Home LivingSmart Home6 things I wish I’d known before buying a smart home video doorbellThinking of going smart with your next doorbell upgrade? There’s some things you might want to know aboutWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingSmart Home6 things I wish I’d known before buying a smart home video doorbellThinking of going smart with your next doorbell upgrade? There’s some things you might want to know aboutWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Thinking of going smart with your next doorbell upgrade? There’s some things you might want to know about
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Ring)
(Image credit: Ring)
As a massive smart home enthusiast, I’ve been using a variety of thebest video doorbellson my home for years now.
And, during that time, I’ve come to learn exactly what’s great and not so great about video doorbells.
As such, if you’re currently considering buying a video doorbell for your smart home then there are probably a few tidbits of information that I can pass on that might prove useful to you.
1. You should go wireless unless you’re an electrician
2. Your product will likely get worse after 1-to-3 months
This is probably the most frustrating thing about the majority of video doorbells on the market. Each tend to come with a 1-to-3 month free trial to a paid-for, cloud-based subscription service from the brand, often offering unlimited cloud video storage or extra features. I’mnota fan of these subscription services, and never sign up for them, and that means that every time I hook up a new video doorbell, I then watch as after a short time period, I suddenly lose features and functionality. And, I’m sorry, but that just feels naff.
3. Notifications are great, but also not great
One of the best things about video doorbells is that they automatically supply you with notifications for when someone approaches your front door, with motion sensors triggering the camera to turn on recording and notify you of the approach. This really is great. But, you know when it isn’t great? When you get pinged 17 times in 5 minutes when your partner has a doorstop convo with the next-door neighbor. Curating when you receive notification is therefore key, but even on their most limited settings, therewillend up times when your phone will buzz for no good reason.
4. Speaking to delivery drivers while away from home is super useful
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5. Opting for a brand with a good app is crucial
As I hinted at above when speaking about notifications, having a video doorbell with a good app that offers plenty of customization is key to having a good experience. Brands like Arlo, Ring and Nest offer good apps that allow customization in terms of catchment/recording zones, notification frequencies/type and any connected devices like chimes. If youdohave access to cloud storage recordings, a good app also lets you view and search these with ease.
6. Your video doorbell probably needs a separate chime
This also may not be directly obvious to the first time smart home video doorbell buyer, but manydon’tcome with a audible chime unit in the box. So, if you want to have your video doorbell actually play an audible ring in your home when it is pressed, and not just play out through connected smartphones, then you’ll need to buy one. Arlo, for example, should be paired with an Arlo Chime, which can be plugged in to any wall socket and syncs to the doorbell wirelessly. These chime units can be customised in terms of sound played, too.
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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