Ring Video Doorbell Plus review: It’s about damn time

The Ring Video Doorbell Plus rights the wrongs of previous models, delivering a wide-sweeping, clear view of your doorstop—even at night.

Ring Video Doorbell Plus
4 out of 5 stars
4
  • pro
    Wide viewing range
  • pro
    Battery-powered
  • pro
    Colour night-vision

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Georgia Dixon
Jun 29, 2023
Icon Time To Read4 min read

When people hear the words ‘video doorbell’, the first brand that comes to mind is almost always Ring. After all, it’s the OG, and with 10 years in the business, its popularity isn’t surprising. After so long in the market and so many models, finding the differences can be a difficult task, but the distinguishing advantage of the Ring Video Doorbell Plus is right there in the name—Plus. With its extended viewing range that finally allows you to see your doorstep, we think it’s the best doorbell Ring has to offer.

pro
Pros
pro Wide viewing range
pro Colour night vision
pro Neat, compact design
pro Fast motion notifications
con
Cons
con No free storage options
con Renter-safe bracket sold separately

Ring Video Doorbell Plus price

Ring

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Priced at $289 for the doorbell only, the Ring Video Doorbell Plus falls somewhere in the middle of Ring’s doorbell range, which starts at $119 and climbs all the way up to $499. You’ll pay a little extra (between $20 and $50) if you want to pair your doorbell with a Ring Chime, Ring Chime Pro, or for renter-safe installation, a No-Drill Mount. We could take or leave the chimes since your phone or Alexa speaker can do the same job, but the fact that the adhesive-based bracket isn’t included as standard is a real shame.

It’s also worth factoring in the price of a Ring Protect Plan ($4.95 per month) when considering the Ring Video Doorbell Plus, as there is no free cloud storage (unlike Google’s Nest Doorbell, which gives users three hours of free video history) nor local storage (as Eufy’s offerings include).

Checklist
What's in the box?

The Ring Video Doorbell Plus box includes the following:

  • Ring Video Doorbell Plus
  • Quick-release battery pack
  • USB charging cable
  • Corner mounting bracket
  • Installation hardware (screws, wall anchors, wire nuts and extenders)
  • Instructions and warranty information

Ring Video Doorbell Plus design and setup

Visually, it’s hard to tell the difference between the Ring Video Doorbell Plus and most other Ring Doorbell models unless you’re looking really closely. However, as we noted in our review of the Ring Video Doorbell 4, that’s not a bad thing. The design is modern, sleek, compact, and relatively lightweight. If it ain’t broke, and all that.

Installing the Ring Video Doorbell Plus is an easy (if renter-unfriendly) process. Simply give the battery pack a charge, and once it’s full, pop it in the doorbell, download the Ring app and you’ll be guided through the steps for connecting it to your Wi-Fi network.

Once you’re ready, follow the included instructions for mounting it to your preferred surface. All the screws and hardware you’ll need to do so can be found in the box—you’ll just need to BYO screwdriver. If you prefer not to make any holes, as mentioned above, you’ll need to fork out an additional $29 for the No-Drill Mount.

Though the Ring Video Doorbell Plus is battery-powered, it can also be connected to your existing doorbell wiring.

Ring Video Doorbell Plus features and performance

Our biggest gripe with the last Ring doorbell we reviewed (the Ring Video Doorbell 4) was its limited vertical viewing range. One of the main benefits of video doorbells in general is the ability to see if that long-awaited parcel finally arrived, but when the doorstep is out of the camera’s range, it doesn’t do a whole lot of good. Thankfully, as you might expect given the ‘Plus’ in the name, the Ring Video Doorbell Plus rectifies this mistake with a generous 150-degree view both vertically and horizontally and a 1:1 aspect ratio—something that, up until this point, was reserved only for the more premium Pro model.

As for the video quality, it’s more than crisp enough to make out faces and some package details, though not quite clear enough to catch the number plate of our car driving down the driveway just two metres away. Then again, that’s what security cameras a for, and as a video doorbell, it does an excellent job, both during the day and at night.

After three weeks of testing (during which time we had many deliveries, visitors and motion triggers), the battery stood at 89%, which bodes really well. It’s a bit too early to tell, but based on our usage up to the time of writing, we estimate a good four or five months’ worth of battery life before it’ll need another juice.

Although quite a lot of features (such as person alerts, rich notifications, and, of course, cloud storage) are locked behind the Ring Protect paywall, the Ring Video Doorbell Plus does have a number of nifty tricks that don't come at an extra cost. These include customisable alert tones, a selection of pre-recorded quick replies, the ability to create motion zones, and adjustable motion sensitivity.

Final word

The Ring Video Doorbell Plus isn’t an earth-shattering update to a tried-and-true formula, but its increased viewing range truly feels like an upgrade and a game-changer. The lack of any free video storage options is sure to be a dealbreaker for some, but if you’re happy to pay the ongoing subscription fee, we reckon the Ring Video Doorbell Plus is one of the best video doorbells Ring has ever produced.

Ring Video Doorbell Plus FAQ

You certainly can, however you'll be much more limited in terms of features. Without a Ring Protect plan, you'll miss out on cloud storage, rich notifications, person alerts, custom quick replies and more. If you're deadset on a video doorbell that comes with some sort of free local storage, we recommend checking out Eufy.

Yes and no. Although any camera is better than no camera, it's only got eyes on one part of your property (the front door). If your main concern is security, you'd be better off opting for a home security camera, as they offer more versatile placement possibilities and tend to have better frame rates and resolutions.

The Ring Video Doorbell 4 has a more limited vertical viewing range (only 40 degrees vs the Plus' 150 degrees) and shorter battery life than the Ring Video Doorbell Plus, however the 4 does offer dual band Wi-Fi connectivity, shorter battery life and pre-roll motion capture.


Disclaimer
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time of publish and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the retailer’s website at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. SafeWise Australia utilises paid affiliate links.
Georgia Dixon
Written by
Georgia Dixon has 10 years of experience writing about all things tech, entertainment and lifestyle. She has bylines on Reviews.org, 7NEWS, Stuff.co.nz, in TechLife magazine and more. In 2023 she won Best News Writer at the Consensus IT Awards, and in 2024 she was a finalist for Best News Journalist at the Samsung IT Journalism Awards (The Lizzies). In her spare time, you'll find her playing games and daydreaming about good food, wine, and dogs.

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