What smart doorbell should I buy?



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Jordan Brown

Jordan Brown

Paranoid, first time homeowner, one of the first things I bought (even before moving in) was a Ring Video Doorbell. I chose the ring according to its price, its features and the interface of the application. A few of my friends had owned Rings for a while and were happy with the experience. So I decided that it was enough for me to try it. Plus, depending on the friends I knew with them, I thought the installation could not be too difficult. and I was right.

The Ring application has an easy-to-follow procedure, no matter what your application. In our case, I was lucky because our house already had a wired bell with transformer and located in a relatively ideal location; right next to the door with a nice unobstructed view of the porch. If this is the situation with your parents, the installation is very simple. All you need to do is turn off the existing doorbell, remove it, connect the mounting plate to the old doorbell wire, and then slide the ring on that mount. The good thing about this option is that the ring uses the existing doorbell chime of the house and should not require loading (although I am obliged to supplement mine periodically during the winter months). ).

However, some older homes – and this may be the case for your parents – may not have the proper wiring. They might even miss wiring altogether. But the beauty of the Ring's backup battery is that it is not a problem. In these cases, the installation is about as simple. You will not have to worry about wiring, but you will have to spend a little more time finding a place to mount the plate, making sure that it is level, and so on. But other than that, and assuming you do not have to break into granite walls or anything crazy, you're all together.

This means that you will have to charge the unit periodically because it will not be powered by the old bell wire in this case. Ring says the bell should last six to twelve months with a charge, depending on the activity that triggers it, but take that with a grain of salt. Real world estimates would bring it closer to the three month mark, but it's not that great to live, and the app will let you know when it's time to charge. Also do not forget that if it is not plugged into an existing chime, you will only receive push notifications on paired devices, but Ring will sell you a separate wireless chime, which you You will be able to plug into any standard jack if you want something that looks like a standard doorbell notification.

Whatever the application chosen, the Ring application does a great job guiding you through the process and the installation is a kid 's game. As for the application and the daily experience, I also found Ring interface very intuitive and customizable. I've limited the sensitivity of motion alerts on the ring so as not to get false positives from passers-by. But it's convenient to receive notifications whenever we receive a delivery and it's fun to let door-to-door salespeople comfortably sit on the couch.


Daniel Cooper

Daniel Cooper
Editor-in-chief

The first generation ring is very easy to install: just drill four holes in the wall, screw the safety plate and the arrow, it is lit. The disadvantage is that the build quality is not excellent and you need to charge the battery regularly. The newer ones have removable batteries that make loading easier. If you are half intelligent with the wire, you can connect Pro models to your current door chime with relatively little effort.

As far as security is concerned, this is an Amazonian company and so are not amateurs, but they had (two!) A security snafus a few months back. Therefore, as with all smart home products, others may still have access to your stuff.


Nicole Lee

Nicole Lee
Editor-in-chief

I think Wire cutter it explains quite well, but tl; dr: The Ring is the easiest to install but the Nest has better security. Indeed, the cheaper Ring models allow you to install the doorbell without having to connect the electricity of your home (which often requires the presence of a certified electrician, as well as the improved model). Nest Hello also requires a connection to the home's electrical system, but offers 24/7 monitoring, AI motion detection and face recognition; the ring records only when motion is detected.

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