Ring Video Doorbell 4 review

As the O.G. video doorbell brand, Ring changed the home security game as we know it. But 10 years, a massive acquisition by Amazon, and many, many competitors later, just how does it hold up? We took the Ring Video Doorbell 4 for a test run to find out.

Lookswise, the Ring Video Doorbell 4 doesn’t deviate much from the design shared by earlier models. But that’s a good thing—it’s neat, compact, lightweight and unobtrusive enough to blend into your decor with its black and silver body.

It’s recommended that you set up the doorbell before mounting, as only the battery pack is removable and the unit itself is what you have to affix to the wall, unlike some other video doorbells, which require a bracket to be installed so the entire unit can be removed for charging purposes.

You’ll need to give the battery pack a charge before getting started, then, once full, download the Ring app and scan the QR code found on the back of the doorbell (the code can also be found in the Quick Start guide) to get your device connected. Once complete, you can move on to mounting.

The installation will depend on the type of surface you plan on attaching the doorbell to, and whether or not you have a previously-installed wired doorbell. The Ring Video Doorbell 4 also comes with an angle mount, which adds an extra couple of steps to the installation. All the hardware you’ll need to install the doorbell can be found in the box, including screws, wall plugs, and a security screw (and specialty screwdriver) to prevent theft of the unit itself.

For renters (or those who simply don’t want to drill any holes), you’ll need to cough up an additional $29 for the No-Drill Mount, which uses adhesive to secure itself to your surface of choice.

The Ring Video Doorbell 4 boasts quite a lot of features, some of which are unique to the Ring ecosystem. Pre-roll, for instance, shows you exactly what happened up to four seconds before you even receive a notification, which can be the difference between catching that super-speedy delivery driver or missing them altogether. That said, the time between notification to viewing the live feed is one of the fastest we’ve experienced, so you may find yourself not even needing that pre-roll snippet. We also like that the Ring 4 can connect to both 2.4 and 5.0GHz Wi-Fi networks, which makes it more versatile than many of its competitors.

In terms of its features, the Ring Video Doorbell 4 only has one real downside, and it’s a big one—absolutely no free video recording. That means if you miss a notification, you won’t be able to go back and see what you missed, whether it was an important delivery or a potential burglar scoping out your home. Sure, $4.95 per month isn’t a huge ask for the 180 days of video history that come with a Ring Protect Plan, but it does give the likes of Google (which offers three hours of free video history) and Eufy (which usually supports local storage) an edge.

As for the video quality itself, the 1080p HD resolution is clear and crisp enough to make out even the smallest of details. There’s also a HDR setting that amps up the quality even more, albeit at the cost of the already limited battery life.

The Ring Video Doorbell 4 has a generous 160-degree horizontal viewing angle, which is fantastic for large verandahs. However, we would’ve liked a larger vertical viewing range, as depending on how high you mount the doorbell, it’s likely you won’t be able to see your whole doorstep and therefore can’t check on any eagerly-awaited deliveries.

If you’re happy to pay the ongoing fees required to make the most of your device, the Ring Video Doorbell 4 is a capable and intelligent addition to your home. It’s highly responsive, the pre-roll feature is incredibly useful, and dual-band Wi-Fi will be a game-changer for many. That said, the device is let down by its lack of any free storage, shorter battery life and limited vertical viewing angle.