- Value: 16/20
- Functionality: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 17/20
- Aesthetics: 19/20
- Video/Audio Quality: 18/20
- TOTAL: 89/100
Maybe the 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie Smart House influenced my tweenage mind more than I’d like to admit, because the one upgrade I didn’t pay much attention to at first has quickly become my favorite home purchase of the past three years. (And I’m the kind of crazy who put a Skee-Ball machine in the basement.) But ever since a pro helped me install the Nest Hello—a smart doorbell that streams who’s at your door straight to your phone so you can always see who’s coming or going—I’ve gained a kind of peace and reassurance I didn’t anticipate.
Initially, buying the doorbell was just a fast fix to get rid of the ear-piercing gong sound our existing one made every time it chimed. We already owned Nest’s smart thermostat and had a Mini speaker in just about every room of the house (largely so I can obnoxiously ask about the weather and get an answer no matter where I am). It seemed fitting that if we were upgrading, we might as well opt for a doorbell you could answer no matter where you were, using your phone. Here’s what pushed me from “that’ll do” to uh, unexpected doorbell evangelist.