Four Video Doorbells to Protect From Package Theft

Four Video Doorbells to Protect From Package Theft

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for a porch pirate.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Dec 07, 2017

In the weeks following the biggest shopping weekend of the year (Black Friday through Cyber Monday) porches of homes around the country are being visited by mailmen dropping off packages. While online shopping brings convenience to holiday shopping it also brings the stress of package theft.

There are many ways to avoid package theft, like scheduling deliveries for when you know someone will be home or asking your delivery person to hide the packages in a specific spot, but sometimes you just can’t have control over what happens when you finally get your package.

My solution for you is to invest in a video doorbell. These motion activated, two-way communication devices allow you to see who is at your front door from the comfort of your smartphone screen. If a suspicious porch pirate is around, you’d be able to talk to them and nab video evidence of the culprit.

Here’s the top five video doorbell’s I’d recommend to protect your porch this holiday season and all year round.

Ring Video Doorbell

Ring is one of the most known video doorbell devices. The product comes with two-way audio, motion sensing, live/cloud storage for video, night vision and color options. Ring allows you to customize your motion sensors, so you’ll always be the first to know when you have a visitor. The infrared night vision and weather-resistant design gives users the ability to monitor their home day or night, rain or shine.

SkyBell HD Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell

The SkyBell Video Doorbell gives users a ton of options, you can watch live video, anytime, and take a snapshot if you want. While the SkyBell doesn’t have cloud storage, you can download videos from the device itself. The smart doorbell comes with motion sensing, two-way audio and night vision. It can be hardwired to your home so there is no need for a battery.

August Doorbell Cam

The August Doorbell Cam offers motion sensing alerts, video recording options, and On-Demand viewing as well as the option to connect it to the August Smart Lock, so you can lock and unlock your door depending on who’s knocking. According to reviews, this smart doorbell is a little more difficult to install as it requires mounting brackets and a drill, but they seem to think it is worth the effort for the amount of security it adds to the user’s home.

Zmodo Greet

The Zmodo Greet is one of the cheapest smart doorbell on our list at only $150, but that doesn’t mean it is lacking any features. The Greet comes with self/cloud storage, call alerts, motion detection and night vision. When motion is detected, the user receives a notification through the app. From there, the user can decide to watch live video, record footage, or upload video to the cloud for later use.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

  • The Impact of Convergence Between IT and Physical Security

    For years, the worlds of physical security and information technology (IT) remained separate. While they shared common goals and interests, they often worked in silos. Read Now

  • Unlocking Trustworthy AI: Building Transparency in Security Governance

    In situations where AI supports important security tasks like leading investigations and detecting threats and anomalies, transparency is essential. When an incident occurs, investigators must trace the logic behind each automated response to confirm its validity or spot errors. Demanding interpretable AI turns opaque “black boxes” into accountable partners that enhance, rather than compromise, organizational defense. Read Now

  • Seeking Innovative Solutions

    Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. You may recognize these terms as the “5 Phases” of a grieving process, but they could easily describe the phases one goes through before adopting any new or emerging innovation or technology, especially in a highly risk-averse industry like security. However, the desire for convenience in all aspects of modern life is finally beginning to turn the tide from old school hardware as the go-to towards more user-friendly, yet still secure, door solutions. Read Now

  • Where AI Meets Human Judgment

    Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. It is driving business growth, shaping consumer experiences, and showing up in places most of us never imagined just a few years ago. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.