Online shopping has made it so convenient to buy any number of things that many of us place our orders and forget about them until the boxes show up at our doorstep. Oh yeah, it’s that thing I needed!
As nice as it is to get something delivered to your door in a matter of days—if not hours—there will come a time when you won’t be around to receive a package. And a package sitting in front of a house, or in an apartment lobby, is an easy target for theft.
A 2020 PCMag survey of 1,000 US respondents who were planning to purchase tech products on Prime Day last year found that 17% of shoppers had experienced package theft, meaning nearly one in six respondents had an Amazon package stolen from their doorstep. Another 16% weren’t sure, so perhaps they’re shopping so much online they don’t notice when a purchase goes missing!
If you’ve ever had to rush home to bring in a package, perhaps you should consider one of these gadgets or services to help secure those deliveries. Peace of mind can often be worth the price.
Schedule Delivery Days
Chance are you’ll be getting a few deliveries from Amazon this year. After all, the company delivered a record-breaking 1.5 billion packages last Christmas. Before you try anything drastic, you may want to adjust a few settings inside your Amazon account to adjust when you get deliveries sent to your door.
If deliveries tend to arrive when you’re not home—or in multiple boxes throughout the week—you may want to set up an Amazon Day to ensure your orders always come on the days you know you’ll be around. Click Accounts & Lists in the top-right corner of the Amazon website, then select Your Amazon Day to set this up. (On mobile, tap the hamburger menu and select Account > Your Amazon Day.)
Amazon Day Delivery allows you to pick one day of the week that is most convenient to have everything delivered at once. So the next time you are ready to check out, instead of selecting the soonest shipping option, you can instead choose your Amazon Day Delivery date. If you pick Saturdays, for example, all the items you ordered during a given week will arrive on Saturday.
Send to Remote Pick-Up Locations
If you can’t be sure you’ll be home to receive a package, you can have it delivered to a separate pick-up location, such as a secure locker. Amazon Hub Lockers are in more than 900 cities and towns across the US—many inside convenience stores, gyms, or supermarkets—and you can ship items to them at no extra cost. To do so, choose the Prime pickup option before checkout and choose the most convenient location. When your package arrives, Amazon will email you a six-digit code you’ll use to unlock the locker.
Similar services are offered by major parcel delivery services, including UPS, FedEx, and the USPS. There are also premium locker systems from GoLocker, Luxer One, PackagePad, and Parcel Pending that can be installed within apartment complexes, college campuses, and offices.
And lockers aren’t your only option here. Services like Bounce and Amazon Hub allow local businesses to serve as drop-off points for your packages, in case you aren’t around. You will be notified when the package has been delivered and can then pick it up at your convenience.
Schedule In-Garage and In-Gate Deliveries
If you’re comfortable with a delivery person coming into your garage or opening your electronic gate and leaving your delivery near your door while you’re away, check out Key by Amazon. Set up the service and schedule deliveries in the Amazon Key app, then use compatible Ring video doorbells and cameras to watch the delivery person leave your package. Amazon also offered an in-home delivery option, but that has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Garage deliveries are available in select areas and for certain garage door brands; you can check eligibility on Amazon’s website. A Key by Amazon Smart Garage Kit is required to use the service. For gate deliveries, Amazon can gain access to your electronic gate as long as you have the Ring Access Controller Pro installed.
Provide a Smart Delivery Box
A delivery box is a good way to secure packages, especially if it has a smart lock attached to it that can let delivery drivers in and keep everyone else out. DeliverySafe is a $499 lockable delivery box that can protect your packages from the elements while providing access through the built-in keypad. Program the code for those who need it, then change it whenever you want.
Another option is the Yale Smart Delivery Box, which offers Wi-Fi connectivity and a keypad option. The box remains open until a delivery is made, which tells the box to lock and notify you through the app. You can then unlock the box and retrieve your package whenever you’re home next.
Instead of investing in a separate delivery box, you can simply upgrade your normal mailbox with Ring’s $30 Mailbox Sensor. You can also replace it with a Smart Mailbox from Danby Parcel Guard that includes a motion sensor, camera, and alarm. These options allow you to receive notifications to your phone whenever activity is detected around the delivery box.
Set Up Outdoor Security
Another way to deter thieves, or catch them in the act, is to install a security device on your property. Your best bet is to get an outdoor security camera and set it up around where the packages are typically delivered. Our top pick is the Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera, though the Wyze Cam V3 is also good if you prefer something more affordable. For tips on setting up your camera, check out our guide.
If a security camera isn’t your style, consider a video doorbell instead. While it may not be as imposing as an outdoor camera, it has more function than just security. We recommend the Ezviz DB1C Wi-Fi Video Doorbell or RemoBell S, which are both reasonably priced and should allow you to watch your front door for both visitors and porch pirates.
