Ding dong! These smart doorbells are calling for you
Smart doorbells like the Ring Video Doorbell 2 let you see and hear who is at your doorstep. Credit: CBS Interactive
Used to be, your doorbell could only let you know when someone was at the door. Functional and efficient, but limited. Nowadays, via modern technology, your doorbell will not just tell you that someone is there, but you can see them and take their picture (or video). Some doorbells can even tell you who is there — and you don't even need to be at home. These four smart doorbells are CNET's picks for the top of the line.
Nest Hello
CNET rating (out of 5)
4 stars (excellent)
THE GOOD This video doorbell looks great and works consistently well. Its optional facial recognition feature and advanced integrations with the Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Google Home speakers set this smart buzzer above the rest.
THE BAD A seemingly unnecessary "chime connector" accessory comes with your purchase and is a required part of the installation for "power management" purposes whether you have a manual or a digital doorbell chime.
THE COST $229
BOTTOM LINE It's the smartest video doorbell available today.
SkyBell HD Wi-Fi Video Doorbell
CNET rating (out of 5)
4 stars (excellent)
THE GOOD SkyBell's latest Wi-Fi doorbell has 1080p high-definition resolution, on-demand clip recording and free video storage, as well as an IFTTT channel and integration with Amazon's Alexa Skills Kit and Google/Alphabet's Nest.
THE BAD There's no web interface, it doesn't work directly with Samsung's SmartThings or Wink, and you can't tweak push-alert settings or the quality of the video resolution in the app.
THE COST $147.99 to $199.88
BOTTOM LINE An array of third-party integrations set it apart from the pack.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro
CNET rating (out of 5)
3.5 stars (very good)
THE GOOD It has 1080p HD video resolution and a slimmed-down design that's more likely to fit on a door frame than its oversized competition.
THE BAD You have to pay a minimum of $3 per month for cloud video storage.
THE COST $219 to $249
BOTTOM LINE This is a solid smart buzzer, but its space-saving design is its main selling point.
Ring Video Doorbell 2
CNET rating (out of 5)
3.5 stars (very good)
THE GOOD The removable lithium ion battery makes it easy to install — and even easier to charge. It works with Alexa via the Amazon Echo Show.
THE BAD You have to sign up for Ring's optional fee-based cloud storage service to save and review past video clips. The large Video Doorbell 2 won't fit on most door frames.
THE COST $174 to $199.99
BOTTOM LINE Look no further than Ring's battery-powered Video Doorbell 2 if you don't want to deal with electrical wiring.
The following CNET staff contributed to this story: senior associate editor Megan Wollerton and senior editor Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, visit cnet.com
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