Lorex Video Doorbell

The Lorex Doorbell Camera is great for anyone who prefers a hardwired system that’s also completely DIY. That meant that we could secure our house without having to break the bank.

Hardwired Setup

In general, we prefer hardwired video doorbell systems for one simple reason: no batteries are required. Unfortunately, buying a wired system often means hiring a professional installer. However, Lorex is completely DIY. We connected a few wires, connected the panel, and we were done. It’s hardwired without the hassle!

Sleek Design

The Lorex Video Doorbell is small and fairly unobtrusive, measuring 4″ x 1.7″ and only 1″ wide. That means it doesn’t make our front door look cluttered. In fact, it doesn’t look any different from a traditional doorbell. The panels are stylish black and silver, with rounded features inside the rectangular housing. All in all, it tells visitors that we love our technology, but we also love that it blends well with our signature style.

Pros

Infrared night vision
No monthly fees
Local storage of up to 64 GB

Cons

No person detection
Requires hardwiring
No cloud storage
No professional monitoring available

Logitech Video Doorbell

The Logitech Video Doorbell has it all, nearly: great video quality, increased privacy, and a smooth app experience. If you’re an Apple loyalist like we are, you’ll want to add this to their collection.

COMPLEMENTS ANY STYLE HOME

Straightforward Installation Process

Though we had the option to have the Logitech Video Doorbell installed professionally for an additional $100, we went for the DIY option. First, we connected the doorbell’s powerline using a micro-USB cable and a 5V 2A AC adapter. Then, we paired the doorbell to our Wi-Fi network. Next, we attached the chime kit to our existing transformer and our door chime, snapped the doorbell onto its mounting plate, and voilá! We were cooking with gas.

Color Night Vision

When we looked at night footage from the Circle View, we were impressed with the detail captured. Infrared night vision is the norm, but sometimes that footage looks grainy and blurs out important details. The Circle View used an LED light at night, which illuminated our whole front porch and even parts of our driveway. The feature turned on automatically there was motion and shined a bright beam of light onto visitors. We got quality footage in color, even when the sun had set.

Specific Motion Detection

We were most impressed with the Circle View Doorbell’s advanced motion detection. We pulled our car into the driveway just as a stray cat darted through our yard and a branch fell out of our neighbor’s tree. The Circle View reacted quickly and accurately to the series of events. It could tell what was a vehicle, an animal, and an inanimate object. We saw the series of events mapped out on a scrolling timeline within the app. We thought the mapping feature was really neat, and understanding an event in such detail would definitely come in handy for something more serious, like a burglary.

NOTE: The Circle View can’t pair with Alexa or Google Home

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