SEE MY GUEST

Alistair Charlton’s ringing endorsement of video doorbells

- Alistair Charlton

Stroll along almost any residential street in the UK and you'll likely spot several video doorbells, but choosing the best video doorbell for UK homes means looking beyond the obvious brands. Acting as both a bell and a security camera, they instantly open a video call between visitors and owners, wherever they are in the world.

Many video doorbells feature the telltale silver button surrounded by a blue light of market-leader Ring, but there are plenty of other options available too. Companies like Yale, Eufy, Simplisafe, Blink and Swann all produce smart doorbells of their own, and many integrate with security cameras to become part of a larger home security system.

Often wireless and battery-powered, most video doorbells are quick and easy to install. They usually come with all of the mounts, screws and wall plugs needed to fit them to a wall or fence, then they just need to be connected to the internet via your WiFi network.

With that done, a press of the button alerts you via a smartphone app. From there, you can quickly open a two-way video call between you and the visitor, no matter where you are. Video doorbells also double as security cameras.

Despite all performing the same basic function, video doorbells vary greatly in terms of price and performance. Some only cover the basics, while others use radar and colour night vision to perform as a high-end security camera too.

Some companies, like Simplisafe, offer a video doorbell as a way of expanding an existing security system, while others, like Eufy, store video locally and require no subscription fee at all.

Eufy E340: £99.99, Eufy

The E340 is Eufy’s flagship video doorbell, and is a worthy rival to the best Ring has to offer - while also being slightly cheaper, at about £160.