Summary
After years of waffling, I finally caved and bought a Ring doorbell. However, faced with the prospect of having to do a wired installation, I opted for the battery model instead. So far, so good, and I have many good reasons for avoiding this DIY project.
I Rent a House
Like so many Millennials, I rent a house rather than owning one. While that works for me, it does mean that I have to get past my landlord if I want to make any permanent changes to the place.
The house I’m currently renting didn’t have a wired doorbell to begin with, but an old-school “dumb” wireless bell instead. If the necessary wiring was already in place, I might have opted for this option, but as it stands, the wireless, battery-powered solution didn’t require an awkward conversation with the landlord, and I did not have to spend money on permanently upgrading someone else’s property. Best of all, when I eventually move house, I can just take my Ring doorbell with me, since it’s not a permanent fixture.
I Only Recharge Once a Year
The Ring doorbell I use has a stated battery life of around six months, depending on how often people ring your bell, and I do indeed get around that much battery life before I have to take it off my gate and plug it in. Except, I later added theRing solar battery extender, and now it’s been almost a year since I last needed to recharge the bell.
Of course, your mileage may vary, because it all depends on how much sunlight the bell gets, and how many times your bell is rung or how much it detects and records activity. Regardless, having to charge the bell once, or maybe twice a year is hardly an inconvenience, though I do wish Ring’s bells charged a little faster. My solution is to charge it overnight, since I don’t want anyone ringing my doorbell at 1AM anyway.
It’s Easier to Locate and Relocate
When I first installed our Ring, I didn’t like the position. We didn’t get quite the right angle for the camera, so I was forced to move it to a slightly different spot. Not a big deal with a battery model, but if I had gone down the wired route, it would have been a right pain to alter the wired installation.
Yes, I know we should always “measure twice, cut once”, but in this case I could put it anywhere, as long as it was within Wi-Fi range, and if I needed to change things later, no big deal.
I Hate DIY
Perhaps the biggest reason (and certainly the most selfish and personal) is that I really detest DIY jobs around the house. I always mess them up, and, as far as possible, I’d rather pay a professional to do the job right and fast, than for me to do it wrong and slowly, only to need a pro anyway. So the second I realized that I could buy a version of the product that did not involve me spending a Saturday morning swearing under my breath while I cut wires too short, I was sold on it.
Ring Battery Doorbell Pro
Ring’s best battery-powered doorbell camera, loaded with cutting-edge features. Battery Doorbell Pro delivers Head-to-Toe HD+ Video, super-precise 3D Motion Detection that shows you where visitors went on an overhead map of your property, and more.
There Are Downsides
While the battery-powered version of the Ring doorbell worked for me, I can’t necessarily recommend it to everyone. For one thing, it costs a little more than a doorbell with no battery. Which makes sense, of course. It’s not a huge price difference, but the extra components come with a price.
Secondly, if you already have an old-school doorbell with the right wiring, consider wiring up your doorbell.However,even if you do decide to wire the doorbell, I still recommend getting a battery model. That’s because your doorbell will keep working during a power outage. As long as your Wi-Fi has backup power (and it should), you’ll still have the use of your doorbell and its security benefits.
The biggest downside is longevity, since the battery will eventually wear out. However, considering the miniscule number of charge cycles your bell will go through during its lifetime, it will be time and not usage that does the battery in, and you’ll likely want a new bell for a different reason before then.
