In today’s world, Video doorbell cameras function as advanced security devices designed to provide real-time visual and communication capabilities at your front door. But it’s more than just a security gadget – it’s a smart choice for any home. These handy devices let you keep an eye on your home from anywhere. With it, you enhance your home’s security and gain peace of mind.
This post is all about video doorbell cameras.
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Table of Contents
- What Should You Consider when Getting a Smart Doorbell Camera?
- Video Quality
- Field of View
- Night Vision
- Motion Detection
- Smart Home Integration
- Storage Options
- Power Source
- Installation and Setup
- Weather Resistance
- Best Video Doorbell Cameras Reviews
- Blink Video Doorbell Camera
- Ring Video Doorbell Camera
- Wyze Wireless Video Doorbell Pro
- Google Nest Wireless Doorbell Camera
- REOLINK Doorbell WiFi Camera
- Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell
- EKEN Video Doorbell Camera
- Arlo Essential Video Doorbell
- Conclusion
What Should You Consider when Getting a Smart Doorbell Camera?
Video Quality: Opt for a camera with high-resolution video capabilities. Clear footage is essential for identifying visitors and enhancing overall security.
Field of View: Evaluate the camera’s field of view to ensure it covers a wide angle, minimizing blind spots and providing comprehensive coverage of your entryway.
Two-Way Audio: Look for a doorbell camera with two-way audio functionality. This feature allows you to communicate with visitors or delivery personnel, enhancing the convenience and security of your interactions.
Night Vision: Ensure the camera has reliable night vision capabilities for clear monitoring in low-light or nighttime conditions.
Motion Detection: A smart doorbell with effective motion detection can alert you to potential visitors or suspicious activity, enhancing the proactive nature of your security system.
Smart Home Integration: Check for compatibility with your existing smart home ecosystem. Integration with platforms like Google Home or Amazon Alexa can enhance the overall functionality of your connected devices.
Storage Options: Consider whether the doorbell camera offers local storage, cloud storage, or both. This choice affects how and where your footage is stored and accessed.
Power Source: Determine whether the camera is battery-powered or requires a wired connection. Battery-powered options offer flexibility in installation, while wired models may require professional setup but often provide continuous power.
Installation and Setup: Choose a doorbell camera that aligns with your DIY preferences or professional installation requirements. Some models are designed for easy self-installation, while others may need a technician’s expertise.
Weather Resistance: Ensure the doorbell camera is weather-resistant, especially if you live in an area with extreme weather conditions. This feature ensures the device remains operational regardless of rain, snow, or heat.
Best Video Doorbell Cameras Reviews
The Blink Video Doorbell Camera is our pick for the overall best video doorbell camera. It has a simple and sleek design and the setup is easy. You just need to download the Blink app and connect the device.
It comes in two colors, black or white so you can choose the color that best matches your home decor.
Starting with the camera’s video capturing features, it has a 135º horizontal and 80º vertical range, 1080p resolution, and motion-activated alerts and live video for real-time updates.
The camera is also equipped with infrared night vision, providing clearer footage in low-light or nighttime conditions.
You can communicate through the camera with the two-way audio, making it easy to interact with visitors or delivery personnel.
It’s compatible with Alexa, but you’d need to get one of those Alexa screen devices in order to connect it with the Blink camera.
The Blink Video Doorbell runs on battery power and needs to be replaced every 2 years.
It’s also weather-resistant, providing reliable performance in various conditions. It operates from temperatures of -4°F(-20°C) to 113°F(45°C).
The Blink Home Monitor allows you to customize alerts, ensuring you’re notified of the events that matter most to you.
For added flexibility, the Sync Module 2 allows you to save clips locally via a USB flash drive (sold separately), giving you control over your video storage options.
The next one on the list is the Ring Video Doorbell Camera.
Ring has earned a reputation as one of the most trustworthy producers of doorbell cameras. It’s no surprise that they’re a popular choice when it comes to video doorbell cameras.
The camera comes in two different colors: satin nickel or venetian bronze.
The doorbell camera is easy to setup and takes a few minutes to setup.
The updated version of the Ring doorbell includes a field of view of 155° horizontal and 90° vertical, improved live view and night vision.
It operates from -5°F to 120°F (-20°C to 48°C) and is water resistant.
The camera features two-way audio with noise cancellation. This means it can filter out background noise, so you can hear people near the camera more clearly.
You can also adjust what areas motion detection is active. For example, you can set the focus on areas such as a pathway or the porch while ignoring less relevant zones like a busy street.
The doorbell camera runs on batteries but can be hardwired to an existing doorbell system for continuous charging.
With the Ring Protect Plan, there’s features like video recording, reviewing up to 180 days, and easy sharing of videos and photos. Also, Alexa can announce verbally and display live video on Echo Show, Fire TV, or Fire Tablet when your Ring doorbell senses a person or package.
The Wyze Wireless Video Doorbell Pro is another great pick.
It includes a chime along with the camera itself which you can plug anywhere in your home and will notify you when someone presses the doorbell outside.
Of course, Wyze has an app that you can connect the camera with to get an array of features like detection options and smart notifications.
It has a very easy installation. Unlike other doorbell cameras, there’s no screws required because it includes the 3M adhesive mounting plate. It’s great for those looking for a very simple setup process.
Its 1440×1440 HD sensor means you will be able to see footage with 33% more clarity than traditional HD cameras.
It has night vision and motion detection, features that comes with great doorbell cameras.
For field of view, the Wyze Video Doorbell Pro has 150° horizontally and 150° vertically ultrawide view meaning you can see footage from head to toe.
Additionally, the included chime includes 20 tunes and you can adjust the volume with 8 sound levels (because your neighbors don’t need to hear it in space). There’s even a barking sound which you can use to scare off potential intruders.
The only possible downside of this camera is that it only has up to 6 months of battery life meaning you would have to switch it twice a year.
The Google Nest Wireless Doorbell Camera comes with built-in smarts – it can distinguish between people, packages, animals, and vehicles. Plus, it sends you alerts through the Google Home app without a subscription.
It comes in 4 different colors: Ash, Ivy, Linen, and Snow giving you plenty of aesthetic choices.
The two-way audio, equipped with noise cancellation, enables communication with visitors, allowing you to engage in conversation or you can select pre-recorded responses.
In the event of a Wi-Fi disruption or power failure, the Nest Doorbell has the capacity to store up to 1 hour of recorded events, ensuring that you can review missed activity.
Also, installing the Nest Doorbell is a breeze. Its built-in battery allows compatibility with any door, and you also have the option to connect it to your existing doorbell wires using the provided charging cable.
It has a tall vertical field and you can keep a close eye on high-traffic areas with Activity Zones in the Google Home App.
Other features include HDR video and night vision.
It has 3 hours of free event video history or add a Nest Aware subscription (sold separately) for up to 60 days of event video history.
The REOLINK Doorbell WiFi Camera is equipped with a 5 Megapixel HD camera so you can see all the details of the footage.
And, there’s distortion correction technology that also brings you sharp and detailed images even in low light conditions.
The camera’s 5GHz WiFi ensures stability and fluid network experience. It’s also waterproof, so there’s no need to worry about the harsh weather.
With a 180° wide viewing angle makes it very wide compared to other doorbell cameras on this list. If you’re looking for very wide and crisp footage, this is one you should look into.
Furthermore, this camera comes with a chime and you can choose from 10 different chimes as well as adjust the volume.
For security, the camera pre-records footage 6 seconds before the detection which increases the likelihood of identifying criminals.
Also, privacy masking allows you to blackout areas you don’t want to be recorded.
Additionally, it comes standard features such as two-way audio, night vision, connecting to the app for alerts.
This doorbell camera is great for those looking for extra security.
The Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell is equipped with WDR technology. It means that if there is a significant contrast between bright and dark areas, the camera will correct it, giving a clearer footage.
Its slim design is not only designed for aesthetics but can also fit into more doorframes.
It has a 1080p resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio that ensures you get a head-to-toe crisp image.
Its core features include accurate human detection which uses AI to detect if a human is present, two-way audio, and being able to set up to 3 instant responses.
Also, each captured moment is locally stored on the Wi-Fi doorbell chime within your home, utilizing advanced encryption for added security (Micro-SD card required).
This means that even if someone were to remove the doorbell, it wouldn’t mean much because the data is stored separately.
The camera connects to the Eufy app which has a few key features: You’ll get facial snapshots to see who’s there and customized detection (you can draw where you want the detection zone to be).
It can also connect with Alexa, but you’ll need to get one of the Alexa screen products for this to work.
The next one on the list is the EKEN Video Doorbell Camera.
It includes many key features such as two-way audio, ultra wide lens, night vision, AI human detection, and real-time video.
It also includes a chime to notify you of visitors.
The charging is very easy and simple. Just peel off the insulation tape from the battery’s base and use the provided USB cable along with a DC 5V 1A or 5V 2A power adapter (your regular phone charger will do the trick). The charging adapter isn’t included.
You can also opt in for the subscription plan which is completely optional. It features an AES-128 encrypted cloud storage.
It connects to the Aiwit app which you can have 1 owner account and 8 shared accounts. This means that you can share it with your family and people close to you.
The doorbell camera is battery powered and requires 2 Lithium Ion batteries required which is included.
The setup is also easy. You just need to screw in the bolts, attach and mount the device.
The Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Camera has a 180° wide field of view making it ideal for capturing a wide range of footage.
It’s simple to set up and easy to recharge. It comes with a rechargeable battery and a battery charging cable that works with most power adapters.
Here are its key features:
HD Video: it means you can get a clear footage from the camera. The night vision allows for better video capturing during the night.
Motion sensor: the security camera captures video prior to every motion-triggered video recording so you can see what happened before.
Two-way audio: you can communicate with the visitor through the camera.
Weather-resistant: the camera can withstand the heat, cold, rain, or sun.
You can view past events by storing your video recordings in the cloud for 30 days.
With Activity Zones, you’ll be able to get alerts only for the areas with this active.
There’s also smart detection which can detect whether it’s a human, vehicle or animal.
Conclusion
In conclusion, today’s video doorbell cameras redefine home security, offering HD footage, two-way communication, and advanced features like wide-angle lenses and motion detection. Beyond remote door answering, these devices provide an extra eye on your doorstep, ensuring safety and convenience. As you explore options, remember, it’s not just a doorbell; it’s a guardian for a smarter, safer home.