I bought this system to replace the ADT system I had for years. This system along with four Contact Sensors replaced what I had from ADT. The cost of the Ring system and year of monitoring was less than six months of monitoring from ADT. The system comes packaged nice a secure, which I am thankful for since the deliver person wasn't gentle dropping the box on my porch. I had downloaded the app and registered before the system arrived, so that part was taken care of. The included instructions and phone app walk you through the setup. It was painless and completed in about 10 minutes. I set up everything on my dining room table to go through the registration process. Once done, I installed the components where the old hardware was. Ring includes everything you need to mount (double sided tape and/or screws) all the components. Registering for monitoring was very simple too. One thing I learned that I want to pass on. do not remove the little battery tabs until the app tells you to. If you do, just open the cover, pull the battery and reinstall the tab. Just pulling the battery and reinstalling it doesn't reset the device.
The app could use some tweaks to let you customize your notifications a little more and tweak the contact choices, but overall I'm satisfied.
I was looking at the Nest system, but this is a better value, you get a separate keyboard so you can semi hide the main base station that has the cellular radio and battery backup. You also have the choice of hardwired or wireless 2.4 - 5 ghz network connections.
I will update this review in six months.
Update 01/16/2019
I've had the ring system for six months now. I paid for the years subscription to their monitoring service. I've had one activation, by me, to test and see what the monitoring center does. I live in a city that does not respond to unverified burglar alarm activations. I was contacted within minutes of my alarm going off, which was about the same amount of time ADT took. Overall, I'm happy with this service, especially at this price point.
The system itself has performed flawlessly. I've had a few internet outages and the system promptly moved to cell coverage. I have the keypad mounted in a utility room we normally enter when entering the house. It has run off of its internal battery and I charged it once since installing it. I have a total of five door senors and the motion, which all have performed as expected. I have added a Ring Pro doorbell and have connected it to activate if the alarm is tripped. Overall, the hardware has held up as expected and I am very pleased.
The software/app has constantly been updated by Ring, adding tweaks to improve the performance of the system. It is so nice to just look at the app and see that everything is okay at home. I will, over time, be replacing my hardwired video surveillance system with Ring cameras.
After having ADT for 17+ years and feeling their customer service and pricing became ridiculous, I am pleased with this Ring system. Even if Ring raises their monitoring fees, which I hope they don't, I can still self monitor and feel secure in leaving my house knowing I will be notified if something happens.
I will submit another review at the one year mark.
If you are a tech-y person and looking for an alarm system that you can manage/customize and install yourself, then you’re in the right place.
Here’s a review after owning the system for almost 3 weeks:
Installation:
Alarm works great, right out of the box it is a pretty simple setup, no tools needed, just your smartphone. It will take you more time to decide on locations for the sensors than the actual time to set them up. Total setup time is about 1 hour or less.
System responsiveness:
System is very responsive and mobile alerts are sent in real time. If the alarm goes off, you will get a mobile alert from the app with information about the actual sensor tripped; this app alert will be followed a few seconds later by a phone call from a representative checking on your well being. They will ask you for your “safe word” and if you cannot give the correct one they will dispatch a police officer. I also noticed if you cancel quickly enough with the app then they will not call you; I once cancelled after a few seconds through the app and the phone call came in, but before it could be answered it was already disconnected - which was great, no need to explain myself.
Door chimes:
You can set door chimes like other alarm systems, you can select which sensors will make a chime noise, like exterior doors and maybe a garage motion sensor. You can also pick the sound so you know which door was just opened by the chime sound. Chimes only work when alarm is not active, it is a friendly sound for when doors are opened.
Police dispatch:
As soon as the alarm is tripped you will receive 2 phone calls (one on each registered number), if no one answers they will immediately dispatch the police. The approximate time for the police to be dispatched from the moment your alarm goes off to the time they call a dispatcher is about 4 minutes (that includes the time to complete the 2 call attempts made to you). Police will be dispatched with a description of the zone that triggered the alarm (ex: living room motion).
System customization:
You have 2 alarm modes: home and away. Using the app you get to chose which sensors will trip home mode and away mode; to be a little more specific, in the app you can select a sensor and check a box next to away and a box next to home if you want it to trip the alarm even if your alarm is active in “home mode” such as when you’re sleeping at night, where motion sensors inside won’t trip the alarm, but doors or windows opening will do so. You can also select a motion sensor and select a lower sensitivity level in case you have pets. You can do all this from the app even away from home.
Installation trouble:
After I finished installing this device I found myself having issues with it for the first 3 days where sensors will go offline for no reason almost every day; suddenly after day 4 maybe, all of the issues disappeared and the system was now working like a well-oiled machine. I reached out to Ring support team and they informed me that there was an automatic update that the brain device was going to perform on its own and that would solve all of the issues I was experiencing. They were indeed 100% correct, after just a few days the system was doing exactly what it was supposed to be doing all along. No issues, no dropped devices, a happy customer here now. If you end up choosing this system and experience issues during the first 3-4 days, please wait a few days for your system to automatically update itself to the latest software and you’ll see the issues magically go away.
Motion sensors:
I installed a motion sensor inside a shed in my backyard (shed has a tin metal roof) and I kept getting a false alarm daily usually around 1 or 2pm; Ring informed me that their motion sensors use infrared technology and that excessive heat could cause a false trigger. They told me a contact sensor at the shed’s door should do the job and that’s what I will be doing next.
The door/window sensors (also called contact sensors) work pretty well, but the same cannot be said about the motion sensors; they will detect motion after there’s been plenty of movement (if I walk the hallway and enter a room it will not detect, but if I sit for a few seconds moving in the hallway it will detect it then). This is still not a show stopper for me, as I have a dog and don’t plan on buying any more motion sensors, it will be all contact sensors.
Mobile app:
This is probably the best part about this alarm, that there is no need for a desktop PC to reach any advanced features and that you can configure it from anywhere. From arming the alarm from work (if you forgot to arm it before leaving), to disarming remotely if needed. App is extremely user friendly and very intuitive, so this is probably the best part. Very well organized and all Ring devices can be controlled from within the same app.
Improvements I would like to see in future updates:
Arm/Disarm rules/timers: Having some sort of timers to automatically disable the alarm daily at a certain time (my wife wakes up around 6am on workdays and she often trips the alarm and end up waking me up).
External Speaker: Also I’d like to see some sort of a External speaker that can be placed outside because the alarm is not audible from my garage so any “intruders” would not be deterred if they are messing near my garage or with my shed in the backyard (maybe the police will surprise them after a few minutes).
Signal meter: This would be a great in-app addition to be able to tell if a sensor is not in a desirable location.
Equipment sensor: I have an expensive four-wheeler and zero-turn mower in my backyard, and would like to see some kind of sensor (other than motion, too many plants and wind won’t make it practical) to protect these expensive items as well. This would be a great selling point; maybe like a magnetic plug stuck to a metal part of the bike’s body, that if it’s removed from that metal body it alerts the brain.
Another idea could be that if both of the adults are not home, the smartphone will see it in the GPS and “suggest” arming the residence since there’s been no motion for an hour or no doors being opened plus the GPS reports that none of the adults are home? (These are just ideas to make the system more attractive, I have a ton more ideas).
And now the best part about this alarm system and what makes them different and better than the rest of the systems out there: the vendor itself “Ring”.
By purchasing this system you’re almost certain that they will come out with upgrades and updates to this product and ways to integrate it with Alexa and smart home devices. If you encounter any kind of issues, they will have someone listen to you and actually give you a solution rather than one of these knock off Chinese products that will give you excuses for faulty behavior but not solutions.
I am very content with this system and I am looking forward for any future updates, and hope to see some of these suggestions to be evaluated for future releases. For now, I am content that I purchased this system and I am able to customize it as much as I am currently able to.
Kudos to their customer service for reaching out and explaining to me about the difficulties I was having with their product.
I recently purchased the new Ring security system after owning the video doorbell for a while. I bought this system to allow me to ditch my system and service from a large national provider (42$ per month for monitoring vs 10$)! Firstly, I have been interested in this product and company since I saw Jaime Siminoff on Shark Tank back in 2013. Back then the company was called DoorBot. I like the new name much better.
I set up the new system with ease. It Took about 45 minutes! I have to give props to Mr. Siminoff for adding in this 7 day training period which allowed me to learn the new equipment without the fear of having the authorities show up. Thank God someone is thinking outside the box. My last alarm system that was much more expensive and hardwired, came with no training at all and no grace period for learning. As a result, I set it off multiple times by mistake and actually got a fine from my town because the cops showed up to the false alarm. That said, this was a much better initial experience.
Well, not long after the training mode came to an end, I made a bonehead mistake. I forgot to get my girlfriend set up with the App and when she came over when I wasn’t home, the alarm went off. Unfortunately, I was not able to cancel her mistake due to me fumbling with a rather clunky app interface on my phone. Luckily the Ring representative from the monitoring team called very quickly and I was able to avoid a cop showing up and a possible charge$$. My interaction with the Ring rep was fantastic. They called very quickly and the person I spoke with was extremely professional, kind and knowledgeable! They made me feel like a valued customer for sure.
So far my experience with this system has been good. I am giving this product 5 stars because of the customer service experience I had when my alarm went off and the future potential I see for the whole Ring product line. However, I would like to see a couple things addressed. 1) The app needs to be easier to use, especially the cancel option, that cancel option should be there immediately and very easy to find. 2) With my old 42$ a month system I was able to control my lights, door lock and thermostat. Please please Mr. Siminoff, can we get this feature added to the system? I think adding in those features will take this from a very good low cost option to a GREAT overall option for security and home automation.
I ordered this alarm after someone tried to break into my house 3 minutes after we pulled out of the driveway. They'd been watching our house. Once the cars were gone, he tried. But it was also the first time our son tried staying home alone. Terrified doesn't begin to describe it! He bolted when he realized the house wasn't empty.
Two days later we had the Ring alarm and a Ring doorbell in hand. The whole setup took less than 20 minutes (including the doorbell). Plug in the parts, stick sensors to doors, use the app to walk through configuring them, and you're done. A few minutes later I had the professional monitoring set up. I spent a few minutes familiarizing myself with the features, adjusting alarm volume, adding user codes, etc. It was all just so seamless.
I highly recommend this system.
I brought and installed this system a few weeks ago and I'm loving it so far. Here are the highlights:
Pros
- Low cost for starter pack. It has just enough to get your system up and running. However the Costco bundle comes with more sensors for just a little more $. Otherwise you can buy sensors individually.
- Low cost for professional monitoring, which is optional. Comes with a cell backup which is included in the monitoring. No Contracts for monitoring!
- Very DIY friendly. Took minutes to install and set up.
- one app to view doorbell cameras, floodlight cameras, and alarm system.
- the base station is separate from the keypad which is an excellent choice. It allows me to hide the base station.
- the base station is loaded with various internal antennas (wifi, cell, zwave, zigbee) which leaves the door open for future home automation.
Cons
- the door and window contact sensors are large. Maybe it's large because of the battery which is supposed to last 3 years.
- you can only buy additional sensors individually, unless you have a Costco membership. At Costco you can buy 4 packs of the door and window sensor, but I think this should be able to buy this normally.
- they don't yet have a glass break or flood sensor but I understand it's in the pipeline since this is such a new product offering.
- the home, away, disarm buttons on the key pad don't light up which makes it difficult to use in the dark. The numbers do light up with motion however.
- the keypad can be mounted on a wall but it doesn't allow for power wire routing behind the unit when mounted because of the mounting bracket geometry. I plan to modify the mounting bracket so I can route power wiring behind the unit and not just above or below.
- limited tie ins with the echo, doorbells and cameras, but I understand this is in the pipeline.
All said and done, I am VERY satisfied with my purchase and I'm excited for the future offerings Ring will have.
Feature Product
- This bundle includes Ring Alarm 14 Piece Kit and Echo Dot (3rd Gen)-whole-home security at your fingertips. Get motion-activated alerts on your smart phone.
- Works with Alexa to arm, disarm, and check the status of your Ring Alarm security system with your voice.
- Optional 24/7 professional monitoring is just $10/month. No contracts or cancellation fees.
- Manage Ring Alarm and other Ring products-including Ring Doorbell-with the Ring app.
- Customize Ring Alarm for your needs. Add components at any time for whole home protection.
- Easily setup Ring Alarm in minutes-without tools or professional installation.
- Echo Dot (3rd Gen) is a hands-free, voice-controlled device with a small built-in speaker. Dot connects to the Alexa Voice Service to play music, make calls, send and receive messages, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and more-instantly.
Description
When armed, the Ring Alarm Security System sends instant alerts to your phone and tablet whenever doors or windows open and when motion is detected at home. It’s fully customizable and expands to fit any house or apartment. And the free Ring App puts your entire home security system at your fingertips. With optional 24/7 professional monitoring for only $10 a month, whole-home security has never been this affordable.
Tech Specs - Base Station
Power: 100 – 240V 50/60Hz AC Adapter Included
Battery Life: Rechargeable 24 Hour Battery Backup
Operating Conditions: 32°F to 104°F (0°C to 40°C)
Siren: 104 decibels
Dimensions: 6.65 in. x 6.65 in. x 1.42 in.
Installation: Mount to Walls, or Place it on Any Flat Surface
Connectivity: Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth for Setup (plus Cellular Backup with Ring Protect Plus subscription)
Tech Specs - Keypad
Power: AC Adapter, Internal Rechargeable Battery
Battery Life: Up to 10 Months Per Charge
Operating Conditions: 32°F to 104°F (0°C to 40°C)
Dimensions: 5.87 in. X 3.94 in. X 0.91 in.
Installation: Wall Mount with Quick-Release Bracket or Place It on Any Flat Surface
Connectivity: Z-Wave (250-foot range to Base Station)
Security Modes: “Disarmed” deactivates your sensors and allows you to move freely throughout the house. “Away” activates all your sensors to protect your home while you’re away. “Home” only activates select sensors to give you flexibility.
Tech Specs - Contact Sensor
Power: 3V Lithium Battery Included
Battery Life: Approximately 3 Years
Operating Conditions: 32°F to 120°F (0°C to 49°C)
Dimensions: 3.23 in. X 0.98 in. X 0.94 in.
Installation: Mount to Door or Window Frame
Max. Distance Between Sensors: ⅝ inches
Connectivity: Z-Wave (250-foot range to Base Station)
Tech Specs - Motion Detector
Power: 3V Lithium Battery Included
Battery Life: Approximately 3 Years
Advanced Motion Sensitivity: Won’t detect pets weighing under 50 lbs when mounted above seven feet
Operating Conditions: 32°F to 120°F (0°C to 49°C)
Dimensions: 3.54 in. X 2.44 in. X 1.77 in.
Installation: Wall or Corner Mount
Connectivity: Z-Wave (250-foot range to Base Station)
Tech Specs - Range Extender
Power: AC Adapter
Battery Life: 24-Hour Battery Backup
Operating Conditions: 32°F to 104°F (0°C to 40°C)
Dimensions: 3.15 in. x 1.81 in. x 1.10 in.
Installation: Plugs Directly Into Power Outlet
Connectivity: Z-Wave (250-foot range to Base Station, extends Z-Wave a further 250 feet)
It's a good replacement for those looking to lower monthly cost for professional monitoring. The system is easy to set up and there are lots of options. I'm not sure the set up could be any easier. Here is what I don't like, but not a deal killer. The sensors for the doors are huge! They are literally twice the size of the previous sensors from my old company. I also don't like that you only get one contact sensor in the base option. I have three doors to my house and 7 first floor windows. So, you have to buy quite a few additional sensors to cover them all. So, the initial cost can add up fast. But, since monitoring is cheap, it pays for itself after a few months. I have integrated a door bell camera and a spotlight camera for the yard. Those are both battery powered. Both are fairly bulky compared to some of the competition. I'm hoping it's durable though. The thing to remember if you get any battery powered devices is to get extra batteries. The batteries take a LONG time to charge. I have 4 batteries and each took about 8-10 hours to charge. If you have an "extra" charged battery or two around, then you don't have to take your cameras offline for a half day to wait for the batteries to charge. Just swap in the extra one and recharge the other and leave it waiting for the next time something dies. All in all, it's a good system, but not cheap to get setup properly initially. The intro price is good, but by no means a complete system. Unless you live in a one door apartment with no windows, you are going to need to buy additional stuff to complete the system. Hopefully, with the money i'm no longer paying to my old monitoring company, I can make up the upfront cost of setting this up.
The other tip is once you get the base system online, buy everything else directly from Ring.com. You get a %10 discount on everything else you buy. While you will get it faster if you buy it from Amazon, it will cost less buying directly from Ring.
What can I say about this product , EASY EASY EASY , and Well Made .
This Alarm straight out of the box, works like a dream . The alarm integrates with the Ring App and allows to use it alongside any other ring products you currently own . I was up and online in 5 mins .
Starter Kit comes with a Door Sensor and Motion , all detected fine and work straight away . The sensors and well made and substantial, they feel a lot more of a quality product over other manufacturers .
They work over the Z-Wave Plus protocol , this is a very positive step , and the starter kit comes with a Z Wave repeater to boost the signal if you have a larger house .
I did busy some additional sensors and it was as simple as loading the app , adding a device , scanning the QR code or entering the ID of the module and paired straight away without issues .
All done via the Ring App , one app does it all . Oh and it has battery backup in the keypad and base in case the power fails . Whats more you can opt for the Monitor service at $10 a month and they 24/7 with 911 response and 4G failover in case your Internet drops out .
Pushes out notifications very well as with other ring products I own .
I am very impressed .
I would 100 % recommend , for the price its an amazing product .
Ring has really hit a sweet spot with an extremely affordable, simple to use, feature rich home alarm system. Many of the native comments from reviewers here need to be rebutted. E.g.,
1) sirens- the ring base AND keypads sound 110 db Alarms when tripped. There is also a fully integrated siren from Dome, and ring has indicated they plan to market their own siren extension in the future. I have two keypads and the siren sound is deafening when tripped. This is NOT an issue !
2) many users have not come up to speed on the functionality fo this system. thats not their fault.its really easy to set up quickly and with basic functioning, But the more you fool around/experimenter/learn about the system the more functionality it has. Ring really needs to come out with a comprehensive instruction manual and/or video-once you understand take keypad you will grasp it actually has more functionality and is easier to use than most legacy hard wired systems people are replacing.
3) contact sensors- people complain they are too large-this is true if you plan to use on windows and most your openings, but thats true for any system that is not hard wired, including Nest ‘s contact sensors which are much more $ and only slightly smaller . And the hard wired ones are set into window/door frame- you can do that yourself and hire at least Hal;f the senior (i have chosen to embed with a little chiseling the large part fo the contact and lead the mangnet small part episode on the door; if you want it save yourself soem work and can tolerate a little more obvious appearances, embed the magnet. If this is a big issue for anyoen, just embed one half fo the contact into the doorframe it yield a very unobtrusive appearance.
4) Motion detector- again people say they are large ; but they are SMALLER than hard wired motion detectors I have - the differenc is the hard wired ones are embeddded itnot the drywall (but you can do this with the smaller ring detectors Too if you want. You can buy a plate to finish off the drywall edge of the small “cubby:” you create OR just buy some trim at Home Depot that matches your current baseboard or ceiling/door trim , buy a plastic miter box for $10 and make 45 degree cuts and you have your custom tight frame ready to paint (ANYONE can do this !) and you can locate the motion detectors anywhere you have a drywall wall ! Compared to any wireless motion detector than nest they arent that large -nest ones are 50% more $ and they are nots o small as to go un noticed anyway !
4) keypad- the nest system is if you dont have a table to lay the base station on as you come in the door. If you have a modern hosue or modern design you will prefer the flexibility to mount the keypad on the wall AND (VIP) use multiple keypads if you choose to enter through more than one door ! Nest allows for openly one keypad ! And also by putting kepayp[ad and base station in one chassis, you can't hide the base station OR locate it wher the mesh networks eorks best ! I understand nest keypad is a work of minimalist art.but Ring keypad is hardly ugly and very functional and flexible . It even lights up as you approach it and can be operated on batteries as well (ie you can take it with you to other parts of the house as needed !)
I also find the NESTs approach (integrating motion detectors and contact sensors together works real well in small housesa and apartments, but not in large house where its much more effecting to be able to locate motion snesors where they can use their full 30’+ area off surveillance.
RING is not a perfect or fully reliable dproduct yet of course. The first alert produced CO/smoke alarm cant hold a candle to nest but its functional and accurate. RING does have small saucer shape microphones that you can co-locate with your current smoke detectors (even NEST as you prefer and I have) but a real simple fix would, esp for thsoe without legacy fire alamsrnm they like, is to simply have first alert make alaRMS FOR RING OR RING sell First alert smoke detetctors with all the ugly lettering and logos removed !
If motion detectors are placed in high traffic areas there batteries life will suffer commensurately. But this is an issue for ALL wireless motion detectors ! I have found Can work arounbd this using very precise location or use of two detectors in spots that preclude anyone entering house but dont rely on monitoring the owners most highly used traffic “lanes” in the house.
And of course ring is just now bringing back its updated indoor cam, (stick up cam) perhaps it’s most obvious lacuna right now
Finally
1. RING APP Is excellent -enough said.
2. RING help is excellent and despite busy after roll out, they get back you - esp with email inquiries -of course there is a wide range of skills and experience at their help desk but not More so than at established companies.
3. If you have/want security cameras,has ring has three choices that are very price competitive, and the monitoring costs set the standard (doubtlessly leaning on Amazon’s huge server capacity)
4. Rings extended warranty- its is included in their 10$ month for unlimited recording .. The warranty covers ALL hardware for as long as you pay the $10 a month monitoring fee. (Yes lifetime-read that again)
(you also get a 10% discount on ring products if your subscribe to their monitoring )
Bottom line-all in ring hardware is much less $ than nest system, its keypad was more flexible and versatile, nest is more elegant , base station integrated with keypad ( which in my case is MORE obtrusive tho)and useless if u enter from
More than one door and don’t want to take your phone out of your purse
You will need robust wifi in your house to realize rings full potential/features, but thats true for ANY of its competitors. And for the mechanically challenged they make a plug and play wi fi extender (with a chime for the ring doorbell). NB rings monitoring fees are cheap and it’s hardware warranty very generous . Consider your all in costs over a ten year period -for me came out thousands of dollars less. Ring is owned by amazon so u know they will be there to honor warranty update software technical support etc this is such an easy purchase - no excuse for not having home security system anymore that you control and can customize, take with u when u move
I had some issues with Sensors initially. Ring stood behind their product so much so that they called me after a negative review and showed up at my house to install the system and work through all the issues.
I have NEVER and I repeat NEVER seen such excellent customer service in my life.
System is working great and at a fraction of the cost of other systems.
I highly recommend Ring. And what they stand for as a company - they will stand by their products at all costs.
They want to disrupt the market and they will. Thank you Ring.
During my extensive research for a cost-effective security solution in 2017 I compared various offerings from different vendors. The Ring was one of the 3 that made my list.Once Ring ceased sales because of a lawsuit, I decided to wait instead of deciding on the other 2 home security solutions because Ring was the cheaper of the 3. I waited and pre-ordered soon as I got the long awaited email and I'm glad I did because it is worth it! The setup up was simple and I was up and running within minutes. Placing the sensors is key and the provided adhesives make the installation quick, if you do not want to use the mounting screws. The modes are helpful (Unarmed, Home and Away). Even if your system is on the 'Unarmed' mode, you still continue to receive alerts in the Ring App on activity from the Motion and Door/Window Sensors. I added an extra range extender which was very easy to add and took less than a minute to be adopted into my system. The range of the devices quiet well, I'm getting coverage for a 1200 square foot area just without the extender. The sensors light up when it senses activity and a ping is heard on the base station. You can adjust the volume for the base station so it is not too loud. Highly recommend this because it is user-friendly, and the sensors work great. Ring support is always there to assist if you need help.
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