Used to be, your doorbell could only let you know when someone was at the door. Functional and efficient, but limited. Nowadays, via modern technology, your doorbell can not just tell you that someone is there, but you can see them, take their picture (or video), and with some doorbells, it’ll tell you who is there — and you don’t even need to be at home. These four smart doorbells are CNET’s picks for the top of the line.
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Nest Hello
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/reviews/nest-hello-review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: Nest’s $229 Hello video doorbell looks great and works consistently well. Its optional facial recognition feature and advanced integrations with the Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Google Home speakers set this smart buzzer above the rest.
The bad: A seemingly unnecessary “chime connector” accessory comes with your purchase and is a required part of the installation for “power management” purposes whether you have a manual or a digital doorbell chime. There’s no free video clip storage.
The cost: $229.00 to $229.99
The bottom line: The Nest Hello is the smartest video doorbell available today, and a really solid choice for anyone — but it’s especially appealing if you’re sold on a broader Google/Nest smart home.
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SkyBell HD Wi-Fi Video Doorbell
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/reviews/skybell-hd-wi-fi-video-doorbell-review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: SkyBell’s latest $199 Wi-Fi doorbell has a 1080p high-definition resolution, on-demand clip recording and free video storage, as well as an IFTTT channel and integration with Amazon’s Alexa Skills Kit and Google/Alphabet’s Nest.
The bad: There’s no Web interface, it doesn’t work directly with Samsung’s SmartThings or Wink, and you can’t tweak push alert settings or the quality of the video resolution in the app.
The cost: $147.99 to $199.88
The bottom line: The SkyBell HD Wi-Fi Video Doorbell’s 1080p resolution and array of third-party integrations set it apart from the pack, including August’s impressive Doorbell Cam.
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Ring Video Doorbell Pro
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/reviews/ring-video-doorbell-pro-review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)
The good: Ring’s $249 Video Doorbell Pro has 1080p HD video resolution and a slimmed-down design that’s more likely to fit on a doorframe than its oversized competition.
The bad: You have to pay a minimum of $3 per month for cloud video storage.
The cost: $219.00 to $249.99
The bottom line: The Video Doorbell Pro is a solid smart buzzer, but its space-saving design is its main selling point.
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Ring Video Doorbell 2
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/reviews/ring-video-doorbell-2-review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)
The good: The Ring Video Doorbell 2’s removable lithium ion battery makes it easy to install — and even easier to charge. It works with Alexa via the Amazon Echo Show.
The bad: You have to sign up for Ring’s optional fee-based cloud storage service to save and review past video clips. The large Video Doorbell 2 won’t fit on most doorframes.
The cost: $174.00 to $199.99
The bottom line: Look no further than Ring’s battery-powered Video Doorbell 2 if you don’t want to deal with electrical wiring.
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The following CNET staff contributed to this story: Senior Associate Editor Megan Wollerton and Senior Editor Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, please visit www.cnet.com.
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