Smart Doorbells

The best-value doorbell by a wide margin, and the one we would fit ourselves. Detection of people and parcels happens on the device, so automations fire almost immediately and keep working if the internet drops. Recordings go to a microSD card, a Reolink NVR or your own FTP server, with no monthly cost ever.

The PoE version deserves particular mention: one Ethernet cable supplies both power and data, so it never needs charging and never drops off Wi-Fi. A 5 MP sensor in a 4:3 shape and a six-second pre-roll mean you see the whole step and what happened just before the press.

The most capable doorbell available, if you already run or are willing to build a UniFi Protect system. A second downward-facing camera exists purely to watch the doorstep for parcels, which is a better solution than trying to do it with one wide lens. Detection is local and unusually broad.

The programmable display under the button is a small delight — leave a message for a courier without being home. The known weakness is speaker volume, so two-way conversations outdoors can be a struggle.

Netatmo’s position is consistent across its whole range: pay once, own the hardware, keep the footage. Storage goes to an encrypted card, your own FTP server or a personal cloud account, and person detection runs on the device. The build is the best-protected here, with anodised aluminium and a hydrophobic coating on the electronics.

The compromise is the lens. At 140° it is the narrowest in this group, which means less of the doorstep in frame. If parcels on the ground are your main concern, look at Reolink or the Ubiquiti instead.

Nest’s detection is the most reliable at telling a person from a parcel from a passing car, and the 145° portrait-shaped HDR view is well judged for a doorway — you see head to toe rather than a wide strip. Processing happens on the device, so alerts are fast.

The catch is structural: there is no local storage, so video history lives in Google’s cloud and needs Nest Aware. If you want it to ring your existing chime, you need the wired model instead, which also brings a higher-resolution sensor and a wider view.

Ring remains the easiest doorbell to live with, and the removable battery pack is a genuinely good idea — swap in a charged one and the doorbell never goes offline. The tall 1536p sensor frames a visitor from head to toe.

Understand the commercial model before buying. Without a subscription you get live view and notifications, but you cannot save or review recordings at all. Over five years the plan costs more than the doorbell, which changes the comparison with Reolink considerably.

German-built and closer to a commercial door station than a consumer doorbell: stainless housing, flush-mount option, and a 180° hemispheric lens that leaves nothing outside the frame. Integration is local and thorough, which is why it appears in architect-specified installations. You are paying a substantial premium for build quality and longevity rather than features.

Worth including because it answers a different question. This is a mains-powered chime with a battery push-button: the chime joins your network over Z-Wave and acts as a repeater, while the button reaches it over 433 MHz at up to 90 metres. A 105 dB siren and bright strobe mean it doubles as an alarm sounder.

If you do not want a camera on your front door — a legitimate position — but do want the doorbell in your automations, this is the sensible option.

The budget entry point. Two AA cells or existing wiring, 1080p, infrared night vision and two-way audio for well under a hundred euros. Local storage is possible but only by buying the separate Sync Module. The 135° lens is the narrowest in this group, so expect to miss parcels placed close to the door.