Ring Video Doorbell 2 and Ring Floodlight Cam review – security and convenience

The Ring doorbell has made it possible to answer your front door from anywhere and now, it is even better, with the release of Ring Video Doorbell 2 and the Ring Floodlight Camera.

Ring offers convenience and security so you can literally keep an eye on whoever is at your door and on your property.

The original Ring was excellent but the Ring Doorbell 2 is a huge improvement.

It has a slightly different look as well as improved features and higher quality video.

YOU CAN WIN THE RING VIDEO DOORBELL 2 ON THE TECH GUIDE FACEBOOK PAGE

Users can hardwire the Ring 2 to power but, if that’s not possible you keep it powered up with a rechargeable battery.

We didn’t have power to our door so we opted for the rechargeable battery and the good news is Ring 2 is easier to charge.

With the original you had to unscrew the whole doorbell off the door to charge the built-in battery.

But with Ring 2, the battery can be removed (you now only need to remove one screw instead of two) so it can be charged on its own.

The device connects to your wireless network so you can not only hear the doorbell (with the addition of Ring chimes inside your home) but you also get a notification on your smartphone no matter where you are.

This means you can see who’s at your door and talk to them from anywhere.

We’ve answered our front door from the other side of the world. It has a 160-degree field of view so you’re not going to miss anything.

Now you can accept a package and speak to visitors at your doorstep. And as far as they’re concerned, you’re home but not coming to the door. We never told anyone we weren’t home.

Opportunistic burglars will ring your doorbell to see of anyone is home. If they hear your voice coming from the doorbell like an intercom they’re not going to hang around.

And if it’s a parcel you’re waiting for, just tell them to leave it on the doorstep.

The microphone is surprisingly clear thanks to the two-way audio noise cancellation.

Video quality is now full high definition 1080p so you can see even more clearly and make out more detail like people’s faces and number plates.

You can also set the Ring 2 doorbell to send you notifications when it detects movement even if the doorbell isn’t used.

Motion zones can also be easily adjusted so doesn’t pick up movement from your neighbour’s house or a car driving by in front of your house.

Another new feature is the ability to take a live look through the Ring 2 high definition camera and listen through the built-in microphone.

It can also see and hear very well at night thanks to its night vision capabilities.

The beauty of the Ring system is that you can add accessories like the Chime Pro which is both a chime and range extender for your wireless network.

Another product we added to our system is the Ring Floodlight Cam – a motion activated high definition degree security camera with 270-degree fields of view plus two built-in floodlights, two-way audio and a 110-decibel alarm.

We could now extend our Ring range of security even further from our front door.

You need an electrician to install the Ring Floodlight Security Camera. It can replace existing flood lights and connects to standard junction boxes.

Once it’s installed it takes just seconds to include the device on the excellent Ring app that’s free for iOS, Android smartphones and Mac and Windows 10 computers.

Now you can position a camera at your backdoor, at the front or side of your home.

And like the Ring doorbell, you can receive motion alerts and view live HD video through the camera.

The camera is also smart enough to recognise faces and distinguish between pets and humans.

It also has smart zoom and panning and it’s also possible to turn on the motion-activated light remotely and trigger the alarm to scare of any intruders.

Users can also set a schedule for the lights to turn on at dusk and turn off again at sunrise.

If you want to access all your videos for up to 60 days you can subscribe for $40 a year or $150 a year for unlimited cameras.

The Ring Doorbell 2 is priced at $329 and the Ring Floodlight Cam is $379 so it’s a bit of an investment to get set up.

But what price is your home security and safety? We believe this is a sound investment.

VERDICT

The Ring Doorbell 2 and Ring Floodlight Cam provide peace of mind and convenience and can instantly upgrade the security of your home. The system is easy to set up and easy to use and when you’ve got it – you’ll wonder how you lived without it.