Chances are you have visited someone and heard a distinct chime when someone (even you!) rings the doorbell. They might talk to you through it saying they’ll be down in a minute, or maybe call up an app to see whose at the door. Pretty cool, right? You can join the video doorbell trend like I did with one of the best there is, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus. It’s down from its regular price of $149.99 to only $99.99 for Amazon Prime Day. That’s a saving of 33 percent, or one-third, slashed off the price.
Recommended if: You don’t mind paying a subscription to get the most out of it and you want easy installation for a home or a rented apartment or condo.
Skip this deal if: You want something without a subscription and/or you want a professional hardwired solution.
What do you get with the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus? It offers Head-to-Toe HD+ video so you can see everyone from the Uber Eats driver to your child’s short friend, even the package on the ground the delivery driver dropped. There’s motion detection, privacy zones, and Color Night Vision.
The best part? It’s powered by a quick release battery pack, so you don’t need to fidget with doorbell wiring. Mount it using the included tools, connect it to your home’s Wi-Fi network, download the Ring app, and you’re good to go.
With select Alexa-enabled devices, you can view a live feed (think an Echo Show or Fire TV), save pre-recorded announcements, and enjoy two-way talk. Let the delivery driver know to leave the package at the door or tell a solicitor you’re not interested. The only thing it’s missing is Pre-Roll video, which other models offer to capture a few seconds before the doorbell is pressed to provide additional context.
With a Ring Protect subscription (starts at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year), you can go back in time and view events (videos up to 180 days and photos for seven days) and share videos, as well as receive package alerts. I have used a Ring video doorbell both with a subscription and without and you’ll miss it when it’s gone. Knowing there’s motion is great if you happen to tap into the app at that very moment. But without a subscription, it’s virtually useless beyond a live view.
With a Ring Protection subscription, you can see details of events, scrubbing back and forth before and after motion alerts were triggered. The clear view from the camera means you can even see facial features. We recently upgraded to a model with color night vision and the difference is literally night and day. I can look at the app at midnight and it seems like it’s 8 a.m.
As we mentioned in our round-up of the best smart doorbells that support Alexa, in which we named this model the best overall, the 1,536p HD resolution combined with the head-to-toe video and night vision, long-lasting battery, make it one of the best video doorbells you can buy. I have been using Ring doorbells for years and checking the alerts and live view is one of the first things I do every morning. Take advantage of this Amazon Prime Day deal and join the Ring club with the rest of your neighbors, family members, and friends.
