5 Of The Best Video Doorbells For Nighttime

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A video doorbell is a solid first line of defense against porch pirates, home intruders, and other criminal activity. There may not be much rhyme or reason as to which front stoop or porch is targeted by thieves, but lurking around a property undetected is objectively easier at night. Fortunately, the best video doorbells won't leave you stranded when the sun sets for the day, thanks in part to colorized and infrared night vision.

Night views aren't something that all bells are capable of, and there are plenty of products that support the feature but execute it poorly. No one wants to get stuck with lackluster gear, and we want to help you identify the home security tech that will deliver the best experience for your circumstances. That's why we decided to go digging for the best video doorbells for nighttime use, because low-light conditions shouldn't automatically mean lesser video quality when the moon and stars emerge.

Each of the five doorbells we've chosen is at least capable of infrared night views, but many of them offer colorized night footage, too. Most of these cameras also feature local storage, so you may not even need to sign up for an ongoing service plan. There's plenty to get into, so let's jump right in.

Every bit of detail matters when you're capturing footage at nighttime, and the $110 Tapo 2K+ Smart Video Doorbell is a cam you can rely on. Delivering up to a 180-degree field of view, the D225's integrated spotlight allows for full-color night vision. Doorbell live views and event recordings are captured in 2K QHD, so the D225 is able to hone in on faces, license plates, and other distant visuals. The HD-plus resolution also gives the bell a better shot at dialing in nighttime views.

The LED spotlight features adjustable brightness, and you'll be able to raise or lower luminance in the Tapo app. The mobile software is also your dashboard for all monitoring and camera settings. As far as installation goes, the D225 can be tied into existing doorbell wiring, but it also has a built-in 10,000-milliamp battery that Tapo claims will last up to eight months between charges. We also like the fact that the D225 offers optional local storage (up to a 512-gigabyte microSD, sold separately), on top of optional cloud storage with a Tapo Care subscription.

Amazon shoppers have given this Tapo bell a 4.4-out-of-5-star score, based on over 2,310 ratings. Many buyers appreciate the bell's performance and overall value, although a few individuals weren't so pleased with the instructions provided. One user had a particularly difficult time finding a compatible microSD card. Fortunately, Tapo provides some guidance on this front and recommends a Class 10/UH1 card for best results.

When it comes to long-standing video doorbell manufacturers, Ring is a bona fide pioneer. The company has run into a few hurdles over the years but continues to be one of the most recognizable brands for home surveillance. To that end, we're including the $250 Ring Battery Doorbell 4K Pro here as one of our go-to bells for low-light conditions. According to Ring, the 4K Pro delivers a 140-degree field of view and does so at up to 4K resolution.

Those extra pixels are critical for far-off details, which you'll be able to get extremely close to, thanks to the 4K Pro's 10x Enhanced Zoom. When night falls, you'll have the option of full-color visuals or infrared night vision for total dark scenarios. There's no LED spotlight, though, so colorized night views require some type of exterior lighting for the clearest, most colorful footage. Additional features worth mentioning are AI-powered alerts, 3D motion detection, and a rechargeable, quick-release battery pack.

On Amazon, the 4K Pro sits at 4.4 out of five stars, based on over 1,000 user ratings. Numerous shoppers have reported exceptional video quality and a myriad of useful settings in the Ring app. Some folks experienced a rude awakening when they discovered that a Ring Protect plan is required to store event recordings, though. That said, new Ring accounts do receive a one-month free trial.

For those unaware, Eufy is Anker's smart home sub-label that specializes in budget-friendly tech. Eufy makes several video doorbells, and the one we'll be spotlighting for low-light performance is the $150 Eufy Video Doorbell E40. This device actually includes two lenses: a wide-angled lens and a ground-facing lens, which is great for seeing what packages were left at the front door. Together, both cams deliver a 180-degree, panoramic field of view. When combined with AI-powered alerts, these capabilities will leave porch pirates hard-pressed to skirt past your surveillance.

The E40 also delivers up to 2K resolution, and thanks to built-in spotlights, you'll have access to color night vision, too. TechGearLab was quite impressed by the color night footage and was able to make out plenty of details in low-light conditions. Similar to other Eufy cameras, local storage is favored over cloud-based subscriptions, and the E40 even includes eight gigabytes of eMMC memory. That's enough storage for a few months or a few days' worth of recordings (your mileage will vary based on recording quality and duration). If you need additional storage, the Eufy HomeBase S380 supports up to 16 terabytes of storage (HomeBase and required storage drives sold separately).

Amazon buyers have given the Eufy E40 a solid four out of five stars, based on over 4,500 user ratings. Many praised the camera's recording quality and simple setup, but a few weren't too thrilled with the rechargeable battery. If you think you're going to have the E40 programmed to aggressively record, you should consider investing in a second battery. That way, you won't have to worry about downtime when the other pack is recharging.

Wyze is a great, go-to brand for affordable smart home tech, and when it comes to nighttime footage, the $66 Wyze Wireless Video Doorbell is a camera you can rely on. This is another device that can be wired or used wire-free, and Wyze claims you'll get up to six months of battery life on a single charge. Should you decide to hardwire the device, you can program the bell for 24/7 recording once you've installed a microSD card (up to 256 gigabytes).

As far as recording capabilities go, the Wyze Wireless delivers up to 1536-by-1536-pixel resolution. Many video doorbell brands refer to this resolution as 2K, but Wyze calls it HD+. With a boost in pixel count, this Wyze bell delivers crisp, clear daytime video, as well as strong nighttime visuals. While there isn't a built-in spotlight, the onboard starlight sensor harnesses ambient lighting for colorized after-dark footage. There's also infrared night vision for when ambient lighting is hard to come by.

Amazon buyers have scored this video doorbell 4.2 stars (out of five), based on over 1,050 ratings. People really appreciate how good the cam is at capturing both daytime and night video, and some also praised the wide field of view. Similar to the Eufy E40, some users dinged the Wyze Wireless a bit for its battery performance, though this may have more to do with recording duration and camera settings than anything else.

Our final doorbell selection is a little different than our other four picks. For one, it's a wired-only bell, so existing doorbell power is required. It's also the only bell on our list that doesn't support color night vision. However, the $180 Google Nest Doorbell (Wired, 2nd Gen) has been very well received for its capabilities, and one of the leading pros is its excellent video quality. CNET was impressed by how colorful and bright the daytime footage looked, and also praised the cam's infrared capabilities.

It should be noted that Google no longer officially supports the Nest app for all models (including this one), so all device onboarding, monitoring, and controls are handled by the Google Home app instead. Fortunately, the actual setup is a breeze, and once your Nest Doorbell is online, you'll even be able to pull up the live feed on a compatible smart display or a streaming device or smart TV running Google TV (as part of the home panel). This doorbell even stores up to three hours' worth of event recordings, though a Nest Aware subscription is required for additional storage and other features.

On Amazon, this version of the Google Nest Doorbell scored 4.2 out of five stars, based on over 400 user ratings. Many shoppers praise the bell's sharp recording quality. Still, a few unhappy customers felt blindsided by the fact that the Nest app is no longer supported for newer Google Nest hardware (it does say this right on the Amazon product page, though).

When building this list of the best video doorbells for nighttime use, we focused on products that offer features specifically designed to enhance your home security efforts after dark. All of these devices are available for purchase on Amazon, ensuring wide availability, and each doorbell has scored at least four stars (out of five) based on at least 400 buyer ratings on the retailer's platform. Within the thumbs-up feedback from Amazon customers, we specifically looked for products that scored positive comments about their night-vision performance.

To further ensure the quality of these products, we chose video doorbells from reliable, long-standing surveillance and smart home device manufacturers. Most of these doorbells won't completely break the bank, either, as all but the Ring Battery Doorbell 4K Pro retail for less than $200 on Amazon.