Improved software, too, provides greater control over recording and reduces the number of notifications you receive. A slightly fiddly app interface makes finding old recordings a little tricky – but, otherwise, the Ring Spotlight Cam is an excellent camera.
Ring has built up an impressive array of security devices that are designed to protect your home inside and out. With the Ring Spotlight Cam, the company is adding to its range of dual-purpose cameras with security lights built in.
Improved software and a decent price make this a handy utility camera, particularly for those who already have a Ring subscription. As an outdoor camera, the Ring Spotlight Cam is designed to be mounted on a wall or fence post. There’s space inside the unit itself for a second battery pack, to extend run-time, with the added advantage that you can have one cell charging while the other is operating your camera. If you don’t want to bother with charging at all, you can buy the solar panel pack to keep your camera’s battery topped up.
As with Ring’s other battery-powered cameras, the Spotlight Cam features a large PIR sensor that’s used to detect motion. The main issue with this kind of product is that any motion will trigger the camera to wake and start recording, and you can’t draw activity zones. Even so, if you face the camera towards a busy street then you’ll find it’s triggered often, thus impacting battery life . To further limit being bombarded with notifications, the Spotlight Cam lets you set up a motion schedule, defining when you do and don’t want to receive alerts.
Trying to find one event, even using the filters to choose the type of recording (motion, triggered by live view, or favourites) is still cumbersome. Amazon Alexa support is available via a skill, which lets you view the camera’s feed on a screen-enabled Echo.
In my experience, it’s worth turning on the camera’s HDR feature, even if this does slightly reduce battery life. HDR smooths out the image and makes it easier for the camera to cope with varied lighting as a result of changes in the sun during the day.
However, since the Ring Spotlight Cam has two bright LEDs on the side, which light up the surrounding area, the camera is able to capture footage in full colour. The result is that night-time images are almost as good as those captured during the day, presenting in full colour and displaying plenty of detail and sharpness.
If you have other Ring cameras already, then adding this into the mix lets you get cloud storage for one monthly subscription, saving you money. Specs ‹ UK RRP Manufacturer Size (Dimensions) Voice Assistant Battery Length Smart assistants View Field Night vision Light Power source Ring Spotlight Cam £199 Bionaire 69.1 x 75.9 x 126 MM Alexa 4380 hrs Yes 140 degrees Yes Yes Battery ›
Ring Spotlight Cam Battery Review
With the Spotlight Cam Battery ($199), Ring continues to grow to its already impressive stable of home security devices. This battery-powered outdoor security camera is completely wireless and offers motion detection with triggered recording and compatibility with IFTTT and other smart home devices. There’s a setup button on the top of the enclosure and a 160-degree (horizontal) motion sensor on the bottom that covers the battery compartment.
It uses four infrared LEDS to provide up to 30 feet of night vision and has a built-in 110dB siren, an 802.11n Wi-Fi radio, and a speaker and microphone for two-way audio.
The camera comes with one battery pack, a mounting bracket, wall screws and anchors, a screwdriver and drill bit, and a setup guide. The Spotlight Cam appears in the list of installed Ring devices in the app: tap it to access its dashboard screen where you can turn motion alerts on and off and check the battery level.
Tapping the Live View button launches a live video stream in landscape mode with buttons for turning the spotlight on and off, sounding the siren, recording and sharing a clip with neighbors, push-to-talk (two-way audio), muting the sound, and ending the stream. Tap any event to play a clip and share it with friends and family or with your neighbors by pressing the Ring Neighborhoods button.
Ring Neighborhoods is a feature that lets you share recorded events with neighbors who have downloaded the app and signed up to participate.
Within seconds the camera will connect and you’ll have the option to view a video tutorial that will walk you through the physical installation, or you can skip this step and use the written instructions.
The internal siren was certainly loud enough to scare away any would-be intruders, and the spotlight did a great job of lighting up an otherwise dark area in my backyard. The Ring Spotlight Cam Battery is ideal for users who want to monitor what’s going on outside but don’t want to be bothered with electrical wiring.
The Spotlight’s motion sensor shined bright in testing, and the camera’s 1080p day and night video was sharp. If you can live without the spotlight feature, consider our Editors’ Choice for outdoor security cameras, the Netgear Arlo Pro 2.
Ring Spotlight Cam review: Intruders can’t hide in darkness with these cameras on watch
The spotlight is provided by LED light strips on either side of a 140-degree wide-angle lens, which activate when motion is detected. The camera streams and records video in up to 1080p resolution and supports two-way talk with noise cancellation and night vision up to 30 feet. (In the case of the non-wired Spotlight Cams, you’ll first need to charge the battery using the supplied micro-USB cable.) I installed the Spotlight Cam Wired at the front of my home, where there’s an outdoor outlet within the power cord’s 20-foot range.
Ring If you’re buying the battery-powered model anyway, you might as well spring for the kit that includes the solar panel to trickle-charge the battery. Ring recommends one to two hours of direct sunlight per day to keep your battery charged, and you can angle the solar panel’s mounting arm to ensure it soaks up as much sun as possible.
I had a sufficiently strong signal from my router to each camera, but results will vary depending on the layout of your home. I used a spare outlet in my kitchen as that was roughly the halfway point between my living room router and the camera on the front of my house.
Here you’ll also see a running feed of all detected activity, which you can filter to view only those triggered by motion, by button presses (in the case of the video doorbell), and those you’ve starred as noteworthy.
Tapping the Spotlight Cam icon in the Ring app opens a dedicated screen with all the camera’s controls laid out. The Ring app is one of the best in this regard, as it doesn’t require you to go hunting through nested settings menus to find what you need. Using a selection of buttons below these, you can open the camera’s streaming feed, event history light settings, and more.
The image quality was sharp, with even lighting and none of the color tinting I encountered with the Ring Stick Up Cam. Whether you opt for one of the wired or battery-powered Ring Spotlight Cams, you’ll get an impressive camera that effectively fills a necessary niche: providing security for yards, carports, and other spots around the perimeter of homes that become particularly vulnerable after dark.
Ring Security Cameras Review and Prices
Ring is the company that invented the video doorbell category, now one of the most popular smart home devices. While it started by just keeping a digital eye on your front door, today Ring sells a complete home security system, including indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi cameras, multiple video doorbells, smart outdoor and indoor lighting, and a highly rated home alarm system.
Started by founder Jamie Siminoff as a way of seeing who was at his front door, Ring has grown into a billion-dollar company since it began in 2013. While the owner must give their permission, civil rights groups have raised concerns about this type of public surveillance.
Ring has continued to innovate in the field of DIY home security, announcing last year the first in-home drone surveillance camera. This wireless camera, which costs $99.99, works both indoors and outdoors and is powered by a removable, rechargeable battery.
It doesn’t have advanced security features like zooming and tracking or package and facial recognition. The camera illuminates and sends announcements to Amazon Echo devices whenever motion is detected.
Finally, it can let you see, hear and speak to people on camera with select Echo and Fire TV devices.
It doesn’t have advanced security features like zooming and tracking or package and facial recognition.
It can work inside or out, be battery-powered or wired (with the option of adding a solar panel to keep the battery charged), and use a primary and backup power source. It has a flexible mounting system and smart features like color night vision and People Only mode (with a subscription).
It also has a built-in siren that you can activate through the app, and you can see, hear and speak to people on camera with select Echo and Fire TV devices. On the downside, the Ring Stick Up Cam has the smallest field of view of all the cameras in our ratings, so it won’t capture as much action. It doesn’t have advanced security features like zooming and tracking or package and facial recognition.
You can see, hear and speak to people on camera with select Echo and Fire TV devices, and it can be set to broadcast an alert when it detects motion.
The Indoor Cam lacks some features that other Ring cameras, such as a built-in light, battery power, and Amazon Alexa integration. If you just want a basic, inexpensive security camera to keep tabs on what’s happening in your home, the Ring Indoor Cam is a good choice.
It has all of the most important features, including HD video, two-way talk, night vision, a 140-degree field of view, motion detection, and the ability to be controlled by a mobile app. Professional reviewers praise Ring cameras for their simple installation and set-up process and solid overall performance, including prompt alerts and good quality video. Reviewers also note that Ring cameras are versatile, with multiple power options and devices that can work both indoors and out.
Ring cameras don’t have advanced features such as smart detection of vehicles or animals, facial recognition, and track and zoom capabilities found on the more expensive Nest and Arlo.
In addition, a new geofencing option sends a reminder to turn your cameras on when you leave and off when you come home. But a snapshot feature, available with a Ring Protect subscription, takes images between recordings to give you a fuller picture of what’s been happening on your property.
You can also call up a live view of any of your Ring cameras on select Echo and Fire TV devices. Ring has a number of safeguards in place to protect your data and privacy, including end-to-end encryption of all video and two-factor authentication as standard for logging into your account.
Each offers 1080p full HD video, motion detection, a built-in siren, night vision, two-way talk, and a 130-degree field of view. Each offers 1080p full HD video, motion detection, a built-in siren, night vision, two-way talk, and a 130-degree field of view.
It includes motion zones, night vision, a built-in siren, two-way talk, and motion-activated recording. A tiny, wired indoor camera that plugs into an outlet and records 1080p full HD.
It includes motion zones, night vision, a built-in siren, two-way talk, and motion-activated recording. Ring Spotlight Cam ($199-249.99): A battery-powered outdoor camera that records in 1080p full HD video with a 140-degree field of view.
A battery-powered outdoor camera that records in 1080p full HD video with a 140-degree field of view. Ring Video Doorbell Wired (59.99): A hard-wired doorbell camera with full HD video, night vision, two-way talk, motion detection and alerts, and remote control ability from the Ring mobile app or an Alexa-enabled device.
A hard-wired doorbell camera with full HD video, night vision, two-way talk, motion detection and alerts, and remote control ability from the Ring mobile app or an Alexa-enabled device. Includes all the features of the cheaper Ring Video Doorbell, but it’s powered by a built-in battery.
The same as the Doorbell 3, but with a four-second pre-roll feature that uses a second camera to make sure you see what triggered the motion recording. It also supports Motion Warnings and Alexa Greetings, which allows the digital assistant to talk to the visitor on your behalf (with a Ring Protect subscription plan). It also supports Motion Warnings and Alexa Greetings, which allows the digital assistant to talk to the visitor on your behalf (with a Ring Protect subscription plan).
An improved version of the Pro, this doorbell connects to your existing wiring and adds enhanced HD video and a head-to-toe aspect ratio.
The Ring Protect Basic Plan starts at a reasonable $3 a month or $30 a year and provides 60 days of video history for one camera, as well as the option to save and share your recordings. If you’re just interested in covering the inside of your home, the less expensive Ring Indoor Camera would be a good choice.
If you need to cover an area without an outlet nearby, you’ll want to choose a battery- or solar-powered Ring camera. Ring also has an extensive online support center that includes FAQs on installations, compatibility, functionality, and usage.
One of the simplest ways to watch over your yard
The Spotlight Cam is a strong option if you want a motion-activated outdoor light with a built-in high-definition camera. Download the Ring app for Android, iOS or Windows and follow the step-by-step tutorial to set up your Spotlight Cam. Ring Spotlight Cam Ring Floodlight Cam Netatmo Presence Kuna Price $199/£199/AU$$329 $249/£195/AU$330 $300/£235/AU$400 $199/£155/AU265 Color finish Black or white Black or white Black Black or bronze Power source Plug-in or battery-powered Hardwired Hardwired Hardwired Resolution 1080p HD 1080p HD 1080p HD 720p HD Live streaming Yes Yes Yes Yes Continuous recording No No No No Cloud storage Yes Yes No Yes Local storage No No Internal microSD card No Mobile app Android, iPhone and Windows Android, iPhone and Windows Android and iPhone Android and iPhone Web app No Yes Yes No Night vision Yes Yes Yes No Alerts Motion Motion Motion (person, car or animal) Motion Activity zones Yes Yes Yes No Third-party integrations Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT Apple HomeKit, IFTTT Amazon Alexa
The Spotlight Cam is priced the same as the Kuna/Maximus, but Ring’s camera has a better resolution, night vision, activity zones and more smart home integrations. Enable the Ring skill and you can ask Alexa to show you your camera’s feed on your screen-equipped Amazon speaker or on a Fire TV. Otherwise you’re stuck watching the live feed 24-7 or being ready to click on motion alerts ASAP to make sure you catch whatever activity is taking place.
The pricier plan includes additional features, like a lifetime warranty and 10 percent off future Ring product purchases. The Spotlight Cam’s simple installation, solid performance and easy-to-use app make it a favorite among the outdoor security camera-light fixture hybrid devices I’ve tested.
Keep in mind that a spotty Wi-Fi connection can cause interruptions in your live feed or cause it not to work at all; test out the quality of your network where you plan to install your camera beforehand. The Ring app has a “Device Health” section, too, where you can check in on the status of your Spotlight Cam’s connection at-a-glance.
Overall, Ring’s $199 Spotlight Cam is a great option if you’re looking for a reliable outdoor camera with integrated motion-activated LEDs.
Ring Spotlight Cam review
The Ring Spotlight Cam is a great option if you want to deter intruders but don’t have power nearby to hook up a mains-operated security camera? As soon as motion is detected, it will automatically record footage in full HD video and activate both bright lights and a loud siren should you choose. Simple to use, you will need to subscribe to Ring Protect for $3 / £2.50 / AU$4 per month to view the footage after it’s been recorded, and the camera is bulky and slightly tricky to install. The Ring Spotlight Cam is a great option if you want to deter intruders but don’t have power nearby to hook up a mains-operated security camera?
As soon as motion is detected, it will automatically record footage in full HD video and activate both bright lights and a loud siren should you choose. Simple to use, you will need to subscribe to Ring Protect for $3 / £2.50 / AU$4 per month to view the footage after it’s been recorded, and the camera is bulky and slightly tricky to install.
Also on board is an extremely loud siren, which when coupled with the lights is ideal for scaring off unwanted intruders. These include ‘customizable motion zones’ so you can, for example, tailor the areas where you want the Spotlight Cam to detect movement and ‘people only’ mode so it doesn’t capture unwanted footage of birds flying across the sky or squirrels climbing the fence.
The Spotlight Cam is a versatile outdoor camera ideal for monitoring your property, and while it is a few years old now, the device’s software has been updated considerably to give you all the options you need to use as part of a comprehensive home security setup. As we’ve already mentioned, if you want to review video after the camera has recorded it, you’ll need to subscribe to Ring Protect. A chunky, rectangular-shaped outdoor camera, measuring 4.96 x 2.72 x 2.99 inches / 12.6 x 6.91 x 7.59 cm ( h x w x) and available in black or white, it’s fair to say the Ring Spotlight Cam is not a thing of beauty. However, what it lacks in looks it makes up for in terms of versatility, with a large two-way speaker underneath the main lens and two bright spotlights either side and one below.
Ring claims installation time is around five minutes but, in reality, it took us closer to an hour once it was angled properly. During the day, the full HD footage was clear and detailed, although after dark the images weren’t the clearest we’ve seen. However, the two-way audio was very loud and clear (the Spotlight Cam has one of the best speakers we’ve seen on a security camera) and the lights powerful enough to illuminate the entire garden.
Perhaps it’s the influence of Amazon, which bought Ring in 2018, but the user interface is extremely intuitive with clear options you can toggle on and off.
As with most home security devices, the easiest way to set up the app is to scan the QR code inside the battery compartment. Other useful options include power setting so you can see how much charge your battery has before it needs recharging and a new geofencing feature.
Ring Spotlight Cam Review
Ring’s equipment is spot on, which you might expect from a well-established home security company whose bread and butter is cameras. This outdoor security camera comes with an integrated spotlight, motion detectors, and a built-in 110-decibel siren as well as a mic and speaker for two-way audio.
Ring Spotlight Cam Battery Review
This is a rubric that I apply to all of my home security cameras to make sure they’re up to snuff in terms of video, audio, night vision, and more. The Ring Spotlight Cam Battery has 1080p HD, standard in the security camera industry, plus a wide field of view of 140 degrees. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to zoom in optically with this camera, but that’s definitely not a dealbreaker as the footage is clear in general.
This can be useful just for chatting with someone in another room or scaring away intruders, so it’s fortunate that the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery comes with two-way audio.
While the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery doesn’t come with any cloud or local storage, you can buy it for as little as $3 a month. Still, I’m giving the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery full marks for its smart platform integration. When it comes to home security cameras, artificial intelligence is typically used for person detection and facial recognition. This creates more specific and smarter notifications, as you’ll only be notified when people move in front of your camera, not pets or inanimate objects. Overall, the process only took a few minutes, so I’m giving the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery two thumbs up for convenience.
Ring Spotlight Camera Review
Location is as vital to home security as it is to real estate, so we wanted to be smart and strategic when choosing where to place our camera. In addition to customizing the type of motion you want to see, you can also pick certain locations within the camera’s view to focus on. Google Nest’s cams, for example, go even farther with face-recognition detection – but Ring pulls all those nifty features together in a way we simply can’t resist. Pro Tip: If you place your Ring Spotlight Cam near a street, but you don’t want to keep getting motion alerts every time a car passes by, we found that turning on People Only Mode was the best fix.
We think it’s worth mentioning that there was a roughly two-second hiccup on the audio, which is a common issue in some other cameras we’ve tested. The Ring mobile app is tied into Neighbors, a helpful neighborhood watch community where you can stay in the loop on suspicious activity or crime near your home.
Ring’s outdoor cameras include a loud 110-decibel siren that is sure to scare off anyone – human, animal, or maybe even vegetable – who might be a threat. We’d love to see Ring’s next release include Google Assistant compatibility as part of its smart home integration options, in addition to Amazon Alexa.
FYI: To fully unleash the Ring Spotlight’s smart home capabilities, we recommend using an Amazon Echo Show, which is basically Alexa with a screen. Ring offers 1080p HD quality, which produces clear, sharp images and is a standard feature in most major-market cams.
That same combination of 1080p HD resolution and ultra-bright LEDs also makes Ring’s night vision work like a charm.
Ring Security Cameras Review and Prices
Ring is the company that invented the video doorbell category, now one of the most popular smart home devices. While it started by just keeping a digital eye on your front door, today Ring sells a complete home security system, including indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi cameras, multiple video doorbells, smart outdoor and indoor lighting, and a highly rated home alarm system. Started by founder Jamie Siminoff as a way of seeing who was at his front door, Ring has grown into a billion-dollar company since it began in 2013.
While the owner must give their permission, civil rights groups have raised concerns about this type of public surveillance.
Ring has continued to innovate in the field of DIY home security, announcing last year the first in-home drone surveillance camera. This wireless camera, which costs $99.99, works both indoors and outdoors and is powered by a removable, rechargeable battery.
It doesn’t have advanced security features like zooming and tracking or package and facial recognition. The camera illuminates and sends announcements to Amazon Echo devices whenever motion is detected.
Finally, it can let you see, hear and speak to people on camera with select Echo and Fire TV devices.
It doesn’t have advanced security features like zooming and tracking or package and facial recognition. It can work inside or out, be battery-powered or wired (with the option of adding a solar panel to keep the battery charged), and use a primary and backup power source. It has a flexible mounting system and smart features like color night vision and People Only mode (with a subscription).
It also has a built-in siren that you can activate through the app, and you can see, hear and speak to people on camera with select Echo and Fire TV devices. On the downside, the Ring Stick Up Cam has the smallest field of view of all the cameras in our ratings, so it won’t capture as much action.
It doesn’t have advanced security features like zooming and tracking or package and facial recognition. You can see, hear and speak to people on camera with select Echo and Fire TV devices, and it can be set to broadcast an alert when it detects motion.
The Indoor Cam lacks some features that other Ring cameras, such as a built-in light, battery power, and Amazon Alexa integration. If you just want a basic, inexpensive security camera to keep tabs on what’s happening in your home, the Ring Indoor Cam is a good choice.
It has all of the most important features, including HD video, two-way talk, night vision, a 140-degree field of view, motion detection, and the ability to be controlled by a mobile app. Professional reviewers praise Ring cameras for their simple installation and set-up process and solid overall performance, including prompt alerts and good quality video.
Reviewers also note that Ring cameras are versatile, with multiple power options and devices that can work both indoors and out. Ring cameras don’t have advanced features such as smart detection of vehicles or animals, facial recognition, and track and zoom capabilities found on the more expensive Nest and Arlo. In addition, a new geofencing option sends a reminder to turn your cameras on when you leave and off when you come home. But a snapshot feature, available with a Ring Protect subscription, takes images between recordings to give you a fuller picture of what’s been happening on your property.
You can also call up a live view of any of your Ring cameras on select Echo and Fire TV devices. Ring has a number of safeguards in place to protect your data and privacy, including end-to-end encryption of all video and two-factor authentication as standard for logging into your account.
Each offers 1080p full HD video, motion detection, a built-in siren, night vision, two-way talk, and a 130-degree field of view.
Each offers 1080p full HD video, motion detection, a built-in siren, night vision, two-way talk, and a 130-degree field of view. It includes motion zones, night vision, a built-in siren, two-way talk, and motion-activated recording. A tiny, wired indoor camera that plugs into an outlet and records 1080p full HD.
It includes motion zones, night vision, a built-in siren, two-way talk, and motion-activated recording. Ring Spotlight Cam ($199-249.99): A battery-powered outdoor camera that records in 1080p full HD video with a 140-degree field of view. A battery-powered outdoor camera that records in 1080p full HD video with a 140-degree field of view. Ring Video Doorbell Wired (59.99): A hard-wired doorbell camera with full HD video, night vision, two-way talk, motion detection and alerts, and remote control ability from the Ring mobile app or an Alexa-enabled device. A hard-wired doorbell camera with full HD video, night vision, two-way talk, motion detection and alerts, and remote control ability from the Ring mobile app or an Alexa-enabled device. Includes all the features of the cheaper Ring Video Doorbell, but it’s powered by a built-in battery.
The same as the Doorbell 3, but with a four-second pre-roll feature that uses a second camera to make sure you see what triggered the motion recording. It also supports Motion Warnings and Alexa Greetings, which allows the digital assistant to talk to the visitor on your behalf (with a Ring Protect subscription plan). It also supports Motion Warnings and Alexa Greetings, which allows the digital assistant to talk to the visitor on your behalf (with a Ring Protect subscription plan). An improved version of the Pro, this doorbell connects to your existing wiring and adds enhanced HD video and a head-to-toe aspect ratio.
The Ring Protect Basic Plan starts at a reasonable $3 a month or $30 a year and provides 60 days of video history for one camera, as well as the option to save and share your recordings. If you’re just interested in covering the inside of your home, the less expensive Ring Indoor Camera would be a good choice.
If you need to cover an area without an outlet nearby, you’ll want to choose a battery- or solar-powered Ring camera. Ring also has an extensive online support center that includes FAQs on installations, compatibility, functionality, and usage.
Ring Spotlight Cam Battery Review
With the Spotlight Cam Battery ($199), Ring continues to grow to its already impressive stable of home security devices. This battery-powered outdoor security camera is completely wireless and offers motion detection with triggered recording and compatibility with IFTTT and other smart home devices.
There’s a setup button on the top of the enclosure and a 160-degree (horizontal) motion sensor on the bottom that covers the battery compartment. It uses four infrared LEDS to provide up to 30 feet of night vision and has a built-in 110dB siren, an 802.11n Wi-Fi radio, and a speaker and microphone for two-way audio.
The camera comes with one battery pack, a mounting bracket, wall screws and anchors, a screwdriver and drill bit, and a setup guide. The Spotlight Cam appears in the list of installed Ring devices in the app: tap it to access its dashboard screen where you can turn motion alerts on and off and check the battery level.
Tapping the Live View button launches a live video stream in landscape mode with buttons for turning the spotlight on and off, sounding the siren, recording and sharing a clip with neighbors, push-to-talk (two-way audio), muting the sound, and ending the stream. Tap any event to play a clip and share it with friends and family or with your neighbors by pressing the Ring Neighborhoods button.
Ring Neighborhoods is a feature that lets you share recorded events with neighbors who have downloaded the app and signed up to participate.
Within seconds the camera will connect and you’ll have the option to view a video tutorial that will walk you through the physical installation, or you can skip this step and use the written instructions.
The internal siren was certainly loud enough to scare away any would-be intruders, and the spotlight did a great job of lighting up an otherwise dark area in my backyard. The Ring Spotlight Cam Battery is ideal for users who want to monitor what’s going on outside but don’t want to be bothered with electrical wiring.
The Spotlight’s motion sensor shined bright in testing, and the camera’s 1080p day and night video was sharp. If you can live without the spotlight feature, consider our Editors’ Choice for outdoor security cameras, the Netgear Arlo Pro 2.
Ring Spotlight Camera Battery review: Shining a light on your security arrangements this Black Friday
It’s a product that’s not only designed to capture and record suspicious activity, but to ward off would-be burglars by casting a light on them as they approach your property as well. And it’s possible to tweak the motion sensitivity, so it’s not set off all the time by swaying bushes or people walking past your house on the pavement. As with the rivals mentioned above, the Ring Spotlight is designed to run on battery power, which is a boon to DIY smart-homers.
There’s no need to connect an extra hub to your router, as with the Arlo or D-Link systems – simply pair it with your wireless network and you’re off and running.
I was able to connect the camera to my wireless network and associate it with my existing Ring account in a matter of minutes. I mounted the camera on the outside of my garden office, some 30m and a brick wall away from my nearest mesh Wi-Fi node, and it was still able to maintain a strong enough signal.
This screws to the wall via a circular plate and holds the camera via a stubby arm, angled slightly down, with a ball joint at the end to allow for fine-tuning the position. In the end, I settled on the compromise of positioning it just above door height on my garden office but even here the camera would lose sight of anyone getting too close. This means, if you have a Spotlight Camera and a Ring doorbell, it’s going to cost you £50 per year, which is a lot for a two-camera system. The benchmark in this sector is the Nest IQ and Hello doorbell cameras, which capture far cleaner, clearer and sharper footage.
Traditional IP cameras allow users to draw boxes around areas to detect motion in, which would be a more effective system here. I was able to recognise the faces of people approaching it, day and night, and both email and app-based alerts were issued in a timely fashion.
It’s easy to install and setup, doesn’t require an extra hub to be attached to your router and is powered by an easy-to-charge lithium-ion battery. If you already have a Ring doorbell, it integrates nicely with the rest of the system, plus, the camera itself is very reasonably priced, especially as it also doubles as a security light and offers twin battery bays.
The caveat is that Ring’s subscription prices will hit you in the pocket harder than rivals, and especially if you want to run more than one camera.
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