No one could blame you for hating smart home tech, and it doesn’t make you a Luddite. Despite how mature that market is, it’s still a jumbled mess of often confusing devices and incompatible platforms. But even if you’re not tech-savvy and you avoid smart home gadgets like the plague, you should still get yourself a Ring Video Doorbell.
Ring makes all sorts of devices, but there’s only one that smart home haters should concern themselves with. A Ring Video Doorbell Wireless is an awesome entry point into the smart home market for a few good reasons. It’s easy to install, easy to use, and has awesome convenience features. Plus, it gives you the safety of knowing who is at your door before you even approach it. Now, you also have another reason to get one: The Ring Video Doorbell is currently on sale for just $59.99.
Ring is largely responsible for making video doorbells as popular as they have become. However, the company has tons of competition now, and many of its rivals offer impressive products that are great alternatives to Ring devices.
One example is the Blink Video Doorbell, which is a popular cheap option among BGR readers. Another is the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell, which has a deep discount at the moment.
Those are both great options, but they fall short of the Ring Video Doorbell in a few key areas. The biggest, perhaps, is deep integration with Amazon’s wildly popular Alexa assistant. That’s one of the main things I appreciate most about my own Ring Video Doorbell. I can instantly see who’s at my door on any Alexa device, like an Echo Show or a Fire TV.
At $99.99, the entry-level Ring Video Doorbell is the cheapest wireless model that Ring makes. The only less expensive option is the Ring Video Doorbell Wired, but it needs to be installed in place of an existing doorbell because it draws power from your old doorbell wiring.
The regular Ring Video Doorbell is wireless, so it’s powered with a battery instead of your doorbell wiring. That means you can install it anywhere in just a few minutes. It seriously couldn’t be easier.
If you already have a doorbell and you want to use the same wiring, you can since this model has optional wires that you can connect. That way, you’ll never have to worry about charging the batteries. Or, if you don’t want to bother with all that, you can take advantage of the fully wireless option and install it anywhere. The included rechargeable battery lasts for between 6 and 12 months, depending on your usage. I installed this exact model at my parents’ house, and they get close to 12 months between charges.
Amazon has been running a bunch of Ring Video Doorbell deals lately, but the retailer haven’t included this entry-level model. That finally changes today, as the Ring Video Doorbell drops to $59.99. That’s the lowest price yet for this model aside from a recent Prime Day sale that was only available to Prime subscribers.
Or, you can get it bundled with a Ring Chime for $69.99. The bundle typically costs $135, so you save even more than you would have if you had just bought the doorbell on its own.
Without the Chime, you won’t be able to hear your doorbell ring like a conventional doorbell. Instead, you’ll only get Ring notifications on your phone and other connected devices. Personally, however, I prefer it that way.
I have a plug-in chime with my video doorbell, and I always leave it unplugged for two reasons. First, my outside cameras start sending me notifications long before any visitors actually make it to my front door to ring the bell. And second, I don’t have to deal with my crazy barking dog every time someone rings the bell.