Technology has allowed us to make our homes smarter than ever. It can also make them safer than ever, too. And a whole host of products makes building your own home security system a breeze.
Best Buy In-Home Advisor Konrad Johnson hears from a lot of customers who are interested in outfitting their homes with cameras, alarms and other devices they can install and operate themselves.
“With so many smart home products out there, you can get overwhelmed,” he says. ‘If you’re just getting going, I recommend starting with a smart lock and a doorbell camera.”
Many smart locks work with voice assistants, which means in addition to controlling them from the app, you can just speak up if you forgot to lock your door.
“If you’re in your driveway, you just say, ‘Hey Google, lock my house’ and it’ll lock your house,” he says. “You don’t have to punch anything into a keypad when you leave.”
Doorbell cameras, like the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, let you see who’s at the door, and interact with them, even when you’re away from home.
“There’s two-way audio within the camera, and it has a motion sensor, so it sends a notification directly to you phone when someone comes,” he says. “That way, when someone rings the bell and you’re not there, it provides the illusion that someone is home, and you can still interact with the person.”
Konrad likes Ring products because you can control all the company’s devices from one app on your phone.
“Most people want to avoid switching between apps,” he says. “Ring’s app can control a motion sensor, door sensor, wireless and wired cameras, video doorbells — all their products.”
For security cameras, Konrad says there are a lot of options, depending on your needs.
“Arlo Pro 2 is a great security camera option,” he says. “It has great features, a long battery life, you don’t have to run wires, and there are even solar panels available. And it’s the first wire-free camera to have full 1080p HD, which means you get a superior picture.”
You can set the camera to run 24/7 or just when it detects motion. And, there are no restrictions on where you can aim it.
Once you get going with the basics of your security system, you can add on from there.
Want more help? Best Buy offers plenty of whole-home security options, and the experts at your local Best Buy store can help you find the right system.