart thermostats, Ecobee dips its toes into the smart-home ecosystem world with this 5K HD smart doorbell whose feed can be viewed in the Ecobee app or right on an Ecobee Premium model<\/a> thermostat screen. One of its main selling points is the 175-degree field of view, which is a dramatic improvement over the older Ring camera it replaced on my porch. However, notifications for movement and people are alarmingly slow and inconsistent; the app interface is clunky; and it has thought my totally standard-looking doormat was a package every day for the two months I\u2019ve been testing it, sending a notification any time someone comes to the door. Ecobee\u2019s smart thermostats<\/a> are still best in their class, but I\u2019d skip this doorbell add-on. \u2014Kat Merck<\/em><\/p>\n Photograph: Simon Hill<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Imou Doorbell 2S Kit<\/strong><\/a>: Aside from being large and ugly, the Imou doorbell offers crisp video recording up to 2K with a 166-degree field of view, and it has a unique trick: the lens can rotate through 30 degrees to track subjects. The large size allows for a big battery, but this doorbell can also be hardwired. The kit includes a plug-in chime with a microSD card slot for local storage. Unfortunately, testing side by side with the Arlo, it failed to pick up some events. I also had major connection issues after changing my router, despite retaining the same network name and password. I had to reset the chime, which temporarily deleted the doorbell. It’s only available in the UK.<\/p>\n Reolink Video Doorbell (Battery)<\/strong><\/a>: We liked Reolink\u2019s wired doorbell, listed above, so I was excited to try its first battery-powered model, but it was a disappointment. It offers up to 2K footage with a 1:1 aspect ratio that gives you a complete view of the porch, but you must turn HDR on in the settings, and it has a relatively low frame rate (15 fps). I like the option to go subscription-free, but it means putting a microSD card in the doorbell itself, and this is a relatively easy doorbell to remove. Reolink suggests up to five months of battery life, but my first review unit died after less than two and refused to recharge. Reolink sent me a replacement, which is performing better, but when it does run out, the rechargeable battery inside cannot be removed, so you have to take the doorbell off to recharge it. Factor in the slightly confusing app, relatively slow loading times, and connection glitches, and this is impossible to recommend.<\/p>\n Ezviz EP3x Pro<\/p>\n <\/span>Photograph: Simon Hill<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Ezviz EP3x Pro<\/strong><\/a>: This is a far better-looking doorbell than Ezviz\u2019s previous models, and it\u2019s nice to see solar panels as an option for doorbells, though you will need a porch capable of catching some rays. The video quality is good, and you get a split view (like the Eufy above) that includes packages or waiting cats on your doorstep. The distortion correction works well, and there is optional color night vision with a built-in light, though it only works at very close range. I appreciate the 2FA, with fingerprint login, and 32 GB of onboard storage (cloud storage is an optional extra). Sadly, if you use the solar panel, you can\u2019t connect to your wired chime. The lack of HDR is disappointing, human detection was a bit off (it frequently said I was a cat), and I had issues with alerts failing to come through on some Android phones. (Even after following Ezviz\u2019s instructions, they never worked reliably on my Xiaomi 14 Ultra.) This model is not yet available in the US.<\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/69c6d1cc4fafcd79ad8a14b6\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/SwitchBot-Smart-Video-Doorbell-SOURCE-Simon-Hill.jpg\"\/)
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<\/picture><\/span><\/div>\nTough to Recommend<\/h2>\n
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