Why you need a smart doorbell

Smart doorbells are now joining the family of smart home products that are growing in popularity thanks to their convenience and power-saving functions.

Are you wondering how a doorbell can be ‘smartened’ if its sole purpose is to alert residents to the presence of a visitor? Well, prepare to be impressed by how a gadget so small and basic can make a significant impact on your everyday life.

Why you need a smart doorbell

What is a smart doorbell?

A smart doorbell is intended to replace your conventional doorbell with a few enhanced features. It comes with a camera for live video interactions and security monitoring, two-way communication and even motion-sensors.

What difference can it make?

Put simply, a smart doorbell will make your life easier. With a smart doorbell, you already know who is waiting at your front door just by having a look at your phone. You won’t need to go anywhere near your front door to find out who is there, with the help of the nifty built-in camera. You have total control as to whether or not you answer the door in-person and you can avoid solicitors, unwanted callers and keep your home secure.

A major benefit of smart doorbells is that they improve home security. Depending on the brand and model of the smart doorbell, the motion-sensing function (which usually has a 180-degree range of motion) can detect when someone is approaching your home. Most devices are even able to record and send an alert to your phone when someone is at your front door.

For the ones equipped with night vision, you can see who’s at your door even when it’s dark outside.

Smart doorbells do a lot more than than just a ring. They can be paired with your entire home automation system. For example, you can see who is visiting and let them in remotely or arrange for the light in your front hallway to be turned on the moment someone presses the smart doorbell.

How to choose the best smart doorbell?

A majority of video doorbells can be installed to replace your existing doorbell. Some run on batteries whereas some are hardwired into the home. The wireless doorbells that run on batteries are easier to install, but there is a risk of depleting batteries. In contrast, wired doorbells are a little tricky on the technical side as they involve wiring with your current network of electricity.

It also pays to consider the video resolution of your smart doorbell. If you’d prefer clearer footage, go for 1080p resolution otherwise 720p is adequate to monitor your entryway.

Smart doorbells are designed to send alerts to your phone, but what if your phone isn’t with you? Will you be able to hear your doorbell the old-fashioned way? Well, this can be solved but a chime may need to be purchased separately to be paired with your smart doorbell at an additional cost.

The method and size of data storage from your smart doorbell is also a factor to consider since footage of your front door will be captured and needs to be stored somewhere. Some smart doorbells offer local video recording into a memory card whereas some offer cloud storage.

Other smart features to look out for include facial recognition technology, ability to work with other smart automation devices such as lighting and fingerprint locks.

If you like having the option of answering your door without going to it or are considering upgrading your home security, a smart doorbell would make a great addition to your home.