See and record who’s knocking on the door with the best video doorbells from Ring, Nest and the rest
Video doorbells have been all the rage in the US for some time. Now they’re taking off in the UK. Also known as smart or connected doorbells, you hook them up to your smartphone and when someone rings the bell, you get an alert on your phone, followed by a live video feed of your visitor and the option for two-way audio. In other words, you can see them, but they can’t see you, and you can both talk to and hear each other. Some also have motion sensors, giving you an alert as soon as someone approaches your front door. A few even have fancy features like face recognition.
There are plenty of reasons to get a video doorbell. Even if you’re in another country when your doorbell rings, you get to see who it is and communicate with them. “Can you leave it in the porch,” you could tell a delivery man, or “Mum, sorry I’m running late, I’ll be back in five minutes,” if it’s Mum playing a visit. If you are at home and don’t want to see that person, you can just pretend you’re out. Then there’s the security aspect. Burglars will either spot the camera and scarper or you’ll have video footage of them snooping.
So what features should you look out for? Is Ring the only brand worth buying? Are video doorbells affordable? Read on to find out answers to these questions and more, as well as our best video doorbell recommendations.
How to choose the best video doorbell for you
What should I look out for in a video doorbell?
Your first consideration is how the video doorbell is connected, which really comes down to two options:
Battery powered: Battery-powered doorbells get their charge from a rechargeable battery, meaning you don’t need any wiring in place; just a working Wi-Fi signal. While this has obvious benefits, it makes the unit bulkier and the batteries will need charging. Luckily, you don’t have to do this too often. They last anywhere from two months to a year.
Wired: this means the doorbell must be connected to the wiring for your existing doorbell. This saves the hassle of changing batteries and the doorbell is usually more discreet. However, if you don’t have existing wiring, you may need to fork out for professional installation (and most video doorbell manufacturers recommend their own, which can be pricey).
Your doorbell should have two-way talk with a decent microphone and speaker and a good-quality video image. With some video doorbells, you see people head to toe, while with others you only get a partial view. Check there’s a motion sensor and think about whether you want alerts to cover the full 180- to 185-degree view, or whether you want only a certain zone within the field of vision to be covered. Infrared lighting makes it easier to see people at night.
What other features are worth paying for?
You may want to access previously recorded motion and rings – perhaps because you missed a call or because someone on your street has told you about to some attempted break-ins. Be aware this comes at an extra price – sometimes more than £25 a year.
Will you be able to hear the doorbell? To hear it in the house (not just on your smartphone), you’ll need a chime unit. With some video doorbells, these come in the box; with others, it costs extra.
Do you want your doorbell to be part of a bigger home-security system – for instance, by adding on security cameras that can connect with a central system hub. With some video doorbells, there is even smart lock integration so your doorbell can effectively let someone into your home once you give them the green light from your smartphone.
How much do I need to spend?
Video doorbells start at around £80 and go up to several hundred pounds. Don’t assume it’s always best to pay top whack as the cheapest video doorbell in our roundup gets a great review. You may not need or even want some of the features in the more expensive video doorbells.
The best video doorbells
Ring Video Doorbell 2: The best battery-powered video doorbell
- Price: £179
Now part of the Amazon empire, Ring is the best known of all the video doorbell brands and this is a great all-rounder. Because it’s battery powered, you can get it up and running straight away, with the batteries lasting at least six months. Alternatively, you can connect it to an existing wired doorbell. It’s quite bulky, but there are two interchangeable faceplates so you can get the look you want. You get crisp images, including at night, with only an occasional glitching, and the sound is good. You can set it to detect motion too.
On the downside, you have to pay extra to store your video footage so you can look back to check any missed calls or motion, while annoyingly, the Chime Pro door chime is an optional extra. You might not want it, but we’d say it’s a must if you have a patchy signal or you don’t always have your phone to hand. It both extends your Wi-Fi signal and makes the doorbell audible in the house (otherwise you only get alerts on your phone).
Of all the additional security options, we were most impressed with the new Ring Spotlight Cam – an extra camera with wide-angle lens, infrared vision sensors, motion-activated spotlight, microphone and speakers. It’s compact and easy to set up and, while it can run on battery, you can also get a wired or solar-powered version.
Key specs – Camera: 1080p HD video; Field of view: 160 degrees; Warranty: 2 months on parts, lifetime theft protection
Nest Hello: The best wired video doorbell
- Price: £229
Arguably the best-looking video doorbell, the Nest also has the best video quality, with a view of your visitor from head to foot, as well as an outstanding microphone and speaker (although it sometimes takes a few seconds for the ‘talk’ feature on your phone to kick in). It’s pricier than its main rival, the Ring 2, but a wireless chime is thrown in and there are some great additional features, including the pre-recorded messages that you can select from the app (telling the postman to leave the package in the porch, for example). It will also recognise individual faces and announce them to you, or you can set up specific zones so you’ll only be notified if someone appears in that zone. That said, you’ll have to subscribe to the Nest Aware service to access some of these features and you’ll also need a wired connection to make the doorbell work – Nest Pro installation is recommended. We also found the face recognition a little complicated to get working.
If you’re looking to start a system, Nest has plenty of security cameras for both inside and out that you can add on. We tested the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor camera, which has a very clear picture and spots a person 15 metres away, automatically zooming in and tracking them, provided you’ve got good Wi-Fi signal. There’s also a great speaker (which is fun to use from the train to talk to your partner putting the bins out, even if it’s all just a little bit Big Brother.
Key specs – Camera: 1,600 x 1,200 resolution; Field of view: 160 degrees; Warranty: 2-year limited warranty
Ring Video Doorbell Pro: The best video doorbell for customising
- Price: £239
The high-end Ring is smaller and better looking than the Ring 2 and you get four interchangeable faceplates and the Chime thrown in. You can hook it up to Alexa (‘How’s my front door looking, Alexa?’ etc) and it has slightly more advanced features than the Ring 2, notably a wide-angle lens, higher quality video, better night vision and more advanced motion detection. Plus, you have much more control over where your camera is watching than with the Ring 2, with the app letting you pick specific zones from the field of view for motion alerts. This alone is worth the extra dosh if you want that level of customisation.
Like the Ring 2, you get useful sharing features so you can, for example, show neighbours your footage if there’s been a spate of attempted local break-ins or pranks. But because it needs to be wired up – there’s no battery option with this one – it’s more of a faff to install. Still, you don’t have to replace the battery, and it’s no problem at all if you have an existing doorbell connection.
Key specs – Camera: 1080p HD video; Field of view: 160 degrees; Warranty: 2 months on parts, lifetime theft protection
Vuebell: The best video doorbell for under £100
- Price: £89
At less than a hundred quid, we thought this wouldn’t be a patch on its pricier rivals, but actually, it shares the same basic features and the video and sound quality are decent too. In fact, its vertical field of view is wider than some of the top models and it has good night vision to boot. Plus, you get the chime unit (battery powered so you put it anywhere) thrown in, which means it works like a traditional doorbell with chime in addition to alerting you via smartphone. The app works well, enabling you to set the camera to record videos or capture images, and it will let you know if there’s anyone anywhere near your front door. It looks more expensive than it is too.
There are, of course, some drawbacks. You can’t hook it up with other connected devices or smart home platforms and you should also bear in mind that it needs to be wired up, which can set you back a few bob. Some users have also reported connection problems; in many cases, it wouldn’t get going at all and in others it started off fine, but problems kicked in within a few days, driving them to send the product back. Given the price, it’s arguably worth taking the chance and doing the same if you’re affected.
Key specs – Camera: 720p HD video; Field of view: 185 degrees; Warranty: One year
IseeBell: The best video doorbell for under £80
- Price: £80
This is the cheapest video doorbell in our roundup, yet you still get an indoor chime included in the box, which is great for those that don’t have their phone by their side at all times. It’s also easy to install. Images are sharp and, as with some other smart doorbells, multiple people can access the one account so that even the kids can see who is at the door. We also like the fact that additional terminals can allow control of an electric strike or magnetic lock, so you don’t need a separate smart lock.
It’s not all good news. Night-time vision isn’t great, and you’ll need to wire it up where your wired doorbell was – or start from scratch. As with other video doorbells, you’ll have to pay extra if you want to be able to access past video footage. However, it’s not as if that’s compulsory and it’s the fees are less expensive than with some of the bigger brands. Overall, this is an excellent budget option that is giving some of the best-known names in the industry a run for their money.
Key specs – Camera: 720p HD video; Field of view: 185 degrees; Warranty: 18 months on parts, lifetime purchase protection
ERA DoorCam Smart Home Wi-Fi Video Doorbell: A great video doorbell from a security specialist
- Price: £179
Available in black or white, this is one of the slimmer video doorbells available, with a decent 180-degree field of view. The picture has the kind of clarity you’d expect at this higher price range and, as with other more expensive models, there’s absolutely no chance of tough weather conditions stopping it from doing its job. It comes with free cloud recording for 12 months – a big bonus – and we found it easy to set up the app.
Another benefit is the passive infrared sensor, which can distinguish among humans, animals and leaves – excellent news for those who don’t want endless notifications when there’s a prowling fox or windy day. ERA might not be a familiar name for electronics, but it’s a company with history in the home-security field, particularly locks and padlocks. The only serious downside is that you will need to wire this one up, and professional installation can be pricey.
Key specs – Camera: 720p HD video; Field of view: 180 degrees; Warranty: 2-year mechanical guarantee
Source: expertreviews.co.uk