Video doorbells have a long history. As long ago as the 1960s, businesses in the USA were employing cameras to screen visitors, and rudimentary video access systems have been available for homes worldwide since the late 1980s. However, the footage provided by these devices was rarely clear, and users had very few options regarding customisation. So take-up wasn't very high.

In terms of image quality and features, the Nest Doorbell (wired) is still up there with the best but given the complications over subscriptions, it isn’t quite the slam-dunk recommendation it once was. It’s also significantly more expensive than other doorbells on this list. Additionally, the Pro version of the Ring Doorbell works with Samsung SmartThings, which is handy for Galaxy or Note owners who have embraced the Korean company's smart platform. Things to Remember when Using the Ring Video Doorbell

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If you’re a confident DIYer, and you have a normal doorbell powered by a mains transformer, you may even be able to simply connect up your new doorbell using the existing wiring. Image quality is excellent at 2,560 x 1,920 in resolution and we found that notifications came through on our phone almost instantaneously, something older Ring doorbells can struggle with. There’s no facial recognition but you can set motion zones and only send notifications when humans are detected.

In this case, you may want to consider a battery-powered Ring doorbell instead, which can be easily fitted with a few screws. And don’t worry too much about recharging as it doesn’t need to be done too often. Ring quotes battery life at anywhere between six months and a year, depending on use. What is a Ring Chime and do I need one? It can be connected to your mains doorbell wiring if you can’t be bothered to charge it, although a monstrous claimed battery life of up to six months means that shouldn’t be too much of a bind anyway. The only thing Eufy can’t do is ring a mechanical chime. Otherwise, it’s pretty much the perfect video doorbell. The app is similarly intuitive and lets you easily tweak variables such as sensitivity, shape detection and notification times. Whenever someone presses the doorbell, your phone will ping and you will be able to interact with the caller remotely, which worked perfectly in our tests.Flexible power options – If you need to place doorbells discreetly, or in hard to reach positions, that's no problem. The Ring Video Doorbell allows users to operate them via batteries or power cables, allowing users to create their own setup. Finally, users need to set up their Ring device with the Ring App. To do so, head to your Ring Account and choose the “Set up a device” option. It comes at an additional cost compared to the standard Ring doorbell, but that extra money gets you a camera capable of capturing 1536p footage with a wide 150-degree field of view, as well as HDR processing and colour night view. You will also get brilliant motion detection. The Pro 2 is not only able to detect movement within the field of view of the camera but it also allows you to set how close objects need to be before they set off an alert – especially useful for houses that have short front garden paths. Its headline feature, however, is its new Advanced Pre-Roll functionality. This allows the camera to capture full-resolution video footage from six seconds prior to motion being detected. All Ring doorbells have the same 1080p HD video quality, core features and the Ring app, so how much you spend depends on power and how you want the doorbell to look. The cheaper models only support single-band 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and may struggle for a reliable connection in areas of particularly high Wi-Fi congestion. More expensive models support dual-band connectivity.

First, users need to set up their Ring App and Ring Account. After that, they have to fix the mounting on a surface near their door, at about chest level. The Ring Video Doorbell 4 is a mid-range video doorbell with some impressive features. Easy to install, the Ring Video Doorbell 4 can be connected to any preexisting doorbell wiring or run off of its rechargeable battery. If you opt to wire it up then it’ll even ring a traditional chime. You have the option of both battery-powered and wired installations. Battery installation is the simplest way to install and Ring states you should get several months of battery life from a full charge, but performance will vary depending on how often the device is triggered. If you haven't thought about installing a video doorbell, the advantages might not be immediately obvious, but there are some good reasons to think about making the change.

Keep your property safe, and answer the door wherever you are, with the best video doorbells from Ring

You have to add your own storage, in the form of a microSD card slot, but that’s not overly expensive, and you can’t wire this doorbell up to an existing mains supply or chime. But, other than that, it’s a brilliant smart doorbell and our new all-round favourite. READ NEXT: These are the best video doorbells to buy today Ring Video Doorbell 4 review: Could it be better?