Amazon Ring home security system: 4 reasons it may right for you
Maybe a friend's Ring Video Doorbell has impressed you, or maybe a theft in your neighborhood has spooked you. Whatever the reason, you're Ring curious. That is, you're considering the purchase of a home-security system or products from the Amazon brand known as Ring. You're not alone. It's a cost-effective and easy way to better monitor your home.
Top products in this article:
Ring Alarm Pro, 14-piece - built-in Eero Wi-Fi 6 router and optional 24/7 monitoring, $380
In 2020, a Strategy Analytics report found, Ring surged to become the world's dominant name in the home-security camera industry. Not bad for a company that (back when it was known as Doorbot) mostly met rejection on "Shark Tank." Today, Ring, which was purchased by Amazon in 2018, sells everything from elaborate home-security systems, to its classic video doorbell bundled with motion-activated lights or Amazon devices such as the Echo Dot or Echo Show.
Below are four reasons why Ring may be the right home-security choice for you. Each reason is based on a five-star, verified Amazon customer review of a Ring product. You'll also find info on the Ring systems and bundles that drew the raves.
1. You want a lot of value – not a lot of fuss.
If you're shopping for home-security systems, you may notice prices (or even quotes) are hard to come by until you submit your contact info, or reach out to the company by phone. The price tags on Ring equipment, by contrast, are right there for you to see on Amazon's Ring store or Ring.com.
One Amazon customer, who claims in a review to have previously paid "ungodly sums of money" to a traditional security company, says a system like the 14-piece Ring Alarm Pro is a relative bargain, too.
"This Ring Alarm has the upfront cost of several hundred dollars…BUT," the customer wrote in a five-star review of the Ring Alarm Pro, "[n]ow we have a great system at a fraction of the cost that is much more modern, controls well from our phones, and is easily scalable if we want to add more components, sensors, etc."
Currently priced at $380 on Amazon, the 14-piece Ring Alarm Pro system gets you a built-in Wi-Fi 6 router by Eero, and comes with a base station, two keypads, eight contact sensors for your windows and doors, two motion-detector devices and a Ring Alarm. A sold-separately subscription to Ring Protect Pro (for as little as $20 per month) expands the security coverage by delivering around-the-clock monitoring. (You'll even get one of those security yard signs out of the Ring Protect Pro deal.)
Ring Alarm Pro, 14-piece built-in Eero Wi-Fi 6 router and optional 24/7 monitoring, $380
2. You like DIY projects – just not difficult DIY projects.
One reason a Ring system can be more affordable (read: cheaper) than a traditional home-security system is because the traditional home-security system's price tag includes installation. Or, to put it another way: If you go with Ring, you're doing the installation.
If the do-it-yourself route doesn't scare you, then Amazon's Ring store is definitely worth your visit. But if DIY installation gives you pause, then maybe you'll be interested to know that reviewers of Ring devices on Amazon frequently note that the set-up process is totally doable.
"I wanted something simple for my grandparent's home, which would allow me to be able to check the area while away. I found these and thought they would be a quick and easy answer to my problem," begins a five-star review from a verified customer of the Ring Spotlight Cam twin-pack.
The user goes on to write that "installation is fairly simple, and it comes with all the required hardware."
Ring Spotlight Cams, which make a nice addition to the Ring Alarm Pro system, shoot HD-quality video. Each features a built-in alarm and LED lights. Being an Amazon brand, the cameras work with Alexa and compatible Echo devices (and, of course, your Ring Video Doorbell). All this connectedness allows you to get motion-activated alerts on your device of choice. You can even remotely communicate with visitors at your door. Amazon is offering the Ring Spotlight Cam twin-pack for 12% off the bundle's usual $400 price, down to $350.
Purchase the sold-separately Ring Protect plan to share your camera footage, and save videos for up to 60 days. Subscription packages start at $3 a month; the so-called Plus and Pro packages come with the promise of 10% discounts on select Ring items at Amazon and Ring.com.
A wired version of the Ring Spotlight Cam is going for $200 on Amazon. (Note: That deal is not a twin-pack; it's for a single camera.)
3. One size fits all doesn't work for everyone – including you.
With Ring, you can go big or start small -- the size and scope of your security system is totally up to your needs and budget. Each piece in the 14-piece Ring Alarm Pro system, for instance, can be purchased individually. You can even purchase a Ring security yard sign by itself (no subscription required).
If starting small is your style, then consider starting with the Ring Video Doorbell. The 2020 model of the battery-powered, HD-capturing device is available on Amazon for just $100. The latest model, the Ring Video Doorbell 4, which offers video previews of all recorded motion events, goes for $200.
For $185, you can bundle the 2020 Ring Video Doorbell with an Amazon Echo Show 5, and improve your video surveillance. You can even add pieces to that package if you want.
"You can add on motion sensors, video cameras, motion detectors, door and window sensors and more," reads one five-star review by a verified customer of the Ring Video Doorbell. "There's no reason why you can't cover every inch of your home with the endless possibilities from Ring."
Ring Video Doorbell (2020 release), $100
Ring Video Doorbell bundle with Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen), $185
Ring Video Doorbell 4 (2021 release), $200
4. You want peace of mind.
The point of any home-security system is to make you feel secure. And if the desire to feel secure is what's brought you here, then be assured: Ring fans say the company's home-security equipment delivers.
"The video quality is really good and the night vision works great too," a verified buyer of the Ring Video Doorbell 4 with Ring Floodlight Cam bundle wrote in a five-star Amazon review literally headlined "Peace of mind." "As you can see from my video I finally caught what was rummaging through my trash barrels at night."
(Spoiler alert for those who didn't click to read the review -- or review the video: A critter was the culprit.)
"So far we haven't caught any bad guys, but I know that I could," goes another five-star review of the doorbell-and-cam package. "The picture quality on this is excellent, and the lights flick on as soon as anything enters the periphery of its range."
The video camera is wired, features Alexa functionality, shoots HD-quality video and allows for two-way talk. The set can be operated under the Ring Protect plan (sold separately).
Amazon currently has the Ring Video Doorbell 4 with Ring Floodlight Cam set going for $340. That's 10% off its usual $380 price tag.
Ring Video Doorbell 4 (2021 release), white, $340
