We all want better and safer ways to protect our home, and one way to safeguard our property is by identifying who is at the door before opening it. This is where a video doorbell comes in handy. A smart doorbell can serve at the first line of defense for homeowners. You can see and speak with whoever is standing outside your front door.
Smart doorbells offer plenty of features and usually use a wifi connection to stream video right to your phone. Some include motion detection and cloud video storage as well. Remobell and Ring are two of the most recognized smart doorbells on the market today. Let’s take a look at how these two compare and what you can expect if you choose to purchase one of these smart doorbells for your home.
RemoBell
The RemoBell is a video doorbell which provides a safe method to view your front porch without opening the front door. As a matter of fact, you don’t have to be anywhere near your door. Like other video doorbells, RemoBell offers a live streaming feature straight to your mobile device, along with motion detection.
RemoBell is completely wireless and easy to install. Unfortunately, this video doorbell does not work with other smart home devices or systems. Here are some additional details about Remobell’s video doorbell and what it has to offer.
Features and Design
The RemoBell video doorbell is a little bulkier than other devices in the same category. It checks in at 6.0” tall by 2.7” wide and 1.2” deep. It comes in a weatherproof silver and black enclosure which is surrounded with an LED ring. During setup, the ring will pulse blue, but once you have everything n place, it’ll glow continuously when pressed.
A passive infrared sensor sits behind the glossy enclosure and helps detect motion by sensing body heat. It also includes a built-in light sensor, a microphone, a 720p camera, and two infrared LEDs so you can see your front porch even at night.
On the bottom edge of the device is a speaker and a space which holds six AA batteries, along with a reset button. Based on RemoBell’s site, the batteries will provide four months worth of power before they need to be recharged or replaced. Included with the video doorbell is a mounting bracket and screws.
The RemoBell video doorbell connects to any 2.4GHz wifi network and works with any iOS or Android mobile device. When your doorbell is pressed, you’ll hear a nice, loud chime, that will also play through the app. Immediately after hearing the chime, you’ll be able to view the video stream and see who or what is on your front porch. Of course, when the doorbell chimes, you have the option to either accept or decline it.
If you decide to accept it, you’ll have the ability to use the two-way audio capabilities and speak with the person at your door. Whether you answer or decline, RemoBell will record a one-minute video and upload it to the cloud for safekeeping. Additionally, a one-minute clip is captured is the doorbell senses motion. When it’s done, it will send a notification to your smartphone.
RemoBell gives you the first 30 days of cloud storage for free, however, after that you’ll have to pay a monthly fee. The fee does include unlimited storage, so you don’t have to worry about whether or not you have enough space for your recordings.
Unfortunately, like other video doorbells, RemoBell does not offer an on-demand video option. Additionally, it lacks integration with other smart home systems and devices. The RemoBell is a standalone device that doesn’t even support IFTTT.
The RemoBell mobile application opens to its Recent Activity screen so you can see a list of events like answered, missed, and declined rings. Every event shows the time and date of the video recording, along with a small thumbnail image. Users can click on the thumbnail to play, share, delete, or download the video.
If you click on the three-bar icon in the top left corner of the application, you can view the settings menu. Here you can edit and view your account information, manage your push notifications, check the battery life of your RemoBell, and modify video and sensitivity settings.
Performance and Installation
One nice thing about the RemoBell is that it is very easy to install. You’ll have this video doorbell up and going in no time. Once you install the batteries, download the app onto your smartphone and create your RemoBell account.
Follow the guide within the app to connect to the SSID on the device. You’ll then connect your home wifi network to your RemoBell and enter your wifi password. If everything is done correctly, you should be all set within a matter of minutes. Mount your video doorbell in a place that makes sense near your front door and you’re done!
You’ll get a high-quality video feed with your RemoBell. It’s rich colors and sharp video means you’ll have no trouble seeing who is at the door whether it’s day or night. There is a bit of a lag when you answer a right, which makes carrying on a conversation a bit of a challenge. Additionally, there is room for improvement with the audio quality on the RemoBell.
Even though there are areas where RemoBell can do a better job, the device sends a push notification when the bell is pressed or it detects motion. Each time these events occurred, the device was sure to record a video clip and send it to your smartphone.
RemoBell Wrap-Up
The RemoBell is the perfect smart video doorbell for someone who doesn’t want to mess with a lot of wiring or spend much time on setup. This device provides quality 720p video and always sends an alert when movement is sensed.
However, there are room for improvements with this device as well. The audio quality is poor and real-time video lags. RemoBell does not offer integration with other smart home systems or devices, including IFTT.
Ring
The Ring video doorbell is one of the most recognized brands on the market. With all the features the device offers, it’s no wonder why. This device offers 1080p quality video, Amazon Alexa voice support, motion zones customization, and IFTTT integration. It goes without saying this is a top of the line video doorbell.
Features and Design
Ring’s video doorbell checks in at 4.5” high by 1.8” wide by 0.8” deep. This slim device looks more like a standard doorbell than may other video doorbells on the market. The Ring comes with four faceplates, which you can change out at your discretion. You can choose between white, nickel, black, or bronze.
The device also includes mounting screws and anchors, a screwdriver, a wiring kit, extension wires if needed, and an illustrated walkthrough guide.
You’ll get a 160-degree field of vision with your Ring video doorbell, along with 1080p quality video stream. Its three infrafred LEDs means you’ll be able to see up to 30 feet at night. The device also includes a built-in microphone, speaker, motion sensor, and chime.
Ring’s video doorbell supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless connections, so you don’t have to worry about whether or not it will work with your router. It does, however, require a two-wire power source, but you already have one connected to your traditional doorbell.
The face of the doorbell includes the button and the camera. Both are surrounded by a blue LED glow that lights up when pressing the button. If you need to get to the setup button on the right side of the device, you can do so by removing the faceplate from the device.
You’ll hear a chime when you press the doorbell button, just like you do with the RemoBell. When this happens, the camera starts recording and a notification is immediately sent to your smartphone. Unfortunately, to view, download, and share your videos, you have to pay a monthly fee.
You can download the Ring mobile application through both the iOS and Android marketplaces. When you launch the app, it defaults to My Devices, so you can see all the Ring devices you have installed in your home. It also offers a Neighborhood setting, which lets you view your neighbor’s videos if they choose to post them.
On the bottom half of the application screen, you’ll see a list of all your historical events. These include live view requests, rings, and motion triggers. You can select any of the events to watch the video clip associated with it. You can also save it, share it, or delete it. If you tap on the Live View button, you can watch a live stream in landscape mode.
Under the Live View option are several buttons which correspond to specific features. Event Histroy will take you to your events list. Linked Chimes allows you to view your doorbell and device ring chime. Device Health lets you see your system status, voltage settings, and wifi strength. Motion Settings is a menu which lets you change motion sensitivity and zones so you can control when you receive alerts and notifications.
The application also includes a Motion Snooze option, letting you disable motion notifications for a set period of time. A Shared Users button lets you add people you want to have the ability to receive alerts and view videos. Lastly, you can select Ring+ so you can connect to other smart home systems or devices like Wink, WeMo, Kevo, and others.
Performance and Installation
Installation of the Ring video doorbell is simple and straightforward thanks to the instructions included in the box. There are also videos available in the mobile app that will walk you through the setup. Of course, if you’re at all uncomfortable with dealing with wiring, contact a professional and have them do it for you.
Follow the instructions to remove the old doorbell and connect your new Ring video doorbell. Pick the housing you want and screw it into your house using the mounting screws. Download the app and set up your Ring account if you don’t already have one. Select and name your device, then press down the button to validate that everything is working as it should.
When that’s done, you’ll be asked to enter your wifi information so the device can connect to your network. It only takes about half a minute for the doorbell to find and connect to your network. Once everything is connected and mounted, you’re all set!
You’ll get a sharp 1080p video with the Ring video doorbell. Both daytime and nighttime video viewing are rich in color with a clear picture. Viewing in the dark provides great vision out to around three yards. The two-way audio isn’t distorted and is plenty loud enough, which is a challenge for some video doorbells.
The Ring’s motion detection works as expected, as does the alert functionality on the device. You’ll receive a notification any time the sensor is tripped or the doorbell is pressed and a video is recorded. Additionally, since the doorbell works with IFTTT, you can integrate creative tasks with other smart home devices.
Ring Wrap-Up
Ring’s video doorbell gives you nearly everything you might want to have in a smart doorbell. Setup and easy and straightforward, it has a sleek design, and offers multiple faceplates. The doorbell gives you a high-quality 1080p quality feed no matter whether you’re viewing during the night or daytime. If you are looking for a great option in the video doorbell area, the Ring is one of the best options available.
Comparison Chart
Here’s a high-level comparison of the RemoBell and Ring smart video doorbells:
| RemoBell | Ring | |
| Color | Silver | White, Nickel, Black, Bronze |
| Power | AA batteries | Hardwired |
| Live Streaming | No | Yes |
| Cloud Storage | 30 days free then monthly fee | Monthly fee |
| Mobile App | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
| Alerts | Motion | Motion |
| Zones | No | Yes |
| Third-Party Integration | No | IFTTT, Wink, WeMo, etc. |
| Night Vision | Yes | Yes |
Final Thoughts
Both the RemoBell and Ring video doorbells are quality options if you want a smart doorbell. The ability to watch your front porch and know exactly what is going on can be very helpful, especially if you get a lot of packages or visitors. Additionally, you’ll receive an alert that lets you know any time the motion sensor trips and video is captured.
The RemoBell is a decent video doorbell, however, if you want all the bells and whistles, you’re much better going with the Ring. It offers plenty of features and integrates with other smart devices and systems. If you want the latest and greatest, you’re much better off selecting a Ring smart doorbell.
Further read,
Remo+ does have zones & you can view live & pause motion detection alerts. It also can be wired in as well as battery hook up. The only difference is it’s not compatible with other devices or IFTTT.
I forgot to mention, the cloud storage is free. I’ve had mine for a year free.