Ring Floodlight Camera Review

It’s true that back in the day, things were a lot simpler. Doorbells were just doorbells and floodlights were just floodlights. However, with the advances in technology that we have reached, it’s just natural for us to explore new ways to make stuff more useful. And with the reception of the Ring doorbells, it shows that a lot of people welcome the change.

In addition to their smart and multi functional doorbells, Ring also introduced their upgraded version of a security device. Half floodlight, half surveillance camera, and a whole home protection device, the Ring Floodlight Camera promises to add another layer of safety, convenience, and functionality to your property.

If you’re interested in knowing more about this item, read our in depth review below.

A Detailed Review of the Ring Floodlight Camera

Design and Features

True to Ring’s branding, the Ring Floodlight Camera looks exactly like what it is: a floodlight with a camera. It has two bulbs on each upper hand corner with a rectangular camera in the bottom middle on a circular base.

It will remind you somewhat of the classic emergency lights of old, except this one has a more modern silhouette. The camera also looks like a contemporary camera that reminds us of small loudspeakers, so it’s still pretty easy to tell that it’s not your regular floodlight.

Available in black and white bodies, you can choose which one will suit your property’s exteriors and architecture better. Lots of folks choose black to be less conspicuous while others like the white option as they look clean and maybe even have a decorative purpose in some modern homes.

Setup and Usage

What makes this product a hit is its simple installation. Like other IP home security cameras, you can set up the Ring Floodlight Cam within minutes even if you are not tech-savvy. You just need to download the app, power on the camera, connect it to the app, and then connect the device to your wireless network. Its app prompts will guide you in taking the steps to get everything done, making the installation a breeze.

However, since this is a wired device, you will need to connect it to a power source to keep it running. Doing this will most likely be trickier so some experts recommend hiring professionals to do the installing and electrical wiring if you’re not adept at such a task.

The usage of the camera itself is simple, too. Once it’s set in place, you don’t really have to do a lot with the main unit as its functionalities are accessed through the app. Because of this, it’s important to get the position properly the first time around so you don’t have to move it around anymore.

Video Quality

The images this camera records are of great quality. They’re sharp and clear but can have some distortion on the outer edges of the shot. With a 140-degree field of view, however, you can already cover a fantastic amount of coverage so you won’t really lose much in your footage.

Track and Zoom

Despite its price, this product doesn’t have a tracking feature so you can’t count on that. It has 6x digital zoom, however, so you can still get to see up close at the details of the scenes your camera has recorded.

Audio Quality

The quality of the Floodlight camera’s audio is also reliable. You can use it to record voices and sounds alongside your videos or for a clear two-way talk. It works like an intercom, so if you need something like such, this can be a solid pick.

To help guests and visitors feel more secure about their privacy, Ring recently rolled out its Audio Off Toggle feature which will let you manually turn the audio recording on. As a result, your guests don’t have to worry about having their conversations recorded.

The 110 dB siren is also noteworthy. It’s loud enough to distract and scare off intruders and to alert neighbors and residents about them.

Motion Detection

As the key component of the Ring Floodlight Camera, you can expect this item’s motion sensor to be top-notch. It is as it responds very quickly to getting woken up and will immediately notify you, start recording, and turn on the light (if you set it up as such).

To get accurate alerts and minimize false alarms, you can effectively tweak its settings. You can set it to only go off when humans are present and not animals, vehicles, or insects. You can also adjust its sensitivity level so it won’t get easily tripped by every moving thing within its range.

It also has motion zones that you can access and set in the app. With this feature, you can select a certain portion of the screen and limit the alerts to movements made in the specified area. By choosing an area that intruders will easily pass through, you will have better odds tho reduce the number of false alerts.

Floodlights

The 3000° Kelvin LED lights are also worth noting as they contribute to the overall performance of this device. You can configure them to be motion or manually triggered, so they’re rather versatile. They’re also pretty bright so you can be sure to effectively illuminate a space and throw off intruders from their plan. They’re also designed to help enhance the night vision mode of the camera unit, so you can be sure that it won’t have a negative impact on your footage.

Unfortunately, the bulbs of these LED lights are not replaceable. While they are said to be capable of lasting up to a decade, it can still be quite wasteful to need to replace the entire unit just because the lights burned out.

Cloud Storage Costs

Unfortunately, like other Ring products, you will be required to pay for a cloud subscription. It doesn’t have local storage so you can’t access or store your clips without having to pay for it.

How much do they cost? The service is initially free as the product comes with a 30-day free trial. After the trial period, you should have already decided whether to subscribe or not.

For plan upgrades, be ready to spend $3 monthly or $30 annually for the Basic plan and $10 monthly or $100 annually for the Plus plan. Without such services, you won’t be able to access all of the camera’s features and will only be limited to view the live feed. The subscription plans have great coverage and inclusions, however, that lots of people find them worth spending good money on.

Smart Home Compatibility

Being a Ring product, you can expect this device to be fully compatible with the Ring ecosystem. With this, you can use the other connected devices to help you make use of the camera with more ease. As for other smart home environments, the device isn’t compatible yet for integration.

Mobile Apps and Web Portals

For your utmost convenience, you can access the Floodlight Camera controls through the Ring app and web portal. You can use either to tweak the settings, watch the live stream, and do more with your device without a hitch. Both are easy to use so you shouldn’t have a hard time using them.

FAQs

How does the Ring Floodlight Camera work?

The Ring Floodlight Camera is just like other home security cameras today. Its video recording and floodlight are motion-triggered which helps save power, data, and cloud storage space.

Are the Ring Floodlight bulbs replaceable?

No, the floodlight bulbs are not replaceable. The manufacturer says that they will last for up to 10 years, however, so there’s a chance that you’ve already replaced your camera by the time the lights burn out.

Does Ring work without a subscription?

Like the Nest cameras, Ring products do not record when you’re not subscribed to their cloud service.

Does the Ring Floodlight Cam record continuously?

No, this specific model doesn’t record continuously. Other wired products by Ring are slated to have such functionality through a cloud subscription, however.

Can I keep the floodlights on?

Yes, you can manually switch the floodlights on and off. You can also schedule when it turns on and off.

Conclusion

Equipped with the full range of the functionalities of a floodlight and a home security camera, the Ring Floodlight Camera can really be a convenient pick if you want to protect your property better. With just a single device you can already do a lot, so even with its relatively steep price tag, it can still be worth the investment for many.