Google Nest Doorbell (Battery)

Should you buy the Google Nest Doorbell?

The Google Nest Doorbell (Battery) belongs in a Google Home house. At $179.99 it scores 78, and its main argument is that person, package, animal and vehicle detection run on the device for free, where Ring charges for the equivalent. It sits behind the eufy Video Doorbell E340 because eufy gives you free recording too, not just free alerts. If you use Nest speakers and displays and want announcements when a package lands, this is the right doorbell. If you want the most storage for the least money, buy the eufy.

Where it earns its score

• Free smart alerts. On-device AI sorts people, packages, animals and vehicles with no plan, which is more than Ring or Blink give you for free.
• Reliability is the top factor at 86. Google's hardware and app have been stable, and the 3:4 head-to-toe frame shows packages on the step.
• Works when Wi-Fi drops. It keeps up to an hour of local backup, plus three hours of free event history.
• Wired or battery. The built-in battery works wire-free, or connect it to existing doorbell wiring.

What to know first

• You have to take it down to charge. The battery model must be unmounted for charging, and there is no swappable pack like eufy or Ring offer.
• No 24/7 recording, even with Nest Aware. The $8-a-month plan extends event history to 30 to 60 days but continuous recording is not available on this model.
• Warranty is the weakest factor. One year from Google scores 55, the same low mark as Ring and eufy.
• Value is 74. At $167 it is $47 more than the eufy E340, which also records for free.

Questions buyers ask