Customer Ratings & Reviews

I've had Ecobee security for a few years now. I had the Ecobee Lite and upgraded to the premium thermostat approximately a 2 years ago. I eventually acquired everything except the doorbell camera because it wasn't available / produced yet. I decided to purchase the Google rechargeable doorbell that worked well except for it's battery life . In regards to Ecobees doorbell camera it does the job just as well as Googles except Ecobees notifications are either not sent or sent but not received until I've arrived back home or at an unusually long time after when the notification should have been received a while ago. On the other hand I love Ecobees doorbell because it does exactly what Ecobee says it does and preforms almost everything flawlessly. I like being able to see whose at the door and i can almost see from every room in my home including on the premium thermostat. I have tried everything except for taking it off the wall and doing a factory reset. If the factory reset fails then I will contact ecobee's customer service. Who knows I could have received a defective doorbell or maybe it's an ineffective user. In my opinion i would recommend Ecobees doorbell camera if you have their alarm service. After you acquire motion/temperature sensors, window and door sensors, indoor cameras, doorbell camera and your Ecobee Premium thermostat you and your family will sleep better knowing you are protected by the best smart home monitoring service. After you acquire your ecobee smart home alarm system certificate please remember to contact your homeowners insurance because you should receive a discount for having a Smart Alarm system which is indirect contact with Emergency Services

Our Ecobee doorbell and smart thermostat work wonderfully! We've got some experience with Nest and Ring, but like Ecobee better. Had to use their customer support for setup help and they were amazing! They helped us diagnose and correct an issue that resulted in spotty operation. Our old doorbell transformer was underpowered, which was an easy and inexpensive fix.

Ecobee Doorbell Camera, great product. Love that it connects to our Ecobees thermostats and security system. If you have the premium thermostat you can see camera from the thermostat. Good value, clear picture. It automatically zooms in and out when somebody come by. Good night vision even when all the lighta are out.

Great doorbell camera. The video quality is great and the instructions to install were easy. I would recommend to anyone looking for a doorbell. It also works great with the smart thermostat.

Best video doorbell I’ve owned (out of Ring, Nest, and Wemo). Reliable, good quality video, and it quickly responds to motion and access through the app. Easy set up with clear instructions. Very happy with the purchase.

We love our new Ecobee video doorbell! This replaced another brand of video doorbell which had a battery and was hard wired. It regularly went offline when temps fell to 25 degrees or lower. The Ecobee is hard wired and has NO battery to fail. As I write this, it's six degrees just after 11 am and was -17 overnight. We have had NO failures since installing this doorbell weeks ago! We highly recommend the Ecobee video doorbell!!

The Ecobee doorbell camera has good picture quality. What I really enjoy about it is how it pairs up with my Ecobee thermostat for viewing the doorbell camera when I am upstairs or away from my phone. The overall video quality and phone app are both good and I would definitely recommend this product to my friends and family.

The ecobee doorbell works great… I love how it detects package and was easy to install.

Greatest Apple HomeKit device to use easy to control and no lag whatsoever and automatically can adjust to incoming person or packages

We already own an Ecobee thermostat and it has been great so why not add an Ecobee doorbell camera, and we do really like this doorbell camera for different reasons, mainly because it is easy to install and easy to use. The installation is easy, if you already have an old doorbell with its own power then it is basically just replacing it, and Ecobee offers plenty of information to install it in their website as well as on the application that shows you step by step and according to them it takes about forty five minutes to do so. And in the box it comes with the hardware, mounting plate with option to tilt to the right or left, the necessary connectors and the app that makes it much easier to get the installation done. The 175 degree of the camera covers a large area in front of it and it works day and night with a clear video of what is happening. The camera has very nice resolution at day or night. I really like that it can withstand the weather because I have this one in front of the house and I will be installing on in the back where it does not have anything covering it so it will be exposed to all the elements during the year. When we get packages they usually ring the doorbell and with the camera I know exactly who it is. And when they do not ring the doorbell I get also a notification for the motion detection which is also adjustable to get more or less alerts. The Ecobee app also controls the thermostat and now the doorbell: other options are cameras, sensors, contact sensors, switch. The subscription is optional and it is something to consider because with no subscription we have two way talks to the camera from my phone or the smart thermostat premium. The person detection and the live view are also included as well as the snapshots. And with the subscription, it does keep the videos for 30 days; it also detects packages being picked up or dropped off and lastly the push notifications. Something else to consider is that they work with Android, iOS, Alexa as well as Apple HomeKit. Overall, no more guessing who is in front or the back of the house, we can see who is or was there and with the subscription there are more features offered.

Set up two for my parents and they love them so much I ran two new thermostat wires to the doors without doorbells and installed 4 total.

You’ll know who’s there when you own one of these wired ecobee Smart Doorbell Cameras. With its obedient little app, you can be informed of visitors both good and bad at your door. Think of it as a peephole you can see through and talk through regardless of where you are on the planet. And, with the recording capability remotely stored and kept for up to 30 days (this service is free for the first 60 days, optional after that) whole house security can be achieved with the use of several other ecobee components, including their well-regarded thermostats. This smart doorbell camera can stand on its own, be used within the broader ecobee infrastructure for expanded capability or integrate with both the Alexa and Apple home environments. This device stands out as one that has some useful features and specifications like a really wide 175-degree field of view both day and night, reliable two-way audio communication, an alarm siren, HD video quality, a user-adjustable targeted area of surveillance with settable distance monitoring intended to alleviate miscues, automatic detection of person and package modes, a comprehensive control app, an ecological world-view perspective and a Canadian provenance. Regarding installation and setup, I was thinking that the title of my experience might be something like, “Man does time for mistaken identity”. A criterion for the selection of this product is that there is existing wiring in place to utilize power for the new device. The power required is from 16 to 24 volts AC and at least 10 VA of current. So, looking around my utility room, I see a 24 volt, 10 VA rated transformer that is exactly what should work and it has the same color wires as what attaches to my chime, so the man wearing my shoes says, we’re all set. But… after powering off the circuit, completing the chime wiring and the installation of the doorbell outside, powering up and listening to the welcome greeting, it seemed like all was well. Then the angry red circle of doom appeared on the face of the ecobee indicating unhappiness of the device with its meal of voltage. My time in purgatory has now officially begun and searching for the answer eventually led me to the sad fact that my transformer was not the one I thought it was. After a considerable search, I discovered that the little miscreant was installed on the top of an outlet box buried in the basement’s rafters. I learned that the 10 volts from my original transformer only accomplished part of the installation, just not the part that included the use of the camera. Off to the big box store that apparently sells quite a few 16-volt AC, 30 VA transformers that many people are needing to purchase for these smart doorbells to work correctly. A little transformer wiring and no more circle of red doom, nor circle of smoke, purgatory vanquished and back to the life of an amateur doorbell installer. Once the Wi-Fi connection was established and the app all settled in, we finally got to see the camera output. Not surprisingly, its output was in keeping with a wide-angle lens’s ability to take in a wide peripheral space including faces and newly arrived packages simultaneously. During recording, there is an option to enable what is listed as a Beta version of Smart Focus which does it’s best to auto-center, zoom, focus and track moving objects in front of the camera. This is a very good and useful feature that mostly works well, but has a bit of jerkiness in the tracking of objects. Hopefully, future updates will streamline the use of this function. I am pretty sure that any zooming is accomplished with digital, as opposed to analog methodology, which means that zooming in on a human face, can sometimes result in looking like they work in a Minecraft diorama, slightly pixelated and blotchy, hampering useful recognition. Not sure how that helps. Like, help, a Minecraft figure just stole that package off my porch, etc. Not sure where the quality of the video is deteriorating, but even with no zoom, it’s hard to believe that this is HD quality. My guess is that the lens is capable of HD quality, but the post processing or transmission of its output is degrading it to appear blotchy. When nightfall occurs, the colorful world on video is now expressed as black and white, which is still useful, but falls behind some competitors that now tout products that feature color video in the dark. This may be my first video doorbell, but not my first experience with HD video cameras. I expected the camera to have better quality than this. Perhaps at least half the quality of a phone camera. Despite my extended installation time, from which you, dear reader, can extract the cautionary tale/lesson of truly checking your existing equipment carefully, the installation process was described very well through the use of the app and through the troubleshooting documentation on line. The app and documentation were first rate. The interface to the customer was smart, well documented and classy. Couldn’t ask for more. The only place I had any disappointment, was with the video quality, where it seems like it should be better in comparison to current competition and where we are with video technology at the current time. I would recommend this to a friend because I like the company, I believe that some of the quality will improve with updates and this company does not seem as intrusive as others in data collection and privacy concerns. There is also a bigger world of ecobee security products to explore, of which the smart doorbell is only a component.

The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera has a sleek, contemporary design that effortlessly complements any architectural style. Its slim profile and attractive finish make it an aesthetic addition to your home's façade. The camera unit itself feels sturdy and well-built, promising longevity even in harsh weather conditions. Setting up the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is a breeze. The included installation kit and step-by-step instructions make the process straightforward. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or a DIY novice, you'll appreciate the user-friendly setup. The camera's high-definition video quality ensures you won't miss a thing. Crisp and clear 1080p resolution, along with HDR and a 180-degree field of view, provides sharp and detailed footage. The night vision feature further enhances the camera's performance, delivering clear images in low-light conditions. This a major characteristic that you are looking for when purchasing a doorbell camera. The two-way communication feature is a standout. It allows you to speak to visitors at your doorstep in real-time using your smartphone. Whether you're at home, at work, or on vacation, you can answer the door and communicate with anyone who approaches. The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera seamlessly integrates with the Ecobee app and the Ecobee ecosystem. This means you can conveniently monitor and control your doorbell camera along with other Ecobee smart home devices from a single interface. The ability to sync the camera with your existing smart home setup adds an extra layer of convenience. The doorbell camera offers intelligent features like motion detection, custom zones, and facial recognition. It can differentiate between familiar faces and strangers, reducing false alarms and providing more accurate notifications. The camera also integrates with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. This camera offers both free and paid cloud storage options for your video recordings. The free tier is generous, but if you want more extended storage, you can opt for the subscription plan. The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is a superb addition to any modern home. It combines stylish design, top-notch video quality, and intelligent features.

I'm already using the Ecobee premium thermostat, and this doorbell works great with it (Although it's not required). The hardware on this camera is great. Images are clear, wide angle with image in a portrait orientation, so one can see a full body image while holding the phone normally. The front of the camera is all black. The big doorbell button has an LED ring around it that plays a circling pattern when someone approaches.. The sides of the camera are white with the mounting bracket black, It also comes with an angle adapter that tilts the doorbell around 15 degrees. It all looks very slick. Installation was fairly simple and went about as expected, however keep in mind that if using a physical doorbell like in my case where I have a mechanical doorbell, one has to install a small power adapter that goes inside the doorbell and in my case it fits just fine. It then uses the doorbell power (20V AC in my case). The doorbell comes with all the necessary hardware to install in a flat surface like the trim around the door. In my case I needed to install it in vinyl siding, so I had to get a custom mount elsewhere. This was very inconvenient but I knew I'd have this issue. This is the same for every other doorbell camera on the market. Once I got all the pieces, it takes about 30 minutes to install. It also comes with cable extenders and the whole process is documented step by step on the Ecobee app very clearly. The rest of my house relies heavily on Apple Home (HomeKit) and we also have a bunch of Amazon echo devices. Integration with both systems works great. With Apple Home, doorbell notifications can be received by both Ecobee app and Apple Home, and able to answer the doorbell with two-way audio by holding the notification. Any HomePod in the house can be set to play a chime as well, and it works very fast, right after the physical doorbell. Any apple TV will show live video from the doorbell and on-screen notification of someone ringing at the door. With Amazon Echo, every Echo device can play a chime, and it's configurable with several pre-set sounds. Echo show will also start showing video from the camera as well, and it also integrates with FireTV. However, notifications via Alexa sometimes are played too late, not very consistent. Then the Ecobee app does all of this as well, and if one happens to have a compatible Ecobee thermostat, it does a lot more: Our Ecobee premium thermostat will also show the doorbell on its screen, with two-way audio (One has to press a button on the thermostat's screen to talk back). Ecobee offers a home security subscription, called "Smart Security" which uses the thermostat as an alarm panel. The auxiliary temperature sensors are also movement sensors and there are optional window and door sensors as well, and an indoor camera completes the offer, hardware-wise. The doorbell camera can record and has package and person detection, but these functions only work through the Ecobee app with an active subscription. Apple's HomeKit Secure Video functionality is disabled with this camera, no the person detection and iCloud recording doesn't work, only live video. Even with an active subscription, package and person notifications only work via the Ecobee app. Overall it's a great doorbell with solid functionality if planning on subscribing to Ecobee's cloud security offering, otherwise it’s limited to real-time video and doorbell notifications, since basic functions still work without the subscription. I really like how well it integrates with the thermostat as well including video feed from the camera as well as announcements. The doorbell comes with a 60-day security service trial. The service itself is interesting. There are two tiers: The first only covers recordings and notifications with one camera and the second tier covers unlimited cameras (The doorbell and Ecobee's indoor camera) and offers a professional security service that's connected to 911 and can potentially be used as an insurance deduction (which could potentially pay for itself).

Video doorbell’s are really a great way for families to keep an eye on what’s going on at their house without having to invest heavily in wiring cameras all over your home. The new Ecobee Smart Doorbell is a great product so far but works even better for those with an Ecobee Thermostat and iPhone users. PROS: - The look itself of this Ecobee doorbell is really nice. The button is big, but the doorbell looks very modern and sleek. - Installation of course requires some degree of wiring and using a screwdriver, but the app takes you through step by step and it was really pretty easy for me to do. - Once setup, there are a few configuration settings to make but overall you are ready to go! - The Ecobee App is pretty easy to use and makes sense. It has settings like what zone of the video do you want detection in, can show you a log of all the videos it has taken, and will even play a doorbell chime through your other ecobee devices as well if you want. - The video quality is really pretty good! It is clear, has nice zoom features, a nice wide angle from feet to head, and has great night vision. - If you have an Ecobee Thermostat, this doorbell is even better. you can use the the thermostat to view the video feed at any times and when the doorbell is rang, the video feed automatically pops up on the screen. Really nice complimentary feature! - The Doorbell also works great with Ecobee’s security system, an inexpensive way to DIY your home security needs. - Lastly, it has Apple HomeKit integration which is just awesome! That way I can control the camera from HomeKit along with my other HomeKit items or I can view the doorbell camera on my Apple TV as well. CONS: - All of my concerns are around the software itself so I have faith they can all be fixed via software updates, but at the time of this review here they are… - The doorbell only supports Person, Package and “motion” detection. So no detection for vehicles or animals as of now. - Notifications only showcase people or packages, it does not notify you of “motion” as of now. - Every single clip it records is 2 minutes long. So if the video is just the UPS person dropping of a delivery for 15 seconds, it records a whole clip for 2 minutes. It’s kind of odd because really I just want the short lead up to the clip, the clip itself, and the short ending to the clip. - The app itself can be a big laggy on loading the live feed at times, which is weird because when I load it through my thermostat it boots right up but through my phone I sometimes need to force quit and reload. - You do need to pay $5 per month (or $50 per year) for some added benefits like rich notifications and cloud recording. BOTTOM LINE: - The Ecobee Doorbell is another excellent choice for video doorbell buyers. It offers easy installation, crisp video, and a nice app to go along with it. There are some needed software updates on the doorbell to make it simply the best, and you definitely benefit from it more when you have the thermostat too or are an Apple user. But that being said, its still a great choice and I have all the faith that Ecobee will continue to make this doorbell great and their whole home security system great!

UNBOXING: The Ecobee Smart Doorbell comes with very small packaging and includes everything you should need to get started other than a phillips head screwdriver and perhaps a drill for creating screw holes for mounting the doorbell to your wall. Inside the box, you’ll find the doorbell and backplate, an optional wedge, screws for mounting, extension wires, and a chime adapter. BUILD: In short, the build quality is good. It’s a glossy finish which I’m not a fan of since this will yield more scratches over a matte finish, but I also don’t think it’s particularly important because it’s going to remain stationary. It connects through your existing doorbell wires and connects to your network via 2.4GHz and 5GHz W-iFi network with support for up to 802.11ac. It has a 5MP camera that delivers footage at 1080p with 30fps with a 4:3 aspect ratio and 175 degrees vertical and 115 degrees horizontal field of view. And in very low light, it can enable its night vision mode. As for the audio, it has an onboard microphone and speaker so that you can remotely communicate with your guests. And for the weather-conscious, it can operate at -13F to 113F. SETUP: The setup process for the Ecobee Smart Doorbell is pretty standard among the video doorbells that I’ve tested over the years. You’ll need a phillips head screwdriver and likely a drill, but it's otherwise a pretty straightforward experience, especially because the Ecobee smartphone app will guide you through the process. I do want to mention that you’ll need to install the included chime adapter onto your existing doorbell chime, and you’ll want to make sure that the operating voltage is 16V to 24 VAC. Ecobee’s support website has many resources on helping you find out whether or not your existing doorbell system is capable. Most homes these days should not have this issue, but if your home is quite old, then it’s strongly advised that you verify. Following the guided instructions, the doorbell chime was quite easy to install. My installation location was at the adjacent wall of the door as opposed to the same wall as the door. While at first I would have liked to have the doorbell facing towards the street, I did find that having the camera capture footage of the door was also valuable. I chose not to use the wedge in this case, but I certainly could have used it to capture more of the street and less of the door. And it was nice to know that if I had short cables at my doorbell, the included wire extenders would have ensured a smooth installation. VIDEO QUALITY: Ecobee has a lot of established competition, and video quality is really one of the most important parts about a video doorbell. Unfortunately in my testing, the video quality is below my expectations based on the quality demonstrated by competitors. Firstly, sometimes it can take 5-10 seconds to load the actual video stream through the Ecobee app. It is possible that this may be more prevalent if it chooses to use a 2.4GHz network. So if you have a single WiFi network name for your home that hosts both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, the Ecobee might prioritize 2.4GHz over 5GHz, and you don’t have any ability to configure which WiFi band the Ecobee should prefer. I ended up testing the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera on a dedicated 5GHz WiFi network, and this typically yielded a video stream in about 5 seconds. Coming from other doorbell systems, this still just feels like a long time. Most other systems I’ve used will respond in 2-3 seconds. This probably isn’t a big deal unless you watch your doorbell footage a lot for some reason, but for someone like myself who has experienced a number of doorbells, it’s something I certainly noticed. Oftentimes, the video bitrate starts off quite low and so I notice more visual artifacts, but eventually the bitrate appears to improve and the footage is reasonably sharp. However, it tends to struggle to stabilize the image for anything in motion, while things that remain static will yield a more stable, detailed image. Given that it’s connected to a dedicated 5GHz WiFi band, this doesn’t seem to be an issue with my network, but rather an issue with some aspect of Ecobee’s compression. In broad daylight, stable/static footage is generally decent, but not particularly “sharp” since it’s only 1080p. So zooming in on the footage will yield a much softer overall presentation. But if someone is walking up to your doorbell, you should be able to identify people you know. Whereas for those you don’t know—the footage might not give a clear enough image unless their face is clearly exposed in the camera’s field of view. Since my doorbell was not mounted facing the street, it does mean that the doorbell will capture footage mostly on the side of people’s faces, so the quality of the footage will matter a lot more to identify a stranger. If I was able to mount the doorbell facing out towards the street, I think that I would be able to get better footage of faces, which would yield more detail. In lower light conditions, the night vision will really only activate if it’s quite dark. If you have a porch light on, it’s much less likely to activate. But when it does activate, it will certainly help to ensure that the footage is more usable. If you decide to leave your porch light on, the footage will generally be more detailed and reliable over night vision footage, but it’s good to know that you’ll have visibility even in very dark scenarios. One strange thing I also witnessed was that zooming and panning in on the live feed will actually retain that location until you zoom back out. Maybe some folks have circumstances where they would want to digitally zoom in and keep their live camera feed and recorded footage zoomed in, but I certainly did not. Because zooming on the live feed is performed on the Doorbell hardware, you will be subjected to network latency, so it was overall pretty slow to zoom or pan. AUDIO QUALITY: In my testing, the audio was actually pretty good, and this is an area that should not be ignored. Sometimes you might have an unexpected package or visitor, and you need to be able to communicate effectively. From the app, I was able to communicate through my smartphone’s microphone to the guest at the doorbell, and the audio quality sent from my smartphone to the doorbell was coherent and clear. Likewise, the audio recorded from the doorbell’s onboard microphone was clear so that I was able to hear guests without issue. APP: In terms of features, the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera has many offerings to match its competition, but many of its features are only available behind the Ecobee Smart Security Subscription. Ecobee does provide a 60 day trial out of the box, but once that trial has lapsed, some notable features are unavailable. Some notable features include Rich Push Notifications, Motion Detection, Activity Zones + Detection Range to prevent unwanted alerts, Package Detection and Person Detection, Apple HomeKit integration, and Smart Focus which will auto-pan and zoom to keep people and packages in view. Additionally, you can use other Ecobee devices like your Ecobee thermostat to function as your doorbell chime. Once that subscription trial lapses, the 30 day video history is downgraded to only image snapshots of events, the package detection will be completely unavailable, and the Rich Push Notifications will be simplified to text notifications. Given that there’s no video history without a subscription, this could be a serious deal breaker for a lot of folks, including myself. But if you’re already deep into the Ecobee system, this might not phase you. While most of these features actually work quite well, the Smart Focus feature (which is currently in beta) is the one feature I do not recommend at all. In my findings, it would often zoom to people’s lower body (like their legs). If you simply record the full field of view, you can always just zoom and pan while reviewing the footage anyway. It makes much more sense to capture the full field of view so that you don’t risk losing any important footage. It should also be mentioned that the Apple HomeKit integration lacks HomeKit Secure Video. So while you’ll be able to view the live camera from the Home app and initiate communication over the microphone, you won’t be able to get notifications or perform recordings through HomeKit. Rather, you’ll be relying on Ecobee’s app for notifications and recordings. Lastly, figuring out how to change the WiFi network was not trivial. Whereas most apps would have a “WiFi Configuration” or something similar under the Settings for the Doorbell, Ecobee opted to put this under the “Support” section of their app which I have never seen done before. Not a big deal once you’ve found it, but little things like this certainly make me question their thought-process behind the user experience. CONCLUSION: To be honest, I had higher hopes for the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera. There is still potential that Ecobee may perform updates to their app and firmware that will make this doorbell a more compelling option, but if you’re not already in the Ecobee system with an Ecobee Smart Security subscription, I don’t quite feel that this device was launched with the most polished experience. There are other competing options from well-established brands who offer subscription services that are simply more polished and have better quality footage. Alternatively, there are other options that use local or network storage which deliver similar features without a subscription service and with better fidelity and responsiveness. From my experiences using competitors’ products, I don’t feel as though Ecobee’s offering is compelling enough at the asking price to warrant my recommendation. However, if Ecobee adds support for HomeKit Secure Video and/or is able to improve issues with its video quality, I think there could be a stronger argument in its favor.

Let me start by saying I am a huge fan of Ecobee's thermostats. The best smart thermostats on the market. So I was beyond excited when they released a doorbell. That was, until I installed it. Although a great doorbell in theory, it just isn't ready for prime-time. Hopefully the engineers at Ecobee will be able to fix the issues experienced through future software updates. I've spent hours on the phone with Ecobee support trying to troubleshoot the issues (described below) and in reading other reviews, many other folks are experiencing the same issues. The install is pretty much just like any other smart doorbell. Hook up the chime adaptor to your chime box and install the doorbell. The Ecobee doorbell is quite large as compared to other smart doorbells. It's huge in comparison. Below are the pros and cons of the doorbell. As you see, the cons far outweigh the pros. Hopefully Ecobee will fix these issues soon. Pros: * the speaker on the doorbell is nice and loud. No issues for guests to hear you * if you have there premium thermostat, you can get a picture from the doorbell on the thermostat * good field of view, night vision is clear (though not in color - a con) * install instructions through the Ecobee app is very thorough Cons: * notifications that someone rang the doorbell can take 4 to 5 minutes to arrive on the phone * live video most times does not load in the iPhone app * the video on the thermostat either doesn't load or is horrible distorted * in order to save recordings, you have to pay for Ecobee's subscription service * night vision does not have color which is pretty common on smart doorbells now-a-days * although it says HomeKit enabled, it is not HomeKit Secure Video. You can only view live video feeds in HomeKit but you will not get notifications from HomeKit when the doorbell detects motion or someone rings the doorbell. Huge missed opportunity here from Ecobee who is just pushing their subscription service. It's also very ironic that the video feed in HomeKit loads so much faster than the Ecobee app. Overall, the Ecobee doorbell has potential, but it feels rushed to market and not thoroughly tested. Time will tell if Ecobee can fix the extremely long delays in notifications and issues with video feeds not loading. If they wanted to do the right thing for their customers, they would enable the doorbell with HomeKit Secure Video, but that's a silly dream as they are pushing folks to their subscription which honestly, isn't worth it for a mostly non-functioning doorbell.

This is my first ecobee product so I was open minded with a new product. Setup. Setup was pretty easy. Manual was easy to follow and I downloaded the Android app and followed step by step easily as well. I have a hardwired door chime so the relay box was easy to figure out amd connect. The doorbell itself was someone straight forward. There are a few cons here and maybe ecobee can take this to their engineers form future consideration. 1. The base plate does not align with other major door bell bases. That means you at least have to drill a minimum of 1 more hole. In my case it is through stucco and small holes are a pain because the bit moves. 2. The back of the doorbell does not have a pocket or space to tuck the wires. This creates a bulge and may cause issues with a flush installation 3. I wished it came with an adapter that faces the doorbell downward so you can see lower towards the ground. Operation was easy. App was easy to use. Controls both via cellphone signal and home WiFi was pretty good and responsive. Different plans and packages for recording. So this is a paid service. So there is a major brand out there that after a while I lost faith in. It would just not pickup motion and person detection properly. So far ecobee has that dialed in a bit better. It actually captures more of what I want. There are beta features like tracking and zooming that I thought was near. Wide angle lense is nice. Video and pictures are pretty clear. Access to cloud and download to phone was easy to do. Overall this is well built and well though out. The appearance is also nice and sleek. The size of the doorbell is a bit bigger but it still looks nice. I was picky with my above 3 points.

I have had a HomeKit compatible doorbell on my smart home Wishlist for a very long time, and while they existed before now it seemed like none of them were very good options. I have also had a Ecobee Thermostat Premium since it launched and have been extremely impressed with it so when I saw they were going to release this new doorbell I had very high hopes based on my experience with the thermostat. I will say that in some respects I am very pleased with this but in others it is a letdown. First impressions are good, with a premium fit and finish to the device itself, and the packaging is well thought out. Installing it is very easy assuming you know which circuit in your house powers your doorbell transformer. The transformer must be of specific requirements so be sure to check what you have first before taking the plunge. In my case I already knew it did since my previous Ring doorbell had the same specs and everything worked with that one. As with nearly all smart home tech these days, you must use the app to get things going, and the Ecobee app walks you through in very complete detail what to do to get it installed and working. Getting it up and running was no problem and as soon as you attach it to your Ecobee account it will start up a 2-month trial of their home security monitoring which is also what gives you access to the video storage for the doorbell camera. I had originally hoped to wait to start that trial until later, but you are not given a choice. Thankfully it did not try to force me to input payment information to keep the subscription going after the trial ends, but I suspect I will start to receive notifications as it gets close to the end. After its all setup in the Ecobee app you can also add it to your home in HomeKit if you want, which I did and that also went very smoothly. Video quality is excellent despite it only offering 1080P recording, and sound comes through clearly both in the app and for people on the other end. I really appreciate the super wide-angle lens which gives me a complete view of my entire porch even right under the door itself which fixes a huge blind spot I had before. I am very impressed with the quality of the image I get from this doorbell, and it gives me much more piece of mind being able to see absolutely everything. It has smart detection features that only send me notifications when an actual person is at the door rather than every single tree branch or shadow constantly setting it off and uses a radar feature that can extend or reduce the distance the person has to be from it before it will let you know someone is there. I have been very pleased with the reduction in spam notices from every little motion I had before. It will still detect other types of motion like branches in the wind and save those 2-minute videos, but you must check on the video history to see those unless you set it to notify you of everything. Now, it has some things that disappoint me, and I hope that some if not all of them can be addressed via updates in the future but as of now there are issues. First off, it was unclear in its support of HomeKit that it would not include HomeKit Secure Video, which severely limits what you can do with it in HomeKit. Basically, you can see a live view and speak with someone at the door and that’s it. Oddly, loading the live feed is substantially faster in HomeKit than with the Ecobee app, a few seconds rather than 20-30. Unfortunately, this also means that you cannot receive motion or person detection notices from HomeKit, only from Ecobee and those notifications are very slow. Usually by the time I get a push notice that someone is at the door, in real time they are already gone or walking away by the time I am notified they were even there at all. Based on how quick you can get a live feed from HomeKit I hope that this issue can be resolved in the future but at the time of this writing it is poor. Next, if you want anything other than live feed you must subscribe to Ecobee’s smart security service for a minimum of $5 per month. You get 30 days of cloud video storage with that subscription and the more advanced person detection features for packages that are not available otherwise. I find it distressing that they offer HomeKit support which would get me those features, but they limit it just enough to force me into a subscription for another service that is not currently good enough to warrant it. Scrubbing through old recordings is cumbersome, slow, and it can be difficult to understand what it saw that caused it to create a recording. I also had a few connectivity issues with it on my second day, but it has behaved well since so it may have been a fluke. Overall, I think that Ecobee has a good product here, but I feel like their software is behind the curve. The connectivity with the Thermostat adds a nice little extra touch for viewing live video feed but in my case, it is a bit useless since my thermostat is in direct line of sight of my door which has a big window in it so if I am looking at the thermostat for video, I can see the door and be seen anyways. I love how well I can see my porch and package deliveries now, and I hope that they add more to it in the future to address the shortcomings. I still feel like it is an overall improvement for my smart home, and I am happy with it, it just needs a little more software work to make it a contender for most people.

I would like to begin by stating that the Ecobee Doorbell comes with excellent instructions. However, these instructions do not take into account the possibility that the user may be upgrading from another smart doorbell, which was my situation. As a result, I was left to figure out the installation on my own, and I cannot imagine someone with less handy skills than me succeeding, especially if the house came with the doorbell pre-installed, as mine did. If you are upgrading from another smart doorbell, you are essentially on your own. However, if you are coming from a standard, old-school doorbell, the instructions and included materials are very helpful and will guide you through the installation. My wife was able to follow the instructions, and if she can do it, I am confident that anyone can. For me, the video doorbell I came from complicated the installation, which I do not fault Ecobee for. However, it is something that they should consider if you are considering this device. I wish Ecobee would simply add a quick question, "Are you upgrading from an existing smart doorbell?" and if you answer yes, then it would suggest resetting things to factory configuration before proceeding. Or, they could offer some sort of guidelines on how to accomplish the installation. Like some general concepts to help make things successful. Once I had everything installed in my chime and figured it out, I then ran into a small issue with the spacing between my siding and the bracket. Thankfully, the kit comes with extension wires and small twist-on connectors to extend the wire. My only wish was that the twist-on connectors were a little smaller. I ultimately had to cut a small hole in my siding to fit the connectors behind the bracket. I then had to waterproof it just in case. After that, I powered everything on and was so pleasantly surprised by the image quality. It was a clear winner, and I was very happy with it. For me, notifications came slightly slower than the doorbell chime itself. I would ring the doorbell, and about five seconds later it would notify me on my phone. However, that notification came with a person detected and the option to answer the doorbell. It obviously started capturing the image as they approached and as they stood there for the doorbell. Essentially the notification itself wasn’t missing any information, it had the person approaching the house, as well as standing there waiting for a response. Two way communication was also fairly fast. I would say it’s not different than any video call made over Zoom or MS Teams in this day and age. Overall, I am happy with the image quality, which is much better than what I had before. I would recommend it to anyone.