Ring Battery Doorbell Pro review: a convenient, capable battery-powered option

By Jon Bitner Published March 7, 2024

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Ring Video Doorbells are incredibly popular — and for good reason. Along with high-quality cameras and easy installation, they give you access to the robust Ring mobile app that lets you adjust dozens of customization options and smart alerts. The new Ring Battery Doorbell Pro carries on this legacy, while also bringing features typically relegated to hardwired models to a battery-powered design. It’s undoubtedly one of the best battery-powered video doorbells available, and if you don’t mind its price, there’s little else to complain about.

From breezy installation and tons of customization options to the advanced Bird’s Eye Zones and HD+ resolution, the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro packs in heaps of functionality without the need for wires. Nothing else in the Ring battery-powered lineup comes close to matching its performance, making it an easy recommendation for nearly all homes.

A big selling point of all battery-powered video doorbells is their simple setup, and that goes for the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro. After downloading the app to your phone, it’ll walk you through the entire process, which takes about 15 minutes. The only step that might pose any difficulty is attaching it to your home, as you’ll need to use screws to secure it to a wall.

Once it’s been properly attached to your home and synced with your phone, you’ll be presented with a bunch of options that can be toggled to help you determine how the camera will perform. One of the most important options determines how often your camera will look for motion. This can be adjusted between three modes (Periodically, Regularly, or Frequently) that impact how often motion will trigger a recording. Opt for Frequently, and you’ll see a big hit to battery life. Opt for Periodically, and you’ll get a bit more juice out of the device before needing a recharge.

When set to Regularly, I managed to get just over two weeks of juice out of the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro before it needed a recharge. Your mileage will vary based on the number of times the doorbell is triggered and for how long the doorbell films after each event, but don’t expect this device to run for six months on a single battery. With few motion events and alerts set to Periodically, you might be able to get one month from a full charge.

It takes several hours to fully charge its battery, so consider picking up a second one that can be swapped in during this downtime. Otherwise, your porch will be left unprotected.

Charging the battery is simple, thanks to a quick-release mechanism that allows the camera frame to stay attached to your home. After removing just the faceplate, you can slip out the battery. It’s nice that it’s so easy to charge — especially since you’ll be doing it a few times each month.

If you prefer, the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro can also be hardwired.

Ring calls the Battery Doorbell Pro its “most advanced battery-powered doorbell,” and it certainly lives up to that billing. That’s especially true for its video quality, which records in 1536p and supports HDR for improved clarity in lowlight and bright environments. You can also enable color night vision to get a better look at your property when the sun goes down. The presence of zonal infrared LEDs helps reduce the nasty glare that often appears in nighttime footage, ensuring no details get blown out or overexposed.

Best of all, it uses a viewing angle (150 degrees horizontal, 150 degrees vertical) that captures guests from head to toe. The angle is also generous enough to capture packages that might be left at the foot of your doorstep. It doesn’t support 4K like some video doorbells, but it still looks impressive during real-life usage (especially when you consider it’s battery-powered). The resolution looked crisp on an iPhone 15 even after zooming in considerably.

Audio is just as impressive on the video doorbell thanks to the use of Ring’s Audio+ technology. This essentially serves as noise cancellation technology that reduces echoes and mutes background noises while talking to guests through its two-way speaker.

Aside from an easy installation process, premium video resolution, and crisp audio, the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro is loaded with other high-end features. The most compelling of these are Bird’s Eye Zones, which are typically only available on wired products. This gives you an aerial view of your property and highlights exactly how movement approaches your home. It’s a unique feature, and since you can view this map (via a small pop-up window) while you’re viewing the actual footage captured by your video doorbell, it makes it easy to understand what’s happening on your property.

Other useful features include Pre-Roll to capture additional footage leading up to a motion event, support for dual-band Wi-Fi, and an interchangeable faceplate that can be swapped out for a variety of different colors (sold separately).

The Ring Battery Doorbell Pro is a feature-complete battery doorbell. It captures vibrant footage, supports Bird’s Eye Zones, is highly customizable, and is powered by the intuitive Ring mobile app. The only real drawback is its price — at $230, it’s one of the most expensive video doorbells. It also takes quite a hit on battery life, with most users likely to only get a few weeks of power before needing a recharge.

For most homes, this is one of the best video doorbells you can purchase. You’ll get better battery life out of the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, but if you don’t mind recharging it every few weeks, the Battery Doorbell Pro offers more features (such as Pre-Roll and Bird’s Eye Zones).

Outside of Ring’s lineup, you should take a look at the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell and Google Nest Doorbell. Both are available in wireless formats, are highly customizable, and clock in at prices much lower than the Battery Doorbell Plus. But if you want a premium battery-powered doorbell, the latest from Ring is hard to beat.