Video doorbells: the downsides, first

Wirecutter calls it 'chonky' and less attractive than its other picks. Its 180-degree view has a distorted fish-eye effect. PCMag notes it's bulkier than the Arlo.

Wirecutter needed to recharge it every four months, half of TP-Link's 8-month claim. The battery isn't removable, so the whole doorbell comes down for up to five hours of charging. Amazon's summary says some owners report connection issues and quick battery drain.

Wirecutter found color night vision hit or miss, often worse than black-and-white, and notes there is no 5GHz Wi-Fi. PCMag says color night video lacked vibrancy, the microSD card isn't included, and there's no HomeKit support.

Tom's Guide and PCMag both note that you must pay for a Ring plan to save or view any recorded video, and there's no local storage option. Tom's Guide calls it frustrating to subscribe after paying for the device, and says Familiar Faces isn't free.

PCMag calls it one of the more expensive doorbells it has tested at $249.99. Wirecutter says the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro is too expensive for what it delivers. Amazon's summary says some owners feel it isn't worth the hefty cost.

Tom's Guide says footage is good, not great, in complete darkness, and that Ring recommends about 15 Mbps upload for full 4K, so video suffers on slower connections. PCMag notes it doesn't work with Google Home or Apple HomeKit. Tom's Guide also warns its battery pack won't swap with older Ring batteries.

Wirecutter says the internal battery died in less than two weeks, probably because of the two lenses. Several low-star Walmart reviews say it doesn't last a month, including one that needed a recharge 17 days after install.

Two 1-star Walmart reviews say it overheats in the sun, shuts down and goes offline. Other Walmart owners report the chime not ringing and failed Wi-Fi setup. Amazon's summary calls reliability mixed.

Consumer Reports gives it only midlevel privacy and video scores. In December 2022, TechRadar reported that Anker confirmed security flaws in its eufy cameras: the Doorbell Dual's live feed could be opened via a URL with no password, and push-notification thumbnails went through the cloud. PCMag also notes there's no HomeKit or IFTTT support.

PCMag says local storage isn't an option, and you need an Arlo Secure plan to view recordings and unlock smart alerts. Consumer Reports says there's no free cloud storage and many smart features need a plan. Walmart 1-star reviewers complain about subscription charges.

Amazon's summary says some owners report frequent internet connection issues, faster-than-expected battery drain, and units that stopped working after a few weeks. Low-star Walmart reviews describe failed pairing, random disconnects, a battery that wouldn't charge, and no luck with an existing chime.

Consumer Reports gives it top marks for security but calls its privacy weak. PCMag notes there's no color night vision and no Apple HomeKit support.

Wirecutter and Consumer Reports both note it can't ring existing doorbell chimes. It comes with a plug-in chime instead.

Amazon's review summary says many owners report connection issues and that it needs rebooting every 3-4 days. Wirecutter notes it supports only 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.

Wirecutter says it isn't as sharp as the Nest and its 180-degree video has a fish-eye effect. Consumer Reports calls privacy its weak spot.

Wirecutter says the free tier saves only 10-second clips that auto-delete after six hours, which in its tests 'barely caught a visitor's foot'. It calls a subscription essential and the $10/month plan the most expensive of its picks for a single camera. Tom's Guide and PCMag list the subscription and the lack of local storage as cons, and a Walmart reviewer calls the subscription price too high.

Wirecutter found Gemini for Home 'consistently makes errors' and says Nest sends at most about one alert every 10 minutes, a delay you can't adjust. Tom's Guide says Gemini sometimes failed to recognize people it had been taught. A 1-star Walmart review complains of constant 'person spotted' alerts when no one was there.

It needs a 16-24VAC doorbell transformer, and Tom's Guide suggests an electrician if you aren't comfortable with low-voltage wiring. There's no included chime, so you need an existing chime or Google speakers. Amazon's summary says some owners struggle with the Wi-Fi connection. Low-star Walmart reviews describe a difficult install and a chime that wouldn't stop ringing.

Tom's Guide found that the 24 fps daytime video pixelates whenever subjects move, and night clips were almost always infrared black and white despite the color night vision claim.

Tom's Guide says a Blink Sync Module is required. Without an active subscription you're limited to motion alerts and live view, even with local storage.

Tom's Guide says the AI descriptions are light on detail and trailed Ring and Tapo in its AI comparison. There's no video search, no familiar-face alerts and no battery percentage, and it supports only 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.

Wirecutter says Ring cameras can't record anything without a subscription, and free alerts don't say what kind of motion was seen. Amazon's summary says some owners find it not worth the cost.

Amazon's review summary says owners report it won't ring their existing doorbell, and some have trouble staying connected to Wi-Fi. Wirecutter notes it supports only 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.

Wirecutter says Ring is the only one of its picks without animal detection, and the only brand on its list that doesn't work with Google Home.