Last Updated: November 25, 2018 (Refresh Now)
SkyBell HD Bronze WiFi Video Doorbell
Last Updated: November 25, 2018 (Refresh Now)
6.8
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
817
Old Reviews
49
Unverified
362
Spam Test
!
Full HD 1080p
RESOLUTION
Yes
WIFI
2.8 meters
SIZE
Review Analysis - 406 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Setup
113setup, install, easy to install, instructions, skybell
+89%
-11%
" ... A piece of cake to install and set up, and works perfectly. ... "
" ... Super easy to install,setup and use. ... "
" ... Install time: less than 30 minutes ... "
" ... Easy to install using the wiring from the existing doorbell. ... "
" ... I was able to install this in under 10 minutes. ... "
" ... Installation: replaced existing door bell and it was straight forward. ... Only took three attempts to step through the color-coded signals, but then it was set. ... "
" ... The doorbell is nice and easy to install. ... "
" ... Installation was easy on my side ... I simply had to connect the wires as per the instructions and viola, the doorbell was working. ... "
Product Reliability
78months, weeks, skybell, doorbell, stopped working
+29%
-71%
" ... The first month things went fine and the following months I had very little issues so I continued to stick with the Skybell. ... I would advise buyers to be ready to move on to something else after a few months. ... "
" ... They actually told me my transformer since it was 12 years old was probably tired and old. ... I have messed with this thing for over a month now. ... "
" ... I was holding off writing this review for a while, because with enough bad reviews the product will fail along with support for it, but i just got fed up with how horrible it is and even though I wasted $$$$, i hope other people will not make the same mistake. ... "
" ... Updated: Unit failed completely after a few weeks. ... "
" ... Worked for a while. ... I expected it to work for more than a year. ... "
" ... Very inconsistent in functionality, so basically not reliable at all. ... "
" ... Began randomly losing its connectivity (which means the doorbell ceases to function, as well) at about week 6. ... "
" ... I ordered it in June. ... Apparently they attempted to deliver in July, there was an issue with my card, I fixed it within the hour but they considered this too late and had sent out all their product to other individuals. ... Thus another month wait. ... Like I said, this seems like something that was sent back and it seems like it was probably due to it being defective. ... "
Apps
69android, skybell, integration, bell, ios
+62%
-38%
" ... Easy to connect and the app works well. ... "
" ... I downloaded the app wifi analyzer for android and it suggested I change the channel so I did and bam! ... "
" ... The video is clear, the chime timing close enough to when the button is pressed, and iOS App is very polished. ... "
" ... App works great, picture is clear day or nite and people can hear me clearly when speaking thru app. ... "
" ... The app is also well put together. ... "
" ... I've had some issues with the app loading properly when I try to go live watch but working well overall. ... "
" ... They keep your videos for a few days, and you can just download anything you want to preserve. ... "
" ... I love the fact that the app is free, and I don't have to pay for a subscription fee to the app like ringbell. ... "
Device Compatibility
69skybell, android, app, doorbell, wifi
+54%
-46%
" ... Able to connect live and view the camera and actually talk to anybody on the other end. ... "
" ... Easy to connect and the app works well. ... "
" ... If your house has a wired doorbell then this should work for you. ... "
" ... I love that they don't have to ring it to get a ping on your phone. ... "
" ... Can send the videos and send them from my phone. ... "
" ... I would give it five stars as I love having a smart home. ... "
" ... Its supposed to take a while to charge the internal battery before it can connect to the internet, but my unit was ready to connect in about a minute. ... You can download them to your cell phone. ... All settings on this device are accessed via the cell phone interface. ... "
" ... I set it up on several iOS devices and an Android device without any issues. ... "
Ease of Use
57easy, setup, install, simple, installation
+95%
-5%
" ... Super easy to install,setup and use. ... "
" ... Easy to install using the wiring from the existing doorbell. ... "
" ... Easy to connect and the app works well. ... "
" ... The doorbell is nice and easy to install. ... "
" ... Easy to install and setup. ... "
" ... Very easy to install and setup, good video quality, and very user friendly APP to use. ... "
" ... Easy to install ... "
" ... The installation is easy and the setup was simple. ... "
Door
55front, bell, doorbell, porch, skybell
+58%
-42%
" ... I have done several (very scientific) tests, and I would say 40% of the time I can walk out the door or walk in, and the sensor never picks up the movement, or it starts recording too late. ... "
" ... I'm overall delighted with this product, which lets me see who is at my door and even receive packages when I'm not home (via remote-control door). ... "
" ... Use it everyday is to monitor my front door traffic. ... "
" ... Anyway, the camera works great, and I love to know what's going on by my front door, like package deliveries, mail delivery, and when the kid comes home from school. ... "
" ... Absolutely loved the first one so I thought I'd get a second because most houses have 2 doors. ... "
" ... It's great to see who is at my door whether or not in home! ... "
" ... It never fails to notify me when someone is at the door. ... "
" ... I purchased this skybell hd to improve our home security, now we can talk with someone and see them before we ever open the door. ... "
Network
51signal, skybell, doorbell, door, network
+59%
-41%
" ... My router is on the other end of the house, but i was still able to get at least 60% signal. ... "
" ... If your house has a wired doorbell then this should work for you. ... My router was blocked by two walls but it was still able to receive a good signal. ... "
" ... The setup was pretty easy though I did have to set up a wireless extender to strengthen the signal to the unit since it is in a semi covered area. ... "
" ... Got it working with the installation of a new transformer (even though I was getting 16.3v, the house and doorbell were built in the 80's). ... "
" ... It is located within 8' of the high end wireless router, so the signal is excellent. ... "
" ... The location of installed SkyBell HD has a fairly strong Wi-Fi signal, internet connection is 6MB + upload speed. ... "
" ... once I relocated the security system farther away there were no further problems. ... "
" ... We get a nearly 180-degree view of the front our house. ... "
Video Playback
44videos, live, stream, feed, demand
+61%
-39%
" ... Excellent video quality and if you have a good internet connection speeds for watching the video are great. ... "
" ... No choppy video and works like a charm! ... "
" ... Night video is excellent and the free 7 day cloud feature is awesome! ... "
" ... Excellent video quality, once installed, works as expected. ... "
" ... The videos are stored on the internet. ... "
" ... The video is sent to my phone in real time. ... "
" ... Video works great. ... "
" ... The video is very impressive. ... "
Lagging
44motion, doorbell, motion detection, skybell, recording
+5%
-95%
" ... There is a delay and it's annoying. ... There is a delay but it lets me know what happened. ... "
" ... The only issue is the motion detection. ... "
" ... The bigger issue however is that it does not always start recording clips when someone actually approaches the door, other times it will start recording them but only after they are already at the door and not as they approach. ... "
" ... Worked on and off in the beginning, having to reset it every time it acted up. ... "
" ... The motion was delay. ... "
" ... 3) On the occasion that you do get alerts for doorbells, there is a substantial time delay. ... "
" ... However, there is a long time delay from when the doorbell is wrong and when my phone is alerted. ... "
" ... It seems to take a while to start recording when motion is in the area. ... That really bothers me because what's the point of having great video if it detects motion only half the time? ... The motion detection works about 70% of the time and has a major delay. ... "
Wifi
44network, skybell, wi fi, doorbell, signal
+48%
-52%
" ... Despite a strong Wi-Fi signal and resetting multiple times, this product is absolute garbage. ... "
" ... Our wifi is nearby, the device is hard wired in. ... "
" ... The doorbell will not show up in the app or when it does (intermittently) the live video fails to load on wifi. ... "
" ... It also took several days of speaking with customer service to get the wi-fi connection for the SkyBell. ... "
" ... Only issue - during installation device only remains in state where it will accept your wi-fi password for about 3 seconds. ... "
" ... So am thinking its the skybell not the router. ... "
" ... I had to go into the router settings and rename the 2.4 SSID and restart it before trying to connect to the skybell again. ... "
" ... Had issues with network connectivity. ... "
Software Platform
39android, skybell, integration, ios, downloaded
+56%
-44%
" ... I downloaded the app wifi analyzer for android and it suggested I change the channel so I did and bam! ... "
" ... As of now, there is no PC interface, but that probably makes this system more secure from hackers. ... All settings on this device are accessed via the cell phone interface. ... "
" ... I set it up on several iOS devices and an Android device without any issues. ... "
" ... The App is intuitive. ... "
" ... I switched from my Android 7 phone to my tablet and all worked fine. ... "
" ... It works great, the Android app is simpke and the whole installation process took a very short time. ... "
" ... I am using an Android phone S5 with there app platform and havent had any problems. ... "
" ... Android app works great AFTER you get it setup. ... "
Other
37detection, sensor, skybell, motion detection, sensitivity
+38%
-62%
" ... My only complaint would be the motion sensor. ... The problem is the inconsistency of the motion sensor. ... "
" ... it only works have way it doesn't see move motion now. ... "
" ... The only issue is the motion detection. ... "
" ... I have experimented with changing the sensitivity settings on the motion sensor, but nothing seems to improve the situation, so I assume it must be a fundamental design flaw with this item. ... "
" ... The second replacement has issues with motion detection - it doesn't detect motion. ... "
" ... it also does not show any alerts when motion is activated. ... "
" ... The motion sensor does not work. ... "
" ... The only thing I wish were a little bit better was the motion detection. ... "
Returns
32returned, skybell, returning, replacement, refund
+6%
-94%
" ... It may be too late to return to Amazon . ... "
" ... Finally I returned the product for refund on 10/4/17 but I still cannot get the refund on 10/15/17. ... "
" ... I am returning the product to Amazon. ... "
" ... I was then informed on August 7th, 2017 by a different CS contact that my replacement unit was back ordered and should ship within 2 weeks (week of August 21st). ... I've made a request for refund 3 times with no response. ... "
" ... Was going to return and try Ring but was two days past return point. ... "
" ... And now because Stephanie stopped responding and I had to restart the whole support process again with Kelsie who has also stopped responding, my return window expired (and Amazon won't do anything because it's past the return window). ... "
" ... I tried calling and waiting on hold, but after 60 minutes of being on hold, I hung up and decided to return the product. ... "
" ... It's too late to return it, so money down the drain. ... "
Picture Quality
31image, clear, video, night, images
+97%
-3%
" ... The image quality, including nighttime color, is quite impressive. ... "
" ... The picture quality is excellent, the sound quality is decent. ... "
" ... Imagine that kind of money for a black and white image. ... The SkyBell's image resolution is FAR superior to the Ring. ... "
" ... Good clarity on video ... "
" ... The picture quality is crisp clear 1080p and there is no stutter or lag when viewing it on my phone (upload speed 3Mbps) and the app is very user friendly and simple to figure out. ... "
" ... The image is really good too. ... Image quality was, at best, bad. ... "
" ... Excellent sound with minimal (about 2 sec) delay, instantaneous alerts and perfect HD picture. ... "
" ... The picture quality is incredible in daylight or at night. ... "
Build Quality
31plastic, plate, screws, doorbell, skybell
+32%
-68%
" ... Major rip-off. ... put me on hold an drop the call, 3 times ... "
" ... Even the screw holes matched, no drilling. ... "
" ... However, I think there is a design flaw because the points of contact that match up with the screws on the wall plate are so tiny that I had to take a paper clip to try to bend them to have better contact. ... "
" ... First the Door bell feels cheap made of all cheap plastic was disappointed when i opened it. ... "
" ... It feels cheaply made out of flimsy plastic rather than the brushed metal appearance it provides. ... "
" ... It is impossible to route bell wires through the backplate center hole and expect to properly latch the SkyBell unit to it. ... "
" ... At that point, the entire plate was rendered worthless, because there is literally no way to loosen that screw anymore. ... The collar just spins with the screw, and it's embedded in the plastic such that no tool (at least no tool I own) can possibly apply enough leverage to keep it stationary while I turn the screw. ... "
" ... made from cheap plastic with bronze coating . ... "
Resolution
28skybell, video, 1080p, ring, picture
+75%
-25%
" ... Note: I ordered the Skybell HD Prime Day 2017 and got it two months later . ... I have fiber optics and a router close to the Skybell HD. ... "
" ... I am happy to report that I did not encounter any of the issues I had on the Ring Pro with the Skybell HD. ... "
" ... This SkyBell HD works Great!!!! ... "
" ... SkyBell HD is amazing! ... "
" ... HD Video and no subscription fees! ... "
" ... The picture quality is crisp clear 1080p and there is no stutter or lag when viewing it on my phone (upload speed 3Mbps) and the app is very user friendly and simple to figure out. ... "
" ... Very happy with the skybell HD ... "
" ... Now, I purchased the "SkyBell HD. ... Excellent sound with minimal (about 2 sec) delay, instantaneous alerts and perfect HD picture. ... "
Marketplace
28amazon, works, really, picture, thank you skybell
+57%
-43%
" ... Better than advertised. ... "
" ... Thank you skybell. ... "
" ... All in all, now I'm glad I have it and that it's in working order. ... "
" ... But I found out later that amazon is selling it for 25$ more than list price at manufacturer site. ... "
" ... I would recommend to get the wedge that you can order separately. ... "
" ... The image is really good too. ... "
" ... Otherwise works as advertised. ... "
" ... I specifically bought it on Amazon because of horror stories with SkyBell's support, now I'm glad I did. ... "
Call quality
25call, person, doorbell, talk, skybell
+32%
-68%
" ... Spoke to three different people who barely spoke English ... "
" ... Almost every time they put me on a call back loop and never call back. ... "
" ... Speaking is not great. ... "
" ... When I want to talk to the person at the door, I can barely hear or understand what they're saying. ... "
" ... It is inconsistent and breaks up so the person at the door has a hard time understanding the person talking. ... "
" ... Now the static wasn't as loud but still barely able to hear someone shouting at the door. ... "
" ... I can still hear when someone talks but if no one is talking it's just loud static. ... "
" ... Skybell, try returning a call. ... "
Capacity
24home, doorbell, street, front door, door
+83%
-17%
" ... Adds an additional layer of safety and security which is great for city living. ... "
" ... I spent money to install in Stucco on my house. ... "
" ... So predictably, someone just stole the bell right off my house. ... "
" ... For background I got this for my wife for a new house. ... "
" ... Lights up our porch area very well at night. ... "
" ... I would give it five stars as I love having a smart home. ... "
" ... Since my doorbell was placed on the wall next to my front door it actually faces my house instead of the street. ... "
" ... We get a nearly 180-degree view of the front our house. ... No one walks past the front of our house. ... "
Price
24money, cost, waste your money, 200, waste of money
+54%
-46%
" ... It's not perfect, but it does a very good job and it's worth the price IMO. ... "
" ... This was the best priced Skybell we found but it came with a wait, which I was ok with to save some money. ... "
" ... Great doorbell camera at a reasonable price. ... "
" ... Was looking for a cheaper alternative to Ring and this one looked like it would fit the bill, upfront purchase was cheaper than Ring and no monthly fees for video storage. ... "
" ... It's a worth while investment. ... "
" ... Worth every penny ! ... "
" ... 3) Cheaper price ... "
" ... All in all, maybe expensive, but peace of mind is worth it. ... "
Design
20finish, skybell, plastic, look, led
+55%
-45%
" ... Very pleased with fit, finish and performance of the product. ... "
" ... Also, really have liked the customization of the color of LED. ... I know it is a small thing, but I like to be able to choose the color so it doesn't look out of place. ... "
" ... very well made and looks fantastic. ... "
" ... Idea is great. ... "
" ... DESIGN // The design is great. ... "
" ... I like the attractive design. ... "
" ... I changed my color to be constantly white to try to make it more discreet but the top still lights up so you know something's happening. ... "
" ... Just a beautifully made piece of technology. ... "
Video Recording
19recording, doorbell, pretty good, motion detection, capture
+84%
-16%
" ... This video doorbell is excellent! ... "
" ... Works great so far, video is clear and the cloud video recording is free (unlike the Ring Pro). ... "
" ... Love my video doorbell. ... "
" ... Video works great. ... "
" ... Good clarity on video ... "
" ... Video quality is exceptional. ... "
" ... The video captured also picks up about 3-5 secs as a person approaches to ring it. ... "
" ... Video quality is great, audio is good, and motion detection is surprisingly good. ... "
Sound Quality
18hear, chime, noise, loud, hum
+17%
-83%
" ... Doorbell chime (inside house) produces constant hum/buzz. ... but the constant hum on indoor doorbell chime is driving me crazy. ... but I Am not sure I can live with this constant hum. ... "
" ... The ringing sound is not loud as before, the camera sometimes show up on iphone and sometimes it does not ... "
" ... When I view live to try to talk with someone I get a loud hum. ... "
" ... The only thing worse than this defective product (there is a recurring noise that renders audio difficult to hear, which has evolved into no audio being able to be heard at all) is their "customer service." ... "
" ... The one issue I still haven't fixed is the audio from outside is very hard to hear. ... "
" ... except that on the app I could see video but hear loud static. ... The visitor was not audible. ... "
" ... The only issue I have is the sound is kind of loud and noisy, like constant super loud static. ... "
" ... Sound sometimes doesn't work and the app take way to long to boot up. ... "
Camera
17video, doorbell, skybell, shots, factors
+82%
-18%
" ... Included 720p night and day shots for reference. ... "
" ... You can activate the camera to see anytime you want. ... "
" ... Great camera quality. ... "
" ... Works very wall camera is awesome quality. ... "
" ... Will also take photos. ... "
" ... It has the same quality video as a 2003 cell phone camera. ... "
" ... Great camera/doorbell. ... "
" ... Camera quality was my other top concern. ... "
Overall performance
16skybell, good job, upload speed, speed, done
+81%
-19%
" ... In general it does a good job. ... "
" ... I would buy again as it seems to do the job. ... "
" ... Works great and meets our expectations. ... "
" ... (Despite now having twice the recommended upload speed.) ... "
" ... The key factor is super fast upload speeds w/ minimum of 1.5Mbps or better. ... "
" ... Once it was done doing its thing it worked wonderfully. ... "
" ... Works pretty well. ... "
" ... Speed test was greater than 10mbps up and down. ... "
Night Photography
15vision, clear, light, bright, picture
+87%
-13%
" ... Crystal clear during the day and really great night vision too. ... "
" ... Vision is very clear, day and night. ... "
" ... Realtive good night vision and good resolution ... "
" ... Night vision was a joke. ... "
" ... And the camera clarity was excellent in day or night mode. ... "
" ... The picture quality is incredible in daylight or at night. ... "
" ... Bright clear images even at night. ... "
" ... I was skeptical at the night vision, especially if the porch light was off but it is actually really clear just as advertised. ... "
Controls
14doorbell, press, someone pushed, pressed, door bell
+57%
-43%
" ... Alerts my phone within 2 seconds with motion or button press. ... "
" ... The microphone on your phone though is always on mute and you press and hold a button on the screen to talk. ... "
" ... There are lots of adjustments for light, volume, color of led, chime, etc. ... "
" ... With kids the alarm is always going off which is fine but I have accidentally not noticed when someone pushed the actual button because I am used to hearing the motion notification tone. ... "
" ... I have tested the unit both for motion and button pushes and it has worked each time. ... "
" ... Given that, the stream is clear and steady when I do press the live view button. ... "
" ... + change LED color, volume of outdoor chime, sound of outdoor chime ... "
Color
14led, image, night, colors, change
+71%
-29%
" ... The image quality, including nighttime color, is quite impressive. ... "
" ... The night video recording is especially impressive, it even has color. ... "
" ... At night there is a little LED which emits a bright light so you get a color image. ... Speaking of LED's if you don't like the default green LED color you can change it to any color and intensity in the color spectrum. ... "
" ... Liked the option to change LED colors or turn off completely. ... "
" ... I changed my color to be constantly white to try to make it more discreet but the top still lights up so you know something's happening. ... "
" ... As others have noted, the images are remarkable, but the power is in the usability (note to Skybell: LOVED the color coding of the LEDs during set up and use) . ... "
" ... Picture is clear both during the day with strong colors. ... "
" ... Of course the fact that the LED can be adjusted to any colour is quite cool as well. ... "
Delivery
14delivered, arrived, received, packages, arrive
+50%
-50%
" ... It was definitely opened before. ... "
" ... All I received was an empty box. ... "
" ... I even asked for a callback and never received one. ... "
" ... I returned it as it was delivered with parts missing ... "
" ... United arrived defective, missing a contact lead on back. ... "
" ... Over a week has gone by, several follow up email but I have yet to receive any information the replacement unit has shipped. ... "
" ... Positives- It was supposed to arrive Sunday but it arrived Saturday instead (thanks Amazon! ... "
Features
13features, led, turn, options, green
+69%
-31%
" ... The light that turns on when motion is detected helps deter unwanted traffic / visitor. ... "
" ... Also, really have liked the customization of the color of LED. ... "
" ... Also, I love that I can turn off the indoor bell - in turn I can also us IFTTT to flicker lights inside the house for a silent visible cue that someone is at the door (used in combination with WeMo light switches) ... "
" ... Great idea, cool features but it just doesn't work properly and customer support is not helpful. ... "
" ... I like the many different options and settings. ... "
" ... + Price to features/performance value ... "
ISP
13speed, provisioning, router, connection, upload
+62%
-38%
" ... We've synced correctly and checked internet speeds. ... "
" ... I chose it over ring and others because there is no monthly fees, and you can use it on demand. ... "
" ... We have GIGABIT fiber optic internet. ... "
" ... Now to get faster internet . ... "
" ... My internet speed is roughly 25 mbs. ... "
" ... Just have a fast enough internet connection and your good to go. ... "
Fit
12plastic, screw that holds, plate, mount, tighten
+33%
-67%
" ... put me on hold an drop the call, 3 times ... "
" ... Only way to revive is to remove it from the mount for 5 minutes and remount. ... "
" ... Both screws were messed up and we had to jimmy rig it to get it working. ... "
" ... At that point, the entire plate was rendered worthless, because there is literally no way to loosen that screw anymore. ... "
" ... The allen screw that holds the cover on broke in place, which is a drag. ... "
Cables
11doorbell, existing, wire, wiring, screws
+64%
-36%
" ... Installation was easy, Just two wires. ... "
" ... They sent me a free power bypass cable and a wireless doorbell chime to use in place of my old mechanical one ($30 value). ... "
" ... The wires will prevent it from mating fully. ... "
" ... The Ring required fooling around with additional wires inside the existing doorbell. ... "
" ... It uses the existing power wires that go to the doorbell. ... "
" ... Installed very easily with the existing doorbell wires. ... "
" ... The basic system runs off of your existing two wire doorbell hookup. ... "
Volume
10loud static, speaker, chime, skybell, hum
+10%
-90%
" ... The ringing sound is not loud as before, the camera sometimes show up on iphone and sometimes it does not ... "
" ... When I view live to try to talk with someone I get a loud hum. ... "
" ... The volume never did work correctly. ... "
" ... except that on the app I could see video but hear loud static. ... The visitor was not audible. ... "
" ... The only issue I have is the sound is kind of loud and noisy, like constant super loud static. ... I can still hear when someone talks but if no one is talking it's just loud static. ... "
" ... I called skybell as soon as it changed and they said that some customers complained that the chime was not loud enough. ... The chime was loud enough for me! ... "
" ... First, there have been a few times where the speaker on the SkyBell has produced a loud static sound that lasts for close to a minute. ... "
" ... I am not sure if this is static, or feedback from the microphone, but it is very loud. ... "
Defective Delivery
10received, returned, product, one, missing
+10%
-90%
" ... All I received was an empty box. ... "
" ... I had a package stolen from in front of my home and thought this would at least let me see the video of who it was. ... "
" ... I even asked for a callback and never received one. ... "
" ... I returned it as it was delivered with parts missing ... "
" ... United arrived defective, missing a contact lead on back. ... "
" ... The first one I received was defective and needed replacement. ... "
" ... I'll be returning this second unit ad defective too. ... "
" ... I have no idea what happened. ... "
Review Spam Test
In order to keep our review summaries as accurate as possible, we aggressively detect fake reviews. We use various signals to detect unnatural patterns and will gradually expose them here.
Spam Test could not be completed. Click here to retry.
Specifications
Body
Size: 2.8 meters
Connectivity
WiFi: Yes
Display
Resolution: Full HD 1080p
Recommendations
...