TORONTO -- Sales for video doorbells were already strong before COVID-19 hit, but now they are surging as people try to practice physical distancing while keeping safe at their front door.
There are estimates that video doorbells sales globally could hit $1.4 billion over the next two years.
Video doorbells can provide security and peace of mind. For Brandon Murphy his video doorbell was a car-saver when it captured his neighbors' vehicle being stolen in the middle of the night.
"The first thing I thought was, well we save five days' worth of camera feeds off of the smart doorbell and sure enough, it was on there," Murphy said.
Not only can video doorbells help with security, but when synced up to a smart speaker, like an Amazon Echo or Google Home, you can now answer your door while keeping a safe distance using just your voice.
According to Consumer Reports, the best way to set up a hands-free front-door experience is to keep it in the family and try to stay within the same brand.
"There are video doorbells that claim they work with digital assistants, but they may not offer all the features,” Daniel Wroclawski with Consumer Reports said.
Wroclawski added “to ensure compatibility stay within the same product ecosystem or product family."
Once you pair your video doorbell with a smart speaker or smart screen you'll be able to talk to visitors from even the farthest point of your home.
As with any connected device, video doorbells can be hacked so one way to try and protect yourself is to set up two-factor authentication, which has been shown to be a worthwhile security feature.
Battery powered video doorbells are relatively easy to install, while hardwired versions can be a little trickier. The doorbells generally sell between $100 and $300.
If you’re a Google Home user, Consumer Reports recommends the Nest Hello Video Doorbell, paired with the Google Nest Hub Max Smart Speaker.
As for Amazon smart speaker owners, researchers say a perfect pairing is the Ring Video Doorbell 3 and the Amazon Echo Show.
