Ring Security Camera Review

Installing Ring Cameras

Ring Stick Up Cam

Our first impressions of Ring equipment right out of the box? These aren’t the sleekest cameras on the market, but they’re far from the clunkiest. When we were ordering our package, we were impressed by the fact that Ring offers color options. Most camera companies only offer one, and it’s usually either black or white. Ring’s most basic cameras, like the Stick Up and Indoor Cams, come in either black or white, but some devices are also available in bronze and graphite.

Even more important to us than style is how easy it is to install home security equipment. We had no problems with Ring on that score. True, hardwired floodlight cameras take time to sort. In addition to turning a few screws, we also had to turn off the electricity (always crucial), and sort out which wire went where. That’s always going to take longer than sticking a wireless camera on an end table. Plus, you have to be careful where you place outdoor cameras to ensure maximum coverage, and if you’re dealing with a brick wall, things can get tricky (there’s no shame in hiring professional installers if you’re dealing with these kinds of conditions). Luckily, our install was straightforward.  It took us no more than thirty minutes to get the floodlight up and running.

As for the Ring Stick Up Cam2 (pictured above), everything’s ready to go out of the box. You can choose whether to use the camera with the provided battery or as a wired (plug-in) device. You also have choices when it comes to placement – hang the camera on a wall or simply place it on a flat surface.

Ring offers several iterations of their Stick Up Cam, as well, including battery-powered models, solar models, a plug-in version with Pan-Tilt functionality, and the Stick Up Cam Elite, which, with an available adapter, works through PoE (Power over Ethernet).

>> Related: The Best PoE Security Cameras

Ring Stick Up Cam (left) compared to Ring Indoor (right)

Ring’s indoor camera is almost identical to the Stick Up Cam, as you’ll see in the image above, with two notable exceptions: The Indoor Cam is smaller and requires a power cord.

The power cord is pretty short at only 6.5 feet. That limits how far away you can place the camera from a power outlet – without an extension cord, anyway. We went with the battery-powered Stick Up Cam. Cords just don’t go with the look of our apartment. We do give Ring credit for its wide range of choices, though.

Ring Floodlight

Those are the only drawbacks I ran into installing Ring cams; otherwise, you’re going to get the same easy setup and installation as many wireless security cameras available today.

Beyond installation, let’s explore the ins and outs of each camera in Ring’s suite, starting with the Stick Up Cam.

Ring Spotlight

Living With the Stick Up Cam

Ring Stick Up Cam

While Ring doesn’t have the feature set of Google Nest’s Cams (see our full Google Nest Cam review here), their cameras are reliable across the board. There’s a reason why they’re one of the top-ranked security camera brands out there. The Ring Stick-Up Cam is a great example.

The Stick-Up Cam is designed to be both dependable and versatile. It doesn’t have facial recognition like Nest Cams do, and it can’t tell people apart from pets like Arlo cameras can. It’s not fancy. But the Stick Up Cam is the type of security camera you buy because you’re looking for a workhorse. It detects movement, it records video (if you have a subscription), and it streams live audio and video feeds. Those are the core features we want to see in every security camera.

Ring Stick Up Cam live view

Freedom of Movement

Since it can be battery operated or hardwired, one of the Stick Up Cam’s biggest strengths is its flexibility. For starters, you can choose how you use it:  battery-operated or hardwired mode. That’s handy for experimenting with different mounting positions. You always want to take the time to determine your best vantage point. That said, you can also set this camera to monitor a single target, like the cat who always knocks over your houseplants or that package thief who’s been spotted in your neighborhood.

Ring Indoor Cam Night View

Narrow Field of Vision

If you have an open floor plan like I do, you might notice that Ring Stick Up has a somewhat limited field of vision. With a lackluster 110-degrees horizontal field of view, this camera won’t give you more than standard viewing angles. You can’t set it to pan over a room like a Reolink E1 camera, for example. So with the Ring Stick Up Cam, just be aware that you’ll probably need to play with angles and positions to get the most out of the camera.

Not Weatherproof

Okay, I feel that we have to put this here. The Ring markets the Stick Up Cam as an indoor/outdoor camera. It’s easy to assume that the camera is weatherproof because it can work outdoors, but that’s not the case. We checked the manual and found that it’s IP X5 rated.

The ‘X’ signifies that it’s not dust-proof at all. That means dust and small particles can enter the casing and potentially ruin the electronics inside. The ‘5’ means it’s at least a little bit water-resistant. It’s sealed from water jets from any direction, so it can at least resist rain. I wouldn’t risk it though, not with that IP X5 rating. If you’re going to place the Stick Up Cam outdoors, I recommend finding a covered area like a patio or porch or under an eave.

Smart Home Integration With Alexa

Ring dashboard on the Alexa Show

Here’s some good news: It’s really easy to integrate a Ring camera into any Amazon smart home ecosystem. (I covered the full step-by-step Ring home automation process here, if you’re interested.) It’s not much more than popping over to the Ring app’s Alexa tab and following the prompts. With the Stick Up and all the other Ring cameras, simply pull up the full Ring dashboard using voice commands like, “Alexa, disarm my driveway camera.” If you’re a big fan of Alexa and using voice commands, I recommend Ring as one of the best security camera brands for you.

Testing the Ring Indoor Cam

Ring Indoor Camera

When it comes to the industry’s top-rated indoor cameras, sometimes less is more. Ring Indoor Camera is the smallest in Ring’s lineup, standing less than 3 inches tall without its support stand. So with this one, you won’t have to worry too much about the device taking up too much space or looking awkward in your home.

For people who like simplicity and minimalism in their security technology, this Ring camera makes the grade. But, like the previously mentioned Stick Up Cam, I did come across a few areas for improvement.

Video Performance and Clarity

Glitches and delays in security camera footage are very common, so it’s important to remember that not all of your footage from your cameras – Ring-branded or otherwise – is going to look picture-perfect.

Ring Indoor Cam Video Quality

All of Ring’s cameras record video in up to 1080p HD video resolution. It’s the standard nowadays, so expect good-to-great video clarity in the majority of your recordings – but not quite at the level of a hardwired system like Vivint. (Catch up on our latest Vivint Home Security analysis.)

And since we’re talking about a wireless camera, you’re going to deal with the inevitable Wi-Fi slow down or app update that might affect the performance of the Indoor Cam. But again, this is a Ring camera, and it usually plays well with most home Wi-Fi setups.

Short Power Cord

As mentioned above, the power cord that comes with Ring Indoor is only 6.5 feet, so you might need to get creative with placement. But once everything is said and done, you’ve got a great little camera that you can set up and basically forget about. Through the Ring mobile app, you can set the indoor cam to record clips while you’re out of the house. And when you’re home, you can turn recordings off for privacy, or adjust motion settings to receive fewer alerts. It’s Ring, so you know you’ll get plenty of flexibility.

A Quick Note on Cost

The word “cheap” has negative connotations. When you buy a product that doesn’t work right, you might call it “cheap.”

At $59.99, the Ring Indoor Cam is the cheapest camera in Ring’s lineup, both in terms of price and in terms of reliability. That said, you’re still getting that impressive 1080p video quality in every recording, even at night. You also get access to Ring’s powerful cloud-based network. In short, you’ll get no complaints on the price of this camera here. It’s “cheap,” sure, but you probably don’t need premium-level features in a camera like this. It’s for indoor use, after all. And as compensation, you’re also not going to pay premium-level prices. That’s how it goes in this industry, more or less.

For context, let’s take a look at the Ring Indoor Cam’s price against some of its leading competitors.

Indoor Camera Pricing Lineup

Ring Spotlight Cam Features and Performance

Ring Spotlight Camera at Night

Spotlight Cam is Ring’s outdoor camera for all those areas outside the house you need to illuminate and capture at a moment’s notice. Note that it comes in wired or wire-free, black or white finish, and you can now use this camera (and all the other Ring cams) with a Ring solar panel for an even more convenient way to secure your home’s exterior.

Beyond that, you’ll find the same features in Spotlight Cam that Ring packs into its other cams: 1080p HD resolution, advanced motion detection, and two-way audio with noise cancellation. When I tested this camera, the motion-activated spotlight helped me make sense of the occasional mysterious activity lurking around my property. That’s news you can use – especially if your neighborhood has a history of (or a recent uptick in) break-ins. Combined with Ring’s Neighbors4 feature, the Ring app that acts as a neighborhood watch, you’ll have more insight than ever on what’s going on around your property.

Using the Spotlight Cam at Night

Ring Spotlight Night View

This is a camera that’s meant to see things you can’t. With 1080p HD resolution, the Spotlight Cam has a pretty decent range day or night – but it’s not worth much without that LED spotlight. Once you’ve set it up where you want it, be sure to set the camera to activate the spotlight any time motion is detected. This feature may come in handy in deterring would-be intruders, but also provides ample lighting when you’re getting home from a late night out.

Adjusting Motion Settings

With a Ring Spotlight perched over a driveway or garage (like mine is positioned in the above image), you might start getting a lot of unwanted or “nuisance” alerts from cars and pedestrians. If you’re self-monitoring your cameras – which the Ring app makes really easy to do – the best way to avoid unwanted alerts is to draw a privacy zone over part of the screen to block out the area you don’t want motion to trigger. As in the scene pictured below, “that kind of motion” was a car driving past my house, which happens about a gazillion times a day.

Ring Motion Activation

If you encounter this, I suggest setting the motion sensitivity slider in the Ring app to a lower motion sensitivity. In addition, though, you can pop into motion zones and black out part of the scene so the camera doesn’t detect motion there. Those two adjustments combined should do the trick; if you’d rather avoid tinkering too much with the camera during busy times, you can always set a schedule to turn motion recording on and off. (Hint: This also saves battery life.)

Ring Motion Sensitivity Slider

A Note on Pricing for Spotlight Cam Plus

The plug-in Spotlight Cam Plus costs $169.99, and you also have the option of buying a solar panel-Spotlight Cam Plus package for $199.99.

Now when you consider some of the other Ring cameras that go for substantially less than this, you might think about crossing the Spotlight Cam Plus off your list. Consider what you’re getting though. It’s actually a two-in-one device — a camera and a spotlight. This means not only will you be actively recording anything that happens at your home, you’ll also be actively deterring criminals with exterior illumination.

The Floodlight Cam Experience

Ring Floodlight Cam

Nestled firmly between two super-powerful LEDs, the Ring Floodlight Camera was the almost-perfect fixture to complement my outdoor decor. Ring also offers this model in a variety of finishes, including graphite and bronze, if you’re looking to get away from the more standard black or white design.

It’s important to note, though, that Ring is not the only company to make a floodlight camera. When it hit shelves in early 2020, the Arlo Floodlight Camera became a solid contender, but Arlo is battery-powered, while Ring’s floodlight camera is wired.

For my home, however, Ring’s hardwired setup worked best. It was the perfect opportunity to replace an old light fixture that was a little past its prime, with a shiny new floodlight-camera-in-one.

Installing the Ring Floodlight Cam

After thoroughly testing the Ring Floodlight Cam, I’m comfortable singing its praises, simply because it’s one of the strongest lines of defense you’ll have in your home security toolbox. You’re getting unprecedented range, a wide field of view, and a smooth two-way audio feature that can be used in tandem with motion-activated lighting to spook even the boldest of criminals – or just to say hi to a few unexpected visitors.

Ring Floodlight Cam Video Quality

There are a few more things you should know about this camera before making your final decision, though, starting with that previously mentioned audio feature:

Two-Way Talk

When it comes to audio on the Floodlight Cam, all was well with the exception of some interference due to background noise, usually on the outdoor end of the conversation.

It’s not the first time I’ve encountered this issue. Ambient noise5 – you know, the kind that happens outside that you can’t control or predict – can make communication difficult at times. But frankly, the issue is minor, and it shouldn’t affect the overall performance.

Durable Hardware

Ring Floodlight Cam Box

Since it’s made for the outdoors, Ring has their floodlight camera locked down with plenty of weatherproof hardware and protection from the outdoors. During my own tests of the device, I watched it sail through an intense late-winter band of snowstorms (you know, just another Ohio “second winter”) without missing a beat. After all that, the Floodlight Cam performed seamlessly and did not incur any damage, which is good, because I’d already thrown out the old light fixture.

Using the Camera With Ring App

Ring App Homescreen

The best way to get acquainted with any wireless camera is to learn everything it can do through the mobile app. With Ring, you know that’s going to be easy – and it will also help you prepare for the unexpected.

Occasionally, you might find a few rare instances of delay between the time the camera captures motion and the time you receive an alert. Again, that is standard in cameras that work with Wi-Fi, and a bit more common in outdoor cameras than indoor ones. But with a stable Wi-Fi connection, you should have no problem securing your home with a Ring Floodlight.

Ring Floodlight Cam Motion Detection

After successful sales of Ring’s first-generation Floodlight Cam, the brand recently added Floodlight Cam Wired Plus and Floodlight Cam Wired Pro. The Pro, I learned, has a couple of advanced features over the original, like 3D motion detection and two-way talk with audio+, as well as a few subtle design upgrades. With a base price of $249.99, it’s one of Ring’s most expensive cameras, but it’s definitely one of the best, too.

Speaking of price, it’s worth mentioning that the Ring Floodlight Cam Plus is another one I’ve seen marked down frequently throughout the year. It regularly retails for $199.99 (you’ll see a bigger breakdown below), but it happens to be a very popular device to snag around Prime Day, too. Look for those and other huge savings in my complete Prime Day home security deals and discounts guide.

Ranking Ring’s Cameras

With a total of four security cameras – Indoor, Stick Up, Spotlight, and Floodlight – you may find it difficult to choose which one is best for your home, especially if you’re on a budget. So I ranked the cameras based on their security value.

Snapshot of Ring Equipment Pricing

“You get what you pay for.” You’ve surely heard that expression many times, especially if you’ve ever bought home security equipment before. Like buying a car, adding security cameras can be a very personal experience – so you want to get the product that’s right for you.

Luckily, Ring cameras are for the masses. They’re made for the everyday DIY user, and generally not recommended if you’re looking for wall-to-wall home security or 24/7 monitoring. For that, I’d go with a fully wired system like Frontpoint Home Security, or even something from SimpliSafe, a super-DIY setup.

For now, let’s break down how much you should expect to pay for each Ring camera. I also recommend checking out our comprehensive Ring camera package and pricing page for more cost considerations.

Snapshot of Ring Equipment Costs

Ring Video Storage and Monitoring

If you’re working on a budget, you can use your Ring cameras to monitor your home for free. Both come with motion sensors and send you an alert when they detect anything happening at home. Then, you can pull up live footage to decide whether or not you need to take action. If that sounds useful to you, you might consider one of Ring’s video storage plans. You can add storage to a single camera for $4.99 a month, or purchase the $10 a month Protect Plus Plan to get storage on an unlimited number of devices.

Finally, you can also add 24/7 professional monitoring protection through Ring’s Protect Pro plan, but the monitoring applies only to the Ring Alarm. Read more about that system in our full Ring Alarm review. Ring won’t monitor your cameras with this plan. We recommend professional monitoring though since you can’t be sure you’ll always be free when you get an alert. Plus, Ring makes it relatively painless to go this route by offering the Protect Pro Plan for just $20 a month. That’s some $10 cheaper than SimpliSafe’s plan.

Ring’s Subscription Model: A Breakdown

Now, if you do want professional monitoring for your security cameras, Ring has an option called Virtual Security Guard. Decide if you really need it though, because it costs $99 per month and has a few other requirements.

First, you need a Ring Alarm Pro security system; not the regular Ring Alarm, but the Pro version with a Wi-Fi router built into the hub. Second, you need a subscription to the Ring Protect Pro plan for $20 per month. And lastly, you need to pay the $99 monthly fee. That’s $120 per month total. It’s cheaper relative to companies like Deep Sentinel that offer similar features, but still expensive for a normal household.

Ring Cameras: Final Thoughts

What started as a simple company looking to disrupt the home security market with its Ring Video Doorbell has grown into a security camera powerhouse. Ring has become a customer favorite in the industry, and it’s not hard to see why. Our own extensive testing of Ring’s outdoor and indoor security cameras convinced us that these cameras are easily on par with similar offerings from companies like Arlo and Google Nest. They’re reliable, come with a useful range of features, and available at a reasonable price.

Ring Cameras Lineup

Ring Security Cam FAQs