Picking the Best Video Doorbell for Your Home

Adding a video doorbell to your home security ecosystem is a great way to achieve ease of mind and gain extra insight into what is happening at home. They are a great addition that you can use whether you have an existing alarm system or not. Video doorbells can allow you to see the visitors that come to your door and when packages are delivered so you can monitor them until you're home. They can also act as a great robbery deterrent. Aartech offers a variety of video doorbell options, but we want to explain our top three picks for the best video doorbell, depending on your needs and budget.

Doorbird

The most recommended video doorbell/intercom units we offer are from the brand DoorBird. DoorBird offers a large variety of doorbell/intercom units for large-scale builds, like an intercom system for an apartment building, or smaller uses, such as a single-use home doorbell. These intercoms offer a range of functions, including the ability to use a keypad for entry, while some also provide RFID tag access, two-way communication, and live video. Doorbird units come in a variety of colours and designs and can even be customized in some situations. These are a more substantial video doorbell option and will last longer and have fewer issues than the other brands. However, this makes DoorBird slightly less cost-effective in comparison to other video doorbell options, depending on your unique needs, especially when it comes to smaller projects.

Doorbird Features:

• Options for larger implementations like apartment buildings and smaller projects like family homes.
• Keypad entry
• Doorbell button
• Slim options
• RFID tag access
• Two-way communication
• Variety of colours and designs
• DoorBird App for monitoring
• Live video feed
• More substantial system 
• Hardwired

Honeywell Skybell

For smaller projects or less substantial installs, we suggest the sleek Honeywell Skybell unit. This slim unit is a great fit if you don't have a lot of space to work with and aren't necessarily interested in a large or extensive intercom system. The Skybell supports two-way communication, live video feed, and includes a doorbell button and motion sensor. It also has a free app available to IOS and Android systems to monitor the doorbell. This unit must be hardwired, as it connects to existing doorbell wiring for power and works with traditional mechanical doorbell chimes. The Skybell is a user-friendly, cost-effective option, and a good starter intercom for anyone dipping their toes in the world of home security.

Honeywell Skybell features:

• Slim and sleek, great for smaller door frames
• Two-way communication
• Live video feed
• Doorbell button
• Motion sensor
• Free App for monitoring
• Hardwired
• Works with a traditional mechanical doorbell chime
• Cost-effective

Ring

As one of the more popular video doorbell options on the market, Ring Video Doorbells make our top three list due to their cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and accessibility. The sleek Ring doorbell sends alerts directly to your phone, ring chime, or Alexa device. This unit also allows for HD video and two-way talk, so homeowners can answer the door from anywhere with an internet connection. This doorbell works similarly to the Skybell: alerts are activated by motion detection or by ringing the doorbell. The Ring app is available for Android and IOS, which offers two-way communication and live viewing. It's worth keeping in mind that this unit does not connect to your home's mechanical doorbell chime, so any audible notifications will have to be enabled by pairing it with a Ring Chime or Alexa. 

Ring Doorbell features:

• Slim and sleek options
• Two-way communication 
• Live video feed
• Doorbell button
• Motion sensor, with "people only" alerts to avoid false alarms
• App for monitoring
• Hardwired
• Does NOT work with traditional mechanical doorbell chime, needs Ring Chime or Alexa for audible alert
• Most cost-effective