Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Review
This battery-powered camera from Ring is intended for outdoor use, with 1080p HD video and infrared night vision.
&
Last Updated on Jan 20, 2023
What We Like
- Affordable price: $100 is extremely low for outdoor cameras, which can go all the way up to $400 in some cases.
- Alexa and Google Assistant integrations: Amazon owns Ring, which is why it’s no surprise that the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery works with Alexa for voice commands, but fortunately, it also works with Google Assistant.
- Two-way audio: The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery even offers noise cancellation to get rid of extraneous background noises, providing you with a more clear sound overall.
What We Don't Like
- Poorly-rated Android app: After a recent update, the Android app has made it harder to use the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery.
- Narrow field of view: The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery only has a horizontal field of view of 110 degrees, which is a bit narrow for my liking.
- No person detection: Unfortunately, you’re probably going to receive some unnecessary notifications stemming from any type of movement, no matter the source.
Bottom Line
No matter what kind of climate you live in, the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery can weather the storm, no pun intended. It works from temperatures of -5 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a great choice for those in both cold and warm climates.It’s one of Ring’s most popular security cameras, but is it a good buy? We’re talking about the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery, a camera that was first released in 2019 and still remains one of Ring’s best-sellers. At $99.99, it’s an affordable outdoor security option, but in this review, we’re going to discuss its real worth.
Specifically, we’ll talk about its features and tech, as well as how it fits in with the Ring Alarm system we reviewed and other Ring security cameras. Let’s get started!
Features
| Battery life | 6-12 months |
|---|---|
| Charge time | 5-10 hours |
| Waterproofing | IP X5 |
| Video resolution | 1080p HD |
| Viewing angle | 130 degrees |
Ring Stick Up Cam’s Place In The Security Camera Market
While it’s a reliable way to protect your home, the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery isn’t a unicorn in the security camera market. That is, it’s not the only affordable battery-powered outdoor camera. In fact, we see a lot of that these days from brands like Arlo, Blink, and Lorex. Read our Ring vs Arlo, Ring vs Blink, and Ring vs Lorex comparison pages. And be sure to check out the camera options below.
First Impressions
Ring tends to stick to the same general design for most of its cameras, and the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is no exception. Its camera is a black rectangle embedded in a white cylinder, connected to a mount that you can either place on a flat surface or attach to the wall. Now, the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is obviously battery-operated, hence the name. But the good news is that you won’t ever have to go to the store and buy a new battery, as it’s rechargeable. The battery should last six to twelve months and should take five to ten hours to recharge, depending of course on usage.
Or, if you want to be as environmentally friendly as possible, you can use solar power with your Ring Stick Up Cam Battery. This is especially useful if you’re using the camera outside, as it is an indoor/ outdoor camera that works in temperatures from negative five to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. With an IP rating of X5, it can handle low power water jets, making the camera weather-resistant.
| IP Ratings | Solids | Liquids |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not Protected | None |
| 1 | A large body surface like the back of a hand, but no intentional contact with a body part | Dripping water falling vertically |
| 2 | Fingers or similar objects | Dripping water falling from 15 degree tilt |
| 3 | Tools, thick wires, etc. | Spraying water |
| 4 | Most wires, screws, etc. | Splashing water |
| 5 | Dust protected | Water jets 6.3mm & below |
| 6 | Dust tight | Powerful water jets 12.5mm & below |
| 7 | N/A | Immersion up to 1m |
| 8 | N/A | Immersion over 1m |
The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is white, although a black version is coming soon according to Amazon. It has LED sensors for infrared night vision, a speaker and microphone for two-way audio, and being completely wireless, installation should be pretty simple.
Necessary Features
Design aside, I want to review the camera itself and make sure it’s up to my very high standards. Of course, Ring gives you a bunch of technical specifications when you initially buy the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery, but I want to see for myself how it works. Let’s take a closer look.
Video
Although I’m happy with the clarity of the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery’s video, shot in 1080p HD, and the field of view at 130 degrees. However, I will say that my face was quite shadowed in the video.
When I extended the view to the outside, it wasn’t super clear as I’m not the third floor, but I could clearly see what was taking place. Full marks!
Night Vision
The camera also has infrared night vision to give you a beautiful image even in the middle of the night. That’s obviously key for a security camera, as many robberies happen at night. And unlike color night vision from a spotlight, like with the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery, the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery’s LED sensors are very subtle, so only you will know about the camera’s presence. Full marks for night vision!
Audio Quality
Not only does the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery have two-way audio, allowing you to speak to people through your camera from anywhere in the world, but it also has noise cancellation to cut out extraneous background noises. This creates a beautiful sound so I can clearly talk through my security camera. Full marks for audio!
Storage
| 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 | No | 60 days | 60 days |
| 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 |
When it comes to cloud storage, you’re going to need to invest in a Ring Protect plan. While I wish cloud storage was free, I am pleased that 60 days of cloud storage costs as little as three dollars a month or $30 a year. With the Ring Protect plan, you’ll also be able to download your footage locally to your device, which I recommend doing in case your cloud storage fails. Despite the lack of free storage, I’m glad that the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery gives you options for both cloud and local storage— full marks!
Smart Platform Integration
If I haven’t mentioned it enough already, Amazon owns Ring, so it comes as no huge shock that the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery works with Amazon Alexa, allowing for voice commands. Completely hands-free, you’ll be able to tell Alexa to play the camera’s footage on your Echo Show or Echo Dot, or view previous footage. The same goes for Google Assistant, making the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery a great choice whether you’re in the Amazon or Google ecosystems. Full marks for smart platform integrations!
Artificial Intelligence
I’m a bit disappointed that the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery lacks person detection, which would allow it to differentiate between people and other moving objects. That means that you’ll probably receive some false alerts whenever a car drives by your house or a squirrel scurries in front of your camera. For the lack of person detection, I’m going to have to give the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery no marks for A.I.
Convenience
I already had the Ring— Always Home app downloaded on my phone, so the first thing I did was scan the QR code on the bottom of the camera. Then, I charged the camera’s battery using the included USB cable. Once that was done, I placed the camera, which you can do by either placing it on a flat surface or mounting it via hardware on the bottom or back. With tons of helpful video tutorials from Ring available, setting up the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery was easy as pie. Full marks for convenience!
Value
At under $100 for an outdoor camera with great video and a rechargeable battery, I think this is a good deal, even without the AI features I’m looking for. Full marks!
Video Review
Extras
Since Amazon has had its fair share of privacy issues, the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery comes with some additional privacy features. Privacy zones, for example, are basically activity zones that tells the camera to ignore some areas and focus on others.
You can also disable motion recording, alerts and audio with the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery. So if you’re paranoid about Big Brother always watching you, you don’t have to be with Ring’s latest updates.
The Ring— Always Home App
The Ring app is where you’ll livestream footage, view cloud storage, receive notifications, speak through two-way audio, change camera settings, and even get crime and safety alerts from your neighborhood.
Unfortunately, after a recent update, the app’s ratings went down to a 2.9 on the Google Play store, although they’re at a decent 3.2 on the Apple store. But Android users should beware, as many people had issues connecting with their Ring Stick Up Cam Battery, defeating the purpose of the app in the first place. Holly J. Roberts, an Android user, wrote in a recent one star review,
“It often stops working. So far its been 3 weeks that I have gone without even being able to open it, not really sure what I’m paying for at this point. I’ve uninstalled multiple times and yet when I open it, I get the “send feedback” message because it can’t open.”
Hopefully, Ring will fix this bug soon so that Android users can more easily control their Ring Stick Up Cam Battery. Be sure to check the app ratings before you buy, as these tend to change over time.
Comparisons
A camera is only good if it can compare to the toughest competition, so I’m comparing Ring’s latest outdoor camera to its predecessors, namely the Ring Stick Up Cam Wired and the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery. Believe it or not, there are some major distinctions between the three cameras that could greatly influence your buying decision. Let’s take a closer look.
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery vs. Ring Stick Up Cam Wired
The biggest difference between the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery and the Ring Stick Up Cam Wired is pretty obvious: the former is battery-operated while the later is wired. Plus, the Ring Stick Up Cam Wired includes a siren, which the battery version lacks. But as far as commonalities go, both are indoor/ outdoor cameras with 1080p HD video, infrared night vision, two-way audio, integrations with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and the same storage options, with no person detection among them.
In terms of durability, the new battery cam has a temperature range two degrees hotter than the wired camera. However, it’s field of view is much more narrow by 40 degrees. Of course, you’ll control both cameras using the Ring— Always Home app. Overall, I’d go with the Ring Stick Up Cam Wired if you want a wireless camera and the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery if you want a battery-operated one. If power source isn’t important to you, then definitely go with the battery camera, as it’s cheaper and only slightly lower quality in terms of video.
For more information, read my full review of the Ring Stick Up Cam Wired.
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery vs. Ring Spotlight Cam Battery
The Ring Spotlight Cam Battery has a ton of cool features that the Stick Up Cam Battery lacks, which might explain why it costs twice as much. First of all, it has a motion-activated spotlight as well as an 110-decibel siren built in. That means that night vision can be color or infrared, as opposed to just infrared with the Stick Up Cam. The Spotlight Cam also has a larger field of view by 30 degrees.
But aside from that, the cameras are similar in terms of their rechargeable batteries, 1080p HD video, two-way audio, storage options, smart platform integrations, lack of person detection, and of course, the Ring app. Now personally, I’m not a fan of color night vision stemming from a bright white light, as I think it makes the security camera incredibly conspicuous. Therefore, I don’t think the extra $99 is worth it for the Spotlight Cam Battery. Stick with the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery instead!
To learn more, read my full review of the original Ring Spotlight Cam Battery.
Recap
Overall, the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is a fantastic choice of outdoor security camera, for only $100! I love that it works with Alexa and Google Assistant, that it has infrared night vision and two-way audio, and that it has cloud and local storage, despite the paywall. But like anything, the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for your home’s security, so let me tell you who I think it would be best for (and vice versa).
Go with the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery if you’re looking for…
- Durability: From negative five to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery will work in most climates.
- Alexa or Google Assistant integrations: Command the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery using your voice alone through the two most popular voice assistants.
- Wireless setup: You’ll love installing the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery, which only takes a few minutes.
But don’t buy the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery if you wanted…
- Wide field of view: At 110 degrees, the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery’s field of view is a bit more narrow than I’d like.
- Person detection: I wish Ring put more stock in the camera’s A.I to make your notifications matter more.
- Highly-rated Android app: The Ring— Always Home app only has a 2.9 rating on Androids, so Android users should probably steer clear of the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery.
That’s all I have! For more options, check out my review of the best outdoor cameras of 2023.