We have covered the Ring Doorbell 4, Ring Indoor Camera & Ring Outdoor camera but in this review, we cover the one product that links all of these devices together. The Ring Alarm & Ring Siren alongside what we have reviewed already will provide you with the ultimate protection for your home.
First Impressions
There are a few different options in terms of packages you can purchase from Ring that add more sensors or motion detectors and also include the Ring Siren to the package. In this review, we have been sent the Ring Alarm pack S which includes:
This currently costs £159 and we also got set the Siren which costs an additional £69.99. You can get options that provide you with additional sensors & Motion detectors and you can also add the siren into packages available on the Ring website.
As you will have noticed if you had read some of our other reviews in this Ring series they do not just do the alarm system you have outdoor cameras, indoor cameras and the Ring doorbell. The Ring Alarm 5-piece kit is the most popular security system they have on the market
The Ring alarm is a DIY alarm system allowing you to install it yourself with ease and the use of the outdoor siren acts as a deterrent against possible burglary. The 2nd Gen alarm system we are reviewing actually uses the same base station as the 1st gen model so if you already have this in place it’s simply a fact of purchasing new sensors and sirens into the existing system, therefore, saving some money on upgrading the system.
Design
The Ring Alarm 5-piece kit comes as a starter kit as mentioned but you can buy the motion sensors and motion detectors individually. The base Station is the heart of the operation and as mentioned if you already have the previous model base station you will be pleased to know it’s the same model. It’s a Z-Wave hub that communicates with all the wireless sensors, internal siren and even your existing Ring Security cameras.
The alarm system must be wall mounted as it’s best to keep it out of the way and it should be hard-wired but it also comes with a battery inside so you have peace of mind it will still work even if there is a power cut in your house. In terms of connecting it to the internet, you can either connect this via an ethernet cable or you can do it wirelessly via a Wi-Fi connection.
In terms of the keypad that is provided Ring has taken on board previous comments about the model being quite big with a confusing layout and have replaced it with a smaller model with a layout that is less confusing.
This new model is now less intrusive and you have the option of having a keypad in multiple locations for example one upstairs and one downstairs. In terms of battery life for the keypad, you can use the Micro USB port on the back or you can charge up the internal battery. The Keypad comes with a dock that needs to be skewed into a wall this allows you to slide the pad inside it and keep it in its place.
In addition to the base station and keypad, the key ingredient is the sensors and you have been provided with both motion and contact sensors. They come with Z-Wave Chips which should provide better battery life. If like us you got a kit the sensors are pre-paired but it’s not an issue if you’re just buying additional sensors as a quick scan on the QR code and for about a minute using the Ring app and it will be connected. Installing the sensors can be done by either the supplied sticky pads or you can screw them into place if you prefer.
The contact sensor has been reduced in size from the previous model it’s now 400 x 530 x 140mm. It consists of the main sensor and a magnetic component so when a window or door is opened and if the alarm is set that will trigger the sensor.
When installing the Ring app will ask you to specify the type of entry you have the sensor positioned. This will define how it works for example the main door sensors trigger the alarm after a small delay whereas the back door or window sensors will trigger right away. The contact sensors are powered by two CR2032 batteries and getting access to them when a charge is needed is easy simply slide the cover off the top and remove the battery.
In addition to the contact sensor you are also provided motion detectors, these can be purchased separately if you so wish for only £29 and Ring has reduced the size compared to the 1st Gen release. The design of the motion detector has been improved and they are powered by 2x AA batteries and are connected to the wall using a backing plate. When you come to install them just consider the positioning for example by the front door there will be a slight delay before the alarm is triggered but if placed in the living room all motion triggers the alarm so just consider its positioning. Your sensor can be adjusted to either trigger all motion or be pet friendly to avoid the family pet causing unnecessary triggers.
You can also purchase a glass break sensor which monitors anyone trying to break into a window or like me a back door. This is a very useful addition and will run on either power-saving mode which triggers the alarm and warns you via notification if the sound of breaking glass is detected. You can turn the power saver mode off and the device all be on all the time but this will reduce the battery life as a result. In this review, we did not get a glass break sensor but they are very affordable £35.
Ring Alarm Set up
When you unbox the Ring Alarm it might feel like you have loads to do but the set-up is not that difficult. First up you need to decide where you want the base station I suggest you select a location near a plug point as the base station needs to be plugged into the mains.
If you are a first-time user of Ring you need to download the Ring app and set up an account. (If you’re an existing Ring user skip this step). As you know we have multiple Ring devices so we already had the account. All of the parts that make the Ring Alarm can be installed without screwing into any walls. They all come with Adhesive Strips so you can attach the sensors to doors or windows with ease.
Ring Alarm Features
The Ring Alarm (2nd Gen) is simply a smart alarm system that once set up the alarm can be set either by the keypad or app and the alarm has 3 customisable settings: Home, Away and Disarmed modes. The Away mode as you might expect arms all the sensors in your house, Home mode allows you to have a selection of sensors active ideal for use at night as you could turn on the contact sensors but keep the motion sensors off so if someone tries to break in at night the alarm will be triggered and disarmed as you might expect disabled all sensors.
You can also use the keypad to make changes to the mode and you will also notice the keypad has a built-in motion sensor on the front that will light up the keys in the dark ideal if you get home late or at 6 pm in the wintertime. You can use the keypad to select the mode you want by pressing the mode button and then entering the pin. If you want to do this faster it can be done via the app.
When using the home and away modes you can set an entry and exit delay to give you a little time to disarm the alarm when triggered by opening the front door. The same delay happens before the alarm becomes active when leaving the house. The modes don’t just control the alarm they can also be used to control which cameras record such as the indoor camera as this cuts down the number of recordings or you just leave the house.
The Ring app allows you to add users who will get access to the app and to the devices connected to the app such as your spotlight cam or Ring Doorbell 4 that we have also reviewed. The app will also provide them with a unique pin for the alarm.
The Ring Alarm also has a geofence feature just like the spotlight camera we have reviewed when you get home you can select which camera to snooze and the duration in which they are snoozed which is useful to prevent notifications. The cameras will still record you just wont get loads of notifications. The geofence can also be used to remind you to set the alarm if you go out and forget to set it. It’s useful that it does not just set the alarm as there may be family members still at the house even when you leave.
As with all the other Ring devices, you can link it with Alexa integration letting you set the alarm using your voice and you can also disarm the alarm but it will require a voice pin. You can also integrate the ring alarm into your alexa routines for example if you set the alarm to away mode alexa will switch your lights off as long as they are smart lighting. You can also use Alexa to turn the light of your outdoor siren on at night.
In testing, we did find a problem does occur you can not have a contact sensor open when setting the alarm if you do you will hear a voice that said “Sensors require bypass” but you are not told which sensor, however, can find out which sensor via the app. You can fix this by pressing the tick button on the keypad which will arm the system even if that sensor is open. This can be annoying as a result if you are loading up the car there is the risk the alarm might go off. Why they can’t just let you set the alarm when all the contact sensors are closed does not seem like a massive fix maybe Ring will solve this issue in the future.
Performance
In testing this alarm for the last few weeks it has performed quite well. If you trigger any entry sensor you will notice the base station will start to beep this gives you time to disarm the alarm if done by mistake. Disarming the alarm can be done either by the keypad of the Ring app.
If the alarm was to go off then expect both internal and external alarms. The internal siren is very loud up to 104dB the external siren allows you to pick the sound level with the loudest being 100dB which with the flashing LED around the Ring Siren will draw attention and also scare off any potential intruder. In addition to the sirens, you will also get an alert on your smartphone that lands as a notification which you could very easily miss.
When checking an alarm if like us you have both indoor and outdoor cameras you can view them to see what the situation is. If you see an intruder you can call the police right away or if it’s simply just a false alarm you can deactivate the alarm and reset it on the phone.
When you use the app I would strongly recommend you take out the Ring Protect Plus it’s only £8 per month or you can pay for it in one hit for £80 for the year. This upgrade offers benefits like 30-day cloud storage on all the cameras you have in the house or outside, Cellular backup, and assisted monitoring which calls your list of contacts in order with a recording informing them an incident is occurring. If the first contact can not be reached it will try the next until they pick up.
The Ring Protect plus option also provides a panic button this sounds the alarm and makes contact with a contact in your account to get you help. There is also a fire and medical alert button which does the same thing it will help you get attention. All of these buttons start a countdown before the alarm goes off.
Verdict
The Ring Alarm Kit is one of the easiest to install and budget-friendly security systems on the market. Ring has done a good job in allowing you to use the alarm system and creating a hub to which all your other Ring devices are connected. You can make this system even smarter by connecting it to your Amazon Alexa set-up. It is still very limited if you use a google assistant instead of Alexa range of devices.
Overall if your looking for your first alarm system and already have Ring devices in place the Ring Alarm is the cherry on top of the cake. It comes with an excellent range of sensors and the new outdoor siren provides you with maximum protection. If you are still using the 1st Gen Ring Alarm all the new components such as the contact & motion sensors and even the glass sensor are all compatible with your current system so you can upgrade without it costing a fortune.
Would I buy the Ring Alarm?
Well if you’re looking for an easy-to-install alarm system you will struggle to find anything better.The configuration into the Ring app is very easy and with prices starting from £159 or even less if you just update the sensors if using the 1st Gen model it offers excellent value for money. If you decide to take out Ring Protect Plus at £8 per month you get that assisted monitoring (No Police Dispatch), cloud storage and cellular backup this is fantastic value for money. You can also use the alarm and camera without Ring Protect Plus but will be limited in functionality.
The Ring Alarm is designed for these with the Alexa smart assistant due to the fact Amazon owns Ring. If you have Google Assistant then the Alarm system will still work but you will have reduced functionality. There is also the fact that this alarm will have issues if one of the contact sensors notices a door or window open. You need to make sure everything is closed otherwise the alarm will sound.
That aside this Alarm system is highly recommended by the What Gadget team and if they can iron out the tiny issues raised this device is a 5-star product!
Product Rating:
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Setup: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Features: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Performance: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Ring App: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value For Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars – 4.6 Star review
The Ring Alarm (1st Gen) was missing something not anymore Ring has released the Ring Siren for the 2nd Gen alarm system which will cost you an additional £69. This Siren ideally is positioned at the front of the house and it will act as a deterrent but if it goes off it will grab the attention of those in the area as it will flash and provide a very loud siren to grab attention (104Db).
The siren comes in at the following size (235 x 235 x 57mm) and is a hexagon shape and blue in colour with the Ring logo on the front. It’s powered by 3x batteries (Size D) but you can also purchase a Ring quick-release battery like what you have in your doorbell and there is space for this when you set the alarm up. The Ring Siren as you might expect is IP67 rated meaning it will handle most weather conditions.
Unboxing is a very simple process the box does not provide much information at all and inside Ring continues to keep it simple you have a user guide, a Quick start guide with a QR code for installation and the Siren itself.
To get started you will notice the mounting plate is already connected you will need to remove that to get to the battery set up behind it this can be done by using the provided screwdriver and removing a few screws. You can also hard wire the siren into a transformer or you can purchase the solar panel that ring also sells separately for £49.99 so you can see you have a few options. In this review, we decided to pair the included 3x D-sized batteries with the quick-release battery.
Set up as with all devices from the ring is via the Ring app this will allow you to test the alarm and make sure the Z-wave signal reaches the siren from the control panel of the alarm. You can also connect a Z-Wave extender if required. Set up via the app is very easy to do I think even my grandparents could set this up. You will notice the Ring Siren has 4 screws and a level to help get the best installation. Just before you install it on the front of your house test it if it flashes green it’s connected and has a good signal, If it flashes red you have an issue and need to troubleshoot that problem before you continue.
Once that has been tested simply use an electric drill to install the mounting plate to the wall and once connected simply place the alarm onto the mounting plate it’s very easy to do just remember there is a screw at the bottom of the siren screw that in to make sure everything is secure.
The app will show what is charging the siren for example the D-sized batteries and Ring battery pack and provide levels you can also use the app to test the siren. The app will also allow you to view event history and you can also adjust the sound of the siren from the pointless silent option to a very loud setting. You can also adjust the duration that the alarm siren will go off from 1 minute to 10 minutes.
The app will also allow you to turn on the security light at night if you wish and it has a dusk to dawn schedule that you can set up. This is only possible when using the Ring battery pack or if you hard wire the siren.
If your Ring Alarm is triggered the Ring siren will go off and this will provide a red flashing LED and a very loud siren to match. Now if someone was to try and remove the siren you will get a notification on your phone alerting you that someone is trying to tamper with your siren. The Ring Siren is a simple but effective addition to your full alarm setup and at only £69 will be the final piece in the puzzle when it comes to Ring proving you maximum protection.
Product Rating:
Overall Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
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