The Best Doorbell Camera of 2021

Best Doorbell Camera Buying Guide & Reviews of 2020

Doorbell cameras are the answer to “Who’s There” as they show who’s on the door without the need of opening the door and making yourself vulnerable. They usually have Wi-Fi, speaker, microphone and sensors to detect who’s out there and what do they want. Every good quality security doorbell camera will connect to a PC, smartphone, or a smart home device. There are three categories of doorbell cameras. One type needs a power source, the second is battery operated, and the third is hardwired. As the cost of these systems ranges from just 50 bucks to 500 dollars, you would be smart to read this guide before choosing one for your property.

Things to Consider

Smartphone Compatibility

If you are considering spending money on a doorbell camera, ensure that you can control it via your smartphone. To do that, you will need to sync the doorbell to your smartphone by downloading a mobile app. You can use the app to configure several features of the doorbell like remotely starting video recording, taking a still picture, etc. It will allow you to control the camera from any location, be it your home, office, or your vehicle!

Wires or No Wires

There is no need to tangle yourself up with the wires and have things hassle-free. A wireless Wi-Fi doorbell camera makes it happen for you. Just remember to change the batteries on time if you pick a battery-operated version, else your doorbell camera might be of no use.

The Range

When someone rings the doorbell, you want to see the face of the person before opening it, right? But what can you do if a person is standing beyond the camera range? You can either request them to come into view or take the risk of opening the door without seeing who is it.

There is another choice. You should invest in a camera that allows you to get a full 180-degree range of view, allowing you not only view the front area but also both the sides. If you can’t go for 180-degree range, at least aim for 160-degree to make the camera worth it!

Viewability

Looking for a camera, which remains hidden from the view of an outsider but can easily record his or her movements. Then, hidden doorbell camera should be your choice. It will allow you to stay aware of people with wrong intentions as everyone practices being nice when they know they are being recorded, but they don’t bother when they see no camera on the door. You might be able to avert horrible incidents if the camera is hidden.

Recording Choices

In case you are planning to invest in a remote doorbell camera, you should be clear about what kind of video recording are you after. Some people go for continuous video recording or CVR because they don’t want to leave their property unmonitored even for a second. Others opt for motion-activated recording by using a motion-activated doorbell camera that starts recording when motion is sensed and stops the recording when there is no movement around. The latter is time-saving as you don’t have to view a recording of the entire day to know when the delivery boy came.

Storage

Once you are sure about the recording choices, you need to decide where the recordings will be stored. The top three options available to you are DVR or digital video recorder, a removable micro-SD disk that needs to be inserted in your doorbell or to the cloud, for which you need to purchase a subscription from the manufacturer of the device. All three choices are available with motion recordings and CVR.

Quality of Videos

The quality of videos needs to be decided when you want to buy a doorbell camera. The higher the quality, the better would be the images you are able to see. If you want the highest quality images, you should opt for cameras that provide up to 1080p resolution. In contrast, if you are not concerned too much about video quality but want the cheapest option, you can go with 480p resolution too.

Motion Detection Abilities

If you want alerts or video recording to be initiated whenever someone comes within the range of the camera, you can opt for a camera that has motion detection abilities. We recommend that you set the alerts only if you live in an isolated area and are not expecting any deliveries shortly. If you live in a busy neighbourhood where people walk in front of your door all day or kids play within the range of your camera, the doorbell camera comes with a feature to turn such alerts off.

Night Vision Capabilities

Most crimes or break-ins happen during the night because the setting enables them to get off the sight effortlessly and fool cameras that work best during daylight. A doorbell camera with night vision capabilities  can capture the movement easily.

When the day ends, and it becomes dark outside, the camera will automatically switch to the infrared night vision mode without any assistance. The higher the resolution of the camera, the better would be the quality of the images when the night vision mode is on.

Audio

If you are alone at home and you want to confirm the identity of the person at the door, you can do that by buying a product that has an audio feature. Simply communicate verbally with the person standing out by using either a smartphone or a smart home device. If you choose a doorbell camera with the speaker, you will need to speak near the speaker to ensure the person hears your voice clearly. You can use this feature to ask the delivery person to leave the package outside the door and pick it up when after his/her departure.

Other Features

People who are not so tech-savvy still prefer wireless doorbell camera with monitor so that they can see the person on a small monitor before opening the door. This option is best for older adults. Some people also want an intercom doorbell camera that allows them to make use of a wireless doorbell camera intercom to talk to the person outside the door before they open the door. Similarly, some people want to buy a slim doorbell camera that doesn’t look ugly and harm the beauty of their door’s exteriors. If you fall in any of these categories, make sure you look for the specific features you want before making the purchase.

Pros and Cons of Doorbell Cameras

Pros

Most products are available with motion sensors that start recording only when there is movement. The recordings come in handy when someone tries to enter your property to commit a crime.

Quick alerts of suspicious activities can allow you to contact the law enforcement agencies in your area and help to get criminals caught.
You can confirm the identity of anyone at the door and catch the liars easily.
You can check video logs and help catch a criminal in the vicinity.
The kids can use it to talk to you if you don’t have a phone in the house.

Cons

Too many alerts can annoy you or break your concentration at work, especially if you opt for a CVR and yours is a busy neighbourhood. A camera, if not well-hidden, can alert the criminals and they may not reveal their real intent. If you opt for an advanced product with cloud storage, you will need to spend a good amount of money.

Conclusion

When choosing a doorbell camera, you need to understand all the features carefully so that you don’t pay for features you don’t require and pay for only the features you need. The research will be worth it if you get a product that fulfils your need without costing a lot over time while keeping your loved ones and assets safe!