Ring Video Doorbell Review: Home Security When You Travel

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

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Ring Video Doorbell Review:

Price and Where to Buy Ring Video Doorbell: Ring Video Doorbell is $179 from Ring.com or Amazon. If you want to be able to play back video (as opposed to just use the live view), you’ll pay an additional $3 per month.

How the Ring Video Doorbell Rates:

Usefulness: 10/10. The Ring Video Doorbell alerts your smartphone every time there’s motion at the front door or when someone rings the doorbell. The built-in 180-degree camera allows you to get a broad view of your front door area, and the built-in microphone means you can listen and respond to anyone near the door. Not only is this useful for things like deliveries, but it’s also a great way to keep tabs on what’s happening at home when you travel. There’s also a plug-in Chime accessory that you can use if you want the traditional doorbell experience (with some additional non-traditional ring tones) in your house, rather than just relying on the smartphone notification.
Value: 9/10. There’s peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ll be alerted if someone comes to your front door, no matter where you are. You can also pair the front doorbell with motion-activated security cameras to create a broader affordable security system that you can visually monitor with your phone from anywhere.
Durability: 9/10. The Ring Video Doorbell is made to be outside, and it seems tough enough to endure all sorts of weather. It can work in conditions between -5 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and has a warranty of one year on its parts. It can be hardwired or run off a battery, and the battery life is surprisingly long, which is nice.
Cool Factor: 10/10. This is an easy way to drag any front door into the high-tech future, and to keep tabs on your house when you’re away.

Final Verdict: The Ring Video Doorbell is a practical and powerful home security tool for travelers, and has many day-to-day non-travel benefits as well.

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Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on usefulness, portability, durability, value, and “cool factor.” Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product. If you have any questions or comments concerning our reviews, or would like to suggest a product for review, please email us at editor@smartertravel.com.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.