Smart doorbells are a brilliant invention and one of the best examples of how smart technology can be used to keep your home secure. A Smart doorbell is a replacement for the boring old ‘buttons’ we’ve all grown accustomed to at our front doors. While they still have a button that has an audible chime, these gadgets do a lot more besides.
What does a smart doorbell do that a normal one doesn’t?
- It has a video camera on it – One of the most useful features you’ll find on a smart doorbell is it’s HD camera. You can see exactly who is at the door.
- You can talk to visitors – Smart doorbells have mics and speakers built in so you can have a proper 2-way conversation with callers.
- They notify you when anyone is there – When someone presses the doorbell, you’ll receive a notification to your phone and then have the option to see and talk to your visitor.
- See logs of who has visited your doorbell. Most smart front door bells will keep a video record of your visitors. Anyone who comes with range of the doorbell will be recorded.
FIVE reasons you should splash out on a smart doorbell
#1 – No more awkward conversations with sales people
Don’t you just hate it when you race to the door to collect your Amazon parcel, only to find it’s not the delivery driver but some guy trying to sell you something? Smart doorbells give you the option to screen those visitors and give them a polite ‘no thanks’ without having to go face-to-face with them.
#2 – They help deter break-ins
Did you know that 35% of burglars simply come in through the front door? Pretty scary. There’s nothing deters a wouldbe burglar like a camera pointing in their face! They can’t just swipe the doorbell either; many of them upload footage to the cloud.
#3 – You’ll never miss another parcel
Ever been upstairs, in the shower, or popped out for a few minutes and when you get back the delivery person has left one of those cards on the mat saying “sorry we missed you?” It’s so frustrating! Some delivery drivers are in a serious hurry.
With a video doorbell, as soon as someone presses the button they’ll be put through to your phone. You can then tell them you’re on your way downstairs, or give them instructions about where to leave your parcel.
#4 – You can answer your doorbell from literally anywhere
Another great security trick with video doorbells is that you can pretend to be home… even when you’re nowhere near it. To the person at your door, you appear to be answering them from inside your property. In actual fact, you’re on holiday, or away on business. As long as you’ve got access to the Internet on your phone, you’re good.
#5 – They’re easy to install
Most smart doorbells come with the option to use them without having to touch any wiring at all. You’ll normally have the option to either use their built-in rechargeable battery, or wire them into he home’s doorbell power circuit.
While having to un-clip the doorbell and recharge it might sound like a pain, they can actually go months without requiring a recharge. Anyone should be able to get a WiFi doorbell up and running, even those who normally shudder at the thought of DIY.
Check out out full guide on WiFi Smart Doorbells for more info.
Sources & References
- There’s some interesting, if slightly alarming burglary stats on the reolink website here.
- The Met Police have some good free info on keeping your home safe
