Swann Buddy 4K

+ Excellent software ; Superb video quality ; Local MicroSD storage

Only compatible with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi ; ‘AI’ voice assistant is a bit of a gimmick ; Metal installation bracket isn’t great for some doors

Remember when doorbells were simply boring ‘analogue’ devices connected by a wire to a chime indoors? You didn’t know who was at the door until you opened it. Now, largely thanks to Amazon-owned company Ring, video doorbells are everywhere. New from...

32GB MicroSD card to store footage ; Easy to use smartphone app ; IP56 weather-resistant

Very annoying chime ; Slow to load the live view ; Sometimes suffers a delay

The SwannBuddy Video Doorbell is good value for money because it comes with a chime included in the box and you won't need to pay for a monthly cloud subscription because it can store footage locally. Not everything about it works perfectly but it'll...

High-resolution streaming with color night vision ; Included doorbell chime with six tunes ; Impressive sensors ; Great for apartments

App has to reload every time you open it ; Live view loads too slowly to catch visitors ; Needs a screwdriver to set up

“It's not perfect, but a few software patches could make the SwannBuddy Video Doorbell a far greater option.”

Onboard video storage means gives you the opportunity to avoid a subscription ; Runs on batteries, but can be hardwired to keep the batteries topped off ; Remote chime and 32GB microSD card are included

Mediocre video quality ; Longer-than-typical delay in accessing video ; Subscription required to unlock all the doorbell’s features

This isn’t a bad video doorbell, but there are too many superior alternatives for it to earn our strong recommendation.

Included chime makes setup easy ; Security-camera grade sensors ; Records to MicroSD ; Color night vision ; Built-in battery ; Video recorded even when wi-fi is down ; Accessible MicroSD recordings

Live view grindingly slow to initiate ; App lacks distinction from security cameras ; Install still requires screwdriver ; Some missed frames in recorded clips

So close to being the perfect video doorbell, especially for a DIY installer, but let down by laggy software which makes too little distinction between a doorbell and a security camera. That does make it a great choice if you’re looking to keep your...