Wyze makes some of our favorite affordable security cameras, so it comes as no surprise that the Wyze Video Doorbell + Chime costs less than much of the competition. For $54.98, you get a very affordable wired smart doorbell that offers plenty of features including people and package detection, lots of third-party integrations, and free cloud storage. It delivered sharp video in testing, but we were surprised to find that voice control isn’t yet finalized and that the camera’s 2K sensor only captures 1080p video. Granted, at $55 this is still a great deal, but until Wyze puts the finishing touches on this doorbell, you might want to consider our Editors’ Choice winner, the $99 Ezviz DB1C, instead.
Pricing, Features, and App
As the name implies, the Wyze Video Doorbell + Chime comes with a small wired doorbell and a tiny chime box that plugs into a wall outlet. It also comes with a vertical wedge mount and assorted mounting hardware. You can purchase each component individually if you prefer: the doorbell goes for $29.99, the chime box is $14.99, and the vertical wedge mount is $9.99.
At 3.2 by 1.5 by 0.6 inches (HWD), this is easily the smallest smart doorbell we’ve tested. It uses a white IP65 weather-resistant enclosure with a black camera face up top and a square doorbell button at the bottom. The button has an LED indicator that is solid blue when the doorbell is connected to your network, solid yellow when powered up, and flashes blue and yellow when trying to connect. Between the button and the camera is a white LED that lights up when motion is detected.
The camera face holds a microphone, and there’s a speaker on the bottom of the device. Around back are two terminals for connecting the doorbell to your existing doorbell wiring. As with most doorbells, this one requires a 16V-24V AC transformer for power. Connectivity comes by way of an embedded 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio.
The doorbell camera has a 2K image sensor, but currently captures 1080p video at 20fps. However, a forthcoming firmware update will allow it to capture 2K video. The camera has a 3:4 aspect ratio that gives you a head-to-toe view of visitors and any packages that are sitting on your doorstep. It also has a 120-degree field of view and 8X digital zoom, and it uses four infrared LEDs for black-and-white night vision.
The camera will capture a 12-second video clip when the doorbell button is pressed or when motion is detected, and store it in the cloud for 14 days free of charge. There’s a five-minute cooldown period between events where the camera will not record video. For unlimited video length with no cooldown period, you’ll have to subscribe to the Wyze Cam Plus plan, which costs $1.99 per month per camera. Along with the extended video length, Cam Plus also gives you people and package detection, and Wyze plans to add face recognition later this year.
The Chime box is white and measures 2.0 by 2.0 by 1.3 inches (HWD). It has a two-prong plug on the back, a speaker on the front, and a Reset button and an LED indicator on the bottom edge. The box simply plugs into a wall outlet and pairs with the doorbell. It offers 19 different ring tones, including classic doorbell chimes, assorted tunes, animal sounds, an intruder alarm, and automation sounds.
The Wyze Video Doorbell works with other Wyze smart home devices including locks, smart plugs, and cameras, and it integrates with plenty of third-party smart devices via IFTTT applets. However, it doesn’t support Apple HomeKit, nor does it currently support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, although Wyze plans to add support for both in the near future. In fact, the doorbell was automatically added to my Alexa device list during my installation, but Alexa performance was sketchy (more on this later).
The doorbell uses the same mobile app as all other Wyze devices, and appears on the home screen in its own panel. Tapping the panel launches a live stream with buttons below the video panel for viewing in full-screen mode, muting the speaker, initiating two-way talk, and selecting a quick response such as, “Can I help you,” “Be there shortly,” or, “Leave package at door.” Other buttons let you take a snapshot, manually record video, and configure night vision (on, off, or auto).
A timeline bar at the bottom of the screen lets you select and view specific event clips. You can also download a clip, share it, or delete it. Tap the gear icon in the upper right corner to access the Settings screen. Here you can configure motion settings, schedule event recording times, enable notifications, chose a chime sound, and create rules to have the doorbell react to other Wyze devices.
Installing and Using the Wyze Video Doorbell + Chime
The Wyze Video Doorbell + Chime is easy to install, but it requires working with low-voltage wiring. I turned off the breaker that supplies power to my doorbell, removed my old doorbell, and opened the Wyze mobile app (if this is your first Wyze device, you’ll have to download the app and create an account). I tapped the plus button in the upper left corner, tapped Add Device, and selected Wyze Doorbell from the Cameras menu. At this point you can watch an installation tutorial or skip it if you’ve already installed the doorbell.
I attached the mounting plate to my front door frame using the included screws, connected the two wires to the Wyze doorbell, and snapped it into place on the mounting plate. I restored power to the circuit, heard a “Ready to Connect” voice prompt from the doorbell, and confirmed that the doorbell button was flashing yellow. I selected my Wi-Fi SSID, entered my password, and a QR code appeared on my phone. I held the QR code up to the doorbell camera to scan the code, and it was immediately recognized. I tapped Next and the doorbell was added to my Wyze device list. I gave it a name, confirmed that the LED was solid blue, and tapped Add a Wyze Chime. To pair the chime with the doorbell, I plugged it into a wall outlet, then pressed and held the reset button until the LED flashed blue three times. After a quick firmware update, the installation was complete.
The Wyze video Doorbell delivered sharp 1080p video in our tests. Daytime video showed good color saturation with very little barrel distortion, and black-and-white night video appeared crisp and well-lit. Motion and doorbell alerts arrived instantly, and recorded video appeared just as sharp as the live feed. I created a rule to have a Wyze Outdoor Plug turn on when the doorbell button has been pressed, and it worked perfectly.
Although the doorbell isn’t currently Alexa certified, it was added to my Alexa device list and I was able to use Alexa voice commands to view video on an Amazon Echo Show. However, the image was displayed sideways. According to Wyze, this is a bug that will be resolved within a few weeks when certification becomes final.
Good Now, With Potential for Greatness
For $55, the Wyze Video Doorbell + Chime is a solid deal for a smart doorbell, but it will be an even better deal when Wyze finalizes Alexa and Google voice control and updates the firmware to allow the camera to capture 2K video (we’ll revisit this review when Wyze has everything working as it should). Nevertheless, the doorbell delivers sharp 1080p video with a full view of your doorstep, interacts with lots of Wyze and third-party smart devices, and you can add people and package detection for a nominal fee. If you don’t want to wait for Wyze to put the finishing touches on this doorbell, check out our Editors’ Choice, the Ezviz DB1C, which offers sharp high-resolution video, dual-band Wi-Fi, local and cloud video storage, and supports Alexa, Gooogle Assistant, and IFTTT. If you want to go wireless, meanwhile, the $99.99 Ring Video Doorbell (2020) has a built-in battery for much easier installation.
