The Tapo D225 is a remarkable video doorbell from TP-Link’s smart home brand Tapo. It’s somewhat of a rarity, offering dual-powered functionality and an array of enticing features. This includes free 24/7 local recording and free smart alerts for people, packages, and pets, all at an astonishingly affordable price of under $100. The free continuous video recording (CVR) is a standout feature, almost unheard of in this price range and without the need for a hub.

The Tapo can operate on battery or be hardwired to your doorbell wiring. For free recording and CVR, a microSD card is necessary, and continuous recording requires a wired connection. There’s also the option of cloud storage starting at $2.79 per month for 30 days of video history, which is cheaper than many competitors.

The continuous recording feature, dubbed Always On Mode, is the D225’s greatest strength. It overcomes the common problem faced by most doorbells that lack continuous power supply, which often take a few seconds to wake up upon detecting motion, resulting in missed moments like only seeing the back of a person’s head as they walk away.

The Tapo D225 is a 2K-capable device that works both with and without wires. When connected to your doorbell wiring, it enables continuous video recording but requires bypassing your existing chime. A plug-in chime is included, and the 10,000mAh battery is trickle-charged, ensuring the buzzer works even during power outages.

If you choose the battery-only option, Tapo claims it can last up to eight months on a single charge, but recharging requires removing the entire doorbell. CVR is not available in wireless mode; instead, the doorbell can record clips locally to a microSD card or the cloud.

The D225’s size is considerable due to its large battery, being twice the size of the Nest Doorbell Wired. It has a modern and tech-savvy look that might appeal to some but could be a bit too flashy for others.

During testing over approximately a week, I was impressed with its daytime video quality, wide 180-degree field of view, and square aspect ratio that shows the entire porch without excessive fish-eye distortion. Night vision is also commendable, and you can activate an LED spotlight for color night vision, although it causes slightly more distortion. The absence of HDR imaging was a letdown, as some faces were in shadow on the covered front porch and the background was overexposed. However, overall, the images are clear, bright, and have a good zoom.

The Tapo sends rapid motion event alerts and can ring your phone like a regular call when someone presses the doorbell. This useful feature, offered by a few brands including Arlo, reduces the chances of missing someone at your door. The two-way talk on the Tapo is clear and straightforward to use.

The smart alerts for people, vehicles, pets, and packages were mostly accurate, but there were a few false alerts, such as mistaking a gecko crawling over the camera for a person.

The Tapo app has a pleasant user interface and is effortless to navigate. It fetches live and recorded video promptly and offers numerous customization options to tailor the doorbell to your specific requirements. These include quick replies, a privacy mode to turn off the camera, the ability to schedule notifications, set detection zones, and specify the types of alerts you wish to receive from each. Tapo’s extensive smart home ecosystem allows you to connect the doorbell to automations controlling other Tapo devices like smart lights and robot vacuum cleaners.