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Finding Your Next Smart Doorbell: A Buyer’s Guide
The days of asking for a name when your doorbell rings or looking through peepholes to catch a glimpse of visitors are pretty much over. The world around us is evolving rapidly, and the tiniest aspects of our lives have been digitized — even our doorbells can’t escape upgrades. But this isn’t a bad thing, and with smart doorbells, you can feel much safer and more comfortable in your home.Using the same principles as security cameras, smart doorbells provide a live video feed of whoever rings your doorbell, letting you know who’s at your door and if you should pretend not to be home. As the demand for these doorbells increases, the market is becoming flooded with products all claiming to be the greatest. To avoid buying inferior products, let this comprehensive guide, including some of the leading smart doorbells for 2023, help you decide which product will be the perfect fit for you.
Blink Video Smart Doorbell
Best Overall
Ring Smart Doorbell
Highest Video Quality
Eufy Security Smart Doorbell
Elite Design
Arlo Essential Wired Smart Doorbell
Most Versatile
Laxihub Wireless Smart Doorbell
Great Value
What Makes a Quality Smart Doorbell
Storage options
It’s pretty likely that eventually someone will visit your place when you aren’t at home, and you might want your doorbell to be able to store that video. This allows you to catch up on missed meetings and can even provide evidence of a burglary. Most smart doorbells enable you to store a significant amount of data on their in-built hard drives, and they can also provide you with a direct feed to your cellular device for storage. We suggest you opt for a doorbell with remote storage though, just in case it gets damaged or removed by force.Video quality
A video feed is only good if you can make out a person’s face and features — and for that, you need good video quality. Depending on your budget, some smart doorbells can provide you with high-quality video feeds that even put security cameras to shame. On the other hand, if you’re watching your budget, opt for a camera that provides at least 1080p HD video with HDR.Power source
Are you looking for a wired or a wireless smart doorbell? This is a question you have to ask yourself — especially since not a lot of houses come equipped with a power outlet right next to the front door. Although wireless versions are better, they do need to be constantly recharged or have their batteries replaced, depending on the model.Specific alerts
Although all cameras can catch movement, there are a few models that come equipped with specific alerts. For example, if a blunt force is applied to the bell or someone is forcefully trying to remove it, there are models that provide priority alerts. If you live in an area with frequent vandalism or theft, we suggest you look for this feature, since it can help provide you with additional security.Field of view
Depending on the level of security you are looking for, the field of view you want from your smart doorbell can differ. While some products provide directed focus on the person ringing the doorbell, others offer a bird’s eye view of your entire doorway. Some people might want to keep an eye on everything in their homes and opt for a wider FOV, but they will be compromising a little on the video quality. On the other hand, focusing on a single person might provide a clearer feed, but you will not know what’s going on behind them.Smart Doorbells vs. Home Security Cameras
You can’t really compare smart doorbells to dedicated home security cameras because they offer different functionalities. A doorbell is only there for keeping an eye on visitors, and although a few models can pick up on motion using motion sensors, even a pet or a wild squirrel can set them off. On the other hand, dedicated security cameras offer you complete coverage of an area, and they use a much wider field of view for a larger picture of their surroundings.Blink Video Smart Doorbell
Best Overall
In the world of smart doorbells, not much can compete with Blink. This battery-powered pick provides high-quality video and stores it locally or using the cloud. The app control also allows you to answer your door remotely, even when you’re not home. This product also comes equipped with a night-vision camera and a two-way audio channel, which enables you to keep an eye out 24/7. The motion sensors in this doorbell are also exceptional and give you an alert whenever they pick up something. The wireless design also lets you place this option almost anywhere, and the extremely affordable price really puts it over the top — and it helped make this option the best overall on this list!
Pros
- Two-way audio channel for remote use
- 30-day, free subscription plan
- Long-lasting battery life
- Compatible with Alexa
Cons
- Mounting can be a little difficult
Ring Smart Doorbell
Highest Video Quality
This doorbell from Ring is one of the premier models in the market, and it provides video in 1080p HD, with HDR enabled. This option features a lot of additional perks that are difficult to find too, such as audio privacy, improved motion detection, and crisp night vision. This doorbell works with both battery and wired power sources, allowing you to pick whatever mode you want. This product also helps you record and save videos, and it stores them for 60 days, so you can review them very conveniently. You can also pair this option with Alexa and enable two-way communication for answering your door even when you’re not at home!
Pros
- Comes with its own app
- Easy to install and use
- Works wired and wirelessly
- HDR-enabled recordings
Cons
- The mounting plates are difficult to use
Eufy Security Smart Doorbell
Elite Design
Almost nothing beats the crisp and clear feed of the Eufy Security Smart Doorbell. Being one of the biggest names in the tech industry probably isn’t a fluke either, and this option helps prove that. Equipped with premium features like distortion correction and advanced HDR, you can be confident that this video doorbell will operate very professionally. What makes this pick stand out is its use of A.I. technology and smart algorithms, which only allows alerts to sound when it picks up human movement — unlike other motion-sensor doorbells that go off when a squirrel runs across the driveway.
Pros
- Smart motion sensors
- Customizable ringtones
- Two-way communication
- Affordable price point
Cons
- Doesn’t allow continuous recording
Arlo Essential Wired Smart Doorbell
Most Versatile
This pick from Arlo Essential provides accurate notifications directly to your smartphone. It’s also compatible with almost every home management system you can think of, like Alexa, Apple Homekit, Google Assistant, and Samsung Smartthings. This doorbell allows for five minutes of continuous recording, which is a massive deal for these products. This option has a super wide viewing angle too, offering a 180-degree field of view. It’s also paired with suitable aspect ratios, helping ensure you don’t miss out on anything. This doorbell also offers two-way communication, which is helpful for letting your friends know how long you’ll be gone. The motion sensor on this bell is a beast too, and it can distinguish between human and non-human movements and then provide timely and accurate alerts.
Pros
- Easy to understand app interface
- Tunes motion sensitivity
- Customizable alerts
- Can be silenced
Cons
- Requires a power outlet
Laxihub Wireless Smart Doorbell
Great Value
Not many products offer the same variety of features as the Laxihub Wireless Smart Doorbell, especially at such an affordable price. This pick produces a high-quality video feed, reaching up to 1080P full HD with a 130-degree field of view. The doorbell also boasts an improved night-vision mode, allowing you to make out features and people in the dark. The built-in infrared sensor also helps clear out distortion and allows for smoother video recordings. This option comes with 180 days of free cloud storage too, and it automatically records its surroundings when it picks up on sound or motion, making it the most value added product on this list!
Pros
- Two-way audio channel
- Amazing picture quality
- Easy to install camera
- The app works seamlessly
Cons
- Short battery life
People Also Asked
Will my smart doorbells be easy to steal?
The answer to this question depends upon the make and model of your smart doorbell and the mounting device used to hold it in place. Some doorbells come with special alerts to protect them from damage or theft, and others come with anti-theft mounts that help ensure burglars don’t have an easy time removing them.
Can I recover my deleted smart doorbell videos?
This also depends on the doorbell you are using. Some doorbells do not offer recovery on their mounted hard drives. If you have a remote location for storing your data though, you can recover it — just like with recovering your normal deleted data.
How much is the monthly charge for a video doorbell?
Most video doorbells come with a monthly monitoring charge, allowing you to access some additional features, such as cloud storage, customized notifications, and more. Although you can opt out of these additional charges, they are pretty negligible and can come in handy. Most smart doorbells charge around $3 to $10 per month for monitoring.
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