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Google’s Nest Doorbell (Battery) is easily among the best smart home cameras you can buy. It’s minimal, has great resolution, and even includes an angle bracket and quick-release for charging. But what if you want a bit more flair or styling? Or to point the camera more in a downward direction? And what do you do if you can’t be around to charge it all the time? That’s where the great accessories created by Wasserstein, and sent out to us for review, come in.
Wasserstein makes, in total, four accessories for Google’s Nest Doorbell (Battery). And it sent three of those, minus its angle bracket, out to Android Headlines to try out. That includes its Solar Panel, Wall Plate, and Vertical Adjustable Mount. Each of these is engineered to solve precisely those potential issues listed above. So let’s dive right in to see how well they accomplish that and if they’re worth the asking price.
Wasserstein Hardware for Nest Doorbell (Battery) accessories shine on the hardware front
Quality of hardware, especially when applied to something accentuating a $180 smart doorbell, is important. So that was a big area of focus for these Wasserstein accessories for the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) during my review. And a big area of concern, since copious amounts of plastic are in use. Which also ensured each accessory weighs almost nothing, relatively speaking.
My concerns appeared to have been misplaced as soon as I began opening boxes, however. While the products are lightweight to the extreme and are certainly made of cheaper materials, they don’t look cheap in use. In fact, they look downright nice. With a matte-like finish that blends seamlessly whether you’re aiming for a more vinyl look or something pricier still.
The plastics are also rigid and well joined at connection points so that even the Solar Panel — left exposed to wind and the elements — didn’t show any signs of flexing out of place or being jarred from its mount during high winds. Summarily, they don’t feel or work like they’re “cheap” either.
Better still, each of the accessories I received can be used in conjunction. So I was able to mount the Wasserstein Vertical Adjustable Mount to the Wall Plate, with the wire for the Solar Panel running behind the plate. And when it came to installing the Solar Panel, some other key attributes were brought to light.
Not only does Wasserstein allow the solar panel arm to rotate and hinge in a single direction. It also includes all of the hardware needed to run the wires behind the plate cleanly. And 3M cable holders to clip the wire for the Solar Panel up and out of the way.
Once the hinges are set — whether on the Solar Panel or the Vertical Adjustable Mount — they stay set. Meaning that there was never any need to go out and adjust things again, once set up.
All of these aspects, it goes almost without saying, give off a sense that they’re not on the affordable end of the spectrum. But will fit neatly in any more premium geared smart home setup.
The features of these Wasserstein accessories for Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) are only held back by the doorbell itself
Of course, the benefits brought by these Wasserstein accessories to the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) don’t really require a full review. Each is, after all, fairly straightforward and obvious. Not to mention right there in the branding for each. But that doesn’t mean that these accessories will necessarily solve every potential issue with Google’s Nest-branded video doorbell.
While the Solar Panel will provide constant power and a top-up when battery use does outrun charging, nighttime camera use isn’t the only time it won’t charge your doorbell. Uniquely, among Google’s battery-powered Nest devices, the Nest Doorbell (Battery) won’t charge at temperatures under 32-degrees.
That also applies to charging from any power source. This means that your battery will drain — and even more quickly because of how battery chemistry works — when it’s below those temperatures. Albeit somewhat more slowly if powered, than if not.
That’s an issue I encountered during my review. And it provided some insight into just how much anxiety the issue can cause. So buyers should be aware that they’ll need to bring the doorbell camera in for charging sometimes, even with this accessory installed. Fortunately, the battery charges back up just fine at 1.7W once the temperatures come back up.
The Wasserstein Solar Panel for Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) is an extremely beneficial device if this review proves anything. But it doesn’t solve that quirk on Google’s side of the equation.
Conversely, the two mount types — which work together and will even work with the angle mount included with the Nest Doorbell itself — work very well to improve functionality and aesthetics.
That’s not only because the clean semi-gloss black finish mimics more expensive materials very well. But also because they can all be used together to get exactly the angle you need. And to put some distance between the wall and the camera. Potentially helping to overcome other obstacles that may impede the view. Making each of the accessories a great value and an asset to the camera-enabled doorbell, especially given their individual prices.
Installation is almost too easy for these products
Now, the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) itself is incredibly easy to install. The process is simple. If you don’t already have the doorbell installed, you’ll just need to measure the height for the doorbell. As described in the instructions. Then it’s just a matter of holding a template up and drilling two holes. The mount or the mount and angle accessory is then fastened on.
And, by design, the accessories shipped for this review by Wasserstein for the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) are just as easy.
In fact, the accessories — except the solar panel — use the same hole orientation and placement as the doorbell itself. That means that if you’ve already got this doorbell installed, it’s a very simple process. All you’ll need to do is remove the doorbell and its mount from the wall. And then place the Vertical Adjust Mount directly in its place before fastening it down. Then the mount simply clicks into place before the mount included with the camera itself is attached.
The entire process for that took only a few minutes — despite the fact that I was taking pictures of the process. Then it only took a few moments more to add in the required spacer to run the thin wire for the Wasserstein Solar Panel behind the mount.
Conversely, the Solar Panel only requires two holes to be drilled too. And adjusting its angle after installation is a snap. Wasserstein also helpfully includes five adhesive wire holders to clean up wiring after its installed. Installing the entire setup took less than 30 minutes.
The pricing and value-added here are on point
Given that the pricing for the Wasserstein accessories in this review each start at just under $13 and don’t go over $50, the value-added to the Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) is high. If you’re just looking to add a matte black backing for your doorbell (which comes with the hardware to leave room for the Solar Panel wire), that’s only going to set you back $12.99.
Conversely, the ability to angle your doorbell down to better view packages and your door approach is affordable too. Costing just a couple of dollars more at $14.99. So you can add both for under $30.
Adding a Wasserstein Solar Panel to the mix only costs an additional $49.99.
Now, that last price actually feels quite low. That’s particularly true with consideration for the fact that downtime for doorbells can go well beyond inconvenient. Especially in larger homes. Even when only considering convenience, $50 feels like a great price to never — or almost never — need to charge your doorbell manually again.
Or for any number of other reasons. Such as installing a doorbell without needing to charge where wiring doesn’t exist. Potentially saving you hundreds of dollars in contractor or electrician costs.
Wasserstein accessories make Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) even better
Of course, at the end of the day, whether anybody finds the Wasserstein accessories for Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) useful will be subjective.
Simultaneously, the way doorbells have been set up over the decades doesn’t always work with a video doorbell. Not only because of the size of video doorbells but also because of placement. They simply weren’t designed for devices that have cameras. And that means, as often as not, a complete rework of how the doorbell is laid out or where it’s placed.
That, in turn, can cause some disruption to the aesthetics of a home. Or, where it doesn’t, can result in a video feed that doesn’t quite face the right direction. The Wasserstein Wall Plate goes a long way to fix the former problem. And the latter is easily rectified by the Vertical Adjustable Mount. Or both. With neither costing an arm and a leg to buy or taking more than a few minutes to set up.
Conversely, charging a doorbell that’s been installed where no wiring exists is a hassle. There’s nothing convenient about it. And the fact that the batteries typically last weeks or months doesn’t make that better. That simply makes it easier to forget to charge up.
Wasserstein’s Solar Panel, in or not in conjunction with the other two products reviewed here, fix that handily. So long as it doesn’t stay too cold for more than a couple of weeks. Based on my experience during this review.
Since all of that can be had for under $100, these Wasserstein accessories aren’t just worth the money. They’re easy to recommend to anybody who owns a Google Nest Doorbell (Battery).