How do you choose a smart doorbell?

When you're looking for the best smart doorbell for your situation, there are several things you should keep in mind. Ask yourself the following:

• Will you connect the doorbell wired or wirelessly?
• How do you want to store your footage?
• Do you want to hear an audio signal at home?
• Are you going to install the doorbell yourself?

The first choice you have to make is whether you want to connect a wired or wireless doorbell. Some doorbells have both options. The advantage of a wireless doorbell is that you're flexible in terms of the connection. You can place it anywhere on your door frame. The advantage of a wired doorbell is that you don't have to charge it. Do you want to connect the doorbell in a place where there's already wiring? Choose a wired connection.

It can be useful to play back footage. For example, when something happens at night. You want the footage of this to be saved. Some brands store the footage locally. For example, on a base station or an SD card. Other doorbells have cloud storage. You almost always pay a fixed amount per month for cloud storage. So do you want to store a lot of footage without subscription costs? Choose a doorbell with local storage.

With a smart doorbell, your smartphone is the standard receiver. When someone rings the bell, you'll receive a notification via the app. You won't hear an audio signal in your home if someone rings the doorbell. That's why it's useful to expand the doorbell with a doorbell chime. This wireless receiver goes into a socket in a central place in the house and makes a sound when someone rings the bell. Just like a standard doorbell. Not every smart doorbell can be connected to a wireless receiver.

Installing a new doorbell isn't always easy. Especially in the case of older models, when you often need some technical knowledge to install them properly and safely. If you're not that handy, choose a plug-in model or a battery-powered doorbell.