Ring Video Doorbell Pro Review and Pricing
This is the only video doorbell from Ring with person detection available, leading to smarter notifications.
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Last Updated on Jul 07, 2023
What We Like
- Wide field-of-view: With a 160-degree field-of-view, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro has almost zero blind spots on either side of the lens.
- Relatively easy set up for a wired doorbell: Ring has spent years making its video doorbells more accessible, including making them easier to install. The Ring Video Doorbell Pro, although a wired doorbell, only took us about five minutes to install.
- Dual-band: Video doorbells take up a lot of bandwidth when streaming and recording, but the Video Doorbell Pro is dual-band, meaning it can connect to 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Since 5GHz is typically less crowded, not to mention faster, the Video Doorbell Pro won’t put a burden on your Wi-Fi network.
What We Don't Like
- Lack of artificial intelligence: The Ring Video Doorbell Pro can’t tell people and other moving objects apart, which would have been a great feature for a video doorbell.
- Boxy design: Although slimmer than the Ring Video Doorbell models, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro still sports a boxy design that is not as aesthetically pleasing as other doorbell brands.
- No local storage: Ring video doorbells don’t have local storage, so they won’t record unless you sign up for a Ring Protect subscription. The most basic subscription costs $3 per month.
Bottom Line
The Ring Protect Pro is one of the better video doorbells from Ring. It’s wired, so you won’t have to recharge or replace its batteries, and it also works with smart locks and voice assistants, particularly Alexa. To unlock its full potential, though, you’ll need a Ring Protect subscription, which starts at $3 per month.Amazon always seems to have a finger in every pot, so when I heard their company Ring made another video doorbell, I wasn’t terribly surprised. After reviewing the Ring Video Doorbell 2 along with tons of other Ring Alarm products, I’m curious to see how the Ring Video Doorbell Pro stacks up.
Key Features
| Video quality | 1080p HD |
|---|---|
| Two-way audio | Yes |
| Night vision | Infared |
| Video storage | Cloud |
| Person detection | No |
Of course, I’ll be looking closely at its design, features, installation process, and app before helping you decide if it’s the video doorbell for you. Some other things I’ll address? Video, audio, night vision, storage, smart platform integrations, artificial intelligence— if it’s about or related to cameras, you know I’m going into detail. There’s no time like the present, so let’s get started with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro review now!
Pros and Cons of the Ring Video Doorbell Pro
To make sure we’re on the same page, I want to sum up the key pros and cons of the Ring Video Doorbell Pro.
I love that the Ring Video Doorbell Pro has 1080p HD video display, infrared night vision, and integration with Amazon Alexa.
On a less positive note, the doorbell lacks person detection, a Google Assistant integration, and free cloud and local storage, although it’s available for an affordable price.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro Design
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro has a sleek look, much like its predecessor the Ring Video Doorbell 2. It comes in Satin Nickel, Pearl, Venetian, or Black. But this thing isn’t just pretty. It’s also weather-resistant and can work in temperatures from negative five to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s a range that should work for 99% of homeowners, at least in the continental U.S.
As far as installation goes, you’ll hardwire the Ring Video Doorbell Pro into your home. This will make your installation take a bit longer than if it was battery-operated, but then again, you’ll never have to worry about your batteries running out of charge.
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro will record either when the doorbell is press or when it detects motion. Using Wi-Fi, the doorbell will communicate with your app and will tell you when you have a visitor as soon as it happens.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro Features
Is the Ring Video Doorbell Pro as good on the inside as it is on the outside? To find out, I’m using our Necessary Features Test, a deep dive into the technical specifications as well as my own tests. Let’s see if it’s up to the highest of standards.
Video
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro has 1080p HD video, the industry standard, plus a wide field of view of 160 degrees. The camera also lets you zoom in digitally so you can see your visitors close up and personal.
Audio
Where would a video doorbell be without a speaker and microphone? Somewhat obviously, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro has two-way audio so you can greet your visitor…or not.
Night Vision
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro also comes with infrared night vision, which I much prefer over a bright white light. Although the latter will produce color night vision, it makes it pretty obvious you’ve got a camera recording, which is something I like to keep to myself.
Storage
Ring Protect Plans
| Feature | Free | Protect Basic Plan | Protect Plus Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | No | One Ring Doorbell or Security Camera | All Ring Devices at One Address |
| Ring and Motion Alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Motion Detection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interact with Visitors Remotely | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Livestream | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year | Extended Warranty |
| Length of Cloud Storage (in days) | N/A | 60 | 60 |
| Review, Share, and Save Ring Videos | No | Yes | Yes |
| Professional Monitoring for Ring Alarm | No | No | Yes |
| Exclusive Discounts at Ring.com | No | No | 10% Off Ring Products |
| Contract Terms | No | None, Cancel Anytime | None, Cancel Anytime |
| Monthly Price | $0 | $3 | $10 |
| Annual Price | $0 | $30 | $100 |
| Annual Savings | $0 | $6 | $20 |
Maybe you had a break-in, or maybe you just want to watch footage from your Ring Video Doorbell Pro at a later date. Whatever the reason, it’s important that you have both cloud and local storage to back up your footage. Ring offers both, but for a small monthly or yearly free. While I wish cloud and local storage were free, I can’t scoff much at three dollars a month with no long-term contract. To put things in perspective, Nest charges ten times that amount for half the cloud storage and no local storage. So even though I wish all storage was free, Ring has incredibly reasonable prices.
If you choose the top-tier Protect Plus plan, you’ll get even more advantages like 24/7 professional monitoring, an extended warranty, and a discount on products from the Ring website. I recommend doing 24/7 professional monitoring if you have the Ring Alarm security kit, but it probably isn’t necessary if you’re just dealing with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro.
Smart Platform Integration
Amazon owns Ring, like I said before, so it’s no surprise that the doorbell in question integrates with Amazon Alexa. Unfortunately, if you’re in the Google smart home ecosystem, you won’t be able to control the Ring Video Doorbell Pro with Google Assistant.
Artificial Intelligence
Believe it or not, artificial intelligence is a Necessary Feature for our camera reviews. When it comes to home security, artificial intelligence typically refers to either person detection or facial recognition.
Sure, your camera can notify you every time it senses movement, but many of these notifications are going to be unnecessary, triggered by animals, cars, and other moving objects. Person detection and facial recognition create stronger and more specific notifications, not just that your camera detected motion but that there’s an unfamiliar face at your front door.
Unfortunately, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro doesn’t come with any A.I capabilities, so you will definitely be receiving some of those unnecessary notifications. A small save is that you can set up activity zones in which you tell your camera what to focus on and what to ignore. For a video doorbell most likely facing the outdoors, I would tell my Ring Video Doorbell Pro to only watch my property and ignore the street. Sure, it’s not as good as person detection, but it creates notifications that matter more.
Installing the Ring Video Doorbell Pro
Installing the Ring Video Doorbell Pro is something you can do yourself. It requires a 16-24 VAC transformer, but if you don’t already have an existing doorbell setup, you can use a power adapter. Now, I installed the Ring Video Doorbell Pro in two places— at a home in Austin in an existing doorbell setup, and at my apartment in Brooklyn without.
Let’s start with Austin. The entire process took less than an hour. First, I removed the existing doorbell and chime and replaced it with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro. Using the Ring Video Doorbell Pro requires a strong Wi-Fi connection, so I had to use the Ring Wi-Fi range extender, as the router was at the other side of the house.
In Brooklyn, the process was even easier. I took my power adapter, which cost $29 from Ring, thread my wires to the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, and plugged in the Chime Pro, which functions both as a range extender and as an actual chime so you can hear when someone is at the door. As I didn’t have to deal with any existing infrastructure, the process took about five minutes. Overall, you shouldn’t have any trouble installing your Ring Video Doorbell Pro.
The Ring— Always Home App
The Ring— Always Home app is how you’ll livestream footage from your Ring Video Doorbell Pro and see and speak to your visitors from anywhere. It’s also where you’ll create those motion zones, set up your Alexa integration, download or view footage, and even receive crime and safety alerts from your neighborhood.
The app has decent ratings, a 3.3 from both the Apple and the Google Play store. While I wish the ratings were a bit higher, they’re definitely not a deal-breaker in my opinion.
Find out if Ring can protect your home like other security systems
Ring is a great choice, but there may be better options out there. See how Ring compares to our favorite security systems.
Recap of the Ring Video Doorbell Pro
At $249, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro is actually the most expensive video doorbell I’ve ever reviewed, and that comes as a huge shock. Amazon is known for cutting prices across the board, so I’m a bit surprised that the Ring Video Doorbell Pro is about $50 more than the average. Of course, this isn’t a huge deal, and overall I’m really happy with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro. But, it’s not for everybody, so let me break it down for you.
I’d go with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro if you’re looking for…
- Durability: With a temperature range of negative five to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and a weather-resistant design, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro can withstand rain, snow, or shine
- Excellent video quality: With 1080p HD display, an 160 field of view plus digital zoom, there’s nothing the Ring Video Doorbell Pro misses when it comes to video
- Two-way audio: Of course, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro has two-way audio allowing you to speak to your visitors
- Infrared night vision: Whether it’s day or night, you’ll be able to see your visitors clearly with infrared night vision
- Amazon Alexa integration: Alexa, who’s at the door? Greeting your visitors remotely has never been easier than with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro
But the Ring Video Doorbell Pro isn’t the best option if you’d like…
- Free cloud and local storage: You’ll have to pay a minimum of three dollars a month or $30 a year for cloud and local storage
- Person detection or facial recognition: Unfortunately, you’ll probably get some unnecessary notifications with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro
- Google Assistant integration: Those in the Google ecosystem will not be able to use their voice assistant for this video doorbell
- Affordability: There are definitely cheaper options with similar features as the Ring Video Doorbell Pro
- Highly-rated app: While 3.3 is a decent rating, some people might want an app over four stars from the Google Play or Apple stores.
To learn more, read our review of the best video doorbells of 2023.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro FAQs
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What is the difference between the Ring Video Doorbell 2 and the Ring Video Doorbell Pro?
The Ring Video Doorbell 2 can be battery-operated or hardwired, while the Pro is only hardwired. Additionally, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro has activity zones, which the 2 lacks. Finally, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro costs $80 more than the Ring Video Doorbell 2.
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How much is the Ring Video Doorbell Pro?
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro costs $249.
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Does Ring work without a subscription?
Ring does work without a subscription. You’ll still be able to livestream footage, receive notifications and control your devices on the Ring— Always Home app without paying a monthly fee.