Yahoo Finance Can the Ring stick up cam take the stress out of home security? We put it to the test
As well as a comprehensive range of video doorbells and home security systems, Ring has started making a name for itself by developing smart cameras, offering unparalleled opportunities to integrate traditional CCTV-style devices into a smart security setup – meaning you’ll get notifications to your smartphone, live-action and two-way talk.
The Ring stick up cam, which as the name suggests, is designed to stick up anywhere inside or outside your home, offers simplicity, versatility and hassle-free setup.
Much like its sleek and minimal video doorbell designs, Ring has definitely emphasised versatility and ease of use with this device – the camera itself isn’t much more than a small, cylindrical-shaped unit with a little stand, allowing you to place it wherever you like.
But can this uncomplicated offering really help to keep your home safe? From installation to perfomance, we put the Ring stick up cam to the test to see how it holds up against the rest of the market.
Ring stick up cam
Buy now £89, Amazon.co.uk
Rating: 7/10
On first impressions, what we really liked about the Ring stick up cam was the way the stand could flip around and be used as a mount to attach it to the wall if required. We also liked the built-in spirit level – perhaps unnecessary attention to detail but a nice touch, all the same.
We tested the device primarily on a flat surface in our home, using the inbuilt customisable motion detection that we’ll discuss in a bit more detail later on in this article, but the camera is also weatherproof and can be mounted outside too if needs be.
There are two versions to choose from – battery or wired – but if you’re putting the camera outside, we liked the fact that it can be powered via an ethernet at distances of up to 100 metres, which is a real plus. The battery option has a slightly narrower field of view, at 115 degrees rather than 150 degrees, but we didn’t necessarily think this was a big issue.
Both versions work in an almost identical way, although one plus if using the wired version plugged into your modem via an ethernet connection is that you don’t need to be too concerned with how far the wifi stretches. Again, a nice touch.
Features
There’s not much to complain about when it comes to the audio and video quality, which as we’ve found with many of Ring’s products we’ve tested, is excellent and provides crisp sound and visuals in both day and night modes. The camera will automatically switch to night mode when needed, and again, provides more than adequate quality for most uses. Setup wise it’s the same as other Ring devices – scan the QR code on the back and it’ll link up seamlessly. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to get the camera and your phone talking to each other, but it’s an easy and hassle-free process generally.
Read more: Blink vs Ring: Which doorbell camera system is best?
Being a smart camera, if you’re using it inside as we were when we tested, you have to be mindful and careful of defining your notifications from the off. The camera automatically starts recording whenever it detects motion, which is fine when you’re out the house, but can lead to some pretty redundant footage if you’re just going about your everyday business! However, you do have the option to define rest periods, so you can switch this feature on only for times you’re out the house, or when you’re sleeping, for example.
The aforementioned customisable detection zone feature also works well, so if you’ve got the camera outside or facing a window, for example, you can eliminate much of what happens on the driveway or the neighbour’s garden and tell the camera only to start recording if it detects movement within certain zones. Again, like other Ring products, this is a trademark feature that works just as well on this device as it does other products we’ve tested.
Subscriptions and ongoing costs
The outright purchase price of the stick up cam is for the most part, around £100, but unfortunately, that’s not where the financial commitment stops.
Ring’s protect subscription service appears to be an optional extra – only required if you want to store videos and two-way talk in the cloud (which let’s be honest, isn’t always vital when people coming knocking at your door). With no inbuilt card slot or local storage option for the Ring stick up, however, the monthly subscription package feels a bit of a must, especially if you’re capturing lots of footage. Otherwise, the images you collect for home security are next to useless if something needs to be referred back to.
It feels to us a bit of shame. This is a top quality camera packed with Ring’s impressive technology, but if you don’t want the outlay of an additional £30 a year for one camera, or nearly £100 a year for unlimited cameras, then you may quite rightly be interested in looking elsewhere.
The verdict: Ring stick up cam
Overall, this is another really impressive offering from Ring. Its technology is leading the way when it comes to home security, and we really liked the fact that the stick up cam is offered with both wired and battery options available. The fact you can power it over ethernet is another bonus that alleviates any wireless internet connection issues.
The quality of footage is excellent and the motion detection works as you’d want it to. We struggled however to give the camera a higher score due to the issues with local storage – if you’re already plugged into the Ring ecosystem this device makes perfect sense, but if you don’t want to sign up to an ongoing subscription and need something more basic that allows you to store footage on your home devices rather than on the cloud, you may want to look elsewhere.
Buy now £89.00, Amazon.co.uk
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