I am really excited to bring to you all my review and experience with Ring Video Doorbell. I had first seen this cool product on my friend’s cell phone. They had received it as a gift from someone and I instantly became obsessed. I immediately thought of all my military family and how having this type of product would not only make them possibly feel better, but their spouses who travel often. Its a doorbell and basic security system {while not technically so} all roll into one. I can tell you right now that I absolutely love this product and wish I could buy one for everyone in my life. The combinations and possibilities to combine your Ring experience to your customized needs is part of what makes this a really neat product.
Meet the Ring, Video Doorbell
It comes in four different finish options, included the nickel you see above, antique brass, polished brass and venetian bronze, which looks very black. There is an HD camera that presents an extremely clear image, microphones that are very clear and very loud {I’ve yelled at my kids across the lawn before!}, motion detection and night vision {you can clearly see out your Ring video even when your porch light is off – seriously cool}. Mobile access is through your android or iPhone devices {check out the app here} and you have several options for installation. For us, we chose to set it up with its rechargeable battery. Our current doorbell is ancient and would require major repair, so we chose this way. The battery lasts for FOREVER even with regular use, which we were pleasantly surprised as it isn’t easy to dislodge the Ring from the plate that is screwed your house. While this is extremely good for security (no one is stealing your Ring) we weren’t looking forward to having to remove it often for recharge. Thankfully that is not the case. You are looking at over a month of constant use (depending on how you have your area of coverage set up) before you have to recharge it. If however, someone does manage to rip you off, Ring comes with a lifetime protection coverage. If someone steals it, Ring will replace it for free. {$200}
Customization Options
So, I know I previously mentioned customization. And other than your faceplate colors, the options to customize your experience with the Ring are pretty neat.
Snag yourself The Chime, which is a really cool plug-in extension of your phone app. If you are away from your phone, if you have a large house the chime is a perfect option. And don’t worry, you can put it in sleep mode if you have little ones sleeping or just want some peace and quiet. {$29.95}
{via Ring}
You can also add secondary cameras around your home, with the easy-to-install Stick Up Cam! {$199.00}
{via Ring}
Cloud Video Recording comes with your Ring for 30 days, after that a small yearly fee keeps your videos available anytime you need them to look back on them.
Thoughts
Overall we’ve been really pleased with the device. The app set-up was very easy, and once we got the right screws, installation was easy. We have a brick house, and the we did have to go out and buy a bit for our drill that could cut through the bring better. But once we did that it was a breeze. Setting up the perimeters took a little bit of adjustment. We wanted maximum protection but didn’t want the car going off with every car driving buy. I was very impressed with the fish-eye type camera that detected movement all the way to my driveway and to the opposite side of the house. I had briefly thought about purchasing one for the side door, but when I discovered that the reach was so good I realized I didn’t have to. The cloud recording is a necessary feature in my book. We haven’t yet purchased it, but I plan to. Unless you catch the video right when you are altered by your app you can’t even go back and view the alert, which is kind of a bummer. So if you don’t have the cloud viewing, make sure you are checking every alert. But at about $30 a year, it seems like a tiny fee in comparison to other options out there on the market. I think that for military families, families with spouses who work long hours or travel a lot, this is a remarkable product that could greatly improve peace of mind. It is incredible affordable when you compare it to other types of more complex security services, and I love that it serves many purposes. The two-way talk option is probably my favorite.
One down side is that occasionally we have this problem. And the loading can take forever. But it doesn’t happen often enough for me be frustrated enough to say forget it.
Check out a Ring Video and visit them on their website or facebook and twitter! Also please feel free to ask me any questions and I’ll be happy to answer as best as I can! Thank you so much and spread the word about Ring!
do you have a home security system? what do you love about it?
