smart-home Ring

Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro (2nd Gen)

The best video quality you can get on a battery doorbell, and the right choice inside the Ring and Alexa ecosystem. Understand that the subscription is not optional if you want recordings, and that it is a permanent cost for as long as you own it.

7.6 / 10

Our editorial rating, not aggregated user reviews

The hardware is excellent. Reviewers rate the 4K image among the best on any doorbell, and the radar-based 3D motion detection cuts false alerts in a way ordinary sensors do not. It sits in the sevens because of one hard limitation that rules it out for a large group of buyers: without a paid Ring plan you cannot save a single second of video. A doorbell that records nothing is not a security device, and plenty of people will not accept a subscription on principle. Battery life is the other practical catch. Reviewers report it falling from a couple of months to about a fortnight on a busy street, or with sensitivity turned up.

Pros

  • 4K video that reviewers rate as genuinely excellent, including in low light
  • Radar-based 3D Motion Detection gives more precise alerts and fewer false positives
  • Bird's Eye View and pre-roll footage are useful on a busy driveway
  • Person, package and familiar-face detection
  • Quick-release battery pack, and dual-band Wi-Fi

Cons

  • No recordings at all without a Ring subscription. This is the deciding factor against it
  • No onboard siren
  • Battery can fall from a couple of months to about two weeks on a busy road, or with high sensitivity
  • Video quality degrades noticeably if your upload speed is weak

Specifications

Video
4K (2880×2880)
Field of view
140°×140° head-to-toe
Motion detection
Radar-based 3D
Power
Quick Release battery pack
Connectivity
Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 / 5 GHz)
Recording
Subscription required