Honorable mention
Photo: Simon Hill
We tested several other video doorbells. These are the ones that unfortunately missed out on higher rankings.
Doro Hemma Doorbell, £150: A stripped-down smart doorbell for older people is a solid idea, and Swedish manufacturer Doro has put it to good use with the Hemma. It’s a battery-powered doorbell that’s easy to install and use, offering a resolution of 1,440 x 1,440 pixels and a decent frame rate (30 fps), local recording with a microSD card, and an audibly loud plug-in ringer. Masu. All over the house. It worked reliably during our testing, and the app is intentionally simple, with convenient options for forwarding calls to trusted friends and family (they also need the app). The two-way audio works well, there’s a zoom feature that comes in handy when live streaming, and there’s also a siren to scare people. It’s simplified, so there are no privacy zones or package notifications. You can also set it to only notify you when the doorbell rings, but that might be too sensitive in a busy hallway. Battery life is decent, but the battery is not removable, so you have to remove the doorbell to charge it or use the portable charger. Unfortunately it’s only available in the UK and Europe.
SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro $170: If you’re looking for a robust security system, SimpliSafe is likely to be on your radar, and for those who have a SimpliSafe setup, the Video Doorbell Pro is a great fit. Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano said she found the feature sensitive at first, but after the update it worked almost perfectly, sending quick alerts and giving her a better view of what was going on in her pouch. states. The footage is up to 1080p, but the camera supports HDR to eliminate glare and has a 162-degree field of view. It requires a wired connection and a subscription starting at $5/month to record video, but SimpliSafe also offers professional monitoring options (starting at $32/month). This is unusual for a doorbell and has a complete security system.
Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro for $230: Amazon’s top-of-the-line battery doorbell from the Ring brand comes close to being fully recommended. It provides high quality and clear video with HDR support and color night vision. Notifications were quick and accurate, and the two-way audio was of relatively high quality. We appreciated the option to set up multiple motion zones, including a handy overhead zone that lets you define ranges. The pre-roll feature is useful because it captures a few seconds before each clip (albeit at a lower resolution). There’s no local recording option, so you have to subscribe to Ring Protect for $5 per month ($50 per year) per camera, but you also get 180 days of rich video storage, rich notifications, and people and package detection. Available. However, all of these bells and whistles come at a price, and the battery life was disappointing (3 weeks). This issue can be alleviated by purchasing a second removable battery and replacing it, or choosing the Wired Doorbell Pro instead (though I haven’t tested it yet).
TP-Link Tapo (D230S1) Smart Battery Video Doorbell $120: For those looking for a local storage option that doesn’t require a subscription, this Tapo doorbell is worth a look. Notifications are sent quickly, including still images, video quality is excellent even at night, and the indoor hub also functions as a chime using a microSD card. The downsides are its large size and the instability of its onboard AI (which is said to recognize people, pets, vehicles, and luggage).
Hard to recommend
Photo: Simon Hill
I didn’t like every video doorbell I tested. These are not recommended.
Reolink Video Doorbell (Battery) $146: I liked Reolink’s wired doorbell above, so I was excited to try out the first battery-powered model, but I was disappointed. It offers up to 2K footage in a 1:1 aspect ratio, showing the entire porch, but it lacks HDR and has a relatively low frame rate (15 fps). I like the subscription-free option, but you have to insert a microSD card into the doorbell itself, which makes it relatively easy to remove the doorbell. Reolink suggests a battery life of up to 5 months, but my battery died in less than 2 months, and the internal rechargeable battery is not removable, so I had to use the doorbell to recharge it. must be removed. Given the app’s somewhat confusing nature, relatively slow loading times, and connection issues, this is not recommended.
Ezviz EP3x Pro £133: This is a much nicer looking doorbell than Ezviz’s previous models, and while it’s great to see a solar panel as an option on a doorbell, it needs a pouch that can catch some rays . The video quality is good, with split views (like Eufy’s above) that include luggage and a cat waiting on the doorstep. The distortion correction works well, and there is optional color night vision with built-in lights, but it only works at very close range. We appreciate 2FA with fingerprint login and 32GB of onboard storage (cloud storage is optional). Unfortunately, if you use a solar panel, you cannot connect it to a wired chime. The lack of HDR is a bummer, human detection was a bit off (my cat was pinging me too often), and some Android smartphones had issues with not receiving alerts (as per Ezviz’s instructions) Also, alerts didn’t work reliably on my Xiaomi 14 Ultra). This model is not yet sold in the United States.
Botslab Video Doorbell 2 Pro $170: The shaky setup procedure required several reboots, and so did the physical installation, as the included screws were so cheap they actually broke one of the heads. The camera has a fisheye effect, but you can correct it with another view. I love the VR mode that gives you a 180-degree view of your front porch. It comes with a useful plug-in chime, alerts seem reliable, has an HDR option, and can record locally (including 32 GB) or to the cloud. You can also set the detection range, which is useful for street cameras. However, the app is confusing and the AI tab lists various skills that can be purchased. There is a login history and a limit of 2 devices that can be signed in at the same time, but this is not recommended as there is no 2FA. Although it is versatile, it is also relatively expensive.
Wyze Video Doorbell Pro for $100: The Wyze Video Doorbell Pro (7/10, WIRED review) was our budget recommendation, but there are some caveats. It offers reliable alerts, clear video, and accurate AI person detection, but requires a Cam Plus subscription (starting at $3/month). This camera model was not affected by a security flaw that Wyze failed to fix or report to customers for three years, but after repeated security breaches by Wyze, thousands of cameras were recently It’s hard to recommend this camera because the feed was exposed to other customers. Already a camera.
Swann SwannBuddy Video Doorbell $150: This doorbell comes with a battery-powered wireless chime and local storage options, but that’s about it. The video quality is poor, the app loads painfully slow and glitchy, and the doorbell frequently fails to record movement. I thought the battery life was disappointing. I also have to question the decision to provide local storage via a MicroSD card inserted into the doorbell (a chime would be more reasonable and secure).
Ezviz DB2 Video Doorbell $180: An affordable video doorbell that comes with a plug-in chime, the Ezviz DB2 works very well, but it’s very chunky and kind of ugly. Although the video footage is detailed, there was an issue with bright areas being blown out when the sun was shining. The app is robust and quick to load, calls can be made when you press the doorbell, and you can record locally by inserting a MicroSD card into the chime. Unfortunately, the options for defining motion zones are very limited, which can be a big problem if you live on a busy street. I also found the battery life to be below average and difficult to remove.
