BALTIMORE — If you're looking for holiday gift ideas, how about giving someone the gift of security? Smart doorbell and security cameras have come down in price and are easy to install.
Many consumers now rely on them as their eyes on the outside. Using your phone, you're able to see deliveries, visitors, even criminals such as package thieves.
It's no wonder these smart home devices have soared in popularity. Companies eager to get a piece of the sales have put out a number of different products, so Consumer Reports put them to the test and created a list of the "Best Video Doorbells of 2019."
Of the five, two names especially resonate with shoppers: Ring and Nest.
Nest:
The Nest Doorbell Camera is on the pricier side starting at $229 for a basic setup. However, it comes with high definition recording video for vivid picture quality, facial recognition, monitoring zones, and voice control. Subscriptions start at $5 and go up to $30 per month for storage.
Ring:
Ring is more affordable than Nest. You can get started for about $100 with voice control, monitoring zones, and subscriptions that are $3 - $10 a month for video storage, but Consumer Reports says the lower price comes with a sacrifice on video quality.
Other brands making the list include August Doorbell Cam Pro receiving high marks for video quality, response time, plus 24 hours of free cloud video storage, but a fair rating for lack of smart features.
Wisenet SmartCam D1 requires a hardwire connection, but received an excellent rating for video quality. The response time, however, from when the doorbell rings to the phone notification could be better, notes Consumer Reports.
If you want to see the list and more on how the different doorbell cameras compare, click here.