Nooie Doorbell Cam review

For a brand that’s still carving out a name for itself, Nooie’s doorbell is dressed to impress with a 158-degree field of view, infrared night vision (up to 49-feet), and timely smart alerts that quickly notify you when someone is there. It supports pre-recorded responses if you can’t answer the door, loud and clear two-way talk, and works well with smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google, (but it’s not compatible with Apple’s Siri). Nooie's wireless doorbell also maintains a stable connection to WiFi, making sure that you're never without a way to see what's unfolding outside. I've been impressed with the dapper doorbell cam since installing it. Though it's not without a few minor flaws, it performs nicely, and is in the same league as some of the best video doorbells out there.

About the Nooie Doorbell Cam

Here are the Nooie Doorbell Cam specs:

• Price: $149.99
• Colors: Beige
• Connectivity: Dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz/5GHz)
• Smart assistants: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
• Installation type: Rechargeable battery
• Weather rating: -4 degrees Fahrenheit to 104 degrees Fahrenheit
• Video Resolution: 2K HDR
• Dimensions: 6.6" H x 2.4" W x 1.7" D

The doorbell runs through the Nooie Home app, where you can finetune the camera's motion sensitivity settings and set schedules for when you want to receive push notifications. To review smart alerts, you’ll need a Nooie cloud storage plan (free 30-day trial is included with your purchase) or a microSD card (up to 128GB). Plans start at $1/month.

From a privacy/security standpoint, while no connected device is completely secure from intruders, for its part Nooie claims all videos are encrypted before being uploaded to the cloud and can't be accessed by a third party. For some added peace of mind, the doorbell comes with a one-year warranty, a built-in anti-theft siren, and a safety lock to make sure no one swipes your doorbell. A base station is required to use the Nooie Doorbell Cam and is included with your purchase. The base station also functions as an indoor chime, with multiple options for ringtones, which I had no problem hearing from any room in my 1,400 square-foot house.

What we like

Trendy look and feel

Coming from someone who plays with a lot of video doorbells, the fact that this doesn’t look like a traditional video doorbell is refreshing. Nooie’s innovative approach to designing smart home devices is also one of the reasons I liked the Nooie Cam 360 so much—it’s an indoor camera that doesn’t look like a straight-up security camera.

Compared to Ring video doorbells, which have pretty much followed the same basic design since launching in 2014, Nooie’s crisp-and-clean beige color scheme stands out as one of the trendiest doorbells we’ve tested. Many doorbells come in black or bronze colorways, which gets a bit boring after a while, especially when doorbells from brands like Nest and Arlo look almost identical.

The included chime is covered in a matching mesh fabric (similar to what the Nest Audio speaker is wrapped with) and it can be plugged into a nearby electrical outlet. (Quick tip from me to you: Due to the size of the chime, plug it into the bottom socket to ensure you still have access to the top socket.)

Fantastic video quality

Recording in 2K HDR video like our best value video doorbell, Eufy’s Security WiFi Video Doorbell, Nooie’s Cam Doorbell provides a picture that’s clear and easy to see no matter what time of day it is. The camera’s infrared night vision helps you see what’s going on even when it's dark out, though it’s a tad grainy once you start zooming in, but looks just as good as any Ring doorbell I’ve tried.

Remarkable battery life

Even the best video doorbell we’ve tested, the Arlo Essential Wire-Free Doorbell, only stays charged for up to six months at a time, but Nooie’s battery-powered doorbell camera claims to stay powered for up to 10 months. It comes with a 10,000mAh rechargeable battery (just make sure to give it a full charge using the included USB-C cable before installing the doorbell). The entire camera does have to come down to recharge the battery, which is kind of a pain, but you can easily pop it back on to give the appearance it’s recording even if it’s not.

Nooie’s battery life is impressive, especially since most wireless Ring doorbellshave a battery life of 6-12 months per charge. The less time you have to spend charging your smart doorbell, the more time it has to watch over your home. While a wired doorbell is the only way to ensure continuous power, a battery-powered doorbell like Nooie’s gives you the option to place it anywhere on the exterior of your home.

Works well with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant

You can use smart assistants like Alexa and Google to control and manage your Nooie doorbell, though Apple’s Siri isn’t compatible. My favorite way to use assistants is to pair it with a smart display like Amazon’s Echo Show 10 or Google’s Nest Hub Max, either of which will pull up a live stream of the camera if you ask. Alexa and Google-enabled smart speakers can also make announcements when someone presses the doorbell.

What we don’t like

Bigger than other video doorbells

The Nooie doorbell is bulkier than any other smart doorbell I’ve tested. As long as you’ve got enough space for installation, the mammoth size of this doorbell shouldn’t be an issue, but it is something to be aware of. If you want a reliable video doorbell that offers many of the same features but a slimmer, more discreet profile, the Arlo Essential Wire-Free Video Doorbell is your best bet. It’s our top pick for video doorbells and is roughly one inch smaller across the board than the Nooie Doorbell Cam.

Not as smart as other video doorbells

The Nooie Doorbell Cam doesn’t offer the best intelligent smart alerts, as it only notifies you when someone rings the doorbell or appears in front of the camera. Other top-rated doorbells from Nest and Arlo can differentiate between people, packages, animals, and more. Intelligent smart alerts are a deal breaker for me because doorbells aren’t just for pressing anymore—people like me are using them as home security cameras and the smarter they are, the more value and protection they offer.

However, if you don’t want to be bothered with excess alerts, the Nooie Doorbell Cam is quick to detect when someone walks in front of the camera, and instantly sends notifications. Clicking the notification in real time opens up the Nooie Home app, where you will be redirected to the camera's live stream while the recorded event processes. After a couple of minutes, the clip will appear in the app, along with the rest of your camera’s video history. This processing time didn’t cause any headaches for me since the live stream can be pulled up quickly, but something to be aware of.

One more thing to note: Nooie’s camera uses PIR motion detection to detect when a person is there, which can be shut off in the Nooie Home app, and can help preserve battery life. However, when you disable PIR motion detection, you will only get alerts when someone rings the doorbell.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you want a wireless video doorbell with great battery life.

Nooie might be relatively unknown in the smart home market, but this doorbell is quickly shaping up to contend with the best of them. From the super sharp video quality to its impressive battery life and smooth integration with Alexa and Google, there’s a lot to love about the Nooie Doorbell Cam. It also offers one of the most affordable cloud-storage plans, and an uncomplicated, wire-free setup.

One minor downside to this doorbell is that it is larger than others, though it’s hardly a gripe and more an FYI than anything else. It also isn’t smart enough to differentiate between cars, packages, and animals like our favorite, the Arlo Wire-Free Essential Video Doorbell—it only sends alerts when motion or people are detected. While it's a bit pricier, if you want the smartest video front door camera there is, Arlo’s wireless doorbell won't let you down.

If you don't mind wiring in, Eufy’s Security WiFi Video Doorbell is our top choice for a value packed video doorbell. It’s slightly more expensive than Nooie’s, but it’s almost always on sale for about $30 less than retail price—and though it requires existing doorbell wires, that also means you don’t have to worry about recharging the battery. It records incredible video, works with Alexa/Google, and includes free encrypted cloud storage. Like Nooie's, it only sends notifications for people and doorbell presses, but there are no processing delays for recorded events.

Nooie’s Doorbell Cam is still worthy of your attention, though, especially if you’re looking to buy a smart video doorbell that promises one of the longest battery life spans we’ve seen.