This Sleek Alternative To Video Doorbells Is Ideal For Renters

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Installing a video doorbell can add a ton of peace of mind when it comes to the security of your property. Just the appearance of one of these vertical gadgets can be enough to deter porch pirates, and having the ability to converse with visitors via two-way audio is especially nice. These doorbells are also great for keeping tabs on motion. Unfortunately, not every household is able to own a video doorbell, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you're a renter, and your landlord won't let you install one, or maybe there isn't a reasonable location for the device to be mounted safely.

The good news is, you can enjoy a lot of the same core features that a doorbell product offers with a peephole camera. As the name implies, this type of device is installed in the existing peephole channel in the external door at your home or business. When friends and family arrive, they'll be able to press a button to ping you, as they would with a regular doorbell. A peephole cam is still able to detect motion and send you alerts, and it can also be programmed to operate on a specific recording schedule. At the time of writing, Ring and a few other brands produce peephole cams, with the $100 Ring Peephole Cam 2K being one of the newest models on the market.

Sold in three colors — speckled gray, speckled white, and matte mocha — the Peephole 2K is designed for a renter-friendly install. Basically, that means no drilling holes is required! You won't even need to mess with wiring, as a quick-release battery pack powers the Peephole Cam 2K, which is rechargeable via a USB cable (the camera comes with one).

Do keep in mind that a product like the Ring Peephole Cam 2K will prevent you from using a peephole the regular way. You'll always need to use your phone or a compatible smart home hub to see what's going on outside since the camera itself blocks your normal view through the peephole. That's why you might also want to consider the EZVIZ DP2C, another 2K camera that just so happens to offer local storage (up to 512 gigabytes via MicroSD). The camera boasts a 155-degree field of view, and EZVIZ provides a 4.3-inch color monitor you can mount on the inside of your home near the door.

We also like the Brinno SHC1000, which comes with both a motion sensor and a video display for inside the home. You'll find a range of other peephole cams when you search on Amazon or Google, but based on our research, Ring and EZVIZ are two solid brands that definitely deserve your consideration. Many other peephole devices are produced by lesser-known manufacturers, and user feedback is sometimes less than glowing.

Home security is one of the most important parts of your life to invest in. Keeping a close eye on your personal space is important, so try not to cheap out on the hardware. A lackluster camera will likely deliver far worse visuals than a leading brand like Ring (or even a budget-friendly brand like EZVIZ), making it tough for you to tell what's happening outside your door.