Last fall my husband installed a Ring Video Doorbell Pro at our front door. This is probably the best improvement we have made in our home in 20 years. It is an instant view camera, video recorder, and has audio capabilities. According to my husband, it was not hard to install. He said you just follow the directions.
From my viewpoint, it is fabulous! I don't own a smartphone, but I do have an iPad. I can see who is at my front door in an instant without leaving my chair whether they ring the doorbell or not. If you happen to have a smartphone, you can see who is at your front door from anywhere, you don't even have to be home. You can also talk to them, which is pretty awesome if you wish to request they simply leave something at the door. Or, if you simply want a stranger to think you are at home.
Be the way, my husband uses his laptop to see through the Ring Doorbell Pro. Therefore, no smartphone, no iPad and no Alexa is required to use the Ring Doorbell Pro, in spite of how it may sound when reading the product description. We do not have it connected to Alexa, but that is an option.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro Camera is a Crime Deterrent
What I have noticed since we installed the Ring video doorbell is that people recognize what it is. One of the first things I heard a stranger say to his companion when ringing our doorbell was, "you're on video so don't say anything." Guess who I didn't answer the door too!
The fact that potential criminals or even solicitors will step away, or simply not approach your door, is worth the cost of the unit.
How the Ring Video Doorbell Pro Works
When someone rings my doorbell, my iPad chimes to let me know a guest is at my front door. I can immediately see who is there. Actually, we have our motion sensor set so motion approaching the front door will often make it chime first, so I can take a look. The doorbell is video recording everything, including what they say.
It also works at night! The video camera has infrared night vision which is totally awesome. I keep my iPad on the nightstand. If the motion detector chimes, I reach out and grab it to take a look. Usually, it is my friendly spider giving us a morning greeting, but sometimes it catches other guests unaware.
Ring Stores Your Videos
You may wonder how you are able to see the videos days, or even a month later if you wish. For $30.00 a year (cost at the time of publishing this article) Ring will store your videos for you for 60 days. The Basic Plan is free for 30 days with the purchase of the Ring Doorbell or any of the Ring devices. You can download any video you need to save for longer to your own computer.
Rings Lifetime Guarantee
If your Ring device gets stolen, Ring will replace it for free.
Other Ring Devices
We also have Ring Cameras installed around the exterior of our home. They are pretty cool! They work the same way as the doorbell with motion detection, except they are battery operated instead of installed with wires. They have to be recharged regularly, in our case, about once a month. However, they now have a solar panel available so you never have to take them down and recharge them again.
A "Ring Video Doorbell 2" that operates on batteries is also available if you don't want to hard-wire the unit. It is perfect for a backdoor or other door that does not have an existing doorbell.
One thing to keep in mind, all ring devices are wi-fi and rely upon your internet connection. When we installed the Ring Doorbell Pro at our front door, we found that we needed a wi-fi extender since our internet modem is in the far back corner of our home. It was no problem to set-up and plug in the extender, but it may be something you will also need to consider.
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