Lorex Doorbell Camera Review

Lorex Doorbell: Initial Thoughts

Right off the bat, let’s talk about how the 2K version of the Lorex video doorbell outshines its 1080p cousin. As the name implies, the 2K has better resolution. In addition, it also comes in a choice of black or white. We’ve got a white-framed door, so white was a natural fit. It’s the choice that impressed us most, though. Not a lot of security companies give you color options.

That being said, the doorbell’s design itself is a bit bland. Make no mistake, it’s packed with features, including 2K resolution and person detection. But the package … it looks just like a plain old video doorbell with its rectangular shape, square camera face that stands out against its white backdrop, and ring button that glows green ever so subtly. Our first thought was that it looked a bit like the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro from the budget-friendly brand Wyze.

Lorex Doorbell Camera Box

Even so, Lorex’s doorbell is smaller and slimmer than comparable offerings from other companies. Take Ring, for instance. When we reviewed Ring’s Video Doorbell 3, one of things that turned us off a little was how big and bulky the unit was.

To be fair, there are two schools of thought on this. Some people think that outdoor security equipment needs to be highly noticeable to ward off would-be intruders. Other folks prefer to have smaller, more discrete equipment. Count us in this latter camp. We think Lorex does a good job with this, but if you’re interested in checking out another doorbell that walks the line well, check out our review of the Blink video doorbell.

At some point, we stopped looking at Lorex’s video doorbell long enough to consider the price tag. The 2K version starts at $149.99 and tops out at $179.99.

Here’s the thing, though. Once we’d paid for the device itself, we were done. No contracts; no monthly fees. Lorex doesn’t offer professional monitoring of any kind. That can be a downside for some folks. We recommend full-service monitoring, because you can never know when you may be too busy to monitor your own system. The good news is that Lorex helps to minimize the hassle of self-monitoring, though, by providing multiple storage options for free.

In addition, Lorex offers several local storage options. Sometimes that means NVR and DVR options. In the case of the video doorbell, local storage means a pre-inserted micro SD card.2 Local storage is a fairly unique feature. Most self-monitoring companies require you to sign up for – and pay for – cloud storage plans. With Lorex, once you’ve bought the equipment, you’re done paying.

Getting Our Lorex Doorbell Online

We have experience setting up Lorex cameras, so right off the bat, we knew to look for the camera’s QR code. Once we found that and scanned it, Loarex’s app made it simple to hook the camera up to our home Wi-Fi network.

We found the QR code in two convenient locations. First, it was on the backplate of the doorbell itself. The second location was inside the box. From there, it was pretty self-explanatory. We scanned the code, entered our Wi-Fi credentials, and followed the prompts until the end. In just a couple of minutes, the doorbell was all synced up and connected to Wi-Fi.

Installing the Lorex Doorbell

Syncing was easy enough, but how was the installation process? We were pleased to see everything we needed for the job right there in the box, including a detailed instruction manual. (That manual, we learned, is also available on Lorex’s website.)

We chose a hardwired version of the doorbell, but you should know that Lorex now offers a battery-operated version as well.

Now obviously hardwiring a doorbell is a bit more challenging than mounting a battery-operated one. And our install process didn’t exactly go as smoothly as we would have liked. To be honest, though, that wasn’t the unit’s fault. Our house is pretty old and the existing doorbell cables aren’t really in the best shape. If you’re in the same boat, or don’t know what boat you’re even in, carve out some time in your day for this installation. It’s not the hardest DIY project out there, but it can be a little difficult.

Since the unit is so narrow and needed to be flush with our door frame, we had to do some strange hand contortions to secure our cables to the camera, and then bend and twist all those cables between the camera and the mounting plate. From there, we endured a couple more hits and misses before we had power going from the chime to the doorbell.

Having small hands proved very helpful here; so did the extra cable connectors that Lorex includes in the box. Might we (strongly) suggest, though, that you turn off the power to your doorbell before you get to the wiring? Electrical shocks are no fun. Better yet, call in an electrician.

Installing the Lorex Doorbell Camera

Since this unit comes with a chime kit, we knew it would require getting into our chime box as well. Of course, we could have skipped this step and continued using our existing doorbell chime, if we were pressed for time. But we decided our old, mechanical chime could use an upgrade.

This portion of the installation, thankfully, was more straightforward. We simply opened the chime box on our wall, disconnected our old chime, and wired in the included Lorex Chime Kit. In fact, armed with Lorex’s thorough instructions, this part was easier than what we’ve experienced connecting other doorbell chimes.

Lorex Doorbell Camera Chime Kit

We’ve tested (and installed) dozens of video doorbells. The installation process varies wildly. We’ve installed battery-powered doorbells that snapped into place in seconds, but the fact is wired doorbells take a little time. We set aside the whole afternoon to take care of ours, though it didn’t take that long. It helped that Lorex included a detailed manual and provided all the parts we needed for installation.

All in all, we spent just under two hours getting the whole system online. That’s definitely longer than the time we spent installing Ring’s Doorbell Elite, namely because Ring’s hardware was sturdier and popped into place more easily.

Lorex Doorbell Camera

Our Full Experience with Lorex Doorbell

Happy that the installation process was completed, we turned our attention to Lorex’s equipment and technology and found that they are both solid. Next, we ran through our doorbell tests. With Lorex, we got mostly what we expected: A camera that let us know instantly who was out our door.

The keyword here is instantly. We live in an area with a lot of package theft. If you’re going to stand a chance of catching porch pirates, you have to be fast. We hate going through the process of replacing a package, so this was a crucial feature for us. Of course, speed isn’t just important for catching package thieves. If you’re dealing with a break-in, every second counts. You want emergency teams as soon as possible.

Lorex Doorbell Camera Device Log

The camera’s video quality is also worth noting. 2K is more than two times the resolution of Lorex’s 1080p doorbell. We haven’t checked out Lorex’s recently introduced 4K video doorbell, but we can only imagine it lets you count the hairs on the back of the dog from next door that’s always hanging around on your porch.

We’ve personally tested dozens of doorbell cameras from all the best brands, and as surprising as it sounds, there are only a handful of 2K and 4K video doorbells on the market. The other big names in the industry – Ring, Arlo, Google Nest, SkyBell, etc. – use 1080p HD or the slightly higher 1560p resolution. That automatically makes the Lorex 2K video doorbell one of the best in terms of video quality.

We should note that Lorex 2K doorbells are tied to a Wi-Fi signal. As a result, the video footage fluctuates between standard and high definition to avoid overloading the network. We also saw this when we reviewed SkyBell’s Video Doorbell – a pretty good picture most of the time, but not always.

The audio quality passed our test, too. The video doorbell uses full duplex two-way audio.

As an aside, our tests of the Lorex device happened to coincide with a pretty legit snowstorm in our neck of the woods, leaving us with 6-8 inches of pretty white stuff when all was said and done. We thought the scene would make for some calming, tranquil footage, even without a human involved. We think we were right.

Of course, it helped that the doorbell is rated to temperatures as low as four degrees below zero Fahrenheit. For those in warmer climates, it’s also rated up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. As a bonus, it also has an IP65 rating. That means it’s dust tight and can resist low-pressure water jets. In other words, it could have handled much worse than our weather.

Check out this short video of the Lorex doorbell:

Person Detection

Lorex Motion Detection

Like the wireless Lorex security cameras we’ve reviewed previously, the Lorex Doorbell includes a mode for person detection. This is becoming a standard camera feature, especially among video doorbells. Even so, we’re glad to see it.

With person detection turned on, we were alerted only when someone was at the door. Not when a car passed by, not when a tree branch blew in the wind, not when a stray cat crept across the walkway looking for food. That meant every time we got an alert, we knew it was triggered by a person. Studies have shown that too many false alerts cause homeowners to let their guard down.

We spent a little time testing out the camera’s other three modes, too. Lorex never missed a beat. Again, many home security cameras are offering multiple detection modes now, but Lorex impressed us.

Lorex Doorbell Camera Video Quality

164-degree Field of View

How much coverage a doorbell camera provides depends largely on the camera’s viewing angle. Of course, this varies from brand to brand. The Lorex 2K Doorbell is above average with its 164-degree angle. We have seen larger angles though. When we reviewed Blue by ADT’s doorbell, we discovered it provides a whopping 180-degree angle. That’s as wide as possible. Still, 164 degrees definitely sets Lorex apart.

Having a nice, wide video is certainly a plus — especially when you’re trying to track packages and other deliveries. In that regard, Lorex really nails it. Note that you will need to fiddle with it some to get the angle just right. You do want it to be pointing down slightly so you can see when items arrive:

But to put things in perspective, we’re used to seeing 120- to 140-degree fields of view from Lorex’s competitors, so 164-degrees felt like a luxury to have.

Color Night Vision

As a brand with a huge selection, Lorex has been in our testing repertoire many times over. Their outdoor Wi-Fi camera was an early favorite of ours, namely due to the impressive color night vision.

Lorex Doorbell Camera Night Vision

We’ve found that in most cameras, the higher the video resolution, the better the night vision. Keep in mind, then, that Lorex’s outdoor cam maxes out at 1080p resolution, which is still excellent HD quality but not quite as spectacular as the Lorex Doorbell.

With the doorbell cam, we get a picture that’s not only in full color, but that’s also sharper than some daytime camera footage we’ve seen. It’s a far better picture than the one we got from SimpliSafe’s 720p SimpliCam, for instance, which doesn’t have color night vision and maxes out at standard definition. But honestly, SimpliSafe is better known for their affordable DIY security system — so if you’re interested in total home security, see our SimpliSafe review.

Of course, some folks aren’t all that concerned with video quality or night vision in a doorbell cam; they just want a quality device to monitor visitors and help them feel safer in their homes. Lorex delivered that for us easily, but check out our full doorbell camera buying guide for even more ideas.

View from the Lorex Doorbell Camera

Smart Home Integration

Lorex doorbells work with both Alexa and Google Home. There was no Apple HomeKit compatibility, but that’s rare in the home security market. We were actually more bothered by the fact that there was no IFTTT support. With IFTTT, you can create all sorts of groovy routines connecting smart home components together. Oh well. We had no trouble pulling up the live feed on our Amazon Echo Show, one of the Alexa-enabled devices in our home, to get a quick peek at who was at our door. So we were happy enough.

One of the cool things about Lorex is that you don’t even need an existing smart platform. You can integrate your doorbell into Lorex’s own proprietary Smart Home Security System. With a centralized hub, that system lets you view and record footage, talk to visitors, and turn cameras on and off with just the tap of a finger. The system also now includes facial detection technology for added security. Plus, you can use bluetooth to connect your home speakers for streaming music throughout your home.

Still, Lorex’s relatively limited capabilities when it comes to integration was a definite disappointment in relation to competitors like Arlo. As we noted in our Arlo Video Doorbell review, Arlo supports pairing with all of the major smart home platforms. So if you’re a smart home aficionado, you might want to look at Arlo instead.

Feature Summary

So overall, the Lorex 2K video doorbell does offer intriguing features. We summarized and ranked the features here in order of their importance and usefulness. If you agree that these are the best features to look for, then the Lorex 2K video doorbell will likely work great for you.

Lorex Doorbell Camera Pricing

The brand’s aversion to monthly fees and contracts4 makes Lorex a great pick for the budget-conscious, and this rings true with their video doorbell, too. Even with an upgrade in video resolution, Lorex still prices their latest doorbell fairly at $199.99. And, it was on sale for $150 at the time of this writing. (They also have a 1080p option for $79.99, if you’re interested.) For all of that without monthly fees, we’d say this is a pretty decent deal.

It’s certainly not the cheapest way to keep tabs on your front door while you’re at work, though. Then again, most doorbells don’t have 2K HDR video. We don’t necessarily need 2K in a doorbell cam, but we do admit it’s a nice picture.

For what it’s worth, Lorex Doorbell is only $10 more than SimpliSafe’s Video Doorbell Pro. We’d consider both devices around the middle range in pricing. You could always go bigger, like the more advanced Vivint Doorbell Pro, for $249; you’ll get a pretty mind-blowing set of features, not to mention an even slimmer design that’s ideal for apartments and small spaces.

And if you’re interested in keeping an eye on more than just your entryway, here’s a quick breakdown of some of Lorex’s security camera offerings:

Our Final Thoughts on the Lorex Doorbell

When all was said and done, we found a few trouble spots in the installation and hardwiring stage to keep us from fully falling in love with the Lorex 2K QHD Wired Video Doorbell. For older homes like ours, hardwiring is already a challenge. But on top of that, Lorex’s equipment didn’t snap into place very easily, so by the time it was all done, we knew we had spent much more time installing this device than other doorbell cams we’ve used.

That said, Lorex still managed to pack plenty of power into its wired doorbell cam, giving us an overall smooth and hassle-free experience monitoring everyone entering and leaving our home.3 More than that, though, we were intrigued by the 2K resolution. This, after all, is not something we see every day, even in the industry’s best doorbell cameras. Combined with color night vision, we enjoyed the view each time we peeked over at our live feed.

We have little doubt this device would give you the peace of mind you’re looking for in a doorbell cam – but prepare for a tricky installation (or hire a handyman!).

Frequently Asked Questions