Ring's new doorbell is its best battery-powered option yet

About the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus

• Colors: Satin Nickel
• Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connection @ 2.4 GHz
• Power source: Quick release removable/rechargeable battery, and existing doorbell wiring or transformer for trickle charging (8-24 VAC, 40VA max, 50/60Hz)
• Recording resolution:1536p HD video
• Field of view: 150-degree horizontal, 150-degree vertical
• Operating temperature: -5 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit
• Smart assistant support: Amazon Alexa
• Dimensions: 5.1 inch x 2.4 inch x 1.1 inch (H x W x D)

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus replaces the Ring Video Doorbell 3, which only recorded in 1080p. At 1536p, the new Battery Doorbell Plus offers the widest and most expansive view of any battery-operated Ring doorbell yet.

Previously, the Ring Video Doorbell 4, a battery-powered Ring doorbell that supports trickle charging from existing doorbell wires, was the top contender. We still really like the Ring Video Doorbell 4, but the better view on the Battery Doorbell Plus makes it a worthy upgrade.

Coincidentally, Ring says the battery life is the best yet on the Battery Doorbell Plus. However, the doorbell uses the same battery as the Ring Video Doorbell 4. The difference here is in how the doorbells conserve energy while operating—and Ring says settings such as People Only Mode and Motion Zones, and features like Advanced Motion Detection, all help conserve power usage by only detecting events that matter to you.

What we like

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus offers a fantastic view

Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen more and more doorbells migrate to a full head-to-toe camera view, and the new Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is no exception.

While it isn’t the first Ring video doorbell to offer the expanded view, it is the first battery-powered Ring doorbell to do so. The 150-by-150 field of view shows you everything you need to see, from someone walking up to your door to them standing there in full view after pressing the buzzer.

The 1536p resolution is much clearer than the traditional 1080p, which comes standard on most video doorbells. The view is crisp and clear, without any orbs of light from the sun or nearby streetlights.

The upside to the expanded view, too, is that now the doorbell can see packages and alert you when your latest delivery shows up at your doorstep. This offers some protection against porch pirates, especially if you live in a busy area where packages tend to get swiped, and is a compelling reason to upgrade to the new Ring Battery Doorbell Plus.

The doorbell also comes with color night vision, which is great for when the sun goes down. Color night vision allows you to see color clips and live views at night when light allows, whereas most video doorbells only come with night vision that displays in black and white. The addition of color can help distinguish details that might otherwise be hard to make out in a grayscale setup.

The new Ring doorbell offers convenient power sources

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus’s main source of power is the internal battery, which is removable and rechargeable. The doorbell comes with a charging cable, so that you can pop out the battery and plug it in.

The nice thing is that the entire doorbell doesn’t need to come down to charge the battery. This way, your home can still give off the appearance of recording visitors even when the battery is on the charger. My advice is to purchase an additional battery, so that you always have one fully charged and ready to swap in when the other is running low.

The battery life depends on how many motion events the doorbell captures, so the lifespan will vary from home to home. The more events, the quicker the battery will deplete. You can fine tune the doorbell’s capture settings in the Ring app to help extend the battery life.

Another benefit to the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is that it can be connected to your existing doorbell wiring via the two screws on the back, offering a constant trickle-like effect that keeps the doorbell charged at all times. (If you have existing doorbell wires, the secondary battery probably isn’t necessary.)

It’s great to have the option of a reusable battery, supported by continuous power from hardwiring it. Other doorbells, like Google’s Nest Doorbell (Battery), also offer this trickle-like charging capability.

This kind of flexibility makes the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus a great option for renters and homeowners alike who lack existing doorbell wiring or may want to place the doorbell in an alternative spot that isn’t their home’s main entry point, such as a side door or back patio door.

It comes with free trial of Ring Protect, though you’ll need to keep paying for it

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus includes a free, 30-day trial of Ring Protect. It’s not unheard of to have to pay a subscription fee to access certain features on security cameras in general, but it is something to be aware of.

With Ring Protect, you can review, share and save each of the video clips that the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus records. Video clips are stored for up to 180 days.

Additionally, the plan also includes access to digital events like person alerts, which is a really helpful feature if you’re trying to quickly distinguish between general motion and an actual body at your front door. Though Ring’s technology isn’t quite as smart as Google Nest’s, which can identify by name who is at the front door versus an unfamiliar face. And, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus did send me a notification saying it saw a person when it was actually just my dog. While it’s not perfect, it’s still useful.

The plan also includes access to customizations like Home and Away modes, which tell your doorbell how to behave when it knows you’re there or not. For example, you may prefer to receive every notification when you’re not at home just to keep tabs on everything, but when you’re in your house, you may not want as many alerts and only want to be notified during certain hours of certain events.

Rich notifications are also included with the basic plan and are a useful way to quickly check out a photo preview of what’s going on without having to open up the Ring app.

There are three tiers of Ring Protect plans, starting with the Basic option, which is best suited for a single Ring security camera, like the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus. This plan costs $3.99 a month or $39.99 annually, and you can cancel at any time.

There are many useful benefits of paying for Ring Protect, even for just one doorbell. The person detection alone is worth it if you’re committed to a Ring video doorbell. The best way to maximize your value is to select a higher tier plan, like the Ring Plus ($10/month) or Ring Pro ($20/month), and set your home up with additional Ring security cameras and a Ring alarm system, as these devices create a whole DIY security network for your property.

There are multiple options for chime notifications

You can link your Ring Battery Doorbell Plus with your Alexa-enabled devices, like Echo Shows, Fire tablets, and Fire TVs, to work as indoor chimes. When someone rings the doorbell, a notification can appear on the screen of the smart display, tablet, or Fire TV. The notification includes a real-time live view of who is at the front door.

Amazon Echo smart speakers also work as indoor chimes, notifying you when someone rings the doorbell.

Alternatively, you can view a live view of the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus any time you want but asking Alexa to “show me the front door” or whatever name you’ve given your doorbell in the Alexa app.

This feature isn’t unique to the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, but it is nice to know that it works well when you need it to.

Finally, if you opt to hardwire the doorbell, it is possible to connect it to ring on your existing indoor doorbell chime.

It touts a helpful spread of features

The doorbell includes smart responses that can answer the door for you when you’re not able to with one of six quick preset replies. Then, much like a voicemail on your phone, the visitor can even record a message.

It would be nice to be able to create your own custom messages for the doorbell to play, just like an answering machine. And you may only record and review messages from visitors if you are subscribed to a Ring Protect Plan. Still, it’s a nice feature to have.

Snapshot Capture is another optional feature unique to Ring doorbells, including the Battery Doorbell Plus, which takes a photo to show you what’s going on every so often, either every hour or every 14 minutes.

It’s not entirely necessary because the camera is great about detecting and recording motion, but it’s a nice buffer to have if you really want the added visuals, even if it will decrease battery life the more frequently it’s in use.

Finally, this Ring doorbell supports up to three customizable motion zones, configured in the app so that you only get alerted for the exact areas you want.

Two-factor authentication is mandatory

Security features like two-factor authentication are mandatory in the Ring app, which helps keep your home secure.

Not all smart home apps make you enable security features like two-factor authentication. Heck, some don’t even offer it at all.

While you can always use your own authenticator app, not everyone may be that tech savvy, making Ring’s mandatory policy something for others to strive for.

What we don’t like

The camera faceplate is flimsy

The removable faceplate cover for the battery is made of flimsy plastic. When I took it off, I had concerns I was going to crack it (I did not). I confirmed, however, that this is the same quality cover that you’ll find on the Ring Video Doorbell 4.

You can purchase additional Ring doorbell faceplates on Amazon, but I’m not sure how much sturdier these are. Switching it out for a different color would be more for looks than anything else, though the customization is a nice touch, as most video doorbells don’t offer this.

However, I’d love to have the option to purchase a stainless steel faceplate cover or something more robust from Ring to take this doorbell to the next level.

It doesn’t support Matter

Currently, no Ring doorbells or security cameras support Matter, and in turn, do not play nicely with Google or HomeKit smart homes. Amazon says support for Ring camera-enabled devices and Matter is coming, but for now, this doorbell is only best for Alexa and Echo smart homes.

Privacy

As mentioned above, two factor authentication is mandatory in the Ring app.

Additionally, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus supports privacy zones. Privacy zones are essentially no-go spots for the camera, meaning that it will not record anything in those defined areas.

This is an ideal way to respect your neighbors privacy from appearing on your doorbell’s footage, especially if the camera points across the street at their front porch. The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus supports up to two privacy zones that can be defined in the Ring app.

Also in the Ring app, you can choose whether or not the doorbell streams and records audio.

Ring also claims that cloud-stored videos are encrypted automatically, and that the transmission of these videos is encrypted as well. Advanced Video Encryption (end-to-end) is available in the Ring app. However, when you create a video clip to share with others, that video clip is (obviously) no longer encrypted, allowing others to view it.

Should you buy the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus?

Yes, it’s a great video doorbell

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is one of the best battery-operated video doorbells you can buy right now. Offering the convenience of anywhere installation, coupled with the fact that it can be powered by existing doorbell wires, this really is a video doorbell made for anyone—renters and homeowners, alike. This Ring video doorbell is responsive and reliable, all while offering one incredible top-to-bottom view, including two of the most important notifications: packages and people.
$180 at Amazon

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Meet the tester

Rachel Murphy

Editor, Home

@rachel_murphy

Rachel Murphy is Reviewed’s home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.

See all of Rachel Murphy’s reviews