Doorbells have come a long way since they became available years back. Unlike older models, new smart doorbells have new and improved features and come with microphones and cameras. 

Are you considering adding a smart doorbell to your household gadget setup? Then this is a short guide on how to buy the right smart doorbell for your home.  

 

Essentials of a smart doorbell.

There are a lot of smart doorbell brands on the market today, and most of them offer the same features. They all offer video recording, motion detection, night vision, smartphone alert, and two-way audio. 

Some of the most advanced smart doorbells offer face recognition as an extra layer of security. 

 

A few things to look out for when choosing a smart doorbell. 

Power sources.

Smart doorbells make use of cameras and sensors that all require power to function. There are only two common ways of powering your smart doorbell, which are: battery-powered and wired. Smart doorbells that are designed for hard wiring usually have the base attached to the home. A professional can then attach low-voltage wires to the doorbell. For homes with an old doorbell model, a built-in rechargeable battery is the best choice. Usually, these rechargeable batteries can last between one and three months. 

 

False alarms.

You can adjust your smart doorbell so that only certain events can activate the alarm. You should be aware that false alarms tend to happen, so users should try adjusting their settings to meet their needs. 

 

Storage. 

When an event happens around your home, the doorbell starts recording. Although the doorbell comes with onboard storage, it can only record a few events. After a while, it starts deleting previous events to make room for new ones. This is not ideal as you may want to access previous recordings of earlier events. You can either pay for cloud storage or get extra storage for your doorbell. 

 

Security and privacy. 

Just like every other device and gadget sending signals over Wi-Fi, it is susceptible to hacking. Hackers can access the video stored on your cloud storage or even on your phone. You should only buy a smart doorbell that uses 256-bit encryption, as these doorbells are more difficult to decipher. 

 

Price. 

The cost of the doorbell is dependent on your choice of camera and the features it comes with. How much do you plan on spending on a doorbell? How much are you willing to pay for extra features? Do you want a wired or wireless doorbell system? Generally, most smart doorbells are within the range of $100 to $300. 

 

Resolution. 

The resolution feature of the doorbell depends solely on the camera quality. Most doorbells tend to have resolutions ranging from 480 p to 1080 p. So, the higher the resolution of the doorbell, the better the quality of pictures and videos. You should also note that some cameras have a high tendency to adjust to light levels while some don’t.