Remo+ DoorCam 2 review: The easiest way to monitor your front porch

The Remo+ DoorCam 2 is an over-the-door security camera for people who can’t or don’t want to install a fixed video doorbell.

It’s a good option for renters, and offers many of the functions of a video doorbell, except it’s missing a key feature: a doorbell function. That’s not a criticism, but you should keep it in mind when buying.

This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best video doorbells, where you’ll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping for this type of product.

Installation

Installation was very fast and simple. The camera sits over the top of a door with a camera unit on the outside and the electronics and battery pack on the inside. Thanks to this, it cannot be stolen or pulled off a door without considerable effort.

Martyn Williams / IDG

This arrangement does mean you’ll need to measure up your door to ensure the camera can sit up there without obstruction. On my front door, there’s a small series of glass panels at the top and the border was in the way when I attempted to install this at the center of the door. Luckily, I could move it to one side but if the panel had been larger, this wouldn’t have fit. The unit drops 5.3 inches down from the top of the door.

You’ll also need to be careful if you have a screen in front of a solid door. In that case the screen might hit the camera head, or the camera will be looking through the screen.

The front and back units are connected via an adjustable metal bracket that allows you to get a good fit on the door.

It’s powered by three D cells and over the three weeks I tested it, the battery indicator in the app didn’t drop below full. There is an option to run it via a USB cable.

Remo+

In Use

The video quality from the camera is average. While not as good as some high-end doorbell cameras, it’s easily good enough to clearly see what’s going on at your doorstep. The camera lens has a 160-degree field of view, so it will catch everything going on in front of the door.

There are three quality levels that can be set by the user: low is VGA resolution (640×480 pixels), average is 1280×720 high definition, and best is 1920×1080 full high definition.

Martyn Williams / IDG

The camera has an infrared night-vision function that worked OK, but I found the image to be a little subpar because too much of the infrared light reflected off my doorframe and caused the camera to compensate, resulting in an overly flat image. Viewing distance was much shorter than in the daytime—Remo says it’s about 3 meters (10 feet) and it covered the doorstep just fine.

The sensitivity of the trigger can also be set to low, medium, or high, and I found that even on the low setting it triggered on squirrels running in front of my door.

When motion is detected, the camera initially sends a photo and within a minute, a 30-second video file is available to view in the app.

Martyn Williams / IDG

Motion is the only way this door-cam is triggered. Unlike doorbell camera devices, there is no button to press and no chime will sound inside your house. This is a key difference between the DoorCam 2 and something like the Ring or Nest video doorbells.

If this is used in a home with an existing wired doorbell, then that’s not a problem. You’ll hear someone ring the doorbell and shortly after, you’ll receive the notification on your phone. The device does have a two-way talk feature, so you can remotely talk with people at your front door.

Martyn Williams / IDG

But if you don’t have an existing doorbell, if it doesn’t work, or if you’re planning to use this away from home, remember that unless you’re fast with seeing the notification, you might miss people at the door.

Conclusion

The Remo+ DoorCam 2 is an interesting device for renters and those who can’t set up a conventional video doorbell. It was easy to set up, will be easy to remove, and it worked well. There is little competition in its niche, so it’s worth considering if you face restrictions on other products. If you can install a video doorbell, however, you might find you benefit from the convenience of having a doorbell integrated into the system.