Smart video doorbells have evolved from simple cameras that tell you when someone is standing at your front door into important parts of a connected-home security system. The ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired) takes that concept a step further by connecting the front door with other ecobee products—including one of the most interesting integrations we have tested: viewing and answering your doorbell directly from an ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium.

GearBrain tested the ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera for several months as part of our ongoing testing of smart-home security products. We also used it extensively while evaluating video doorbells and connected-home ecosystems for our Resideo research.

After living with it, we found a lot to like. Installation is relatively straightforward, the ecobee app is excellent, video quality is good, its unusually tall field of view makes it easy to see packages, and its integration with ecobee thermostats is one of the best device-to-device experiences we've encountered in a smart home.

There are some drawbacks. Several useful security features require an ecobee Smart Security subscription; it doesn't support Matter, and users heavily invested in another smart-home ecosystem may find competing doorbells offer broader integration.

Here is what we learned.

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What is the ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera?

ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera unboxedGearBrain

The ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is a wired 1080p video doorbell designed to replace an existing wired doorbell.

It has an MSRP of $159.99 and uses existing doorbell wiring rather than a rechargeable battery. That means you don't have to periodically remove the doorbell and recharge it—a significant advantage for homeowners who already have compatible wiring.

The camera uses a 5MP image sensor and records video at up to 1080p with HDR and 30 frames per second. Its portrait-oriented 3:4 image and extremely wide field of view are particularly useful at a front door.

Key specifications include:

• 1080p HD video with HDR
• 5MP image sensor
• 187-degree diagonal field of view
• 175-degree vertical field of view
• 115-degree horizontal field of view
• 8x digital zoom
• Night vision
• Motion, person, and package detection
• Advanced radar verification
• Two-way talk with noise cancellation
• 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth Low Energy for setup
• IP65 weather resistance
• Operating range of -13°F to 113°F
• Three-year limited warranty
• Integration with ecobee Smart Security, Apple HomeKit, and Amazon Alexa

Package detection requires an ecobee Smart Security subscription.

Installation: easier than many wired doorbells

One thing we liked immediately was ecobee's installation process.

We found installation straightforward, particularly because the ecobee app does a good job of guiding you through each step. Ecobee also provides a compatibility checker that homeowners should use before removing their existing doorbell.

Since this is a wired model, your home needs a compatible transformer. Ecobee specifies 16–24 VAC, 10VA minimum, and 60Hz. The doorbell works with most mechanical and digital chimes, but it doesn't work with wireless or plug-in chimes.

A chime adapter is included, along with mounting hardware and a wedge that can help position the camera correctly.

The chime adapter can make installation more complicated in older homes or unusual doorbell configurations. If your existing wiring or transformer isn't easy to identify, professional installation may be preferable.

Once installed, however, there's no battery to worry about charging.

Setting up the ecobee app

settings in ecobee app for smart camera doorbellGearBrain

The ecobee app was another highlight during our testing.

Setup instructions are easy to follow, and ecobee does a particularly good job of bringing its thermostat, security, sensor, and doorbell functions together rather than making them feel like unrelated smart-home products.

The doorbell supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, which gives users more flexibility than doorbells limited to the 2.4GHz band. Ecobee recommends at least 2 Mbps of upload bandwidth per camera for optimal 1080p video.

Once connected, you can use the app to view your front door, communicate with visitors using two-way audio, manage notifications, establish activity zones, and control other security settings.

During our testing, we found the mobile-app experience to be one of ecobee's strongest attributes.

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Video quality and that impressive head-to-toe view

Homescreen on ecobee app shows high quality video GearBrain

A doorbell camera's field of view matters more than many buyers realize.

Some doorbells provide a wide horizontal image but don't show enough of the area immediately below the camera. That can create a blind spot exactly where a delivery driver leaves a package.

Ecobee addresses this with an expansive 175-degree vertical field of view.

In our testing, this head-to-toe perspective was one of the doorbell's most useful features. You can see visitors approaching the door while also seeing packages sitting close to the doorstep.

The complete field of view is 187 degrees diagonally, 175 degrees vertically, and 115 degrees horizontally.

Video is 1080p HD with HDR. While higher-resolution doorbell cameras are now available, we found ecobee's video sufficiently detailed for everyday monitoring. The camera also offers 8x digital zoom when you need a closer look.

Nighttime performance

night vision setting in ecobee app for smart camera doorbellGearBrain

Ecobee designed the Smart Doorbell Camera to continue capturing useful images as ambient light begins to disappear.

Its sensors use available light to maintain color detail longer into the evening before relying more heavily on night vision.

For dark conditions, the camera uses two high-powered wide-angle infrared LEDs with an IR cut filter. Ecobee specifies a night-vision viewing distance of up to 30 feet.

Combined with HDR, this makes the camera useful not just when someone presses the doorbell but as a 24/7 view of what's happening around the front entrance.

Smart detection and activity zones

The ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera uses a combination of computer vision and advanced radar verification to improve motion detection.

It can distinguish among general motion, people, and packages, helping reduce the number of meaningless alerts generated by movement in the background.

You can also establish an Activity Zone so the camera concentrates on areas that matter.

We found the motion zones reliable during our testing. This is particularly useful for homes facing sidewalks or streets, where poorly configured video doorbells can generate an excessive number of alerts.

Notification controls are also fairly granular, allowing you to customize how the doorbell communicates what's happening outside.

There can occasionally be a slight delay between an event occurring and receiving or responding to the notification. We didn't consider it a deal breaker, but response speed is something buyers should consider when comparing security cameras and video doorbells.

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The feature I liked: viewing the doorbell on an ecobee thermostat

ecobee Expands Smart Home Capabilities with Apple HomeKit and Philips Hue Integration ecobee/the verge

This was where ecobee separated itself from many other smart video doorbells I have tested.

If you own an ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium, you can view the Smart Doorbell Camera directly on the thermostat's display.

And importantly, you don't have to wait for someone to press the doorbell.

During our testing, we could access the live doorbell video directly from the thermostat whenever we wanted to see what was happening outside.

The experience was simple and seamless.

For example, imagine you're walking past your thermostat and hear something outside. Instead of finding your smartphone, opening the ecobee app, and navigating to the camera, you can check the front door from the thermostat.

When someone does ring the doorbell, the thermostat can also function as part of the notification and communication experience, including live video and two-way talk.

After testing several smart doorbells, we found ecobee had the most mature thermostat-to-video doorbell integration of the products we tested.

It's an excellent example of how smart-home devices become more useful when manufacturers design them to work together rather than simply placing them inside the same app.

Alexa and Apple Home integration

Apple Home integration in ecobee appGearBrain

The Smart Doorbell Camera isn't limited to ecobee's ecosystem.

It integrates with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit, allowing it to participate in a larger smart-home setup.

Alexa users, for instance, can view a live stream from the doorbell on compatible Echo Show devices and use voice commands to access the camera.

Ecobee can also distribute doorbell chimes throughout the home using compatible speakers, ecobee devices, and your smartphone.

This is particularly helpful in larger homes where the original mechanical doorbell chime may not be audible everywhere.

However, ecosystem compatibility is also one area where we found room for improvement.

During our broader smart-home testing, ecobee's integration quality was excellent inside the ecobee ecosystem, particularly between its thermostat and doorbell. But other platforms can offer broader compatibility across different manufacturers.

The Smart Doorbell Camera also does not currently offer native Matter support, which is worth noting for homeowners trying to build their smart home around the emerging Matter standard.

Apple users should also be aware that HomeKit compatibility doesn't mean the doorbell supports every Apple security feature, including HomeKit Secure Video.

ecobee Smart Security: useful features, but you'll need a subscription

Ultimate DIY Smart Home Security Bundle for Amazon Alexa Users: Protect Your Home with the ecobee Ecosystem Amazon

One of our biggest reservations about the Smart Doorbell Camera is how many of its more advanced capabilities are connected to ecobee Smart Security.

Ecobee includes a one-month Smart Security trial when you register the doorbell.

Subscription features include capabilities such as:

• Rich notifications with video clips
• Package detection
• 30-day video clip storage
• Additional smart security functionality
• Integration with compatible ecobee security sensors
• Optional professional monitoring

The subscription can make sense if you're building a larger ecobee security system.

However, buyers who specifically want to avoid recurring security-camera fees should look carefully at which features remain available without a subscription.

We would particularly like to see features such as package detection become less dependent on a paid plan.

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Two-way talk and answering the door remotely

The camera includes a built-in far-field microphone and speaker with noise cancellation for two-way communication.

When someone arrives, you can answer through the ecobee app even when you're away from home.

Rich notifications can provide an image or video preview, allowing you to quickly determine whether you're looking at a visitor, delivery, or another event before opening the app.

Again, some enhanced notification features require Smart Security.

How the ecobee doorbell fits into a larger smart home

One of the biggest lessons from our months of testing is that the Smart Doorbell Camera becomes considerably more compelling when you already own—or plan to buy—other ecobee devices.

You can combine it with:

• ecobee Smart Thermostats
• ecobee SmartSensors
• ecobee door and window sensors
• ecobee Smart Security
• Amazon Alexa devices
• compatible Apple Home devices

That creates something closer to a connected home system than a standalone video doorbell.

For instance, your thermostat can become another interface for your front-door camera, while sensors can extend awareness beyond the front entrance to doors, windows, and movement elsewhere in the home.

This ecosystem approach was one of the strongest things we observed during our testing.

Reliability and outdoor durability

ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is IP65 ratedGearBrain

A video doorbell stays outside year-round, so durability matters.

The ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera carries an IP65 rating and is designed to operate between -13°F and 113°F (-25°C to 45°C).

Because the doorbell receives power from existing wiring, there isn't an internal rechargeable doorbell battery whose performance can deteriorate in extremely cold weather.

Ecobee also provides a three-year limited warranty and says the doorbell will continue receiving automatic software updates, including access to new features.

That's a welcome approach for a permanently installed smart-home product.

Privacy and security

Ecobee includes several security measures at the device and network level.

The Smart Doorbell Camera supports WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 Wi-Fi encryption as well as TLS/SSL with 128-bit AES. It also uses secure boot and supports on-device detection.

As with any connected camera, buyers should use a strong, unique password for their ecobee account and keep their home Wi-Fi network properly secured.

What we liked about the ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera

Live video, head to toe view, from ecobee doorbell on ecobee Premium Smart thermostatGearBrain

After several months of testing, these were the features that stood out most:

Excellent ecobee thermostat integration. Being able to pull up a live front-door view directly on a compatible ecobee thermostat is genuinely useful and remains one of the best thermostat-to-doorbell integrations we've tested.

Straightforward installation. Ecobee's compatibility tools and illustrated app instructions make the installation process easier to understand.

Excellent app experience. The ecobee app does a good job of combining climate control, security, sensors, and the doorbell in one interface.

Outstanding vertical field of view. The 175-degree vertical view makes it easy to see both visitors and packages near the door.

Reliable activity zones and detection. The combination of radar verification, computer vision, and configurable zones helps reduce unnecessary alerts.

Good smart-home integration. Alexa and Apple HomeKit compatibility give users options beyond ecobee's own products.

No battery charging. For homeowners with compatible wiring, continuous wired power eliminates another smart-home maintenance chore.

What we didn't like

Amazon Echo Show 5 showing video from doorbell is available only with subscription after the first 30 days Amazon Echo Show 5

There are several things prospective buyers should know.

Too many features require a subscription. Package detection, rich notifications, and video history are among the capabilities tied to ecobee Smart Security.

No native Matter support. That's disappointing for a connected-home product, particularly as Matter becomes more important for cross-platform interoperability.

No HomeKit Secure Video. Apple-centric households should understand the difference between supporting Apple HomeKit and supporting Apple's complete camera feature set.

Occasional notification delays. We experienced slight delays with some notifications and responses during testing.

Wired installation won't work everywhere. Homes with older or unusual doorbell wiring can encounter complications, particularly when installing the chime adapter.

Limited design choices. The black-front design is attractive but offers fewer aesthetic choices than we'd like for something prominently installed beside a front door.

Who should buy the ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera?

The easiest recommendation is for someone who already owns an ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium.

The thermostat integration changes the value proposition because you're not simply adding another security camera. You're adding a front-door camera that becomes part of an existing smart-home interface.

It's also a good fit for homeowners who:

• Prefer a wired doorbell instead of charging batteries
• Want a large vertical field of view for seeing packages
• Already use Amazon Alexa or Apple Home
• Want to build an ecobee-based home security system
• Value a well-designed mobile app
• Want thermostat, security, and climate devices managed within one ecosystem

It may be less appealing if you're trying to avoid subscription fees, require HomeKit Secure Video, or are building a smart home specifically around Matter.

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GearBrain verdict

Ecobee smart doorbell camera Ecobee smart doorbell camera

After testing the ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired) for several months, we came away impressed by how well ecobee has connected the doorbell with the rest of its ecosystem.

At $159.99, it competes in a crowded video-doorbell market. Its 1080p resolution isn't the highest available, and putting package detection, rich notifications, and video history behind a subscription weakens the value proposition for buyers who want to avoid monthly fees.

But specifications don't tell the whole story.

The Smart Doorbell Camera's 175-degree vertical view, good video performance, reliable detection, polished ecobee app, wired power, and excellent Smart Thermostat Premium integration make it a strong connected-home device.

The thermostat integration impressed us most. Being able to walk up to an ecobee thermostat and pull up a live view of the front door demonstrates the kind of device-to-device interaction the smart home has promised for years.

During our broader testing of connected doorbells and smart-home ecosystems, ecobee delivered one of the most cohesive experiences we encountered.

If you already own an ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium—or plan to build your home around ecobee's climate and security products—the ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired) is easy to recommend.

For households looking for maximum interoperability across brands or a completely subscription-free security camera, however, it's worth comparing alternatives before buying.

Pros

• Excellent integration with ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
• Impressive 175-degree vertical field of view
• Good 1080p HDR video
• Reliable activity zones and smart detection
• Excellent ecobee app
• Dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi
• Alexa and Apple HomeKit integration
• No battery charging
• IP65 weather resistance
• Three-year warranty

Cons

• Package detection requires Smart Security subscription
• Rich notifications and video history require a subscription
• No native Matter support
• No HomeKit Secure Video
• Occasional notification delays
• Chime adapter can complicate installation in older homes
• Limited color/design options

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