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The best smart doorbell camera
By Rachel Cericola, Jon Chase and Stacey Higginbotham This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to smart doorbell camera here. If you want to see who's on the other side of your door without having to get up and look yourself, then the Ring Video Doorbell 2 is the best choice for most everyone. It lets you screen (and record) visitors and keep an eye out for package deliveries. Motion and ring alerts to a smartphone are typically fast, audio and 1080p video are clear, and the Ring 2 can be powered by either standard doorbell wiring or a removable rechargeable battery. The Ring Video Doorbell 2 performs like a cross between a modestly aggressive guard dog and a trusty digital butler. In addition to notifying you—audibly and via smartphone—of activity, it records all motion events to the cloud, letting you view those recordings (as well as live video) on your phone or computer any time. It's also compatible with a good number of smart-home devices, platforms, and monitored security systems. Though video recording and storage require a subscription, the $30 annual fee (a mere 8¢ per day) for 60 days of unlimited video storage is downright cheap compared with the competition. We like the Ring Video Doorbell Pro for all the reasons we like the Ring 2. Additionally, it has a much slimmer and sleeker design that will fit in more doorframes and includes the option for customized motion-detection zones. However, it's more expensive and requires a hardwired connection to your home's doorbell system in order to function—its slimness comes from dropping the Ring 2's battery pack. The only other difference is that it uses video analysis for motion detection in addition to infrared. This means you're less likely to get bothered by false triggers from waving tree branches and shadows. Nest's Hello is the slimmest and most advanced DIY doorbell cam we've tested and the one to get if security is your primary concern. Unlike most smart doorbells, it records and stores video 24/7. (Ring doorbells only record when motion is detected.) For easy access, Nest's cloud service also automatically tags clips that include motion or people, using facial recognition software to learn and identify who is coming and going—although in our testing this feature wasn't very reliable. This comprehensive approach comes with an elevated price, however: A Nest Aware subscription, which is essential for video recording, costs $5 a month to store five days of video for a single camera, $10 for 10 days, and $30 per month for 30 days—placing it in line with the cost of home-security services. The audio quality and 720p video of the original Ring Video Doorbell are noticeably worse than what you get from the Ring 2 and Nest Aware—it's fine for monitoring your door but less useful for security. However, it costs about half the price of those doorbells, and it still has the basic features that any connected doorbell should have, including motion detection, video and audio recording, and the option to see (from your smartphone or tablet) a live view of who's at your door, day or night. And because it can run on batteries, it's easy for renters to install, though recharging is a hassle, and notifications are slightly slower on battery power. Like the Ring 2, it requires a $30 yearly subscription to store videos for later viewing.
Ring's Video Doorbell Pro is a sleeker, more powerful home portal
Ring's Video Doorbell is helpful if you want to know who's gracing your door, but it has its limitations: it streams in 720p, its motion detection isn't fine-grained, and its boxy design can stick out like a sore thumb. That's where the just-announced Video Doorbell Pro might save the day. The upgraded ringer not only captures footage in 1080p (helping you read that salesperson's name tag), but lets you specify motion zones that alert you when there's activity in a specific area, like your front porch or the mailbox. And as you may have noticed, the Pro is much smaller and slicker than its precursor -- it won't look quite so out of place at the front of a vintage home.
