We recommend products with an overall score of 70% or more.

The CHOICE Expert Rating is an overall score is made up of video (30%), sound (20%), application (20%), installation (10%), recharging (10%), privacy and security (10%).

The score is made up of a night, day and total darkness assessment of the video quality.

Sound quality for both the person at the door and the householder.

How easy it is to use the controller application.

Ease of installing the app and creating an account, mounting the doorbell and registering it within the app. We also look for automation of software updates.

How well the unit performs for battery recharging.

We look at the ability to reset the password, and any aspect that may compromise security.

Recommended retail or typical retail price.

Most of the units support 1920 x 1080 (1080p) but that doesn't necessarily mean the video quality is good.

Measured in degrees. The higher the number wider the coverage

Wired Must be hardwired to an existing powered doorbell with an AC power supply
Wired or battery allows you to use a rechargeable battery or hardwire to an existing powered doorbell
Battery offers a rechargeable battery option only for the smart doorbell main unit

Some models need power while others can operate on a rechargeable battery.

Model can either support a battery, AC adapter or use the existing powered chime.

Durability claims range from weather resistance up to an IP65 rating which means dust-proof and protection from water jets from any angle.

Some models have internal storage for video while others support removable microSD cards.

Some models have a security screw, while others store the content away from the device either in the cloud or in a separate device.

The number of chime sound choices.

The number of tones you can associate with an action.

An infrared light can help with video quality in dark conditions.

Most support Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), with some supporting Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).

HDR or WDR support may help in seeing details in the shadow areas of a scene.

Cloud storage allows you to view your video online at any time.

An app lets you record live video.

Lets you set areas where the camera ignores activity, for example a high traffic area.

Some units can tell the difference between human and non-human movement around the camera.

Support for Amazon Alexa by saying 'Hey Alexa' followed by a command.

Supports Google Home by saying 'OK Google' and the command.

Supports If This Then That, a feature that lets you create actions for your device based on activity.