Which Doorbell With Camera is Right For You?

A doorbell with camera can ward off porch pirates, and it can help delivery guys know exactly where to drop off packages, but what type do you want?

When shopping for a video doorbell, be sure to inquire about 2-way talk and night vision and the viewing size you would like.

Two-way Talk
2-way audio lets you talk directly to strangers on your camera and gives you some security for an isolated home and guards children against unwanted guests. They’re especially handy for keeping kids safe from prying eyes. This is the same technology that guards parents with small children against unwanted visitors that might call through the doorbell, and it keeps us safe from robberies or other crimes that could occur within walking distance.

It was easy to set up with directions and tricks on how to do it (you need a subscription for Arlo Secure to keep video files). Plus you get sound recordings only when your doorbell rings — annoying to some, anyways, but with its 180 degree field of view it’s a good option for homes where package comes in a lot.

Another thing is how fast it takes clip. It’s one of the fastest in our tests as this thing pushes notifications and screenshots right to your phone on average, in around 1.21 seconds. Any notification click opens directly to your feed without a thumbnail image, it is very nice. Quality of video is clear but the HDR does not work and color might be muddy.

Motion Detection
Cameras with motion sensor will see if something moves, alert you by phone, so you can check in and use two-way talk to chat with visitors. These doorbell cameras are great especially if you’re afraid of prying crooks and solicitors.

Change the motion sensor to detect only a certain range and viewing area so that cars, dogs, etc., don’t confuse it. There are some cameras with sensitivity controls you can adjust to customize it to the style of your house.

A night vision doorbell camera lets you know who is at your front door even in the dark so you can easily see when you are not at home and the drivers arrive late. Plus, they can even monitor your pet or kids outside (some sophisticated models even distinguish between individuals, animals and things!

Night Vision
You’ll be able to see who is knocking with a night vision doorbell camera even when the lights are out and can feel secure knowing porch pirates or door-to-door home remodeling consultants aren’t going to appear suddenly in your front yard. It’s a useful feature that might deter thieves at your door.

Doorbell cameras with two-way talk also let you speak to whoever’s at your door even if you’re not actually open. It is especially useful when you need to talk to healthcare professionals or delivery men who would otherwise have to be able to leave some groceries on your front porch, for example.

Some models let you choose whether you want your footage to go to the cloud or not (that can cost a subscription). Other models feature micro SD slot to save footage locally to watch offline – there’s 16GB of free space available on the SimpliSafe model for stored videos – great if you’re worried about privacy, or don’t want to pony up monthly subscriptions for cloud.

Cloud Storage
If you don’t stay home all the time or you can’t react immediately to a door knock, then with a video doorbell, you can see who’s at home before answering. A good fit is the $35 Wyze video doorbell, which gives you 14 days of free cloud storage (you do not have to subscribe), and supports Alexa and Google Assistant as well as an SD card slot for local backup. Good night-time resolution and color, but poorer facial recognition than the higher-priced models.

The Eufy E340 doorbell camera has dual radar and PIR motion sensors for lower false alarms and better detection. It can track persons and parcels alike – giving you a deterrent against porch pirates – while still staying connected thanks to its wired connection; plus it can also be linked to products such as Homebase S380 as a chime to be part of your smart home network.