The easiest way to safeguard your residence against unwanted solicitors and home invasion is to identify who is at your doorstep before you even open the door. A video doorbell allows you to not only see and speak with anyone outside but also record video of visitors that approach your property while you’re away. Video doorbells typically work with Wi-Fi to stream live video to your smartphone and offer smart features, such as motion detection, cloud video storage, and interoperability with locks and other smart devices. Here are our top picks for the best video doorbells that are easy to install. 

Get real-time mobile notifications on your mobile device 

This 1080-pixel video doorbell comes with a two-way talk feature, advanced motion detection, and customizable privacy settings. It has a night vision feature that helps you see everything in detail, even in the dark. 

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Uses a 4:3 aspect ratio to provide a bigger view

This video doorbell comes with Activity Zone technology that allows you to customize the areas in which the camera detects motion. It can be connected to Google Voice Assistant or Amazon Alexa.

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Lasts up to six months on a single charge 

This video doorbell provides detailed video in HD with HDR that ensures you see details even in low light. It instantly sends notifications for people, animals and vehicles approaching your property, as well as packages delivered. 

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Works with a PIR sensor and AI body detection technology

This doorbell comes with an ultra-clear optical glass lens that includes WDR, ensuring you get extra-sharp, detailed images even in low-light conditions. It stores videos directly to your smart device with built-in 8G memory for up to 60 days. 

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Includes an infrared night video function 

With this video doorbell, you can have a wire-free installation or connect to your existing doorbell wiring to sound your in-home chime. It comes with a free trial of the Blink Subscription Plan to store footage in the cloud. 

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Video doorbells work in the same way as home security cameras. They connect through Wi-Fi and send notifications to your smart device whenever motion is detected. Most video doorbells come with an application that allows you to login and view a live feed from the camera. Some even allow you to converse with whoever is at your property. Alternatively, you can review the footage at any other date.

Typically, the higher the resolution, the sharper the image of the video doorbell. Today, most of these doorbells have at least a resolution of 1080 pixels. It’s also worth considering the framerate of the video. Keep in mind that the higher the number, the clearer the video will be.

Your first consideration when choosing a video doorbell is how it is connected, which comes down to two options: Battery-powered and wired: Battery-powered video doorbells are charged from a rechargeable battery, so you don’t need any wiring in place; simply a Wi-Fi signal. Keep in mind that these doorbells need frequent changers or battery changes. Wired doorbells are connected through wiring. This saves the hassle of changing batteries, but they may require professional installation.

Next, you want to consider the type of view the doorbell offers. For example, do you simply want a narrow, horizontal view of the person at the door, or do you want a view of everything around the entryway? Some of the best video doorbells offer a very wide, landscape view, while others come with a portrait orientation. 

Some video doorbells allow for two-way audio that enables you to talk to anyone through the doorbell. Consider if this is something that may be useful to your household. 

Having smart motion detection is also very useful. Advanced video doorbells can tell you if a person or animal is approaching your doorstep, or if a package has been delivered.

Finally, consider how the doorbell’s video captures are stored. Does it require a subscription to save videos in the cloud? Or does it offer local storage so you don’t have any ongoing costs? Some video doorbells offer complementary cloud storage for a limited time after video has been recorded.