Which Ring doorbell should I buy?

Ring doorbells vary dramatically in price and functionality, so picking the right model for your home setup requires research.  

Installation, charging, and subscription costs are all key considerations, and these should be weighed up not only amongst the Ring brand, but key rivals that can offer comparable features for less.

Read on for a guide to Amazon's popular Ring brand, and check our smart doorbell reviews to compare the competition.  

Which Ring doorbell is best?

All Ring doorbells have the same 1080p HD video quality, core features and the Ring app, so how much you spend depends on power and how you want the doorbell to look. 

Battery-powered Rings are easier to install and at the cheaper end of the range, but they’re also typically chunkier and you have to keep the battery charged. 

The hardwired models – Ring Pro and Ring Elite – remove the concern about charging and look sleeker when installed, but they cost more than £200 and £300, respectively.

With all Ring doorbells, you’ll need to sign up to a subscription to record videos and access them remotely. See more on that below. 

Our guide to 10 genuinely useful things you can do with a smart doorbell can help you get the most out of your purchase.

How much does a Ring subscription cost?

With any Ring doorbell, you can view the live video and respond to motion alerts as standard. So, if you’re happy to use the doorbell for just live monitoring, you won’t need to do anything more. 

You might find, though, that you also want to save video clips in case you need them later on, such as to prove a possible crime. 

For that you’ll need a Ring Protect subscription. With Protect Basic, you get 30 days of video storage for a single Ring device for £3.49 a month or £34.99 a year. From 11 March 2024, Ring Protect Basic will increase to £4.99 a month, or £49.99 a year.

Upgrade to Protect Plus if you have more than one Ring device, such as a doorbell and a wireless camera. This enables you to record 30 days of video clips for unlimited devices for £8 a month or £80 a year. Most Rings come with a 30-day free trial to Ring Protect to try the service out. 

Could your smart doorbell be breaking the law? Read more about the laws around privacy and recording footage with video doorbells at the home.

How to install a Ring doorbell    

The wired Ring doorbells – Ring Elite or Ring Pro – will most likely require a professional to install them. This is because they need existing doorbell wiring in place, and the AC voltage will need to be compatible with the camera. 

You can wire one yourself  but it’s not only complicated, but also dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Hiring a professional is likely to be the best option. Battery-powered doorbells are much easier to install, and worth trying if you’re sufficiently confident with DIY. 

Installation generally involves mounting a wall plate on or near your door, adding the camera and fixing it all with security screws. You can usually find ‘how to' videos to follow for each doorbell online. 

How to charge a Ring doorbell    

With wired Ring doorbells you won’t need to worry about keeping the battery charged as they draw power from the mains. With battery-powered models, however, you’ll need to factor in charging times. 

Ring doesn’t specifically state how long a fully charged battery will last, but the Ring app sends you a notification when the battery is low. 

Some battery-powered doorbells have removable batteries, and so you can have a fully charged spare battery ready to go if you need it. That way you won’t have a gap in coverage while the battery charges. 

With others, such as the Ring Doorbell (2nd gen), the built-in battery means you’ll need to remove the entire doorbell to charge it.  You can often connect battery doorbells to mains power so that the battery is ‘trickle charged’ to keep it topped up. We’d advise you to hire a professional to do this.  

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