Identifying who is at your doorstep before answering the door is the best way to protect yourself against property theft, house invasion, porch pirates, and even unwelcome salespeople. The video doorbell acts asthe first line of defense for homes.
These gadgets utilize Wi-Fi to feed live video to your phone and include features like cloud video storage, motion detection, sirens, and compatibility with smart locks and other smart home devices. Continue reading to learn what to look for in a smart home wireless video doorbell for your house.
Video Doorbells: Wired vs. Wireless
When purchasing a smart doorbell, you must pick whether you want a wireless gadget that works on batteries or one that runs on a low-voltage doorbell cable.
A wireless doorbell is the simplest to set up since it runs on batteries rather than electricity and doesn’t need you to cut off the power or tamper with any cabling. The disadvantage of wireless doorbells is thattheir batteries degrade fast.
Wired doorbells are more challenging to install than wireless doorbells, but they’re still doable, and you won’t lose electricity until your whole home does.
Design & Features of Video Doorbells
Video doorbells are available in many styles and sizes. The cheapest versions are often big devices with limited color options, but many more costly ones are available that match your decor. If the doorbell is battery-operated, it will likely be bigger and more noticeable than a wired type.
When the doorbell button is touched, each smart doorbell worth its salt sends a ring to your phone and also a live video feed. A mobile app is used to view video and install the device, modify Wi-Fi settings, and set up alarms.
Look for a doorbell camera with adjustable motion zones to eliminate false alarms from passing automobiles, strong winds, and any creatures wandering about your house.
Smart Home Devices Integration
Video doorbells are available as add-on components for many home security systems, but they usually do not function independently and must be linked to a system hub. They do, however, interact with other system components, including door locks, sirens, and lights.
Look for a smart doorbell with the IFTTT (If This Then That) internet service support if you want a standalone smart doorbell that will operate with other smart devices in your house. Alexa voice commands support, which allows you to see a doorbell’s live broadcast on a suitable monitor, is another valuable feature to check for.
Smart Home Security Cameras vs. Video Doorbells
Many of the advantages of video doorbells and home security cameras are the same. Both will show you what’s happening outside your house, both will provide motion detection and motion-triggered recording, and both will, in most situations, let you communicate with whoever is out there.
You may also read about Best Smart Doorbell Camera
Security cameras, on the other hand, do not have a doorbell component. A security camera won’t alert you that someone is at the door if you’re downstairs washing laundry and your phone is upstairs, but the doorbell will (when pressed, obviously!).
