Ring Video Doorbell Wired review

Having invented the video doorbell market, Ring now has an astounding seven models to choose from. The Ring Video Doorbell Wired, reviewed here, is the company’s entry-level product and is a strong offering at $60. It’s a budget camera to be sure, but it delivers all the essentials you need to keep an eye on your front porch.

At this price, Ring is surely eyeing Wyze Labs, which introduced its own budget video doorbell priced at $30. But when we checked Wyze’s website just before we set this review to publish, we discovered that product was out of stock, and its price tag had risen from $30 to $45. We won’t get into a point-by-point comparison of the two devices here, but you might want to at least look at the Wyze product before pulling the trigger on this one. When you do that, you should also take into account each company’s broader ecosystem: Which one has all the smart home products and third-party devices you might want to have work together?

As you can imagine, the Ring Video Doorbell Wired is the polar opposite of the $250 Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 we recently reviewed. You won’t get radar-assisted 3D motion detection, a birds-eye view, or automated greetings, but you’re not paying for those high-tech features, either. As for network connectivity, this is a single-band device that will connect only to 2.4GHz networks. Any accessories you decide you need—such as an angled wedge or corner kit to adjust the camera’s field of view—must be purchased separately.

The feature you’re likely to miss the most, however, is a means of tapping into your existing doorbell chime. You’ll install a jumper cable that bypasses its chime function, and then connect the new doorbell to the two wires in the wall that were connected to your original doorbell. This makes for a simpler installation, but you won’t have a chime. Don’t have an existing doorbell? Then you’ll want to buy a battery-powered doorbell—whether that be one of Ring’s or someone else’s.

Once installed, the only notifications you’ll get are when motion is detected or someone rings the doorbell. You’ll get push notifications to your phone in either event. If you want hear a ding-dong—or some other audible notification that’s not tied to your phone—you’ll need an Amazon Echo smart speaker or Echo Show smart display, or a $30 Ring Chime. You can also purchase this doorbell bundled with a Ring Chime for $80.

You’ll be able to have a two-way conversation with a visitor using your phone or an Echo; the primary benefit an Echo Show delivers is that you’ll be able to see the person standing in front of the doorbell (they obviously won’t be able to see you).