Why You Can Trust CNET Google's Nest Doorbell Is the Most Consumer-Friendly Model We've Tested
With the wired Nest Doorbell currently discounted to $150 in Amazon's Spring sale, now is a great time to pick this incredibly capable cam.
Google's Nest Doorbells are effective, easy to install and don't nickel-and-dime you like some doorbells do.
Out of all the security cameras and video doorbells we've reviewed, the Google Nest Doorbell (2nd-gen) occupies a suprisingly consumer-friendly place. I've personally been using it as a primary video doorbell for since its release and have almost no complaints.
The Google Nest Doorbell (2nd-gen) is available as a battery or wired model. I use the battery version because of its easy placement, but the wired version may be subject to more sales like this Amazon deal that lowers the price by 17%.
The Nest Doorbell has the usual stack of video doorbell features like motion detection, two-way audio, night vision and live views from the app. But several other features stand out, which I like more than any other smart doorbell I've tested.
The Nest doorbell design is particularly hardy and compact, so you don't have to worry much about a person or the elements causing damage. And Google's AI can quickly ignore cars while identifying people and packages (including if packages suddenly disappear). In my experience, it's reliably accurate and frequently useful. Most video doorbells do this, but they tend to lock the recognition features behind subscriptions while the Nest Doorbell offers it for free and paywalls only the ability to recognize familiar faces.
A view through Nest Doorbell via the Google Home app (blurred for privacy).
That's not the only thing the Nest Doorbell does for free. It also offers 3 hours worth of automatic cloud video storage, another feature that's usually kept subscription-only. That makes the Nest Doorbell the best option for those looking for a reliable video doorbell that doesn't need a subscription (as long as you don't mind using Google's cloud services). And unlike Amazon's more gated options, you can use this doorbell with Alexa or Google Assistant, as well as Google Chromecast devices.
Nest cams continue to get new features, including Google Home for web that allows you to view the cameras through any online device. The doorbell isn't completely perfect -- the resolution is a bit low, for example -- but so far it's my preferred front door device.
