Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera review: a comprehensive review

Since its humble beginnings as a pioneering business in the field of smart thermostats, Ecobee has made a concerted effort to broaden the scope of its product offerings beyond the realm of simple temperature control devices for residential use. In an effort to expand beyond its initial products, Ecobee developed the Ecobee Smart Camera a few years ago. This camera is noteworthy, but it is not perfect when it comes to providing indoor home security capabilities. In addition, the company introduced sensors for the doors and windows in an effort to provide a comprehensive home security system.

The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is the most recent product to be added to the ever-expanding line of Ecobee products. In addition to providing comprehensive video coverage from head to toe, this cutting-edge video doorbell also features enhanced capabilities for detecting packages and seamless connection with Ecobee’s existing devices. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that it is compatible with well-known voice assistants such as Alexa and HomeKit.

I was given the opportunity to incorporate the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera into my home security setup for a comprehensive trial period of two weeks. The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the performance of the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera in comparison to leading video doorbells now on the market. Continue reading to find out whether or not this smart doorbell is deserving of a spot on your front porch.

Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera: Specifications

Individuals who are seeking for a doorbell camera that offers a wide variety of features will find that the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is an excellent choice. Since it has a field of view that encompasses 180 degrees, you will be able to observe everything that is taking place on your porch. Furthermore, it possesses night vision, allowing you to see who is at your door even when it is dark outside.

Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera review: Specs and Features

You can connect the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera to your home’s wiring and use it as a video doorbell. It has a 5MP camera, color night vision, and IR night vision. Radar motion recognition and computer vision work together to let you know when people or packages are at your door. Its vertical field of view is great at 175 degrees, so it showed me both the packages on my porch and people’s faces.

It could even see right up to the door. The only other doorbell I’ve tried that showed the same amount of detail from top to bottom is the Wemo Video Doorbell, but it has a fish-eye effect that is too strong, while the Ecobee looks mostly normal. The Ecobee doorbell doesn’t have a new look. It looks and feels high-end, with a black body, a white shell, and a big button with an LED ring around it.

The front is made of machined glass, and the back is made of aluminum metal. I really wish they hadn’t used the name. It’s pretty big for a wired buzzer that doesn’t need a big battery like most battery-powered doorbells do. It doesn’t have a spare battery either. Ecobee says this makes it able to handle warmer and cooler temps. As long as the temperature is between -13 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit, it works.

Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera review: Install and testing

The Ecobee is a wired doorbell, so you don’t have to worry about charging it. It picked up on all the action quickly, catching the UPS guy as he walked up my long driveway thanks to its always-on power and radar motion recognition. Passive infrared (PIR) sensors, which have a shorter range, and/or battery power mean that a lot of the doorbells I test only pick up people as they walk up to the door.

When someone drops and runs, I can only see the back of their head. If the power goes out, the Ecobee buzzer is useless because it doesn’t have a backup battery. I put the Ecobee at my front door using the wiring from my old doorbell (here’s a tool to see if it works with yours). It was easy to set up, and it comes with a wedge mount that can help you tilt the camera 15 degrees toward your door.

I had to put in a sound converter in my mechanical chime box too, just like with most wired doorbells. Ecobee says this is a necessary step to make sure the buzzer gets the right power.

Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera review: Video quality

I was pleased with how good the video from the Ecobee doorbell was overall. I could clearly see the faces of everyone who came to the door because the pictures were clear and sharp. Like the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, the Ecobee’s field of view doesn’t quite reach the bottom of your door; it stops about a foot short. However, it was close enough for me to see most of the packages that were left at my door.

Smart focus is the name of a tool that was in beta when I tested it. If the camera sees a person, it will automatically pan and zoom to keep them in the middle of the picture. This lets you see their face better. Ecobee’s worked well, but it wasn’t very useful because when someone comes to your front door, the camera is pretty close to them, even if you zoom in. This isn’t the case with a security camera.

Final Words

In my experience, the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera stands out in the saturated smart doorbell market. It stands out with its unique style and features. Its precise radar/computer vision motion detection and wide range of view catch everything without distortion. We must accept that the software department can improve. Free clips, smarter notifications, 24/7 recording, and better video quality set the Nest Doorbell (wired) apart.

The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is appealing if you already have a smart thermostat strategically placed in your home. The thermostat-doorbell camera connection is impressive. Seeing the camera on the approach to the door and knowing what to expect is cool and convenient. This connectivity is expected to extend to the cheaper Ecobee with Voice Control and Ecobee Standard thermostats later this year.

The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera may not be right for everyone, but its unique features and connection capabilities make it worth considering for Ecobee ecosystem members.

Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera review: The Good and Bad

A remarkable move into a new area by the manufacturer of smart thermostats, the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is a great example of the company’s ability to detect packages in addition to a few other creative features. On the other hand, the price of its subscription is not as low as the one offered by Ring.

Questions and Answers