Other video -door clocks to consider
I tested several other video clocks. These are the ones that have now been missed at a place above.
Photo: Simon Hill
Doro Hemma doorbell for £ 150: A simplified smart doorbell for seniors is a good idea, and Swedish manufacturer Doro gets a lot of right with the hemma. It is a doorbell with a battery that is easy to install and use, with a resolution of 1440 x 1440 pixels with a decent frame rate (30 fps), local recording via microSD card, and an plugin that is hard enough to hear through the entire house. It worked reliably during testing, and the mobile app is deliberately simple, with a handy option to transfer calls to a trusted friend or family member (they also need the app). The two-way sound works well, there is a handy zoom feature when you stream, and there is a siren to scare people away. It is simplified, so there are no privacy zones or package alerts, and it can be too sensitive to busy front doors, although you can set it up to warn just for doorbell rings. The battery life is decent, although the battery cannot be removed, you must take the doorbell down to load or use a portable charger. Unfortunately, it is only available in the UK and Europe.
Simplisafe Video Doorbell Pro for $ 170: If you are looking for a solid security system, Simplisafe is probably on your radar, and for people with a simplisafe setup, fit the video throughout in neat. Former wired judge Medea Giordano initially found it sensitive, but after an update she says it worked almost perfectly, sent quick warnings and offered a good, clear view of her porch. Footage maximizes 1080p, but the camera supports HDR to banish glaze and has a 162-degree face field. It needs to be wired, and you need a $ 5 per month subscription to record videos, but Simplisafe also offers the option of professional monitoring (of $ 32 per month), which is a rarity for door bells and it can make sense if you have a complete security system.
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Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro for $ 230: The top-of-the-line battery doorbell of Amazon’s ring mark was close to earning a complete recommendation. This ring doorbell offers high quality, sharp video with HDR support and color night vision. Notices were fast and accurate, and two-way sound was relatively high quality. I appreciated the option of introducing multiple movement zones, including a potentially handy bird-eye zone to define the series. The Preroll function contains a few seconds before each cut (although it is with a lower resolution), which can be helpful. Since there is no local surveys option, you must subscribe to Ring Protect for $ 5 a month ($ 50 per year) for a single camera, but it also gets you a spacious 180 -day video measurement, rich notifications and person’s detection. But all these bells and whistles come at a premium, and battery life was disappointing (three weeks). You can soften it by buying a second battery to exchange because it is removable, or opt for the wired doorbell Pro (although I have not tested it yet).
TP-Link Tapo (D230s1) smart battery video doorbell for $ 90: For people looking for a local storage option that doesn’t need a monthly fee, Tapo’s smart video -doorbell is worth watching. Notifications come through quickly and contain a quiet image; Video quality is excellent, even at night, and the indoor hub takes a microSD card and serves as a bell. To the disadvantage it is thin, and the AI on board (which is supposed to recognize people, pets, vehicles and packages) is flaky.
Difficult to recommend
We don’t like every video bell we tested. These are the ones we do not recommend.
Photo: Simon Hill
Imou DOORBELL 2S KIT: In addition to being big and ugly, the Imou Doorbell offers a fresh video recording up to 2k with a 166-degree face field, and it has a unique trick: The lens can turn through 30 degrees to detect topics. The large size allows for a large battery, but this doorbell can also be hard heads. The set contains an plug-in bell with a microSD card slot for local storage. Unfortunately, the test tested side by side with the Arlo, and it couldn’t pick up a few events. I also had major connection problems after changing my router, despite keeping the same network name and password. I had to repair the bell, which temporarily removed the doorbell. It is only available in the UK.
Rolink Video Doorklokkie (battery): We like Rolink’s wired doorbell, listed above, so I was excited to try the 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 overview of the porch, but you must turn on HDR in the settings, and it has a relatively low frame rate (15 fps). I like the option to be subscribed, but it means putting a microSD card in the doorbell, and it’s a relatively easy doorbell to remove. Rolink proposes up to five months of battery life, but my first assessment unit died after less than two and refused to reappear. Rolink sent me a substitute that performs better, but if it runs out, the rechargeable battery inside cannot be removed, so you need to take the doorbell down to recharge it. Factor in the slightly confusing app, relatively slow load times and connection errors, and it is impossible to recommend.
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Ezviz ep3x pro: This is a much better doorbell than the previous models of Ezviz, and it is nice to see solar panels as an option for door bells, although you need a patio to catch rays. The video quality is good, and you get a split view (such as the Eufy above) that includes packages or waiting cats on your threshold. The distortion correction works well, and there is optional color night fish with a built -in light, although it only works on very close. I appreciate the 2FA, with fingerprint logging, and 32 GB on board storage (cloud storage is an optional extra). Unfortunately, if you use the solar panel, you cannot connect to your wired bell. The lack of HDR is disappointing, human detection was slightly off (it often said I am a cat), and I had problems with warnings that did not come through some Android phones. (Even after following Ezviz’s instructions, they never reliably worked on my Xiaomi 14 ultra.) This model is not yet available in the US.
Botslab Video DOORBELL 2 PRO: The flaky setup procedure needs a few restarts, and the physical installation was no better, as the screws provided were so cheap that one of the heads broke down. The camera has a fish eye effect, but you can correct it with different views. I like the VR mode, which offers a 180-degree view of your doorstep. It comes with a handy plug-in bell, warnings seem reliable, there is an HDR option, and you can record locally (32 GB included) or in the cloud. You can also set a tracking series, which can come in handy for cameras in the street. But the app is confusing, with a AI tab containing different skills for sale. There is a login history and a limit of two devices reported at the same time, but no 2FA, making it impossible to recommend. It is versatile, but also relatively expensive.
Wyze Video Doorbell Pro: The Wyze Video Doorbell Pro (7/10, Wired Review) was our recommendation of the budget, but with warnings. It reliably warned, offered a clear video and had accurate AI for detection of people, but you needed the CAM Plus subscription (of $ 3 per month). This camera model was not one of those affected by the security error that Wyze failed or reported to customers for three years, but after repeated security offenses of Wyze, who recently exposed thousands of camera -freeds to other clients, it is difficult to recommend his cameras more.
Swann Swannbuddy video doorbell: This doorbell has a wireless gorge with batteries and the option of local storage, but the positive ends there. The video quality is weak, the app is painfully slow to load and glitchy, and the doorbell fails to register movement regularly. I found the battery life disappointing. I must also question the decision to give local storage via a microSD card placed in the doorbell (the bell would make more sense and be safer).
Ezviz db2 video doorbell: An affordable video doorbell with an plug-in bell, the Ezviz DB2 works pretty well, but it’s very thin and ugly. Video footage is set out, but I had problems with bright areas when the sun shines. The app is sturdy and quick to load, doorbell print causes a call to your phone, and you can record locally by putting a microSD card into the bell. Unfortunately, it only offers a very limited option to define movement zones – a big problem if you live in a busy street. I also found battery life below average, and it’s hard to remove.
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