15 top-rated programmable doorbell options
Are you on the hunt for programmable or custom doorbells? Here we dive into both best wired doorbells as well as top rated wireless doorbells. Whether you are looking for a simple installation, or wireless doorbells with multiple receivers- we are covering it all!
“Sorry, I just kept knocking because you didn’t have a doorbell,” my neighbor said to me when I finally got to the door. She apparently had been knocking for a few minutes by the time I heard it.
“We have a doorbell,” I replied, pretty confused. I stepped out of my house and looked. The poor, pale white doorbell just faded into the rest of my front porch. I realized then that no one ever uses the doorbell. I wonder how many knocks I had missed?
I went to press it, just to hear a faint “ding.” It was definitely time for a new doorbell.
Programmable doorbells: Choosing the best doorbell for you
I have to be honest though, getting a new doorbell sounded like a simple option. Yet, I had no idea just how many choices there were for doorbells now that we are in the 2020’s.
So how do you choose the best doorbell?
We started by looking at some old fashioned doorbells, and I did find a few that I was obsessed with. However, my high-tech partner wanted to have a programmable doorbell, or a custom doorbell.
I was just about to find out how many options there were!
To choose the best doorbell, you want to consider a few things:
- Price
- Wired or wireless
- Convenience (do you want something that also works as a camera, or do you prefer a hidden front door camera?)
- Design/style
- The rest of your front porch
Are wired doorbells better than wireless?
If you browse to try to find an answer for this, you are going to find a variety of opinions. That is because that is exactly what it is: an opinion. Choosing between best wired doorbells and top wireless doorbells truly comes to preference. There are a few things to keep in mind, though.
Wired doorbells: advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- More often than not, you do not need to worry about Wi-Fi
- Fairly easy to install
- Usually less expensive for initial costs
Disadvantages
- Sometimes, you can run into complicated wire systems
- More likely to need the help of a professional (Side note: Most websites I saw that recommended wired over wireless were all sites within the business of doorbell installation)
- May seem inexpensive- but if you need to have it fixed it could be much more expensive
Wireless doorbells as programmable doorbells
- More options
- More variety
- Usually more high-tech
Wired doorbell
It is hard to find the best wired doorbell, especially with ads nowadays. Even searching on Amazon, which is my go-to for most things, is inundated with “sponsored” products that show up first, whether they are wireless or not.
The most important recommendation that I could make is to read through every option when searching to make sure it truly is one that is wired and that nothing else is needed.
How to wire a doorbell
When I was writing this, my son asked me how wired doorbells actually work. If I have to be honest, it’s a thought that had never once crossed my mind. I guess to wire a doorbell, though, it is important to first understand how a wired doorbell actually works. We found that Home Tips gave an excellent explanation to answer how doorbells work.
To learn how to wire a doorbell, there are multiple YouTube videos and blog posts that explain this. We felt that Wayfair’s explanation was one of the best.
Best wired doorbell
Ring has a doorbell that is now wired as of February 24, 2021.
WINNER: BEST WIRED DOORBELL
Ring’s new wired doorbell
- Customizable
- Works with your Alexa device
- Night Vision
- $40 cheaper than their wireless options
Ring is known as one of the best brands in the industry, and their new wired doorbell does not seem to disappoint.
Here are some benefits of choosing Ring as your next wired doorbell:
- It works with your Alexa device: I love that you can simply say “Alexa show the front door camera”, “Alexa, talk to the front door”. For some reason, this still seems futuristic for me. I grew up when Smart House came out and all my friends and I could talk about for the next year was how amazing it could be if a house could talk. In all seriousness though, this is a major win for choosing a wired doorbell that has this capability.
- Two-way talk: Not only can you hear and see who is at your door, but you can respond to them as well. Whether you are at work, or on vacation, you can still interact with anyone that is at your door.
- Night vision: This is where this doorbell wins. For me, if I am getting a programmable doorbell, the biggest win for me is going to be when I am most worried about front door security– at night. To have a doorbell with night vision makes us rank this as our favorite.
- Price: Being $40 cheaper than the wireless, this is a steal. Plus you never have to replace batteries!
One thing to note about this doorbell: You need to either have an Alexa device or Ring Chime for the Ring device to work. Make sure you add the one below to your cart if you do not have an Alexa!
Runner-ups for top wired doorbells & wired doorbell buttons
Although we chose Ring as our favorite, there are definitely other options; there are several ones that we would still choose as our top wired doorbells.
What makes this doorbell great:
- Three different receivers for three different entrances
- Wires to a 16V transformer
- Four or eight note chimes; similar one chimes for second or third entrances
What makes this doorbell great:
- Easy installation- no need to run and call the professionals
- Vintage style to grab attention
- Quality doorbell for an affordable price
- ranked high in durability
The doorbell with the security camera above is a great one to choose because of the capabilities it has. The mount can be moved, which gives more ability to see who is at the door. It can also cover any marks made from the removal as well, and has a three-month warranty.
Wired doorbell with chime
Hearing a chime for a doorbell instead of a loud “ding dong” takes me back to my grandparents house. I used to love hearing their doorbell chime go off. It seemed vintage to me, even as a child.
Are you looking for the nice chime sound when choosing a wired doorbell? We found our favorite options for those as well.
Heath/Zenith
- Melodies for front entrance- 3 to choose from, one for another room
- Requires low voltage Transformer (122 C)
- Requires bell wire (196 C) .Volume control
Broan-NuTone
- Classic white finish
- Two different sounds so you can have it at two different doors
- Uses a 16-Volt transformer (C905), so that would need to be bought separately
Doorbell kits
We found that many people who are looking to purchase their next doorbell are looking for doorbell kits as a whole. When purchasing my doorbell, this is most likely the option I would go with just to make sure I am not missing any piece.
Philips doorbell kit
- 4 different volume options
- 8 different melodies, including ding dong, fanfare, good vibes, knocks, Mozart, patriotic, tango and Westminster.
- Up to 8 receivers so you can always hear when someone rings the doorbell
- Classic and simple
Wireless doorbell reviews
We listed many great options for wired doorbells. Yet, we know that the way the world is going, and we know just how amazing wireless doorbells have become. The options to choose the best wireless doorbell are never-ending. We wanted to make sure that we included some of the best from every category.
Wireless doorbell intercoms
Some of the best options are wireless doorbells with intercom capabilities. There is not much that beats not having to go to the door if you are stuck in another part of the house.
How do you choose the best doorbell intercom though? That is where we can help.
MECO 1080P Wireless Doorbell Camera
- Wireless rechargeable battery
- Two-way audio and voice message
- You can select pre-recorded messages
TMEZON Wireless WIFI Video Doorbell
- You can get the notification right to your phone
- When someone stops by and presses the doorbell or triggers the motion detection, the camera will automatically snapshot or video recording and save in the Micro SD card.
Apartment doorbells/wireless doorbells for apartments
Zeapa wireless doorbell
- 58 ringtones
- 4 level sounds
- Super easy to set up
- Includes LED flash for hard-of-hearing or if you want to keep the house quiet
- Can be used in a variety of spaces, including apartments, just plug in and go!
WUUK smart doorbell
- No wires or cables (can use 3M adhesive tape so it is very easy to come on and off)
- All controlled within one app
- No subscription charges required
- Will store information on a SD card for 48 hours
Bo Ying wireless doorbell
- 52 chimes available
- Can have up to 20 receivers
- Battery life up to 3 years
Wireless doorbells for hard of hearing
If you are looking for wireless doorbells for hard of hearing or for someone in the deaf community, there are thankfully multiple options for that as well. Most of these include a LED flashing light so that someone can see when the doorbell rings.
Sonew wireless doorbell
- 7 flashing colors
- No cables or wiring required
- For those with a mix of hearing and non-hearing family members, it includes both music and sound
Jsieem wireless doorbell
- Waterproof and dustproof
- Includes level of volume and melodies, but has flashing LED light
Conclusion
There are multiple ways that you can make your doorbell programmable. It will depend on pricing, style, and whether or not you want a wired doorbell or a wireless doorbell. The advantages of a wired doorbell is that there is really only costs at the beginning, when wireless doorbells usually require subscription services. However, wireless doorbells give more flexibility and capabilities than wired ones.
