To sum up this Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit review: this is one of the best video doorbells if you’re on a budget because it’s affordable and comes with a separate chime included in the box - whereas most others don't.
Ezviz is a reliable smart home security brand with tonnes of products to offer, they’ve even been featured in T3’s guide to the best security cameras in the past. The Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit makes getting a video doorbell for the first time quick and easy because it includes everything you need to get going.
You'll get decent 2K resolution with motion detection and IR night vision but the best part is that it can store footage on a MicroSD card so you don’t get bogged down with monthly subscription costs like you would elsewhere.
Here’s everything you need to know to help you decide if this video doorbell is right for you, or not.
Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit review: price and availability
You can buy the Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit now from a number of retailers across the web, prices start at £110 in the UK.
We are expecting it to arrive in the US and Australia soon although there’s no official pricing yet. Take a look at the widgets on this page to see the best deals on it where you are.
Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit review: design and setup
Unlike a lot of video doorbells, this one comes with everything you need to install a fully functioning smart video doorbell on your front door - you won’t have to go out and buy a separate chime to hear the bell ring inside the house.
In the box, the Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit comes with a video doorbell and a chime, along with the usual power cable and Quick Start Guide. You’ll also find everything to mount it including tilted mounting plates, a screwdriver and screw kits etc. There are also cable adaptors if you plan to use your old doorbell's wired connection but because it’s battery-powered that’s not a necessity.
The doorbell itself is quite bulky measuring 150×58×32mm. It sticks out quite a lot from the wall but it’s very clear to visitors what it is and how it works. The lens sits in a large black circular module towards the top while the button is placed below with a large bell symbol across it.
The included chime plugs directly into a wall socket without any wires and has two small antennas which should boost the signal strength from your Wi-Fi router to the doorbell. It measures 100×55×35mm so won’t be too much of an eyesore on the wall. It has an LED light to let you know its status and on the side, you’ll find a MicroSD card slot to store video footage.
Before you go to mount it, you’ll need to set it all up. It’s very easy you’ll just need to download the Ezviz app which is available for iOS and Android. You create an account, add a new device and scan the QR code on the device or on Quick Start Guide. After that, you’ll need to enter your home Wi-Fi password, choose a space to place it in like the front porch, and now the Ezviz app will do the rest. It took a matter of minutes to get the doorbell up and running.
Because this comes with a separate chime, you’ll later be asked what you’d like to hear when someone rings the bell, do you want the classic ding dong of a mechanical chime or do you want to hear a short melody in the electronic chime - you can also choose to hear nothing at all.
Once you’re ready to go, it'll be time to mount the doorbell and plug in the chime near the door. They will have to be placed within 4 meters of each other and there can only be one wall in between them. You'll also have to bear in mind that the chime needs to be in the same room as your Wi-Fi router, and you can’t place it near lots of metal objects. All of these conditions will limit who will want to buy this doorbell. If your home’s layout just doesn’t work like that then you might risk it not working.
You can install the doorbell outside your front door or in your front porch without needing to worry too much about the weather because it’s IP65 water and dust resistant. That means it’ll survive the rain but you will want it a little shielded because it’s not completely waterproof.
If you choose to use it wirelessly, the battery should last about 4 months in between charges although that will depend on how much motion it detects and how often it gets used. You’ll have to take it off the mounting plate to charge it when it runs out.
Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit review: features and performance
Capturing video in 2K resolution, the footage from the Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell looked clear and bright throughout the day so you could easily make out faces and other details in the shot. While not perfect, it’s definitely fit for purpose. You get a 176° field of view so it fits plenty into the shot as well, you’ll definitely be able to see the whole width of your front door.
At nighttime, the Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell uses IR cameras to shoot video in black and white. When a person is right up close to it, you can easily make out their face but it struggles when they’re further away.
When a visitor presses the doorbell, you’ll hear the chime but you’ll also receive a call on your smartphone, so if you’re not home you’ll still be able to answer. It’s actually very useful that it comes through as a proper phone call as you’re less likely to miss it.
Because the doorbell features a two-way microphone, you’ll be able to have a back-and-forth conversation with the person on the other side. An example of when that’ll be handy is if you’re expecting a delivery and you’re not at home, you can tell the courier exactly where you want them to leave the package.
You don’t have to wait for a visitor to ring the bell to see what’s happening outside though. Because of Smart Human Detection through the PIR motion sensor, you’ll get a notification whenever a person approaches the lens. It was actually very effective, during testing it wasn’t triggered unnecessarily and it worked every time. You won’t be able to set activity zones here but if it’s triggered too often you can reduce the sensitivity.
On the Ezviz app, you can see each time the doorbell has detected a person throughout the day. You'll be able to see all of the events on a timeline with a small thumbnail image. When you tap it there's a short video of the event. To see further back than today’s recordings there’s a video history section where you can go back to find an event on a specific day or time.
There's an option to see what’s happening outside right now in the live view section on the smartphone app, and if you own an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant smart display you’ll be able to use those to stream live footage from the doorbell. You can actually use your smart speakers as chimes as well although you won’t be able to use them to answer the bell as you with some other doorbells.
Your past videos can either be stored locally on a MicroSD card or in a secure area online. Ezviz Cloud Play starts from $5.99 / £4.99 per month for a single camera and 7 days of video storage, that pricing goes up if you have multiple cameras or want to store videos for up to 30 days. That’s quite pricey in comparison to other cloud-based storage from the likes of Ring or Arlo - I think most people will stick to the free local storage.
Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit review: verdict
If you want a video doorbell and a chime to go with it, the Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit is a cheap and easy-to-use option that shoots video in 2K resolution.
Before you buy it, you will need to make sure that your home layout is right for it though as everything needs to be placed close together as well as near your Wi-Fi router.
While it’s not as sophisticated in its feature-set as doorbells that cost twice as much, it’s still fit for purpose and includes everything you really need like human detection, IR night vision and a wide field of view. The best part is the fact that you get the option to store footage locally on a MicroSD card. All things considered, the Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit is great value for money.
Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Kit review: also consider
Another cheap video doorbell worth adding to your shortlist is the Ring Video Doorbell Wired - it's about half the price of this although it doesn't come with a chime and it will have to be wired into your front door.
If you aren't on a strict budget and you use Google Assistant devices at home, the Google Nest Doorbell Battery will fit seamlessly into your current smart home. It works fantastically and it's really good looking, too.
