- Lack of Range: Because the vast majority of types go as far as 150 ft., it is a good idea to find out if you will need additional range. Other obstacles for wireless doorbells could be additional walls, thick floors, metal walls, and so forth. If these might be a problem, consider buying a long range wireless doorbell, which can extend as much as 300 ft, with intercom variants going up to 1500 feet,. or buying a wireless doorbell amplifier.

- Concerns with Frequency Conflicts: Some wireless doorbells could be impacted by other external frequencies in and around their locations. These can come from garage door openers, car alarms, or even other wireless doorbell units. For this reason, you have to choose versions that have a variety of wireless frequencies. This feature will allow you to overcome external frequency issues.

- Low Batteries: Wireless doorbells tend to have batteries in the button and the alarm. For this reason, you are likely from time to time to need to put in replacements. This tends being a minor issue though as batteries can normally run for several years before new ones are needed.

- Limited Choice of Designs: Given that wireless doorbells are a fairly new invention, the present design alternatives are somewhat limited. Doorbell buttons seem to be very limited to mainly common styles with white or black covers with a transparent or colored button. Bell alarms provide far more options as they rival wired versions in function, appearance, and style. Still, more new styles are coming out each year and with enhanced interest in wireless doorbells it’s only a matter of time before they rival wired versions in design quality as well as functionality.

Such a system gives you all the benefits of the wireless doorbell, in terms of easy set up and no need to bring in a professional. And above that it provides a very useful additional benefit, which is that you can talk to whoever is at the door from wherever you are in the house. That means that you can figure out who’s at the door without even having to go near the door. If security is a concern this is a great addition for you, as you can decide whether or not to open the door without actually physically being near it.

Wireless doorbell intercoms are not as common as regular wireless doorbells and you may have to look a little harder in order to find one. Depending on the set up that you want you might also find that they cost significantly more than a standard, simple wireless doorbell, so make sure that you’re clear on why you want one and make sure the extra cost is justified.

Adding an intercom system to your wireless doorbell also creates another thing that could go wrong, and many people have problems with the intercom unit long before they encounter any issues with the doorbell part of the system. So if you do get a wireless doorbell intercom be sure to keep in mind that you’re more likely to need repairs done than you would be with just a regular wireless doorbell.

Finally, don’t forget that you could also consider a video doorbell, which gives you not only voice but also video, so you can both see and hear who is at the front door. Video doorbells are both more expensive and harder to install than intercom doorbells, but they definitely provide added security and safety.

Video doorbells come in a range of different styles and specifications.  The most basic decision is regarding whether to buy a color model or black and white.  The advantage of black and white video doorbells is that they are cheaper than color ones, however they obviously provide less detail.  However, in most cases a black and white monitor should be more than enough to identify the person who is at the door, so if budget is a concern you can rest easy knowing that a black and white video doorbell is a much better solution than no video at all.

When you install a video doorbell system, you also include a small video camera installed somewhere in the vicinity of the door (and pointing at the door, of course).  This is connected to a TV-style monitor inside your house.  Whenever someone rings the doorbell, the video camera is activated and you can see immediately who is at the door.  Generally the intercom system will also be automatically activated so you can also talk to them straight away.

If you buy some of the higher end models, they will also come with a built in video recording feature, usually also with a time stamp, so it will save all the video it records (whenever someone is at the door) for as long as you specify.  This is far from a necessary feature, but it can be useful if something happens at your house and you want to go back and see if anyone who has visited you recently looked suspicious.

Other high end features that some models have include infrared or automatic lighting at night, so you can always see who the person is no matter what time of day, buttons which allow you to actually open or lock the door from the monitor itself, and automatic functioning options whenever anyone is in the vicinity of the door, so that even if they knock or are just walking around, the video will activate and you can see who is there.

Genuine vintage doorbells are similar to the ones your grandparents probably used to have, where you need to turn a little handle and it makes a ringing sound on the inside of the door.  Some even come with a rope pull mechanism if you’re looking for something truly different!  While these doorbells look great and can be a real talking point, if you have a big house they’ve not very practical as it’s not always easy to hear them.  Because the only noise generated is right next to the door itself, and even then the sound isn’t that loud, if you’re not close to the door or if there’s some noise in your house, you’re likely to miss the fact that someone called.

The other option is to take a vintage-style doorbell, which looks like a period piece but is actually connected to a modern wireless or wired doorbell.  While these are less genuine, they are definitely more practical and suited to the size of houses and the general noise levels in our lives today.  These kinds of doorbells are available in all kinds of looks and styles, often being made of metal or similar to add a genuine effect of a vintage doorbell.

Whichever kind you choose, be sure to shop around before you buy as you’ll find big prices discrepancies between different brands and stores.  Genuine vintage doorbells can be very expensive, often selling for hundreds of dollars, so you need to be very sure that it’s something you really want before you invest that kind of money.  Vintage style doorbells can range from around $10 up into the hundreds of dollars, depending on the brands, range and style, so shop around and see what’s available before making a decision.

Remote doorbells, as opposed to regular wireless doorbells, usually have a portable chime system.  A regular wireless doorbell will allow you place the chime unit or units in fixed positions in your house, just like a regular wired doorbell.  A remote doorbell, on the other hand, will usually come with a portable chime unit or units, which allow you to carry them around with you so that you never miss the sound of your door ringing.

The advantages of a system like this are obvious – if you have a large house, and especially one with more than one floor, it’s very easy to be out of earshot of a fixed chime unit.  Add in a telephone, music, or appliance making some noise and often the chances of you hearing the doorbell are next to none.  A remote doorbell allows you to carry the unit wherever you are, so this problem is effectively eliminated.

On the other side of the coin, however, are the problems with a remote doorbell.  For one, carrying around a chime unit isn’t always easy or practical, even though they are fairly small and light weight, it’s easy to forget and sometimes you simply have your hands full.  One other potential problem is carrying it out of range of the doorbell itself.  Remote doorbells operate within a fixed range, just like any remote control device, and they vary widely between operators.  Make sure to check the range before you buy and ensure that will be big enough to cover your whole house.

This means that there are many options available.  The first thing you need to do is to understand your current doorbell set up, and whether it’s wireless or wired.  Replacing a wired doorbell button is usually relatively easy, as you need to simply buy a wired replacement button and attach it.  This may be a job best performed by an electrician if you’re not familiar with working with electricity, but selecting the button itself should not be difficult.

If you have a wireless doorbell, you need to make sure your new button will be compatible with the existing unit.  This means that it will run on the same radio frequency, for example.  If you’re not sure, be sure to ask someone or email them for additional information, telling them the exact model you currently have and asking what will work with it.

The choice of doorbell buttons is vast.  Many are simple and made of plastic or a metal casing, small and rectangular, and unobtrusive.  Some are of a similar style but much larger so that they stand out and are easier to see and to press.  Also available are many styles of decorative doorbell buttons, in shapes such as insects, animals, flowers, people and much, much more.  These generally come in a metal finish and can look very good in the right home.

You should also consider whether you want any kind of lighting with your doorbell button.  Some are constantly illuminated around the edge, making it very useful in the dark and easy for people to find the button, while others light up when pressed.  some people consider this essential while others see no reason for it, so consider before attempting buying whether or not you want a lighting feature.