With a smart video doorbell you can see – wherever you are – who is at your door. Most calls cost at least a hundred euros. However, market leader Ring sells a model for only 59 euros. In this Ring Video Doorbell Wired review you can read whether it is a good buy or whether it is better to save.
Ring Video Doorbell Wired
Price € 59,-
wireless 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz)
Video 1080p with a viewing angle of 155 degrees horizontally and 90 degrees vertically
Flow Bell wiring (8-24 Volt) or Ring plug (24 Volt, 25 euros)
Functions Two-way audio, security camera mode
Storage options Optional Ring Protect cloud subscription (3 euros per month)
Website www.ring.com
8 Score 80 
- Pros
- Price quality
- Installation and ease of use
- Negatives
- Ring subscription required for all features
- Accessories are pricey
- Less realistic image
Ring – an Amazon business – is the largest retailer of smart video doorbells. The latest model, the Video Doorbell Wired, is also the cheapest model. With a suggested retail price of 59 euros and a regular offer price of 39 euros, it is almost an impulse purchase. But does the dirt-cheap smart bell also work properly? And is it a smarter choice than a more expensive model like the $279 Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2? You can read it in this Ring Video Doorbell Wired review.
Quick installation, but without accessories
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired comes in a striking little box. After opening it I noticed that some screws, plugs and a screwdriver are not supplied with accessories. This is in contrast to more expensive Ring bells.
Because you can connect this bell to your existing bell wiring (8-24 Volt), leaving out wiring is understandable. If you – like me – do not have the correct bell wiring, you can buy a six meter long Ring power cable for 25 euros. You simply plug this (inside) into the socket and the end with the two connectors you lead out through a hole in your frame or wall. Then connect the connectors to the bell and wait for the light around the push button to light up.
The Ring bell has holes at the top and bottom through which you put the screws, after which you mount the bell. This is simple. It is striking that the bell comes without a wedge to adjust the viewing angle. The bell hangs and looks straight ahead. That’s not always convenient. My garden path, for example, runs diagonally. The wedge I need to mount the bell more obliquely costs twenty euros. A tilt mounting kit (to point the bell more downwards) too. I think the prices are high for a simple piece of plastic, especially in relation to the purchase price of the bell itself.
Please also note that the Ring Video Doorbell Wired will not work with your existing chime. So it doesn’t make any noise anymore. Ring itself sells a gong that you plug into the socket. At 35 euros, it is also firmly priced, if you ask me. Incidentally, more expensive Ring video doorbells also come without a gong. Do you have an Amazon Echo (Dot) speaker? You can easily connect this to Ring, after which the speaker also functions as a gong. This works great.
The bell itself works properly. The visitor presses the clear button, after which the ring around the button turns blue and a clear sound is heard from the bell. The bell is weatherproof and does not need to be charged because it receives permanent power.
You will receive a notification when someone rings the doorbell and you can then ‘record’ to watch live and possibly start a conversation. In the Ring app, you can also set the bell to send notifications when it detects motion. I turned this off after a few days as I don’t need it. The function works better during the day than in the dark. The previously tested Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is better suited as a security camera, but also hundreds of euros more expensive.
Picture and audio quality
You cannot expect fantastic video recordings from a 59 euro smart doorbell. And neither does the Ring Video Doorbell Wired. Despite the bell having a 1080p (Full-HD) camera, the image looks a bit washed out. Less sharp than I expected. The image also looks duller than reality and a sun breaking through the clouds causes – as you can see below – problems for the camera.
The difference in quality with more expensive video doorbells is very noticeable. Especially because I regularly test such bubbles. Still, the less good picture of the Video Doorbell Wired hardly bothers me. I mainly want to know who is ringing the bell and I see that clearly with this bell. The lesser recording quality is therefore primarily a point of attention if you also want to use your video doorbell as a security camera.
The audio quality of the Ring Video Doorbell Wired is fine. The bell contains a microphone and loudspeaker. In the app you therefore hear what the person in front of the door is saying. And if you talk in the app with the recording mode turned on, your voice will sound from the bell. You determine the volume yourself. The speaker can be quite loud, although the sound does sound tinny. Of course you can’t expect too much from a small and cheap bell.
Ring Protect subscription for all features
A major focus of Ring video doorbells – including this model – is that you have to pay to use all the features. Ring uses a subscription model. This subscription is called Ring Protect and starts at three euros per month. That doesn’t sound like much, but it does mean an extra cost item of almost forty euros on an annual basis. Some competing doorbells, including those from Netatmo and Eufy, work without a subscription and so come at no extra cost.
With Ring Protect you can, among other things, view video recordings of the doorbell for up to thirty days. If that is important to you, the subscription is therefore crucial. If you – like me – value it less, you can use the Ring Video Doorbell Wired without a subscription. The free trial month on Ring Protect ends with no commitment and you can sign up or reapply at any time.
Conclusion: Buy Ring Video Doorbell Wired?
The Ring Video Doorbell Wired is a particularly inexpensive smart video doorbell from an A-brand. The price-quality ratio cannot be compromised: for a few bucks you get a bell that is easy to use, provides excellent image and audio and offers many smart functions. The competitive price is reflected in the less good camera, less accurate motion detection and the lack of accessories such as a wedge. Ring charges too high for this in my opinion. Also keep in mind that you need a Ring Protect subscription of three euros per month to use all the functions of the bell.
If these points are not a problem and you don’t necessarily need a wireless bell, the Ring Video Doorbell Wired is an excellent model for an inexpensive introduction to the concept of the smart doorbell.
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