Security cameras have grown in popularity in recent years, and before buying a new home I really had no interest in them. I got started with Ring's Video Doorbell Pro, and from there I've wanted to just continue adding and adding because I see a lot of value in protecting my family and belongings.
Ring, a company that was founded back in 2012, has been releasing lots of great options for those looking at self-install home security cameras and alarms, and the company recently refreshed its original Stick Up Camera.
The home security camera space is a crowded one, and there are options that come in at all different price points. I've tried many of them, and most end up coming back down and my Ring gear always ends up going back up. The Ring Stick Up Camera has found a new permanent home in my house, but mainly because I have other cameras to help compliment it. On its own, I'm not really sure that the Stick Up Camera makes much sense in Ring's lineup currently.
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Comes with both an indoor and outdoor (long) power cord
- Box includes almost all tools needed to install it
Cons
- Night vision works better outside than inside
- Annual fee in order to see previous video clips
Ring Stick Up Cam What I love
I've been a big fan of Ring's products ever since I first put the Video Doorbell Pro on my front door. Since then, I've added a few of the Spotlight Cams and even have the Ring Alarm at my home. But in all honesty, I was hesitant when it came to the Stick Up Cam. My initial hesitation was put to rest as soon as I got the Stick Up Cam, though. From the second you open the box, all through the install, every step of the process is very easy to complete.
Ring gives you tons of control over everything from motion zones to notifications.
The mounting process is very simple, but I did notice that the camera tends to get in the way when trying to install the screws into the sheetrock. This added a few extra minutes to the process, which wasn't the end of the world and still completely manageable. Ring uses a security screw to hold a cover in place that goes over the rest of the screws used to mount the camera, and another one on the bottom where the microUSB cable connects to the camera. This extra security prevents someone from being able to walk up and quickly disconnect or remove your camera, which is a huge plus.
Ring provides two power cable options for the wired one (which is what I have), one which is meant to be used indoors and a bit shorter, as well as a heavier duty cable that's much longer and meant to be used for outdoor installs. Once installed, the setup process in the app takes just a few seconds, and then you're up and running. Ring gives you a bunch of great options to control notifications, alerts, motion zones, times, and so much more. Depending on where you plan to install the camera, you'll want to spend some extra time customizing all of these, but the out-of-box options are a great starting point.
Ring Stick Up Cam What I didn't care for
Initially, I installed the camera in our loft, which is a dark place in the evenings, and quickly ended up having to relocate the camera because it didn't work so great. There was a large number of times where the camera missed motions due to the dark surroundings, which is something we've never experienced with the outdoor cameras. After a short period of time, we moved the camera from the loft into the garage, where we saw much better results.
Mounting the camera can take longer than needed because of the design.
The camera is designed to be installed in a multitude of ways, but not all of them are very easy to actually do. With how the plate sits behind the camera unit itself, navigating a screwdriver around to get the screws into our wall gets a bit tricky, and it turned what could have been a 5 minute install into a 30+ minute install for me. Not the biggest of issues, but annoying nonetheless.
At times, the video was delayed and very choppy, which meant things that were in frame would just randomly disappear. This appears to have worked itself out recently, but still worth noting as it's not something that was commonly noticed on other Ring cameras. Additionally, compared to the outdoor cameras and the doorbell, the audio quality is not quite as crisp.
Ring Stick Up Cam Should you buy it?
If you're already invested in the Ring ecosystem, this camera is a no-brainer. If this is set to be your first Ring product, you may want to consider one of the other options, unless you're planning to add more Ring devices in the future. Ring's $30/year fee is pretty standard when it comes to security cameras, but there are some options out there that you can get to avoid that if you just need a single camera.
Like I stated earlier, I noticed that this did struggle a little with indoor alerts when it was dark out, which was a bit of a bummer in all honesty. In the garage environment, where there's a bit more lighting around, it worked way better and was much more responsive than the other test environments.
Overall, the Stick Up Camera is a great device that brings a lot of features along with it. From the customizable motion zones to the high-quality video and two-way audio communication, there's a lot to be desired here, but at $180, you're better off getting the Spotlight Cam for any outdoor install you have in mind.
