I still vividly remember the night. Hubby and I were sitting in our living room and at around 1 am we heard loud pounding on our side door. My heart skipped a beat and I felt paralyzed for what seemed like an eternity. Luka’s room is directly across the side door and all we could think of was his safety. I ran to a window and saw our backyard door had been swung wide open so I called the cops. Fast forward a couple of hours and the police were circling our property to investigate. Thankfully everything ended up being ok, but we decided right there and then that we needed to install some sort of home security system at our new house.
When I shared my story on social media, dozens of you reached out recommending that I try Ring products. With so many people raving about it, I did some research and found two smart home security solutions that were a fit for us on Best Buy Canada’s site.
Two Smart Home Security Devices Giving Me Peace Of Mind
1. Smart Home Security: Ring Video Doorbell 3
Ring Wi-Fi Video Doorbell 3 – I’m not sure why it took me so long to get a Ring doorbell, but I’m so happy we finally have one! Being able to see, hear and speak to visitors from anywhere is a game-changer. While there are a few Ring doorbells on the market, we opted for the newest version which promises improved motion detection and enhanced WiFi.
Here are some of the features we love:
- The phone app is intuitive: when sensors detect motion a video recording is activated and an alert is sent directly to our phones. We can tap and see the live camera feed from anywhere!
- The video quality is great (full HD 1080p).
- It’s really easy to install (like really easy).
- 24/7 visibility with the night vision sensors.
- It’s battery operated and comes with a rechargeable battery pack. No extra wires to worry about!
- We can customize the motion settings to focus on key areas. The “Near Zone” helps minimize false notifications.
- It can withstand harsh conditions: -20 ºC to 48 ºC and has a water-resistant design. I’ll report back after the Canadian winter LOL.
- It’s compatible with Amazon Alexa so you can have hands-free home monitoring.
Beyond home security, one of the biggest perks is being able to receive packages when we aren’t home. The two-way communication feature is key here because I can just chat with the delivery person and tell them where to leave the package!
2. Smart Home Security: Ring Stick Up Cam
Ring Stick Up Cam Wireless Indoor/Outdoor – Remember the side door I mentioned at the beginning of this post? It now has a shiny new security camera mounted above it. Man, I wish we had the Ring Stick Up Cam before the scare, but better late than never!
What I love most about this specific device is that it’s battery operated. We don’t have electrical wiring near our side door so this makes it possible for us to monitor the area without getting an electrician involved for installation.
Here are the other features we love:
- Two-way communication allows us to see, hear and speak to people on camera from anywhere.
- Large viewing angles (110-degree horizontal and 57-degree vertical) allow us to see a big chunk of our property.
- The video quality is great (full HD 1080p).
- It can withstand harsh conditions: -20 ºC to 48 ºC and has a water-resistant design.
- The wireless camera can either be placed on a flat surface or mounted on a wall indoors/outdoors.
- It’s compatible with Amazon Alexa so you can have hands-free home monitoring.
I’m so happy that we’ve installed these two Ring devices at our house — and without the help of the Geek Squad may I add! They’re truly giving us peace of mind. Having lived in a condo for over a decade before moving into our new home, the thought of installing smart home security devices didn’t even cross my mind until our little scare. With a toddler in the house, it quickly became apparent we needed them. And now I’m eyeing more smart home security and access devices on Best Buy Canada’s site since they’re my go-to for everything smart home related . If you have any faves comment below and I’ll check them out!
A huge thanks to Best Buy Canada for sending over these smart home security devices and sponsoring this post. As always, reviews and opinions are my very own.
3 Comments
Bryson Fico
May 4, 2021 at 7:54 amWe were thinking about the Ring doorbell for several months, but were looking for an honest review regarding its durability especially with the damp conditions in Washington State – thank you. We also purchased one for my parents in Las Vegas, Nevada. If the ring doorbell can handle a Canadian winter it will hold up just fine anywhere.
Solmaz
May 10, 2021 at 1:15 pmOurs still works like a dream! And we’ve had suuuuch a wet spring. I’m really impressed so far!
JaNita Myers
July 3, 2021 at 9:56 pmWe purchased a Eufy video doorbell since it holds the video on the device and it can’t be viewed by anyone else. I don’t like my footage being accessible to others in the cloud. There also is no monthly payments for the use of our doorbell.