Ring Battery Doorbell 2K Plus (newest model), Retinal 2K with wide-angle video, up to 6x Enhanced Zoom, Night Vision, and Quick Release Battery Pack, Nickel Silver

Why it's worth it

The 2K Plus runs the same app, the same two-way talk, and the same swappable battery as our top pick. You give up 4K capture, the longer zoom, and radar motion detection, and most people won't miss them day to day.

For the vast majority of front doors, 2K is plenty. Retinal 2K with a wide-angle view covers the porch head to toe, and 6x zoom is enough to check whether a box is still sitting there. Owners upgrading from older 1080p Ring doorbells describe the jump as dramatic. The step from 2K to 4K is the smaller one, and it costs you battery.

This is the pick if you already live in the Ring and Alexa world. Everything works exactly the way you expect: the same app, the same shared-user setup, the same Echo announcements. If a family member already knows how to pull up a clip on their phone, that's worth more than a spec bump. Setup takes minutes, and the Quick Release Battery Pack charges indoors just like the Pro's.

From our review of 8 wireless video doorbell cameras, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +For the vast majority of front doors, 2K is plenty
• +This is the pick if you already live in the Ring and Alexa world
• +Motion detection here is conventional rather than radar-based, which is a real difference on a busy street

What to know

• –The subscription problem is identical to the top pick's