Best Smart Doorbell Buyer's Guide

DOORBELLS GUIDE  |  Harbro Electrical

QUICK ANSWER

A smart doorbell is any doorbell that connects to Wi-Fi and sends a notification to a phone app - not simply a doorbell that has swapped a wire for a radio signal between the button and the chime. Before comparing individual models, settle three things: how it will be powered, whether footage needs to live anywhere beyond the device itself, and how wide a view the doorstep actually needs. Get those right and most other differences between models turn out to be minor.

At Harbro Electrical that narrows the field to three models: the Ener-J Smart Flexi for battery-or-wired flexibility on a budget, the EZVIZ CS-DB1C/KIT for a wider view with an optional cloud storage plan, and the Dahua VDKP01-BG for the widest doorstep coverage of the three.

“Smart doorbell” gets used loosely enough in shop listings that it is worth being precise about what the word is actually doing before spending anything. Plenty of doorbells marketed as wireless, or even as upgrades, are not smart in any meaningful sense - they just move a chime signal over radio instead of a wire. This guide is about telling the difference, working out whether you need one at all, and knowing which features are worth paying extra for once you have decided.

Smart, Wireless, and Wired Are Three Different Things

A wireless door chime such as the Knightsbridge DC013 sends a radio signal from the button to an indoor chime unit when pressed. That is the entire feature set - no camera, no app, no notification if you are not home to hear it. It solves the problem of running a bell wire through a wall, and nothing else.

A wired kit such as the Byron 720K is the traditional alternative: a physical bell wire circuit connecting a button, a transformer, and a chime. Reliable, no batteries, and also not smart - it cannot notify a phone or show you who is at the door.

A doorbell only earns the word “smart” once it connects to home Wi-Fi, includes a camera, and pushes a live notification to a phone whether or not anyone is home to hear a physical chime. That is a meaningfully different product to either of the above, and it is worth being sure that is actually what you are shopping for before comparing prices.

Three Questions to Settle Before Comparing Models

How will it be powered?

Battery-only models avoid any wiring at all but need periodic charging. Wired models need a transformer capable of the higher voltage and current a camera, Wi-Fi radio and processor draw continuously - a traditional 8V/4VA bell transformer is undersized for almost every smart doorbell on the market. Several models offer both options, which is the safer choice if you are not certain what is behind your existing bell push. Our doorbell installation guide covers transformer sizing and when the work needs to be notified under Part P.

Where does the footage need to live?

Some smart doorbells work entirely on local storage or a memory card with no ongoing cost; others offer an optional cloud subscription for footage kept off-device. If the doorbell would be your only record of who has been at the door - useful for a parcel dispute or an insurance claim - a cloud plan is worth the monthly cost. If you mainly want a live view and a notification, skip it.

How wide does the view actually need to be?

A narrow porch with a single approach path needs far less field of view than an open driveway or a doorstep beside a road. Buying the widest lens available regardless of the property usually just adds barrel distortion at the edges of the image for no practical benefit.

Features Worth Paying For

• Two-way audio - being able to speak to a visitor remotely is the single feature that most changes how useful the doorbell is day to day

• Night vision - a doorbell that goes blind after dark is only doing half its job

• A weatherproof rating - an exposed porch needs a doorbell actually rated for wind and rain, not just described as suitable for outdoor use

• Motion alerts, not just button-press alerts - most missed-delivery and doorstep-crime footage is captured by motion detection before anyone rings the bell at all

Features You Can Usually Skip

• A field of view wider than the property needs - see above

• A mandatory cloud subscription - useful for some, an ongoing cost for no benefit if you only want live view and alerts

• Multi-camera ecosystem integration, unless you already own compatible security hardware - paying for integration you will not use is paying for nothing

Three Smart Doorbells Worth Considering

Harbro Electrical stocks three smart doorbells that between them cover the questions above. For the full spec-by-spec breakdown of resolution, field of view and power options, see our companion video doorbell comparison guide - the summary below is the short version.

Who Actually Needs One

Not every front door needs a camera attached to it. A smart doorbell earns its keep in a handful of common situations, and is arguably unnecessary in others.

• Frequent deliveries or a history of parcel theft on the street - motion alerts and recorded footage are the main practical benefit

• Time spent away from home during the day, where a notification and two-way audio replace not being there to answer the door at all

• A property with poor sightlines to the front door from inside, where a plain wireless chime tells you someone is there but nothing about who

• Checking in on an elderly relative's front door remotely, where live view matters more than recorded footage

If none of those apply and the only requirement is knowing someone is at the door, a standard wireless chime does that job for a fraction of the price and with nothing to configure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a smart doorbell actually better than a standard wireless chime?

For different things. A wireless chime only tells you someone is at the door while you are home to hear it. A smart doorbell adds a camera, remote notifications, and two-way audio, which matters if you are frequently out, receive regular deliveries, or want to see who is there before answering. If neither applies, the extra cost and setup of a smart doorbell buys very little over a plain chime.

Will a smart doorbell work if my Wi-Fi signal is weak at the front door?

Poor signal is the most common cause of a smart doorbell failing to send notifications or dropping the live video feed. Check the signal strength at the exact installation point before fixing anything permanently - a Wi-Fi extender or mesh node near the front door resolves most weak-signal problems.

Do I need an electrician to install a smart doorbell?

A battery-powered model generally does not require any electrical work. A wired model that needs a new or upgraded transformer, fused spur, or consumer unit connection is more likely to fall under Part P notification requirements in England and Wales, so it is worth checking before starting work on anything beyond swapping a like-for-like existing unit.

How much should I budget for a smart doorbell?

The models covered here range from around £49 to £70 ex-VAT for the doorbell itself. Factor in a doorbell transformer if the existing one is not rated for the load, and any optional cloud storage subscription if footage retention matters to you.

Can I keep my existing chime working alongside a new smart doorbell?

Many smart doorbells include their own indoor chime unit or app notification and are not designed to trigger an existing wired chime at the same time. Check the specific model's compatibility before assuming the old chime will keep working - in most cases it is replaced rather than supplemented.

Do smart doorbells work during a power cut?

Battery-powered models keep working until the battery is depleted, independent of a power cut. Wired-only models lose power entirely unless they have their own battery backup, so a power cut also takes out the doorbell along with everything else on that circuit.

Smart Doorbells at Harbro Electrical

Harbro Electrical stocks the full Doorbells range, including the EZVIZ Smart range and doorbell transformers for wired installations, at ex-VAT trade prices. Free UK mainland delivery on all orders over £70.

• Ener-J Smart Flexi Wireless or Wired Video Doorbell (SHA5357)  -  https://harbroelectrical.co.uk/collections/doorbells/products/ener-j-smart-flexi-wireless-or-wired-video-doorbell-with-usb-chime-sha5357

• EZVIZ CS-DB1C/KIT Smart Video Doorbell Kit  -  https://harbroelectrical.co.uk/collections/doorbells/products/ezviz-cs-db1c-kit-smart-video-doorbell-kit

• Dahua VDKP01-BG Door Bell Kit with Chime  -  https://harbroelectrical.co.uk/collections/doorbells/products/dahua-vdkp01-bg-door-bell-kit-with-doorbell-and-chime-black

• Knightsbridge DC013 Wireless Plug-In Door Chime (non-smart)  -  https://harbroelectrical.co.uk/collections/doorbells/products/knightsbridge-dc013-white-wireless-plug-in-door-chime

For trade orders and account enquiries, call us on 0191 518 1998 or visit our trade counter at 5 and 6 Whitworth Road, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 2LY.

All prices shown exclude VAT. Free delivery applies to UK mainland addresses on orders over £70.