Ring
Video Doorbell Pro 2
Test score
We use cookies to allow us and selected partners to improve your experience and our advertising. By continuing to browse you consent to our use of cookies. You can understand more and change your cookies preferences here.
In this article
Acting like a digital concierge, a smart doorbell is a fantastic device for more conveniently managing visitors to your home.
These internet-connected doorbells will alert you if a parcel has arrived, or if there is a suspicious looking character taking a keen interest in your car.
We've tested smart video doorbells from all the big brands, including Ring, Nest, Arlo, Eufy and more.
Ahead we showcase what you should watch out for when buying a cheaper doorbell under £200, and what spending a bit more gets you. Also, see the Best Buy and high scoring models that have aced our in-depth tests.
Smart video doorbell reviews - See all the models we've tested and that will suit any needs and budget.
You might baulk at the concept of spending hundreds of pounds on a smart doorbell. The models in the table below are slightly more friendly on your wallet, but without sacrificing on quality.
Another factor of video doorbells, including lower-priced models, is whether you'll need to sign up to a subscription in order to record video to watch remotely. This can add to your costs.
Although this doorbell isn't cheap to buy, it is an excellent product that offers good overall value for money. It did well in our testing and will act as an efficient digital concierge for your front door.
Sign up to revealFull Access first month £2.99, then £9.99 per month, cancel at any time
Although it isn't exactly cheap, you'll love this battery-powered doorbell. It is simple to install, great to use and its picture quality is excellent.
Sign up to revealFull Access first month £2.99, then £9.99 per month, cancel at any time
It's another hard-wired doorbell, so you'll need to consider installation. It will be worth it, though, as this doorbell impressed in our testing and will do a great job of safeguarding your front door.
Sign up to revealFull Access first month £2.99, then £9.99 per month, cancel at any time
You might need to pay someone to install this wired doorbell, but after that it is a breeze to use. It isn't quite good enough to join our Best Buys, but you get a lot of value for the price you'll pay.
Sign up to revealFull Access first month £2.99, then £9.99 per month, cancel at any time
Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct at March 2022
If you're willing to spend a bit more on your smart doorbell, you'll typically get a model that is wired into mains power and an existing doorbell chime.
More expensive doorbells also tend to be slimmer and more compact, meaning they can blend seamlessly into the exterior of your home.
The premium smart doorbell is a superb product and among the best that we have tested. You'll know the brand and love the design, but more importantly find it easy to use with good video quality and features.
Sign up to revealFull Access first month £2.99, then £9.99 per month, cancel at any time
You might double-take at the price of this smart doorbell, but you’ll like its slim and discrete design. That should help it more easily blend into your home and not look overly bulky. See how it fared in our testing by logging in if you’re already a member, or joining Which?.
Sign up to revealFull Access first month £2.99, then £9.99 per month, cancel at any time
Among the most expensive doorbells we’ve tested, this slick and stylish model will appeal if you’re conscious of exterior design at your home. It blends almost seamlessly into your door and so will appear more discreet than most cheaper models. Read our full review to see what else you get from this pricey video doorbell.
Sign up to revealFull Access first month £2.99, then £9.99 per month, cancel at any time
It isn't good enough to join our Best Buys, but there is a lot of like about this smart doorbell from a well-known brand. It is well designed, looks good, and functions effectively as a digital guard dog for your home.
Sign up to revealFull Access first month £2.99, then £9.99 per month, cancel at any time
Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct at March 2022
A smart doorbell, also known as a video doorbell, is akin to a digital receptionist for your home. Alongside ringing like a normal doorbell, these internet-connected doorbells let you see who’s on your doorstep via a built-in camera, and talk directly to them from your smartphone.
As well as letting you greet visitors, smart doorbells can help increase security at your home. They detect motion in front of your house, from wandering pets to possible burglars, and alert you to take action if required.
While it might seem like a fancy tech gadget, and therefore an expensive one, prices of video doorbells have dropped dramatically. You could pay as little as £30 – but be wary, models this cheap can be poor quality. You should also be careful shopping for video doorbells on online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, especially if it's a model from a brand you haven't heard of. We tested 11 different smart doorbells found on eBay and Amazon that all failed our security tests.
Well known brands are a safer bet with video doorbells, or in fact any other smart device. Best Buy video doorbells are relatively expensive – expect to pay around £200, though there are well scoring and importantly, secure models in our smart doorbell reviews for under £100.
You can pay more than £200 for a smart doorbell, but you also often have to sign up to a subscription to get the most out of it.
As well as being able to record and store video clips to access online, subscription services also often unlock extra features in the doorbell, such as customisable motion detection zones and more detailed notifications.
Ahead, we explain what you get when you sign up to Ring Protect, available on all Ring doorbells, and with Nest Aware for the Nest Hello.
With every Ring doorbell, the basic functionality lets you see the live video and respond to motion alerts. To record and store video clips of events if you need them later, you’ll need a Ring Protect subscription. It breaks down into two options, with most Ring doorbells offering a 30-day free trial to try it out.
With the Nest Hello, featured overleaf, you can store up to three hours of ‘event history’ video clips online for free to access remotely. That’s pretty meagre, so most people will feel the need to sign up to Nest Aware. There are two tiers and both cover unlimited Nest devices. They also enable more sophisticated controls to alerts and activity zones.
All smart doorbells will need to be installed either on your door, or next to it. With a wired doorbell, such as the Ring Pro or Nest Hello, we’d advise you hire an electrician to do the installation.
Wired doorbells require existing doorbell wiring, along with a standard 18-volt AC supply to power the camera. Installation requires turning all power off at the fuse board, wiring in the door-chime unit adaptor and then connecting everything up.
While you do get all the kit included in the box, it’s complicated and also dangerous for the novice. Plus, the instructions can often be rather hard to follow. An electrician should be able to install a smart doorbell for between £50-£80.If you’re fairly comfortable at DIY, you can install a battery powered doorbell yourself. Below is typically what you’ll need to do - the approach might different slightly for each doorbell brand or type. For example, the Ring Door View Cam fits into an existing door peephole.
Some battery-powered doorbells have removable batteries, and it’s advisable to have a fully charged spare battery ready to go if you need it. Others, such as the Ring Doorbell (2nd gen), have built-in batteries, so you’ll need to remove the entire doorbell to charge it. You can connect battery doorbells to the mains so that the battery is ‘trickle charged’ to keep it topped up. Again, we’d advise you get a professional in instead of attempting this yourself.
As well as how easy doorbells are to install, set up and use, we also assess whether their video quality is crisp and clear, both in bright daytime conditions and at night. We test whether the doorbells accurately detect when someone is arriving and send you easy-to-follow alert messages.
We also put smart doorbells and their associated apps through an in-depth security assessment, covering aspects such as password policies, data encryption and more. In addition, we also check whether a criminal can physically detach the doorbell from your home and steal it.
Ring doorbells: Amazon's Ring is the most popular and well-known smart doorbell brand. It offers a wide range of doorbells, from the Ring Doorbell Wired at around £50, right up to the top-end Elite that costs more than £400. Another cost to consider with a Ring doorbell is video storage, as this requires an additional monthly subscription. Find out more in our Ring doorbells guide.
Nest doorbells: Google's smart home brand Nest used to have just one smart doorbell, the Nest Hello, but now it has two models: the Nest Doorbell (wired), which uses mains power, and the Nest Doorbell (battery). As with Ring, some functionality on the doorbell requires a subscription plan.
Arlo doorbells: Alongside wireless security cameras, Arlo makes two smart doorbells: a wired version that uses mains power and a battery-powered version. Video storage requires a subscription just as with Ring and Nest, but an Arlo doorbell could still appeal if it fares well in our testing.
Eufy doorbells: Eufy makes a range of smart products, including the Eufy Video Doorbell. Unlike the Ring, Arlo and Nest models, an advantage is that you can store video clips for free via a local storage device. That means you won't necessarily have to pay for video storage.
Netatmo doorbells: French smart home company Netatmo's smart doorbell is one of the more expensive models we've tested. With a stylish look, though, it should appeal to anyone with an eye for design. Head over to our smart doorbell reviews to see how it fared under in-depth testing.