Buying guide for best video doorbell
These days, many people take home security very seriously. But even if you just hate getting off the couch to answer the door when you’re not expecting guests, a video doorbell can make your life easier and safer.
The best video doorbells let you see who’s at your door and communicate with them from the safety of your home. You can even talk to visitors when away from home via a connected app, so you can always keep an eye on your property. The highest-quality video doorbells offer special features like advanced motion detection to limit false alerts, as well as night vision that lets you see what’s going on around your home even after dark.
Ultimately, the Google Nest Doorbell topped our list because it offers superior motion detection that can tell the difference between people, packages, vehicles and animals for more precise alerts. It even boasts familiar face recognition, so you’ll know if it’s a friend or stranger at your door.
Which video doorbell is best?
Google Nest Doorbell
Best at Motion Detection
Product Specifications
Camera Resolution: 960 x 1280 | Field of View: 145 degrees | Night Vision: Yes | Motion Detection: Yes, with motion, people, package, animal and vehicle alerts | Two-Way Audio: Yes, with noise cancellation
The Google Nest Doorbell earns the top spot among video doorbells because of its excellent video quality and convenient features. It offers 960 x 1280 resolution, allowing you to see precise details so you don’t miss any action near your front door. It also has a vertical field of view that spans 145 degrees, meaning you can easily see packages left on your doorstep. The app sends alerts when a package is delivered — or removed — to ensure you know if the item you’re waiting for has been stolen. Best of all, its advanced software allows the Google Nest to recognize familiar faces and lets you know if friends, family or strangers are at your door.
You don’t have to worry about a tricky installation with the Google Nest, either. It includes all the hardware necessary for mounting and even includes wires if you prefer to hardwire it to your existing doorbell rather than rely on its internal battery. The battery can run for up to six months before recharging, but if motion is detected more regularly, you may need to recharge every couple of months. The Nest stores three hours of video history without a subscription. If you want it to keep up to 60 days’ worth of video history, you’ll need to subscribe to one of the Nest plans, which starts at $6 a month.
Like other high-end video doorbells, the Google Nest offers two-way audio to communicate with visitors on your doorstep. You don’t even have to be home to chat with guests. Through the Nest app, you can let a delivery person know where to leave a package, so it doesn’t get nabbed. Overall, the Google Nest Doorbell’s excellent video and audio quality and special features like familiar face recognition and free local storage make it the best video doorbell.
Blink Video Doorbell
Best Video Doorbell for Beginners
Product Specifications
Camera Resolution: 1080p HD| Field of View: 135 degrees horizontal, 80 degrees vertical | Night Vision: Infrared HD night vision | Motion Detection: Yes | Two-Way Audio: Yes
The Blink Video Doorbell may be one of the most affordable models on the market, but it isn’t short on convenient features. It offers a 1080p HD resolution that provides a clear view of your door area and a 135-degree horizontal and 80-degree vertical field of view that also provides a wide look at your entrance. It also has infrared HD night vision to help you keep an eye on the action even after dark. With two-way audio, you can communicate with visitors without opening the door, saving you time and keeping your home safe.
It is an ideal option for those new to video doorbells because its setup is extremely quick and easy. It runs on AA lithium batteries, so you don’t have to worry about wiring it or even charging it beforehand. Instead, you only have to mount the plate and clip the doorbell in place, allowing you to set it up and start using it in about five minutes. Blink advertises up to two years of battery life for the lithium batteries, so you won’t have to worry about replacing them for a while.
There are some limitations to the Blink Video Doorbell, though. While it has a live feed of the door, you can only access it when you get a motion alert or someone rings the bell if you don’t have a Blink Sync Module 2, which must be purchased separately. It does take a still photo of the doorway every hour, but the image quality isn’t very sharp. With the Sync Module, you can also store video from the camera locally to save footage you might need.
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus
Best Wireless Video Doorbell
Product Specifications
Camera Resolution: 1536p HD | Field of View: 150 degrees horizontal, 150 degrees vertical | Night Vision: Color night vision | Motion Detection: Advanced motion detection | Two-Way Audio: Yes, with noise cancellation
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is a wireless doorbell that blew us away during testing with its excellent 1536 HD resolution. It offered much sharper details than previous Ring models we tested, as well as a 150-degree horizontal and 150-degree vertical field of view that allowed us to see guests from head to toe as well as packages left at the doorstep. We could even see the first three or so feet of the walkway that led to our testing area’s front steps. In addition to motion alerts, it sends package alerts, so we could bring deliveries in as soon as they arrived.
With its wireless design and built-in battery, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus Installation was quick and easy to install. We used a no-screw mount to install it on vinyl siding, so the process took less than 10 minutes. The battery took six and a half hours to charge the first time fully, and Ring claims it will last for up to six months per charge. We also found we could maximize its battery life by customizing the doorbell’s motion zones in the Ring app to prevent it from detecting unnecessary motion.
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus integrates easily with smart home devices to ensure you get the most out of the device. We connected to Alexa via an Echo Dot and an Echo Show 5. The Dot announced when the doorbell was rung, while the Echo Show provided a live feed of our testing area’s front door in less than 10 seconds. Overall, we found the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus to offer the excellent video quality and convenient features we’d expect from a high-end video doorbell.
Ring Video Doorbell
Best Video Doorbell for Wired or Wireless Installation
Product Specifications
Camera Resolution: 1080 p HD | Field of View: 155 degrees horizontal, 90 degrees vertical | Night Vision: Yes | Motion Detection: Advanced motion detection | Two-Way Audio: Yes, with noise cancellation
The Ring Video Doorbell allows for both wired and wireless installation, so you can choose the best option for your home. Its rechargeable battery can run for up to six months before recharging and allows for quick, easy installation. It includes a mounting bracket and the tools and hardware needed for installation, so a wireless installation takes 15 minutes or less. However, unlike the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, the Ring Video Doorbell’s battery isn’t removable, so you must dismount the entire doorbell when recharging. If you prefer a wired connection, the Ring Video Doorbell can easily connect to your existing doorbell wiring.
Despite its more affordable price tag, the Ring Video Doorbell still offers impressive video quality. Its 1080p HD resolution isn’t quite as sharp as the Battery Doorbell Plus’s 1536p HD, but it still provides sharp details in daylight. Its night vision is similarly not as clear, but it’s an improvement over previous Ring models. With a wide horizontal field of view, it can capture all the action at your door. But its shorter vertical field of view means you may not always see packages left at your doorstep.
Like other Ring models, the Ring Video Doorbell sends real-time notifications to your mobile device when guests press the bell or the motion sensors are triggered. You can communicate with visitors via two-way audio, so you don’t have to open your door if you’re not expecting someone. Additionally, you can chat with guests even when you’re away from home via the Ring app. Keep in mind that without a Ring subscription, you only have access to the doorbell’s live feed. To store video, you’ll need to subscribe to a Ring Protect plan, which starts at $4.99 a month.
Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell
Best Wired Video Doorbell
Product Specifications
Camera Resolution: 1536p HD | Field of View: 180 degrees | Night Vision: Yes | Motion Detection: Yes | Two-Way Audio: Yes
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of recharging your doorbell’s battery, the Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell is the perfect option. It’s compatible with existing electrical wiring with a voltage between 16V AC and 24V AC to ensure it always has full power. Its video quality is top-notch, too, with a 1536p HD resolution that provides precise, vivid details even in bright light. It also provides a 180-degree field of view, so you can see visitors from head to toe, as well as packages left on your doorstep.
The Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell also features two-way audio, allowing you to communicate with delivery drivers or guests from inside your home. It also lets you set up pre-recorded messages for visitors when you can’t answer the door. Best of all, it has a built-in siren that you can manually trigger from the Arlo app if you spot suspicious activity near your door.
While the Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell has motion-detection capabilities, you’ll only receive people, vehicle, package and animal alerts if you sign up for an Arlo Secure plan, which starts at $7.99 a month. However, without a subscription, you’ll receive general motion notifications even if someone doesn’t ring your bell, so you don’t miss out on any action.
How we analyzed the best video doorbells
To find the best video doorbells, we researched the top-selling models on the market to see how real homeowners felt about their video quality and features. We also tested some models, including the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, so we could see the doorbells in action and evaluate their performance ourselves by assessing factors like installation time, battery life, video quality and field of view. Overall, we considered more than a dozen video doorbells in our quest to find our five favorites.
Video doorbell benefits
Here are a few reasons why video doorbells have become so popular.
- Convenience: Because a video doorbell is connected to an app, you can answer your door from the sofa or the office.
- Versatility: Most video doorbells are equipped with night vision, which means you’ll be able to clearly see who’s at your door both day and night.
- Increased security: Through the video doorbell app, you can speak to the visitor no matter where you are, so no one will know that you aren’t at home. You’ll also be able to record any suspicious activity at your door in case you need to report it.
- Delivery alerts: If you’re worried about a delivery person leaving a package on your doorstep where it might be vulnerable to thieves, your video doorbell can alert you when it arrives. You can then direct the deliverer to leave it in a secure location or you can hurry home to bring the package inside.
Video doorbell features to consider
Materials and construction
Nearly all video doorbells have a plastic case that protects the wiring and electrical components inside. These covers are removable so you can easily access the battery inside for charging or the wiring when installing a wired model. Most doorbells have shiny plastic cases, but you can find some models that use matte plastic for a subtler look.
Since they’re designed for use outside your home, video doorbells are constructed to withstand precipitation and extreme temperatures. However, most have specific operating temperature ranges, so they may not work as well if you live in an area that experiences extremely high or low temperatures. Most manufacturers provide the temperature range that their doorbells can operate in and include it in the product specifications for each model.
Our top picks: Materials and construction
- Google Nest Doorbell: It features a plastic casing, but unlike previous versions, it doesn’t have a shiny finish that can look a little cheap. Instead, it uses matte plastic for a more sophisticated look.
- Blink Video Doorbell: It also has a plastic case, but some users complain that the plastic is brittle, which can lead to cracks even without much force.
- Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: Like most other video doorbells, it is made of plastic. However, it feels thicker and sturdier than lower-priced models, giving us confidence in its durability.
- Ring Video Doorbell: It features the same size and design as the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, so it has a durable plastic casing that is weather-resistant and allows it to operate in temperatures between -5 and 120 degrees.
- Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell: It has a plastic case and mount, but some users find its thinness can make it susceptible to wear and tear in the sun, heat and cold.
Installation and ease of use
In general, video doorbells are pretty easy to install. However, the type you choose may affect how comfortable you are handling the project yourself.
Battery-powered video doorbells offer the simplest installation. Typically, you only need to charge the battery (or install single-use batteries) and mount the unit beside your door. Mounting usually involves a drill since you’ll need holes for the screws that hold the mounting plate in place, but you can also find no-drill mounts that stick to surfaces with adhesive, which is particularly helpful if you have vinyl siding or live in a rental property.
During testing, we set up the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus in less than 10 minutes after its battery was fully charged using a stick-on mounting plate. The process was extremely easy, so even someone not used to DIY projects could take it on confidently.
If you opt for a wired video doorbell, though, you’ll need to connect the unit to your existing doorbell wiring. Many homeowners aren’t comfortable tackling electrical projects themselves, so you may want an electrician or qualified installer to handle the installation for you.
All video doorbells have a connected app that sends you alerts when someone rings your bell, motion is detected around your door and/or a package is delivered. The best apps, like the Ring app, allow you to adjust the frequency of the notifications you receive, so you aren’t inundated with alerts when you’re busy. The Ring app even has a Snooze feature for times when you don’t want to be disturbed at all.
Our top picks: Ease of installation and use
- Google Nest Doorbell: The Google Home app provides a step-by-step installation guide that makes setting up the doorbell a breeze. However, it’s no longer compatible with the Nest app, which frustrates some users.
- Blink Video Doorbell: Because it uses lithium AA batteries rather than a rechargeable battery, it’s one of the faster video doorbells to install, requiring just a couple of screws to mount the plate. Users aren’t fans of how difficult the Blink app is to navigate, and if you receive frequent motion notifications, the battery life is impacted.
- Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: We needed less than 10 minutes to install the doorbell during testing. The Ring app makes it easy to customize settings for the doorbell, too, though the number of options can sometimes be overwhelming.
- Ring Video Doorbell: It allows for wired or wireless installation, but both processes are relatively simple. The Ring app even offers a step-by-step video to walk you through your preferred method.
- Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell: Despite being a wired model, the Arlo is surprisingly easy to install. It comes with an adapter to connect to your existing doorbell wiring, and the Arlo app can walk you through the process.
Video quality and field of view
A video doorbell’s resolution determines the quality of its images. Models with a higher resolution provide clearer details, so you can see who’s at your door more easily. But you’ll also want to consider a doorbell’s field of view. Some models have a narrow field that only shows you the area immediately in front of the door, while others are wider, allowing you to see a larger area around your entryway. For example, if a doorbell’s field of view isn’t big enough, you won’t be able to see packages left at your doorstep.
In general, the best video doorbells offer a resolution of at least 1080p, so they provide clear images of your visitors. They also have at least a 90-degree field of view in both directions, allowing you to see the area in front of the doorbell and some of the sides.
Our top picks: Video quality and field of view
- Google Nest Doorbell: While the Google Nest Doorbell doesn’t have the highest resolution, its 1280p resolution is still clear enough to offer an excellent view of your front door. The 145-degree field of view provides a portrait video, though, so you can’t see too much to the sides of your entrance.
- Blink Video Doorbell: With a resolution of 1080p, the Blink doesn’t offer the sharpest images among our top picks. However, considering its price point, most users find its video quality to be solid.
- Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: Our testing found the Battery Doorbell Plus’ 1536p HD resolution delivered stunningly clear images. In addition, its 150-degree horizontal and 150-degree vertical field of view provided a head-to-toe view of our front door, making it easy to see packages.
- Ring Video Doorbell: The Ring Video Doorbell’s 1080p HD resolution offers clear images that satisfy most users, and the 155-degree horizontal field of view provides a view of areas on either side of the door.
- Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell: The Arlo’s 1536p HD resolution provides some of the clearest images among our top picks. The 180-degree field of view is the widest, too, offering a head-to-toe view of guests.
Motion detection
Some video doorbells are equipped with motion sensors that alert you when someone is moving near your front door. If home security is a priority, this feature is particularly helpful.
You may want to look for a model with advanced motion-detection capabilities. These video doorbells let you monitor a specific area while ignoring others. If you live on a heavily trafficked street, this feature can help prevent the video doorbell from alerting you every time a car passes in front of your home.
Our top picks: Motion-detection capabilities
- Google Nest Doorbell: It can detect motion up to 25 feet away and even distinguish between different types of motions, such as people or pets.
- Blink Video Doorbell: The Blink app allows you to customize motion zones to reduce false alerts. However, some users complain there’s a delay between when motion occurs and when an alert is sent.
- Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: During testing, we found there were just a few seconds of delay between motion and alerts. It also let us edit the camera motion zones, so we could block a busy road that might trigger false alerts.
- Ring Video Doorbell: It has a pre-roll feature, which provides four seconds of video before motion is detected, so you can see what actually triggered the motion sensor and not just the aftermath.
- Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell: The Arlo’s motion detection is advanced enough to tell you whether a person, package, animal or vehicle triggered the sensor.
Night vision and low-light performance
While many video doorbells can provide excellent video images during the day, the lack of light when the sun goes down can sometimes make it difficult to see who’s at your door at night. The best video doorbells offer night vision that allows you to still see clearly even in low-light situations, so you can protect your home 24/7.
Video doorbells can have either infrared or color night vision. Infrared night vision uses infrared wider illumination to provide clear images even in total darkness, but the video is black and white. On the other hand, color night vision relies on special sensors to pick up both visible and infrared light to provide color images.
Our top picks: Night vision and low-light performance
- Google Nest Doorbell: The Nest Doorbell has infrared night vision that can reveal details up to 10 feet away.
- Blink Video Doorbell: Another model with infrared night vision, the Blink Video Doorbell lets you adjust its night vision settings in the Blink app, so you can increase its sensitivity as needed.
- Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: The Battery Doorbell Plus offers color night vision, and we were highly impressed with the clear, vivid live feed it provided.
- Ring Video Doorbell: Its infrared night vision provides clear images in low light, but users find the video feed is sometimes fuzzy in near-total darkness.
- Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell: Its infrared night vision captures black-and-white images, but users find it very clear.
Two-way audio communication
The best video doorbells don’t just pick up audio from guests at your door, but they also let you talk to visitors without opening your door. That means you can even chat with people who ring your bell if you’re out of the house, so you can tell a delivery person where to leave a package or let a friend know you’ll be back in a few minutes. To ensure you can communicate clearly, look for a doorbell that features noise cancellation for its audio to block out external sounds.
Our top picks: Two-way audio communication
- Google Nest Doorbell: Users found its two-way audio offers clear communication that isn’t disrupted by wind, traffic or other noise.
- Blink Video Doorbell: It offers two-way audio, but the volume may be too low if the settings aren’t adjusted.
- Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: Its two-way audio was clear and crisp during our testing, and the noise-cancellation feature minimized interference from traffic and wind.
- Ring Video Doorbell: Like the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, it has two-way audio with noise cancellation. Some users found that volume was an issue when visitors weren’t standing close enough to the doorbell, though.
- Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell: It has solid two-way audio that lets you communicate with guests, but some users experience audio lag.
Additional features
Connectivity and smart home integration
Video doorbells require an internet connection to access all of their features. Most rely on Wi-Fi to connect to your home internet network, needing at least a 2.4 GHz connection. You can find some doorbells that allow for an Ethernet connection, but you’ll have fewer options.
With a Wi-Fi connection, you can also connect your video doorbell to smart home networks, like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. You can use a smart home display to watch your doorbell’s live feed or use the two-way audio feature through a smart speaker to make using your doorbell more convenient.
Storage options and subscription services
Some video doorbells have local storage, so their video is stored on the device itself. Other models use cloud storage to house their video recordings. For models that rely on cloud storage, you usually must have a subscription through the manufacturer to store video. Without a subscription, you typically can only access a live feed from your doorbell, so you won’t have access to past videos if you need evidence in cases of vandalism or other crimes.
Power source and battery life
Video doorbells are either battery-powered or wired into your home’s electrical system.
Wired models are more difficult to install and work best if you have an existing wired doorbell. If you don’t have existing wiring, you’ll need a licensed electrician to install your video doorbell.
Battery-powered doorbells are very easy to install and feature an internal, rechargeable battery or space for single-use lithium AA batteries. Rechargeable batteries usually require six to eight hours to fully charge but can run for six to 12 months on a single charge. The more action a battery-powered doorbell sees, the more quickly its battery drains. If your doorbell’s battery runs out faster than you’d like, adjusting its motion-detection settings can help extend its battery life.
Design and aesthetic considerations
Most video doorbells are rectangular, measuring approximately 5 inches or less in length and 3 inches or less in width. Because they have a slim design, most can fit easily beside any type of door. They usually come in neutral colors like black, white and silver, so they can complement a wide range of home exteriors. If you really want the aesthetics of your doorbell to match your home, some brands like Ring offer interchangeable faceplates for their doorbells that let you choose a coordinating color and finish.
Our expertise
Jennifer Blair has written about home security and other home goods for BestReviews since 2017, with over 100 articles under her belt. At home, she uses a Ring Video Doorbell 3 to screen guests and check on package deliveries. But she’s also personally tested video doorbells and other home security devices for BestReviews, including models from Ring.
