TP-Link Tapo 2K Video Doorbell (D230S1) review

Caught in 2K.

TP-Link Tapo 2K Video Doorbell
4 out of 5 stars
4
  • pro
    Great video quality
  • pro
    No monthly fees
  • pro
    Easy installation

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Georgia Dixon
Dec 19, 2023
Icon Time To Read3 min read

We’re big fans of TP-Link’s range of Tapo smart home and security products here at SafeWise, but there’s always been one thing missing from their Australian lineup—a video doorbell. That’s all changed with the release of the Tapo 2K Video Doorbell, a mid-range offering that’s attempting to give the likes of Google Nest and Ring a run for their money.

pro
Pros
pro Excellent picture quality
pro No monthly fees
pro Easy, renter-friendly installation
pro Local storage
con
Cons
con Chunky design
con Vertical viewing range could be better
con No microSD included

TP-Link Tapo 2K Video Doorbell price

TP-Link

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Tapo 2K Video Doorbell retails for $299, which puts it in a similar price range to the Google Nest Doorbell ($329) and the Ring Doorbell Plus with Chime ($309). However, Tapo’s offering has an edge over the competition in that it offers free local storage capabilities and advanced features at no extra cost.

To put that in perspective, the Nest Doorbell comes with three hours of free cloud storage, with any additional storage or access to advanced features starting from $12 per month, while Ring comes with no free storage (cloud or otherwise) and starts at $4.99 per month for cloud storage and advanced features.

Checklist
What's in the box?
  • Tapo 2K Video Doorbell
  • Tapo H200 Hub with power adapter and ethernet cable
  • Removable battery pack
  • Mounting bracket, wedge, screws, anchors and adhesive
  • Doorbell detaching pin

TP-Link Tapo 2K Video Doorbell design and setup

There’s no getting around it—this is one chunky-lookin’ doorbell. If you’re after something subtle, the Tapo 2K Video Doorbell with its thick design, is probably not the best choice. That said, it is surprisingly lightweight. It’s also rated IP64 and can operate in temperatures as high as 45°C, which should make it weatherproof enough to deal with most conditions.

Interestingly, the Tapo 2K Video Doorbell comes with “Press Here” stickers in multiple languages to place on the white bell button. It’s a smart inclusion, considering how prominent (and confusingly button-looking) the PIR motion sensor is—I can see it tripping people up.

Installing the doorbell is simple, and refreshingly renter-friendly. The kit comes with anchors, screws and a mounting wedge should you decide to affix it to brick, stone or wood, but it also includes 3M adhesive for even easier installation.

Before attaching the doorbell to the mount, you’ll need to give the battery pack a full charge and set up the included Tapo Hub. Having to use a hub can be a bit of a pain, considering there are so many doorbells that don’t require one. However, the Tapo Hub is quite versatile—it works as a chime, as local storage (though you will need to bring your own microSD card) and as a control centre for any other Tapo products you may already have (or plan on getting down the road), like security cameras, motion detectors and contact sensors.

TP-Link Tapo 2K Video Doorbell features and performance

Perhaps the biggest drawcard of the Tapo 2K Video Doorbell is right there in the name—the 2K video is crystal clear and somewhat of a rarity at this price point. The inbuilt spotlight and starlight sensor mean night vision, too, is crisp and in colour, although if you install it on a recessed front door (like I did), any obstructions will affect the lighting.

The only slight letdown in terms of picture quality is the field of view. The Tapo 2K Video Doorbell claims to boast a “head-to-toe” view, but in my testing, that’s only true if the visitor in question is standing a good distance away from the door. Although 160° isn’t necessarily a bad diagonal field of view, it just skews more horizontally, meaning the vertical view isn’t quite as extensive, so you won’t be able to see your doorstep, for example.

The doorbell is controlled through the Tapo app, which is one of the more user-friendly and responsive home security apps we’ve tested through the years. From there, you can easily check the doorbell’s live feed (which only takes a few seconds to load), turn the spotlight on or off, enable or disable privacy mode, play a quick response, or initiate two-way talk. Go a bit deeper into the settings and you can tweak the wake-up settings, image detection (the doorbell can detect motion, people, pets and vehicles), storage and recording settings, video quality, night vision and privacy modes.

I appreciate that the doorbell uses the same battery pack found in other Tapo security cameras (including the two-camera C420S2 kit), and additional batteries cost $50, making it easy to swap out and keep the doorbell constantly powered. Having only spent a couple of weeks with the Tapo 2K Video Doorbell, I can’t vouch for the claim of up to six months of battery life, but given it’s still at 94%, I don’t doubt it.

Final word

The Tapo 2K Video Doorbell isn’t revolutionary, but it does offer great value for money and the versatility to build up your smart home in the future. The video quality is excellent, it’s easy to install, and as always, we love any doorbell or security camera that doesn’t force you to fork out a monthly fee.


Disclaimer
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time of publish and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the retailer’s website at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. SafeWise Australia utilises paid affiliate links.
Georgia Dixon
Written by
Georgia Dixon has 10 years of experience writing about all things tech, entertainment and lifestyle. She has bylines on Reviews.org, 7NEWS, Stuff.co.nz, in TechLife magazine and more. In 2023 she won Best News Writer at the Consensus IT Awards, and in 2024 she was a finalist for Best News Journalist at the Samsung IT Journalism Awards (The Lizzies). In her spare time, you'll find her playing games and daydreaming about good food, wine, and dogs.

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