Ring Doorbell Review: 3 vs 4 vs Pro vs Plus vs Elite vs Peephole, Installation, Setup, Comparison, vs Nest, & More

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Here’s how it works.

Ring video doorbell, smartphone app, and installation shown in three panels with the following captions: smart security starts at the front door; see, hear, and speak to visitors from anywhere; and easy installation.
The Ring video doorbells are extremely popular, and they tout their amazing video quality, easy to use app, and effortless installation. Are there any cons?

“Who can it be knocking at my door?” Surely, when the popular 80’s band Men at Work wrote these lyrics, they couldn’t have imagined today’s high-tech doorbells. Now you can see who’s at your front door, even when you’re not at home.

Ring, an all-in-one front door camera and doorbell that syncs with your smartphone via WiFi, is the best-selling video doorbell on the market. What makes Ring so popular? And is it really the best or do you have better options? Read our review to find out.

View Ring on Amazon

What Is The Ring Doorbell?

Ring is a well-known company that has created various popular home security products — such as the Ring doorbell. Unlike a traditional doorbell that simply notifies you with a noise when someone pushes it, the Ring doorbell activates when it detects motion in front of your door. This is incredibly useful because it lets you not only know when someone is in front of your house but also see them there — even if you aren’t at home.

If you are someone who is often out of the house or just someone who likes to work with loud music playing through your headphones, this can be an incredibly valuable tool for you. Using the Ring app, you can see who is at your door and even speak to them through the doorbell.

Ring’s doorbell sensor can detect motion from up to 30 feet away from your doorbell, and when it detects motion in those 30 feet, it will activate the camera and take a video of the area. This can be great at identifying friends and family wanting to say hello and ward off any unwanted package thieves that may be prowling around the neighborhood.

Ring Doorbell Review

Ring Logo

Product Name: Ring Doorbell

Product Description: The Ring doorbell is one of the most technologically advanced consumer doorbell security cameras on the market. The company has created several models to meet different needs, at different price points.

Summary

Ring is the leader when it comes to video-based security. Its doorbell cameras are no exception, the video quality and app features are unparalleled. The only real con is its reliance on WiFi, which can be terminated by an experienced intruder.

Overall Score

4.3
  • Video/Sound Quality
  • Ease of Use
  • Integrations
  • Customer Support

Pros

  • Customizable motion sensor
  • Infrared night vision
  • Apps for iPhone, Android and desktop
  • Two-way audio with noise cancellation
  • Record and save video (added fee for cloud storage)
  • Can integrate with ADT, Wink, Lockstate, Kevo, Kisi and Wemo home security systems
  • Pro model has small and sleek design
  • Lifetime purchase protection (they’ll replace doorbell camera if it gets stolen)
  • Interchangeable faceplates for 2, Pro and Elite

Cons

  • Pricey, especially Elite
  • No on-demand video (must be activated by motion or doorbell call)
  • Standard model is larger than similar products

Consumer Reviews

3 1 vote
Reader Rating

This is the aggregate score of reader reviews we’ve received. Have a good or bad experience with a Ring doorbell? Feel free to leave your own review in the comments. Please note that only ratings with valid review content will be published and counted.

8 Key Features

Ring Video Doorbell
  1. Top-selling video doorbell on the market
  2. Syncs with many smart security products and home automation systems, including Wink, Kevo & Lockstate smart locks, Kisi, ADT and Wemo
  3. Cloud video recording available ($3 per month or $30 annually for 6 months of recording time)
  4. Available in four faceplate finishes: Satin Nickel, Antique Brass, Polished Brass & Venetian Brass
  5. Automatic notifications via email and app when battery is getting low
  6. Chime add-on, plug-in home product lets you know when you have a visitor (even if your phone is in the other room)
  7. Phone and live chat 7 days per week
  8. Online support: blog, knowledge base, detailed FAQs

Price & Tech Specs

Ring offers 6 models, and each comes with a one-year warranty on parts and a lifetime purchase protection replacement in case of doorbell theft. Each model works in temperatures from -5°F to 120°F.

To see specific differences between models, visit our Ring doorbell comparison article

 Video DoorbellVideo Doorbell 3Video Doorbell 4Video Doorbell ProVideo Doorbell ElitePeephole Cam
Price $59.99 $199.99 $249.99 $349.99 Check Amazon for availability
InstallationExisting Wiring or Rechargeable BatteryExisting Wiring or Rechargeable BatteryExisting Wiring or Rechargeable BatteryRequires Existing Doorbell WiringRequires ProfessionalReplaces Peephole
Video720p1080p1080p1080p1080p1080p
Field of View180°160°160°160°160°155°
Advanced Motion Detection with Adjustable Motion Zones Green checkmarkGreen checkmarkGreen checkmarkGreen checkmarkAdjustable Motion Zones
Other  Pre-Roll 4 Seconds Before Motion EventHuman DetectionHuman DetectionKnock Detection
Dimensions4.98″H x 2.43″W x 0.87″D5.1″H x 2.4″W x 1.1″D5.1″H x 2.4″W x 1.1″D4.5″H x 1.85″W x 0.80″D4.8″H x 2.75″W x 2.17″DIndoors: 2.26”H x 4.40”W x 1.16”D
Outdoors: 1.85”H x 3.83”W x 0.78”D
WiFi Connectivity2.4GHz2.4GHz & 5GHz2.4GHz & 5GHz2.4GHz & 5GHz2.4GHz & 5GHz2.4GHz

Recording Plans

Recording plans are optional and allow you to review, save and share your videos at any time. Below are the plans available and their features

 Included FreeBasicPlus
PriceFree$3/month or $30/year$10/month or $100/year
Number Of Devices11All Ring Devices
Motion-Activated NotificationsGreen checkmarkGreen checkmarkGreen checkmark
Real-Time Video With Live ViewGreen checkmarkGreen checkmarkGreen checkmark
Two-Way TalkGreen checkmarkGreen checkmarkGreen checkmark
Lifetime Theft ProtectionGreen checkmarkGreen checkmarkGreen checkmark
Video History For 60 Days Green checkmarkGreen checkmark
Video Saving & Sharing Green checkmarkGreen checkmark
Snapshot Capture Green checkmarkGreen checkmark
24/7 Professional Monitoring For Ring Alarm  Green checkmark
Extended Warranties For All Devices  Green checkmark
10% Off Select Products At Ring.com  Green checkmark

Personal Experience

Our Safe Smart Living contributors share their experiences with their Ring doorbells.

I was worried about integrating the Ring Doorbell with my existing wired doorbell, as I wanted the chime in my house to still work when someone was at the front door. I’m not the most handy person, but the installation was a breeze (learn more about installing a Ring Doorbell) and my old chime still works.

I’ve been very impressed with the features, you can set it up to be notified with every movement, or only notify you (on your phone) when the doorbell rings.

My other concern was the battery life. Well, I’ve had mine up and running for over a year and the app says it is still at 94%. It has performed exactly how I expected it to – I’m able to monitor my front door even when I’m not home, and I haven’t run into any technical issues.

Jeff B.

Similar to Jeff, I was a little wary with how the installation would go for my doorbell. Using a power drill on the exterior of my home was a little concerning for me because I didn’t want to mess up the siding or drill the holes incorrectly. However, my husband took one look at the instructions and had it done within 20 minutes.

Overall, I’ve been happy with its performance. There have been a couple of instances where the notifications were delayed, and sometimes the app can take a while to load footage. But asides from that, it’s performed great.

The video quality is fantastic as well as the audio. I like that I can view activity history to see what I missed while I was away from my phone. I wish there were an option to disable the doorbell, though, because there are times where we are playing in the front yard, and our phones continue to notify us of motion at the front door.

Kimberly A.

Consumer Feedback

Here’s a balanced sampling of customer feedback from those who’ve purchased the Ring camera and doorbell.

Praise

This item was great it was just what I was looking for. It also updates you on crimes in your neighborhood.

Msoman33, Best Buy 11/11/2020

This doorbell is a nice color and works great. It provides a clear picture of any deliveries or activity in the front of our house.

Dave, Best Buy 11/11/2020

Complaints

Slow response from the door bell to the phone, by the time I get the alerts they are gone.

Wrench, Best Buy 11/11/2020

I started having missing data and battery does last long.

MoMo, Best Buy 11/5/2020

Want To See Ring in Action?

Check out Ring’s video below to see how its video doorbell works and the added security it can give you and your family.

How Does Ring Stack Up To The Competition?

Is Ring the best doorbell camera on the market? Amazon customers answer a resounding, yes! Ring Video Doorbell Pro is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with nearly 70% five-star reviews from more than 1,500 customers. And in our Ring review, we found that both models are the best on the market. They offer the best video and sound quality, customized motion detection, easy-to-use apps, and affordable cloud storage.

Yes, Ring is expensive (especially Ring Pro), but you’re paying for the quality and reliability that other video doorbells don’t deliver. See how Ring stacks up against other smart video doorbells in our best doorbell camera reviews. Ring also offers alarm systems, which you can learn more about here.

Tagged With: , ,

The information provided through this website should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease; it is not intended to offer any legal opinion or advice or a substitute for professional safety advice or professional care. Please consult your health care provider, attorney, or product manual for professional advice. Products and services reviewed are provided by third parties; we are not responsible in any way for them, nor do we guarantee their functionality, utility, safety, or reliability. Our content is for educational purposes only.

Subscribe
Notify of
My Rating Of This Company
Optional: rate this company/product and leave your review in the comments. Only ratings with valid review content will be published.
5 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments