General excellence with one limitation

Just a few well-established manufacturers, like Ring and Nest, dominate the sensible video doorbell territory. That’s no secret. Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply there aren’t unsung heroes vying for among the market share. Many of those contenders supply almost equivalent specs with out the A-list worth.

Ecobee, largely recognized for its sensible local weather gadgets like thermostats, launched its first-ever sensible doorbell final October. That is the model’s second safety digital camera, following an indoor digital camera launched in 2020. At a look, the brand new doorbell stands toe-to-toe with big-name rivals in lots of points — however does Ecobee earn an area among the many safety goliaths? Let’s have a look.

UPDATE: 2024/05/20 15:16 EST BY SAVANNAH HOWE

Clarification on the Ecobee Doorbell wire

On this overview’s photos, the facility wire is seen hanging down from the Ecobee Doorbell. This isn’t typical, and houses with an current wired doorbell connection won’t have seen wires.

Worth, availability, and specs

The Ecobee Good Doorbell Digicam is accessible for $160 immediately by Ecobee and nearly any main electronics retailer. This consists of Finest Purchase, Lowe’s, Workplace Depot, and Amazon. On the time of this overview’s publication, the doorbell is on sale for $150 by Amazon.

What’s good in regards to the Ecobee Good Doorbell Digicam?

Truthfully, (nearly) all the pieces

The Ecobee Good Doorbell Digicam provides nearly all the pieces you need in a doorbell. Ecobee’s first sensible wired doorbell provides fiercely aggressive surveillance and a clear app expertise. The housing is sturdy and as much as withstanding the weather. The digital camera persistently delivers on readability and high quality, even at evening. There’s no shade evening imaginative and prescient, however video and pictures are nonetheless crisp and legible.

The app permits for exercise zones, custom-made alerts, two-way audio, siren activation, and wealthy push notifications (you want a subscription for that). The audio output on each ends was spectacular and clear, though the individual on the doorbell reported a few-second delay once I was talking by the app. Like a number of different doorbells, the Ecobee features a beta function referred to as Good Focus, the place the digital camera mechanically locks its concentrate on an individual in view. The lens will pan and zoom to comply with the tracked individual.

Whereas the function usually labored effectively, Good Focus wants only a contact extra refinement. Its panning and zooming have been typically too sluggish to maintain up with an individual strolling by the body.

Should you’re available in the market for a wise doorbell and have already got an Ecobee thermostat, particularly the premium model, getting the model’s new doorbell is a no brainer.

Should you’re available in the market for a wise doorbell and have already got an Ecobee thermostat, particularly the premium model, getting the model’s new doorbell is a no brainer. Ecobee nailed it in making a harmonious comfort-security ecosystem; my Good Thermostat Premium turned a safety hub for the doorbell. It supplied a secondary dwell view, displaying a real-time stream of the doorbell’s digital camera when exercise was detected and acted as one other chime when the doorbell rang. This doorbell additionally performs good with Apple HomeKits or Alexa houses; suitable audio system and gadgets can learn out doorbell notifications, present dwell video, and permit two-way audio.

Bundle detection was probably the most dependable I’d ever skilled in a video doorbell, partly because of Ecobee’s 175% vertical discipline of view, which permits the consumer to see packages positioned proper up towards the door. Bundle detection is locked behind an Ecobee Good Safety paywall, however I extremely suggest using this subscription with the Good Doorbell Digicam.

The 2 paid plan choices are remarkably inexpensive at $5 or $10 per thirty days, with the higher Full plan providing skilled monitoring and 30-day video storage for limitless digital camera gadgets. Ecobee must roll out some exterior safety cameras to essentially make that limitless storage value it, however nonetheless — $10 per thirty days is unbeatable. There’s a free choice, however you miss out on most premium options.

What’s unhealthy in regards to the Ecobee Good Doorbell Digicam?

Tethered by its ball and chain

The one con about this doorbell is simply subjectively a con, which is that it’s a wired mannequin. Additional, Ecobee presently solely provides this doorbell digital camera in a wired mannequin, so clients who want or need a wi-fi choice are out of luck for the foreseeable future. So far as hardwired doorbells go, the Ecobee was nonetheless straightforward to put in. The app’s illustrated, step-by-step directions made certain of that. Nevertheless, by sheer design, wired doorbells should not accessible to each consumer, and it appears imprudent to not instantly comply with up on a wired doorbell launch with a wi-fi one.

There are a number of arguments for a wired doorbell, in fact —wired connections imply the brand new product can talk with your property’s current chime, and there’s no problem with lifeless doorbells and battery charging. However Ecobee says its digital camera is hardwired “for a dependable view, regardless of the climate,” which means that customers in harsher or extra unpredictable climates would derive larger profit from a wired doorbell over a battery-powered one.

I examined this doorbell in Minnesota, which boasts arguably one of many harshest climates within the continental United States, and Ecobee’s machine unseated a wi-fi Nest doorbell for its testing. The battery in that Nest doorbell lasts three to 4 months, which seems like a fairly affordable expectation no matter local weather. Plus, which machine would nonetheless be on-line when the facility goes out in the midst of a Minnesotan blizzard? Not Ecobee’s.

If a model desires to make use of climate and climates to argue the case for selecting a wired safety machine over battery-powered alternate options, combining the 2 and providing wired energy with a battery backup is the very best situation. Typically talking, harsher climates usually tend to expertise weather-related energy outages, so selecting a wired answer appears illogical.

Do you have to purchase it?

Should you hate charging batteries, this can be a nice choice

Whereas I extremely suggest the Ecobee doorbell, I (nearly painfully) cannot say it’s the proper match for everybody. It is that hardwired part getting in the way in which. It has its perks, nevertheless it’s not an accessible sort of set up for too many individuals, and that is consequentially the one factor that might make the doorbell a tough promote. Usually, this type of guidelines the Ecobee Good Doorbell Digicam out for renters. However past that, with easy-to-follow directions and a user-friendly app UI, this can be a nice purchase for newbie and superior smart-homers alike.

Whereas I extremely suggest the Ecobee doorbell, I (nearly painfully) cannot say it’s the proper match for everybody.

There are a number of premium options we don’t see in Ecobee’s first doorbell, like facial recognition for normal guests and shade evening imaginative and prescient, however that is trivial with the clear infrared evening video and geofencing tech that enables Ecobee households to know when a family member is residence. And Ecoee does not presently assist Google Residence integration, however that is “coming quickly,” the model says.

Possibly we’ll see a wi-fi model of this doorbell sooner or later or a “Professional” technology that introduces these premium options that can make the Ecobee extra aggressive with the most recent from large names (just like the Ring Battery Doorbell Professional), however that is nonetheless a well-rounded and feature-rich choice, particularly within the under-$200 worth level. It’s straightforward to put in, performs persistently, and seamlessly integrates with Ecobee, Alexa, or Apple sensible houses.