Ring Camera Review: This Home Security Upgrade Will Put Your Mind at Ease

For anyone who’s missed the funny videos on traveler types that have been trending in recent months, people are generally divided into two camps: type As and type Bs. Both have a completely different approach to travel. In broad terms, type As are meticulous planners. They research extensively before a trip, arrive at the airport early, and create detailed itineraries in advance, all booked and paid for ahead of time. It’s fair to say that everyone needs a type A in their group chat. Type Bs also make great travel companions, but in the opposite way: very little planning or pre-booking is done, with an itinerary that leaves ample space for spontaneity.These two traveler types are just as likely to have different approaches to home security while they're away. But whether you're a meticulous planner or more go-with-the-flow, keeping your home protected is one thing that is on everyone’s mind before heading out the door. To see how Ring’s security systems fit into both travel styles, we put them to the test with our resident type A, Dana Kravis, and type B, Bridget Mills-Powell.A type A traveler’s perspectiveWhen it comes to travel, I am decidedly type A. I get to the airport with enough time for a full meal (and ideally a snack) before my flight. I have a system for packing the day before… then unpacking and repacking to make sure I don’t forget anything. But when it comes to home security, I tend to lock the door and leave. Trying out the Ring Battery Doorbell and Outdoor Cam Plus was a bit of a revelation for me and it turned out I couldn’t have tried them out on a more dramatic long weekend.But first, the setup. My husband is an IT professional and was hovering over me while I installed both products. Thankfully, the setup was so simple and user friendly that I never once needed to tap him in for help. The whole thing happens in a series of very easy prompts on your phone. I loved that both products were battery powered, so there was no hardwiring required—I just attached the Doorbell to my front door with a few small screws and placed the Outdoor Cam Plus on the ledge of my planter, hoping to catch the squirrels who have been terrorizing my modest kitchen garden.Out of town over the long hot Fourth of July weekend, our block and a few others in our area ended up losing power. The Neighbors feature in the Ring app allowed me to see how widespread the power outage was and to get real-time updates from people in my area when the power started coming back on, which relieved the anxiety of the idea that we would come home to a thawed refrigerator. There have also been a rash of coyote sightings in my area which the Neighbors feature let me keep track of.Occasionally I found Ring to be a bit too observant and detailed for what I needed thanks to a video descriptions feature that you can toggle on or off. One night it alerted me that “a person is descending the steps holding a trash bag” which sounded like the ominous opening of a true crime novel but really was just my husband taking out the garbage. Other times, the detail was welcome, like when my daughter got home from camp and Ring let me know “A child is placing a backpack at the entrance,” to our house. The Ring does have a Pro Option called Familiar Faces which lets it collect biometric data to learn and identify frequent visitors. That option wasn't of interest to me, so I left it off. All in all, I enjoyed using the Ring, but might be too Type A to want to use all the features all the time—I have a feeling I’d be too tethered to my phone while traveling if I did. —Dana Kravis, CNT's global executive director of videoBridget Mills-PowellA type B traveler’s perspectiveI'm unapologetically type B. My favorite travel plan is, “Let's just see how we feel tomorrow.” Rather than spending hours researching everything before I leave, I'd rather ask my waiter over dinner where the locals go.Need more proof I'm a type B? Here it is. I was burgled at my previous apartment seven years ago, and ever since, buying a security camera has been one of those jobs I've been meaning to get around to. Then there's the fact that I've lived in my current house for five years with a broken doorbell, something I've also been meaning to replace for, well, five years. Suffice to say, home security has always been on my radar. Actually doing something about it? That's another story.So when I was asked to test out the Ring Battery Doorbell and Outdoor Cam Plus for my upcoming trip, I was thrilled. The setup was satisfyingly simple. I only had to skim over the instructions to understand what was required. (I guess type B’s also don’t like instruction manuals.) First step, charge the battery. It charged quickly, in the time it took me to clear my inbox and Slacks.Second step, installation. After downloading the Ring app and scanning the QR codes to register the devices, I felt like I'd finally dragged my home security into the 21st century. To install the devices outside, I decided to call a professional as I can’t be trusted to even hammer a nail into the wall. Embarrassingly, he got the job done in under four minutes.As I set off on my trip, it was comforting to know my home was more secure than ever. I couldn’t believe the level of detail in the notifications. I knew when someone was walking past with a dog, a person was cycling past my house, or a man was outside my door with a brown parcel. The latter actually came in very useful as unsurprisingly, I’d forgotten about the delivery of an important order, and thanks to my Ring notifications, I could message my neighbor to intercept.Final thoughtsThankfully, my trip passed without a single suspicious notification. But in a way, that feels like part of the appeal. Visible security devices can act as a deterrent in themselves, making a home a far less attractive target. For years, my version of home security had been leaving a light on while I was away, before I realized that wasn’t great for the environment or my electricity bill. Having the Ring devices in place feels like a much smarter and safer solution, and is easy enough to set up for even the most type B travelers to handle.