Arlo Essential Wired tech specs: 1536 x 1536 HD HDR video | 160 degrees field of view | Package, person, vehicle, and animal detection | Wired installation | Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings | Arlo Secure starts at $4.99 a month
Arlo’s a leading security camera manufacturer and its video doorbell tops the market with its combination of affordability, reliability, and convenience.
Arlo’s Essential Wired Video Doorbell is a more affordable option than other main competitors, with the original price of $150 seeing constant discounts, like right now, on sale for $70 at Amazon.
With a similar design to the Google Nest Doorbell, the Arlo video doorbell features an interactive light-up ring around the doorbell button, which comes on as someone approaches your door, letting the visitor know where to press it.
You’ll enjoy head-to-toe, HD-resolution coverage, and two-way talk, plus be able to set activity zones with the Arlo model. This video doorbell relies on a wired installation, but that means it’ll play nicely with your chime for alerts both in your home and on your phone.
Arlo users tend to stand by the Essential video doorbell, “One reason I favor Arlo is that it has a high level of proficiency in detecting and identifying motion alerts, allowing it to distinguish between the movements of people, animals, and vehicles”, according to user Luke Lovelady.
“In the past, I have used others that bogged me down with constant notifications for motion detections that were no more than cars, walkers, and animals”, he added.
The Arlo video doorbell is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home; and, with an Arlo SmartHub or Base Station, the wired doorbell can also connect to Homekit.
You’ll need to subscribe to Arlo Secure if you want to take advantage of object detection, set activity zones, and view video history. Plans start at $4.99 a month for a single camera or $17.99 a month for unlimited cameras.
Blink Video Doorbell tech specs: 1080p HD Video | 135-degree field of view | Motion detection | Wired or Battery installation | Works with Amazon Alexa | No subscription needed with Sync Module 2
The Blink lineup of security cameras features affordable alternatives to compete with Ring, Wyze, Arlo, and Eufy.
Blink cameras thrive on simplicity: In the case of this video doorbell, you have the option of using two AA batteries or your home’s existing wiring. You can also skip the monthly fees altogether by using Sync Module 2 and a USB flash drive as your local storage.
According to Blink user Kyle MacDonald, Director of Operations at Force by Mojio, “The Blink video doorbell is a great option if you’re just starting out converting your home to a smart home. Its affordable price and easy installation make it a great option for beginners into the smart home tech world”.
The Blink video doorbell alone costs only $50, but bundled with the Sync Module 2, it comes out to $85. Combined with the fact that you don’t have to deal with subscriptions when you buy the bundle, it results in the most inexpensive video doorbell system of the major competitors.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 tech specs: 1536 HD+ Video | 150 degrees field of view | Package and person detection | Wired installation | Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa | Requires Ring Protect subscription starting at $4 a month
As far as video doorbells go, you truly can’t go wrong with a Ring unit. The company pioneered the video doorbell market in 2012 and it’s remained a household name since.
The Video Doorbell Pro 2 was the first Ring device to feature 3D Motion Detection, which reduces false alerts. When combined with Birds Eye View, you’ll get a map that shows the exact path someone took when approaching your front door.
Former law enforcement officer and Ring user, Bob Greenaway, with Set The Path, explains “I am a retired police officer and the community used them extensively where I worked. There were a lot of scenarios where we were able to gather supporting video images for criminal cases.”
One of the only drawbacks to getting a Ring doorbell is that you need a subscription to actually save and share your photos and videos. If you decide to forgo the subscription, you’ll still get alerts of motion and whenever someone rings the doorbell, but you can only view the live stream.
Google Nest Doorbell tech specs: 1.3MP, 960 x 1280 HD Video | 145 degrees field of view | Package, person, vehicle, and animal detection | Wired or battery installation | Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa | Nest Aware starts at $6 per month
The Google Nest Doorbell is available as a battery-powered video doorbell or a wired model that connects directly to existing wiring and triggers your current chime. Nest also includes free detection for people, animals, packages, and vehicles — the downside? You only get three hours of video history for free.
If you want to get extended video history plus familiar face detection and alerts, you’ll need to spring for a Nest Aware or Nest Aware Plus plan, which cost $6 and $12 a month, respectively. Nest Aware offers 30 days of video history, while Aware Plus offers 60 days of history and 24/7 video history for 10 days at a time.
Nest user Jonathan Zacharias, founder of GR0, explains “Being gone at the office all day, it helps that the Nest detects pretty much anything, from deliveries to an animal passing by.”
You can use a smart display that uses either Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa personal assistant to view your video cam feed, or the Google Home app on your smartphone to answer the door when you’re not home.
Logitech Circle View Doorbell tech specs: 5MP camera with 1200×1600 HDR video | 160-degrees field of view | Package, person, vehicle, and animals detection | Wired installation | Works with Apple HomeKit | iCloud storage plans start at $0.99 a month
If you’ve decided to invest in Apple’s HomeKit platform for your home automation system, your options for a compatible video doorbell are limited. However, the Logitech Circle View doorbell camera is an excellent pick.
This doorbell has a 3:4 aspect ratio that offers plenty of visibility for your front porch. Plus, it works in conjunction with face ID technology, using your Apple Photos library to identify visitors.
The Logitech Circle View is one of the only doorbells that integrates with Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV) platform to store video in your iCloud account. That means there’s no need to transmit your clips through a third party, and you’re the only person with access to the clips.
You’ll need to pay for an iCloud storage plan, which starts at $0.99 per month for a single camera. Luckily, doorbell footage doesn’t count toward your storage limit, which is a nice bonus.
Eufy Security 2K Video Doorbell tech specs: 5MP with 2560 x 1920 HDR video | 160 degrees | Package, person detection | Wired or battery installation | Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home | Local storage, no monthly costs
Having used the Eufy Security 2K video doorbell for my home, I love that you have the option of installing it wirelessly with the rechargeable battery or with your home’s existing wires.
This bundle includes a HomeBase 2, a local storage hub that holds your videos safely in your home, so you never have to worry about subscriptions or monthly fees to access your videos. And as long as you plug it in, you’ll get localized storage in your home. Setup is incredibly easy and takes less than 15 minutes to get working.
You can program notifications to inform you when someone moves in front of your door, and it automatically records video footage for you to review. The AI intelligently detects body shape and face pattern, so you will see everyone that passes by your door.
In addition to great security measures, it features 2K playback quality and offers different ringtones and chimes, so you automatically know who is at your door. It also integrated seamlessly into my Alexa smart home system when I installed it.
The Arlo Essential wired is the best video doorbell overall, even topping the Ring video doorbell and Google Nest doorbell cameras. The video quality is dependable, it’s compatible with several different home automation systems, and is also relatively affordable, especially when on sale.
This doesn’t mean that this doorbell camera is the best one for you and your situation. We break down the specifics so you can choose the best video doorbell for your home.
| Best video doorbells | Price | Video resolution | Field of view | Installation | Compatibility | Subscription |
| Arlo Essential | $150 | 1536 x 1536 | 160 degrees | Wired | Google, Alexa, SmartThings, HomeKit | Starts at $4.99/month |
| Blink | $84 | 1920 x 1080 | 135 degrees | Battery or wired | Alexa | None with Sync Module 2 |
| Ring Pro 2 | $250 | 1536 x 1536 | 150 degrees | Wired | Google, Alexa | Starts at $3.99/month |
| Google Nest | $180 | 960 x 1280 | 145 degrees | Battery model or wired model | Google, Alexa | Starts at $6/month |
| Logitech Circle View | $200 | 1200 x 1600 | 160 degrees | Wired | HomeKit | Starts at $0.99/month |
| Eufy Security 2K | $140 (with coupon) | 2560 x 1920 | 160 degrees | Battery or wired | Google, Alexa | None with HomeBase |
Choosing the best video doorbell for your home means weighing the pros and cons of what you need, how you’ll use it, and what you don’t want. If you want a reliable video doorbell and don’t mind monthly fees, then you can’t go wrong with our top option: The Arlo Essential video doorbell.
If a monthly subscription plan is not in your budget, then the Blink or Eufy video doorbells are probably better suited for your needs, especially since both offer the versatility of installing it with the existing wiring or battery.
Which home automation system you have can also help narrow down your choices. Zacharias, from GR0, said of the Google Nest doorbell, “I’m a big Google guy and this works with Google’s interface. If Google is not your thing, then I would stay clear of this one”, for example.
| Choose this video doorbell… | If you want… |
| Arlo Essential | An affordable option with a wide field of view, high interoperability, and a trusted name in security cameras. |
| Blink | A video doorbell on a budget, where your low startup cost is maintained with no monthly fees. |
| Ring Pro 2 | A high-end video doorbell to fit in with a rounded Ring ecosystem of security cameras. |
| Google Nest | The option of getting personalized alerts with familiar faces when someone rings the doorbell. |
| Logitech Circle View | The best fit for an Apple Home ecosystem. |
| Eufy Security 2K | No monthly fees and versatile installation with the built-in rechargeable or your home’s existing wiring. |
Out of all the options on the market, the best video doorbells prioritize features and functionality above other aspects, like price. I chose these video doorbell cameras combining my expertise and experience with each brand and model, as well as other experts’ and users’ experiences.
I also specifically looked for doorbells that are manageable to install, even if you don’t have a lot of handyman skills. I combined these factors with video quality, reliability, ease of use, and affordability to round up the best video doorbells.
With luck, one of the above video doorbell choices will be a perfect fit for your home.
Most of the time, yes. The video doorbells included in this article range in ease of installation. If you choose a wireless video doorbell for your home, you won’t have to tinker with wiring to get it installed.
However, wired video doorbells that integrate with existing doorbell wiring require the installer to have at least some basic knowledge and experience with electrical wiring. If you’ve ever installed an outlet or light switch, installing a wired video doorbell will be easy.
That said, most video doorbell makers offer a bundle that covers the cost of a professional electrician to install your doorbell for you.
Depending on the video doorbell you choose, it will either use local storage or cloud storage.
With local storage, your video doorbell will only record and store a set amount of footage using its own internal storage or that of a hub, like the HomeBase in the Eufy video doorbell or the Sync Module 2 plus a USB drive in the Blink video doorbell. Local storage also typically means you won’t have to pay for a subscription to access your saved footage.
Cloud-based storage is more advanced and theoretically allows for endless recording. This method only works with video doorbells that can connect to a smart home or Wi-Fi network. But keep in mind that cloud-based storage doorbell video cameras usually incur a monthly fee to pay for the storage space.
Although all video doorbells record video and play a sound when rung, they can differ significantly across their features. Here’s what I’d recommend you look for when choosing a video doorbell for your home:
Video quality and field of view: You should strive to get a video doorbell camera with enough resolution for your needs. Video doorbell camera resolution can range from 480p to 1080p (or even 4K resolution). While 4K resolution is not necessary for most people, 1080p provides a crisp, clear picture if you don’t mind spending a little extra cash on your doorbell camera. In addition, detail and color will be more vibrant, and individuals will be easier to recognize with better video resolution.
Motion detection: Motion detection is another factor to consider when choosing a video doorbell. Many doorbell cameras have motion sensors built-in, so they will alert you if someone is approaching or leaving your door. Motion detection features are useful if you want to monitor who comes to your home and when.
Taking motion detection one step further, most modern video doorbells can now tell the difference between a person, vehicle, animal, or package. You can adjust settings to receive alerts when items you care about are detected.
Night vision: Similarly, night vision functionality adds practical value to your video doorbell. Night vision cameras transmit and/or record video in black and white using infrared technology or in color, which allows you to clearly see who approaches your door when there isn’t enough ambient light for color.
Power source and installation: Doorbell cameras are typically powered through one of two methods: Hardwired into existing wires to replace your regular doorbell, or batteries — either built-in or not.
Battery-powered options are better if you don’t have a traditional doorbell installed in your home already or want to install the video doorbell by a back door, for example. By contrast, hardwiring is more convenient and secure if you do have a traditional doorbell and it lets you use your existing chime with your video doorbell.
Smart home integration and cloud storage: Consider whether you want your video doorbell to connect to your smart home network, especially if you want to control it through voice commands. Integration with a smart home automation system can also be pivotal if you want to store video recordings in the cloud, as these options tend to be linked.
Through smart home integration, you’ll gain greater control over your video doorbell, including extra features, like permissions and face recognition.
Cloud storage is also important to consider. Most doorbell video cameras have optional cloud storage subscription services. These require a monthly or annual fee, but remove the need to replace microSD cards or HDDs.
Features: Before buying a video doorbell, investigate all the advertised features that it provides, such as two-way audio, which allows you to talk to whoever is on the other side of your door.
Other features to consider are facial recognition technology and the ability to set activity zones, which can prevent false alarms when leaves blow by.
Reposted by kVCore
Article Link: https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/smart-home/best-video-doorbell/
Author Elisabeth Beauchamp Reviewer Lora Novak Updated On September 28, 2023 The shady areas on your property are wonderful spots to cool off during the summer months. But many flowers will either wilt or fail to bloom in areas that are too shady, leaving your “relaxation station” looking barren and boring. It doesn’t have to...
Bathroom remodeling can be expensive and overwhelming. Knowing where to start, what to do, and how to keep the costs down can be challenging. Fortunately, there are tons of DIY bathroom remodel ideas that can help you completely revamp your bathroom without spending a fortune. In this post, I'm sharing the best budget-friendly bathroom remodeling...