Ring Video Doorbell Review

Introduction

The doorbell rings, your ear recognizes the distinctive ring, and you proceed to the front door to investigate thing. Sure, you can always look through the peep hole at who it is, but what about when you’re not home to do it yourself? What do you do then?

Well, if you have the Ring Video Doorbell, you’ll always be in the know as to who it is when you’re there, or not. There’s been a surge in connected devices throughout the home. From remote access cameras, to smart LED light bulbs, and even smart wall outlets, we’re bombarded by a horde of internet connected devices that have found their way throughout the home – and that now extends to the doorbell too thanks to this!

Design

Imagining what a doorbell looks like, the Ring Video Doorbell looks rather menacing in comparison. To be fair, though, this is more than your typical button-only doorbell, seeing that it’s slapped with a camera and some other internals to make it wireless. This rectangular shaped thing isn’t discrete at all, that’s for sure! Frankly, it piques the interest of most people who press on the button and then proceed to look at it. However, the good folks at Ring offers it in four different finishes to match the surrounding trim where it’ll be placed.

The design is intimidating to say the least, especially when people realize there’s a camera, but the design acts as deterrent as well. Sure, we could argue for a more discrete way of hiding the camera, but with all the news of late about how packages left at front doors are taken away by would-be snatchers, having it dead center and in the open can help to make some people second guess their decision.

Initially, we were a bit skeptical about the installation process, just because it seemed quite involved. Thankfully, it’s a breeze with the included directions, which guided us how to properly screw it in. While there’s an option to install it using the existing circuit wiring used by a current doorbell, our location actually doesn’t have that – so we’re left with having to rely on the unit’s internal battery. After getting the mounting plate centered and squared, then inserting the proper screws, the Ring Video Doorbell is finally attached and secured.

Connectivity

Once the Ring Video Doorbell is in place, it’s connected to our existing Wi-Fi network through the use of the companion mobile app, which is available as a free download for Android, iOS, and Windows 10 devices. For our setup, the Ring Doorbell is roughly 20 feet away from the router, so it’s able to maintain a solid connection to the network. A common expected outcome from any smart connected device, there’s a little bit of latency delay with the live feed, but it’s nothing too bad that would hinder the overall experience.

Performance

First and foremost, we have to say that the Ring Video Doorbell always keep us in the loop as to what’s happening. Whether it’s a delivery from the FedEx person, or someone else entering the apartment entrance, it’s there to constantly inform us what’s happening when we’re there or away. And that, folks, is the beauty of it, as it acts as another layer of security to offer peace of mind.

Using the app, we’re able to set up motion detection, so that video is recorded and saved in the cloud. When the doorbell is pressed, it emits a distinctive blue light with the accompanying chime ringing. That same chime plays on our smartphone, and even the optional Chime accessory that’s offered as well, to notify us that the button is pressed – where we can proceed to view the video feed in real-time. However, if we choose to disregard the notification, the video is then uploaded to the cloud for us to view at our convenience.

Naturally, if we do accept the notification, we can have two-way conversation because the Ring features a built-in speaker as well. This is great if we’re unable to get to the door right away, or if we’re not even at home in the first place. For what it is, the 720p video feed is decent enough to discern faces – as well as the scenery, just because it has a wide 180-degree field of view. And in our experience, it’s pretty good at detecting motion as well.

Battery

The biggest concern we had heading into all of this is the battery life. Knowing that it’s firmly secured, it would be a huge pain and inconvenience to constantly remove it from the mounting plate to recharge. However, our worries are set aside because its 5200 mAh battery is exceptionally long lasting. Even after a month of using the Ring Video Doorbell, its battery remained above the 80% level, but we should note that motion detection was disabled throughout that time. That’s some serious longevity and stays true to Ring’s claim of having 6 to 12 months of battery life with regular use.

Conclusion

Much like most of the smart connected devices that are invading homes nowadays, there’s a premium to pay to have peace of mind with the Ring Video Doorbell. Even though its MSRP of $199.00 can be seen as exorbitant when compared to some basic ‘wireless’ doorbells on the market, they don’t have the security measures that Ring delivers with its total package. And that’s simply the essence of what Ring is all about! If you're interested in picking one up, you can click here to access Ring's site.

Quite frankly, it’s more than a remote camera doorbell system, seeing that we have two-way audio interaction, motion detection, night vision, and even cloud video recording. It should be noted, however, that the cloud service is free for the first 30 days. After that, it’s a $30 annual fee, or $3 monthly, to keep those videos stored in the cloud – albeit, they can be downloaded to your mobile device afterwards. Our only other minor complaint is that there’s no way to just access the camera by itself.

With the Ring Video Doorbell, you’re always at home, even when you’re really not there either. It’s a fun and useful addition to the growing lineup of smart connected devices in the home, so it’s worth looking into because there’s value in it being the first line of defense between the outside world and what’s on the other side of your front door. You won’t be disappointed!