Kangaroo Doorbell Camera

When we heard that Kangaroo had made a doorbell camera for only $19.99, we were shocked and a little bit suspicious. Most video doorbells cost around $115, which is about five times as much money. Could Kangaroo, a relatively new smart home security company, really produce a doorbell camera for that tiny budget? In this page, we’re breaking down all of the costs associated with the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera, not only the equipment itself but also storage and monitoring fees, and whether or not it’s worth the money.

Kangaroo and Voice Commands

Another catch with the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera is its lack of integrations with voice assistants. It doesn’t work with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. This may not be a big issue for some, but if you use smart speakers or displays, you’re going to want to have access to voice commands and integrations to unlock your smart home’s full potential.

Kangaroo Doorbell Camera and Package Pricing

We bought the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera and Chime as a standalone package, although it’s also available as part of the larger Front Door Security Kit.

If you’re starting off with home security, the Front Door Security Kit is cheaper than buying all of the components individually; it’s even free if you sign up for a year of Kangaroo Complete, which costs the same amount as the entire kit! As far as installation went, we installed the doorbell camera ourselves, which saved us from having to pay big money for professional installation; rather, all we needed were our hands and five mm black screws. We picked these up from the hardware store for very little money, so if you’re on a budget, Kangaroo may be speaking to you directly.

More Kangaroo Equipment Prices

Of course, Kangaroo isn’t fully centered on their video doorbells. They also offer different singular components, packages and accessories that complement the doorbell camera nicely.

Note that Kangaroo’s Porch Protection Plan and Kangaroo Complete plans differ based on what equipment you get; for example, if you get a security kit, which we tested out, then Kangaroo Complete will include 24/7 professional monitoring and integrations with Alexa and Google Assistant, among other premium features. But to keep things simple, we’re only showing you the plans relevant to the doorbell camera, which brings us to our next section…

Kangaroo Cloud Storage Costs

Just because the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera doesn’t record video didn’t mean that we didn’t want to save the photos it took. For free, the photos were saved in cloud storage for a day, but we could’ve upgraded to a year of cloud storage for only $23.88 a year, which comes down to $1.99 a month with the Porch Protection Plan. For $10 a month or $99 a year, we could’ve opted for Kangaroo Complete, which made us eligible for a homeowner’s discount. Since we aren’t even close to owning homes yet, we went with the Porch Protection plan. It’s not surprising that Kangaroo offers cloud storage, as the cloud industry was valued at over $46 billion in 2019.1 Yes, billion with a B. However, we wish the doorbell camera also had a slot for a micro-SD card so we could store the photos locally (and for more than one day without paying a subscription fee).

Now, what’s a bit confusing about Kangaroo’s plans is that their features differ based on what equipment you get, so if we had their security system, Kangaroo’s price would’ve made more sense, as it would’ve included 24/7 professional monitoring. Learn more in our Kangaroo security system review, or read our Kangaroo security system pricing page; here, we’re just focusing on their doorbell camera.

Kangaroo Doorbell Camera: What We Liked

If you want to learn more about the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera, we recommend reading our full Kangaroo Doorbell Camera review, but here’s a preview of what we liked the most:

• Large temperature range: Working in temperatures from negative four to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera fits into most climates.
• Wireless with long battery life: After sticking it to our front door frame, we didn’t have to change the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera’s battery for a year.
• Infrared night vision: Although we were only given pictures as opposed to videos, the nighttime shots turned out pretty well thanks to the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera’s infrared LED sensors.
• Easy installation: Since the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera is wireless, installation was as easy as placing a bumper sticker on our car. Since professional installation for outdoor cameras normally costs somewhere around $250 to $540,2 that puts money back in our pockets, where it will hopefully stay.
• Affordable price: At only $19.99, the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera is by far the most affordable doorbell camera we’ve tested out (although it doesn’t include video or two-way audio like most of the models we’ve tested).
• User-friendly app: The Kangaroo: Simple Home Security app alerted us when our Kangaroo Doorbell Camera detected motion via notifications and screenshots.

Returning the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera

Since we prefer our doorbell cameras to record video, we ended up trying to return the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera; sad! But when we went to their website to return it, we found that they only accept returns from up to 30 days from the original ship date. Since we had tested the doorbell camera for months, we were way past that date, so no refund for us. However, if we had returned it in that time period, we could’ve expected a refund in three to five business days, not too shabby.

Cancelling A Kangaroo Subscription

Whether it’s a monthly or yearly subscription, if you want to cancel your Kangaroo subscription as we did, go into the Kangaroo: Simple Home Security app, click “My Account”, “My Plan” then “Cancel”. However, don’t think you’ll be able to get a pro-rated refund for an annual plan; rather, your car will be charged when you purchase it, so there’s little point in cancelling before the year’s up. Sorry, not sorry!

Kangaroo Payment Methods

When it comes to clicking purchase, we used a regular Visa debit card, but we could’ve also paid using any major credit card and even cryptocurrency. However, Kangaroo doesn’t accept any gift cards or prepaid debit cards, so be prepared to whip out that Mastercard, Visa, American Express, or Discover.

Warranty

Kangaroo offers a one year warranty with all of its products. In a nutshell, they’ll replace devices or parts of devices that are defective with new parts or devices, which may or may not be refurbished. If you think you have a product that’s defective or has a defective part, contact Kangaroo’s support team as soon as possible to take advantage of your warranty within the first year.

Dear Kangaroo: How To Get In Touch

Maybe your Doorbell Camera isn’t working as you thought it would and you can’t find any answers in their online support center. In that case, it’s best to contact Kangaroo directly:

• Phone: Call 800-371-0097 to reach a support representative. They’re available from six AM until midnight every day of the week.
• Live chat: Live chat is also available on the Kangaroo website for the same hours.
• Email: You can also email Kangaroo at support@heykangaroo.com, again available 18 hours a day every day.

Recap

Overall, the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera probably isn’t for everyone, as most people looking for doorbell cameras want video. However, if you’re ok with only seeing photos of who’s at your door and not being able to speak to them through the camera, then the Kangaroo Doorbell Camera may work for you, especially given its low price.