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Smart doorbells are a great way to enhance your home security and convenience. They let you see who’s at your door, talk to them, or scare them away from anywhere. They also record video footage of your visitors and alert you of any suspicious activity.
But with so many models on the market, how do you choose the best smart doorbell for your home? Here are some factors to consider:
- Resolution: The higher the resolution, the clearer the video quality. You want a smart doorbell that can capture details like faces and license plates. Some models offer HD or even 2K resolution, which can make a big difference in image clarity.
- Power: Some smart doorbells are wired, which means they need to be connected to your existing doorbell wiring. This can provide continuous power and avoid battery issues, but it may also require professional installation. Other models are battery-powered, which means they’re easier to install and can work even if there’s a power outage, but they need to be recharged regularly.
- Footage recording: Most smart doorbells offer cloud storage for your video footage, but this usually requires a subscription fee. Some models also offer local storage options, such as a microSD card slot or a base station with a hard drive. This can save you money and give you more control over your data.
- Audio: Two-way audio is a common feature in smart doorbells, which lets you communicate with your visitors through your smartphone or other device. Some models also offer noise cancellation or pre-recorded messages for more convenience and clarity.
- Motion detection: Many smart doorbells have motion sensors that can alert you when someone approaches your door, even if they don’t press the button. This can help you catch potential intruders or package thieves before they do any harm. Some models also offer advanced features like object recognition, face recognition, or customizable motion zones to reduce false alarms and personalize your alerts.
- Smart home integration: If you have other smart devices in your home, such as lights, locks, cameras, or speakers, you may want a smart doorbell that can work with them. For example, you may want your smart doorbell to trigger your smart lights when someone rings the bell, or unlock your smart lock when you recognize a familiar face. To do this, you need to check the compatibility of your smart doorbell with your smart home platform, such as Alexa, Google Assistant, HomeKit, or others.
Based on these criteria, we’ve selected some of the best smart doorbells for 2023 that can improve your home security and convenience.
Arlo Video Doorbell
The Arlo Video Doorbell is our top pick for the best video doorbell you can buy. It offers excellent video quality with 1536 x 1536 resolution and a 180-degree field of view. It also has HDR and night vision for clear images in any lighting condition.
The Arlo Video Doorbell has two-way audio with noise cancellation and pre-recorded messages. It also has motion detection with object and person recognition, as well as customizable activity zones and alerts. You can set it to call your phone directly when someone presses the button, so you don’t miss any visitors.
The Arlo Video Doorbell is wired, which means it needs to be connected to your existing doorbell wiring. It also requires a subscription to access cloud storage for up to 30 days of video history. However, it comes with a free three-month trial of Arlo Smart Premier plan.
The Arlo Video Doorbell works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit¹, which means you can integrate it with other smart devices and control it with voice commands.
The Arlo Video Doorbell costs $199.99 at Amazon.
Pros:
- Good video quality
- Slim and stylish design
- Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit integration
Cons:
- Wired installation
- Subscription required for cloud storage
Ring Video Doorbell Wired
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired is our choice for the best affordable wired model. It offers HD video quality with 1080p resolution and a 155-degree field of view. It also has night vision and live view for real-time monitoring.
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired has two-way audio with noise cancellation and pre-recorded messages. It also has motion detection with customizable motion zones and alerts. You can set it to record video when it detects motion or when someone presses the button.
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired is wired, which means it needs to be connected to your existing doorbell wiring. It also requires a subscription to access cloud storage for up to 60 days of video history. However, it comes with a free 30-day trial of Ring Protect plan.
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired works with Alexa, which means you can integrate it with other smart devices and control it with voice commands.
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired costs $59.99 at Amazon.
Pros:
- Affordable price
- HD video quality
- Alexa integration
Cons:
- Wired installation
- Subscription required for cloud storage
Eufy Video Doorbell Dual
The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual is our pick for the best 2K wired model. It offers 2K video quality with 2560 x 1920 resolution and a 160-degree field of view. It also has HDR and night vision for clear images in any lighting condition.
The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual has two-way audio with noise cancellation and pre-recorded messages. It also has motion detection with human detection, as well as customizable activity zones and alerts. You can set it to record video when it detects motion or when someone presses the button.
The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual is wired, which means it needs to be connected to your existing doorbell wiring. However, it does not require a subscription to access video storage, as it comes with a base station that has 16GB eMMC memory that can store up to one year of video history.
The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual works with Alexa and Google Assistant, which means you can integrate it with other smart devices and control it with voice commands.
The Eufy Video Doorbell Dual costs $259.99 at Amazon.
Pros:
- 2K video quality
- Local storage option
- Alexa and Google Assistant integration
Cons:
- Wired installation
- Expensive price
Nest Doorbell (Battery)
The Nest Doorbell (Battery) is our choice for the best smart doorbell with smart alerts. It offers HD video quality with 960 x 1280 resolution and a 145-degree field of view. It also has HDR and night vision for clear images in any lighting condition.
The Nest Doorbell (Battery) has two-way audio with noise cancellation and pre-recorded messages. It also has motion detection with object recognition, face recognition, and familiar face alerts. You can set it to record video when it detects motion or when someone presses the button, and get notified of specific events like packages, animals, or vehicles.
The Nest Doorbell (Battery) is battery-powered, which means it’s easy to install and can work even if there’s a power outage. However, it requires a subscription to access cloud storage for up to 60 days of video history and advanced features like familiar face alerts. However, it comes with a free three-month trial of Nest Aware plan.
The Nest Doorbell (Battery) works with Google Assistant, which means you can integrate it with other smart devices and control it with voice commands.
The Nest Doorbell (Battery) costs $179.99 at Amazon.
Pros:
- Battery-powered installation
- Smart alerts
- Google Assistant integration
Cons:
- Subscription required for cloud storage and advanced features
- No Alexa or HomeKit integration
Conclusion
Smart doorbells are a great way to improve your home security and convenience. They let you see who’s at your door, talk to them, or scare them away from anywhere. They also record video footage of your visitors and alert you of any suspicious activity.
There are many models of smart doorbells available, each with different features and prices. To choose the best one for your home, you need to consider factors like resolution, power, footage recording, audio, motion detection, and smart home integration.
We’ve selected some of the best smart doorbells for 2023 based on these criteria, but you may have different preferences or needs. We recommend doing your own research before buying any smart device for your home.
