If you’re ready to add a wireless video doorbell to your home, there’s never been a better time. Video doorbells are generally easy to install and can add a new level of security and connectivity to your home since they can let you answer the bell from anywhere. In this video, I’m checking out the Abode Wireless Video Doorbell. I’ll show you what you get, take you through the set up and installation and then go over how it works, and if it might be a good option for your home.
Abode Wireless Video Doorbell
Summary
As a standalone product, the Abode Wireless Video Doorbell nails the essentials with a simple installation process and decent video quality.
Pros
- HD resolution is good
- Speak to visitors
- Live look any time
- Alexa + Google viewing
- Indoor chime for audible alerts
- Subscription plans let you use only features you need
- Can place it anywhere
- Great for doors with no existing wiring
- Rechargeable
- Weatherproof
- 3 month battery life on one charge
Cons
- Subscription fees?
- Small delay in notifications
- Battery not removable or replaceable
I’d like to thank Abode for sponsoring this post. The company has paid me for my time here, they have not told me what I have to say or what I can’t say about their video doorbell and I got to test it out on my own terms so you can consider these thoughts my own.
How does it work? Abode Wireless Video Doorbell
Abode Wireless Video Doorbell is a rechargeable video doorbell that connects to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you remote access to your doorbell camera at any time.
The doorbell can serve as a building block for a bigger smart home network if you have other products like the Abode Smart Bulb since you control them via the same Abode app.
Watch my video about Abode Video Doorbell
What’s in the Box?
Inside the box, you get the doorbell unit itself along with a separate chime which you connect to your home’s Wi-Fi router, and it appears the chime almost acts as a wireless hub for the bell. Abode also includes an Ethernet cable which you must use to connect the chime to your router during the set up of the doorbell.
For mounting, Abode includes both a standard flat wall mount as well as a 30-degree angled wedge mount just in case you need to tilt the doorbell’s video camera to view around any obstacles.
Abode also provides the mounting screws and hex keys for installation as well as an included USB-C charging cable.
Set up & Installation
I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy the set up and installation process was. Like most modern video doorbells, installation involves downloading an app (the official Abode app for iOS and Google Play) which guides you through the setup process and offers some tips for different front door arrangements.
Your first steps will be to initiate the doorbell, and connect the chime to your Wi-Fi router using that Ethernet cable. I had these steps taken care of in just a couple of minutes with good guidance from the app. Once you have paired the chime with the doorbell, you can safely unplug the Ethernet cable, as the chime will still connect to the router wirelessly (if you want) and this is helpful in case you wish to position the chime further away from the router. One thing to note is that the Abode doorbell cannot operate without the chime.
If installing a video doorbell intimidates you and wires freak you out, the Abode Wireless Video Doorbell is an ideal choice because you don’t need to hard-wire it at all, thanks to the internal battery. You simply screw the mounting bracket to your door frame or siding and click the rechargeable doorbell unit into place.
It is definitely one of the quickest and easiest installations I’ve done, because I wasn’t limited to placing the doorbell only where my old wires are, I was able to get a much better angle to view my doorstep.
Recording & subscriptions
Abode Wireless Video Doorbell has a couple of different options when it comes to how you want to use it and what you want to pay for, or not pay for, and if you just have one camera, or multiple. Plans start at $6.99USD or $8.99CAD per month and you can check out Abode’s website to see exactly what you get with each tier. I will point out that some type of monthly fee for video recording and cloud storage is standard operating procedure with almost all video doorbells.
If you opt for one of the paid plans, you’ll get the ability to look at the camera live any time, and your events like doorbell rings or motion detection will be stored in the cloud for 10 days, plus you get more detailed notifications to your phone about what’s happening. You can also adjust the recording duration; from just a few seconds, up to 30 seconds.
You can opt not to pay any monthly fee at all if you prefer, and simply let the chime notify you about any visitors. You should also get a simplified or generic push notification to your smart phone (‘An event has occurred’) that lets you know something is happening, but it doesn’t provide more detail. Looking at the camera via a live view and talking to whoever is there is also possible with the free plan. The free plan does not save any recordings.
Possibly worth noting is the doorbell doesn’t record video 24/7, which would just be impractical with a battery powered device but you can use the app to customize which events you want to be notified about.
Using the Doorbell
When someone rings the bell, the chime will make an audible sound inside your house. This is great for anyone who’s not already using the app since it means you’ll never miss a visitor.
If you would like to also get notifications to your phone, or view past instances of motion or rings, that is one of the features that does require a subscription, as noted earlier.
Otherwise, the Doorbell lets you open the app and take a live look at any time, and even talk to people who are there.
Smart Home Support
You will also be able to get notifications and even a live view of your camera on Amazon Echo Show devices to. I enabled this feature and found it was super convenient to have my Show devices both verbally announce an audible ring, and pop the feed up on the screen for me.
The Abode Wireless Video Doorbell also integrates with Google Home devices too.
Abode Smart Detect
Whenever the doorbell detects activity, it can harness the Abode cloud to identify the subject.
Abode Smart Detect (which is part of the paid subscription tiers) can recognize people, pets, or packages. If you have other Abode products with a video camera like the Abode Cam 2, these devices can use this feature as well. After enabling the feature in the app (Settings Motion Settings>Smart Detect), you can customize the push notification settings for each subject which can be useful to reduce unnecessary notifications.
Video quality
Full HD or 1080p resolution is table stakes for doorbell cameras today; you won’t find much if anything out there in a higher resolution, so rest assured you’re going to get the clearest possible view, particularly if you are viewing from a phone or small smart home assistant, the full HD resolution is just fine.
The camera also uses Starlight technology, which offers good low-light performance in full color. If you want better contrast, you can use the doorbell’s infrared LEDs for black-and-white. The 160-degree field of view is ample for seeing people, package deliveries, or four-legged visitors if you take the time in finding the best mounting location.
Audio
Since the Abode wireless video doorbell has a built-in mic, visitors can engage in 2-way chat with you after pushing the doorbell’s button. The audio quality is good and more than enough to carry on simple interactions.
Battery Life
The Abode Video Doorbell is made to last about 3 months before you need to recharge it, which I’ve found is comparable to other video doorbells’ charging lifespan. Since I only had this doorbell in place for a couple of weeks, I won’t be able to weigh in on the battery life just yet.
The Abode app will send a notification when the doorbell is low on battery.
Weatherproof Housing
The Abode Wireless Video Doorbell looks and feels sleek and compact, but the company didn’t skimp on ruggedness. With an IP65 waterproof rating, the doorbell’s body offers full protection from dust and water, so you don’t have to worry about those harsher weather conditions. Abode says the doorbell can operate at temperatures from -4 to 113°F, or -20 to 45 C, and I would say that is industry standard across pretty much any video doorbell you’ll find.
Overall Review: Abode Wireless Video Doorbell
As a standalone product, the Abode Wireless Video Doorbell nails the essentials with a simple installation process and decent video quality.
Let’s assess the pros and potential cons so you can make the best decision about it for you.
On the pro side, you get industry standard HD resolution, and the ability to speak to visitors anytime the doorbell rings, as well as take a live look whenever you want. With support for both Alexa and Google devices, you can get notifications to your smart home speakers and screens too. The indoor chime is actually really nice for giving you audible alerts so you don’t always need your smart phone. And the option for different subscription plans including a free version means you can choose only the features you want. The fact that it is wireless and rechargeable means you can place it literally anywhere and it’s great for doors with no existing wiring. And because it’s rechargeable it’s much easier to use.
What are the potential downsides? Some folks may not like the options for the free and paid subscription plans, but I have found this is standard procedure for video doorbells and paying a nominal monthly fee is just something you’ll need to do if you go the video doorbell route. I did note a small delay in notifications but it’s usually only a second or two, and this small delay is quite common across most video doorbells. The only other potential downside could be that the battery itself is not removable so you will need to bring the entire unit inside to recharge, but that doesn’t really feel like a huge hardship.
In short, I found the Abode Wireless Video Doorbell was a good option particularly for areas with no existing doorbell wiring and it was easy to set up and easy to use. And as long as you’re aware of what the potential downsides could be, you should be quite happy with this device.
Abode Wireless Video Doorbell sells for about $99USD and you can get it through Abode’s website.
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