Security has always been a top priority when it comes to protecting yourself and your family; however, alarm and home security systems used to be considered a luxury. With expensive packages and hundreds of feet of cable needing to be wired within your home, security for your living quarters was much less attainable. Today, home security is affordable, attainable, and smart. Plus, you can set up most smart home security devices within minutes.
Smart doorbell cameras have been increasing in popularity, and in turn, companies are designing devices with more and more features. Whether you’re looking for a simple doorbell camera or a camera with all the bells and whistles (pun intended), you can be sure to find the perfect fit within this list of the best smart doorbell cameras.
The Arlo Essential doorbell offers you a wide range of functions and features. This smart doorbell has a long-lasting battery and is completely wireless with a screw-in mount that takes seconds to secure. Now you can avoid the hassle of trying to set up unnecessary cables. With a wide-angle lens, your field of view can reach up to 180° to monitor just about anything happening within the camera’s view.
Connect your Arlo Essential doorbell via Wi-Fi to your favorite devices such as Alexa, OK Google, and SmartThings to receive alerts and remotely answer your doorbell. You can keep intruders away by enabling the built-in siren to go off automatically or manually with the Arlo Secure app, which is a great security addition. Plus, it’s made to withstand the elements, so your house can be secure in rain, snow, or extreme heat.
If you’re looking to add more features, the Arlo Essential doorbell comes with a 3-month free trial of their Arlo Secure plan, which includes object detection, activity zones, intelligent alerts, and more.
The Ring 4 video doorbell is the pinnacle of smart doorbells. It comes with some pretty substantial upgrades from the Ring 3 and includes a feature no other smart doorbells have: color pre-roll. You can record up to four extra seconds before motion is detected, so every detail is recorded for you. A pre-recorded message can be set for while you’re away, and visitors can leave a personal voice message on your doorbell when you are unavailable.
The Ring 4 is wireless and comes with a removable, rechargeable battery, so you don’t have to spend money constantly replacing batteries. Installation takes less than five minutes, with a few screws and a faceplate. Wi-Fi can connect your doorbell to the Ring app to view live feeds anytime, anywhere. As a smart doorbell that can withstand extreme cold and heat, the Ring 4 rightfully earns the premium pick.
To add more features to your smart doorbell package, the Ring 4 comes with a Ring Protect 30-day free trial subscription, including person detection, rich notifications, extended storage, and more.
Amazon’s Blink video doorbell includes most of the essential features without any of the expensive extras. While this doorbell is wireless, you can also wire the Blink doorbell to sound with your in-home chime. It has a simple mount to secure and attach your doorbell for a wireless setup. Plus, it’s battery-operated and uses standby mode to conserve charge, so you won’t have to replace batteries as often. To receive alerts on your mobile devices, you can connect Amazon’s Blink video doorbell via Wi-Fi to the Blink app compatible with all devices.
As the Amazon Blink is a budget-friendly video doorbell, you will need to include the sync module 2 in your package to connect to Alexa and receive on-demand alerts and feeds anytime. To save and share videos, you will need a USB drive, also sold separately, or you can sign up for the Blink subscription plan, which comes with a 30-day free trial. If you don’t mind picking up a few extra accessories, however, the Amazon Blink is still a great value option for home security.
The Nooie is a high-end smart doorbell camera with high-end features to match. While some smart doorbell cameras include a chime device, the Nooie doorbell comes with a base station that, when placed indoors, acts as both a Wi-Fi range extender and a chime with different tones to choose from. Setup is easier than ever, thanks to a mounting guide that helps ensure your quick installation is spot on. It also comes with a safety lock and built-in siren to prevent tampering.
Advanced motion detection and AI human recognition can detect human movements and filter out unwanted alerts, such as pesky leaves in the wind. You can connect various smart devices to this doorbell, including Alexa and Echo Show to easily answer your door with voice commands. The Nooie app lets you view, download, and share videos with others and a handful of other features. The Nooie smart doorbell camera is certainly a premium device, but remember that as with all devices, you get what you pay for. With the Nooie, you’re most definitely getting a great device package.
The Wyze Pro is a wireless, battery-powered video doorbell that, like the Nooie, also comes with an additional base station that works as a Wi-Fi range extender and a chime. For a little extra flare, you can choose up to 20 different tones for the chime device and even adjust the tones with eight levels of sound. The Wyze Pro setup is as easy as peeling the 3M sticker off the backplate and securing it to the wall, then attaching your doorbell to the backplate, and you’re done. With the built-in, motion-activated security light, you can see what is going on outside and what triggered the motion sensor and configure your doorbell device to record.
You can connect this doorbell to all your favorite smart devices with the Wyze app, enabling two-way audio to speak with anyone at your door. With your smartphone, you can receive a range of notifications alerting you of people, animals, or packages at your door.
The Google Nest is the perfect addition if you are all about everything Google. You can connect this video doorbell right to your Google Home device and app to control everything in one central app, just as Google intended. For all things smart, you can even pair this doorbell with your smart speakers to act as a doorbell chime. The Google Nest recognizes the difference between people, animals, and packages and can also store and recognize familiar faces with Nest Aware.
This doorbell is wireless with a rechargeable battery and connects seamlessly over Wi-Fi to provide you with on-time alerts. Device setup is quick and easy, and you can do it yourself with a couple of screws and a backplate to secure it. In the event of a power outage and loss of connection, the Google Nest can record and store up to one hour of footage, so you don’t miss anything. Day or night, the Google Nest video doorbell has you covered.
The Kamep video doorbell is a budget device, but it stands up to its competitors by offering something different: customized activity zones. With this feature, you can draw out an area where your doorbell will focus its motion detection. To install your doorbell camera, use the mounting bracket or the attached adhesive tape and have your doorbell working in minutes. This doorbell is wireless, Wi-Fi capable, and connects to your smartphone with the Cloudedge app to view your camera anytime, anywhere. With the app, you can share your live doorbell feed with family and friends to keep everyone in the loop. You can also customize motion alerts and pre-record a message for visitors when you aren’t available to answer.
This doorbell might be for you if you live in a rainy region. With a waterproof rating of IP65, the Kamep video doorbell can withstand all those rainy days and stormy nights. For an affordable doorbell camera, day or night, the Kamep video doorbell is a great option for anyone on a budget.
The Toucan video doorbell is another one of the more affordable smart doorbells on the market, but it packs a punch with its unique security features. The Toucan has a mounting bracket to screw to the wall, and attach your doorbell to the bracket, for easy installation. With the Toucan Home app, an ultra-wide 180° lens lets you see everything in sight and watch it instantly live on your smartphone. With 24-hour video history and localized storage, you can recall and save any recent events directly to your device. You can also connect this doorbell to your Alexa or Google Home and answer your doorbell with voice commands.
For a more personalized touch, auto greetings let your delivery drivers know where to leave your packages and can tell potential solicitors to leave your property. The Toucan video doorbell not only has a security alarm to ward off intruders and unwanted guests, but it can also alert an emergency contact of your choice and emergency services to keep you feeling safe and secure at all times.
Home security at your fingertips
When deciding on a smart doorbell camera for your home, there are many factors you may want to consider. Whether you’re looking for a doorbell with simple alerts or a serious security package with a subscription, there’s a smart doorbell camera for everyone.
If you love the Ring 3, the Ring 4 video doorbell is the perfect upgrade to your home security setup. It brings in advanced features like Pre-Roll, which can record four extra seconds before motion is even detected. With this feature, you’ll get the whole picture, which is a huge help when identifying criminals. With live video and the ability to pre-record messages for visitors, the Ring 4 brings you closer to your home, even when you’re away.
The Amazon Blink brings you the best value if you’re on a budget and looking for a minimalistic smart doorbell. It can connect to your smartphone with the Blink app and lets you receive notifications regarding motion detection at your home. Unfortunately, you’ll need to purchase additional accessories for anything more than the basics. Still, the Amazon Blink covers the necessary bases.
Finally, the Arlo Essential is a deluxe, feature-packed, and long-lasting smart doorbell camera that can withstand the elements. While it is one of the more expensive options, the added security measures make the Arlo Essential worth every penny.
With any of these smart doorbell cameras, you know your house is safe with home security at your fingertips.
Eufy’s doorbell used to be in this guide, but given its recent string of privacy flaws and its questionable handling of them, we’ve removed them for the time being. While most major smart camera makers have had security flaws or accidental breaches at one point or another, how they are addressed is crucial to the level of trust and confidence we have in them to fix things and do better in the future. And that confidence is too low to recommend to you at this time.
