The “sorry we missed you” slip on the door usually means a courier rang once while you were in the garden, or at work, or simply upstairs with headphones on. Video doorbells exist to put that ring on your phone and let you answer from wherever you are, and one that skips the usual monthly fee is part of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days offers: Prime members can get the Reolink Video Doorbell WiFi with its chime for $97 instead of $139, at 30% off, and the brand’s own store extends the offer to shoppers without a membership.
Taller Picture, Local Storage and a Chime in the Box
Reolink has chosen a 4:3 image for this doorbell where most cameras use widescreen, combined with a 180-degree viewing angle. The practical effect of a taller frame is that you see more of what is directly in front of the door, which is where visitors stand and where parcels get left. Resolution is 2K, with HDR and noise reduction to cope with a backlit porch or a dim evening, and infrared LEDs take over after dark. For doors set in a recess or facing a wall, a 15-degree wedge is supplied to angle the lens toward the path.
Answering works through the Reolink app, using the doorbell’s microphone and speaker to talk with whoever is outside, whether you are in the next room or another city. Three preset replies can be played when you can’t speak, in a meeting for example. Inside the house, the bundled chime plugs into any outlet, with ten tunes and adjustable volume. I’d put it at the far end of the home or in the garage, wherever the old bell never quite reached.
Detection can tell people, vehicles and animals apart, and motion zones let you exclude the sidewalk so that every passing dog walker does not trigger an alert. Notifications with a picture attached are free, though capped at 25 per day, which is worth knowing if you live on a busy street. For smart home users, the doorbell works with Google Assistant and Home Assistant as well as Alexa, and an Echo with a screen can display the front door camera on request.
Storage is the main argument against better-known rivals. Recordings go to a microSD card of up to 256GB inside the doorbell, or to a Reolink recorder, with no subscription required. The box contents list the doorbell and the chime only, so the card is an extra purchase. Two installation points deserve attention. This is a hardwired model that needs 12 to 24 volts AC or 24 volts DC and has no battery, so I would check the existing doorbell wiring and transformer before ordering. And Reolink recommends its own chime and accessories for full compatibility, which suggests not counting on an old mechanical bell. The doorbell connects over 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi, is rated IP65 against the weather and carries a two-year warranty.
With the chime included, the Reolink Video Doorbell WiFi costs $97 on Amazon against a list price of $139, as a Prime Big Deal for members only. Shoppers without Prime can order from Reolink’s site, where the offer is open to all.