by 13 reviews.
Certified Refurbished Ring Video Doorbell 2: A Comprehensive Review
When it comes to home security, having the right equipment can make all the difference. The Certified Refurbished Ring Video Doorbell 2 provides an excellent opportunity to upgrade your home security system without breaking the bank. This model promises all the comforts of a modern security device—connectivity with Alexa, HD video, and Live View video on demand—while being affordable due to its refurbished status. This doorbell not only alerts you when someone is at your door but lets you see and speak to visitors via your smartphone, tablet, or PC.
The device comes in a sleek design with interchangeable faceplates, allowing it to blend seamlessly into your home's aesthetic. With infrared night vision and a motion detection system adjustable to your requirements, this video doorbell aims to cover all bases. Protected with the same limited warranty as a new product, and including Lifetime Theft Protection, it offers peace of mind knowing your investment is secure.
Pros and Cons
Design and Build Quality
The design of the Ring Video Doorbell 2 scores high marks for its versatility and appearance. Customers, like Martha, highlight their satisfaction with the interchangeable faceplates, allowing the doorbell to "look nice at [her] front door." The option of changing faceplates adds a valuable customizable element for users who want their security devices to complement their home decor.
Moreover, the quality of the refurbished units appears to be on par with brand-new models. Gary, a satisfied customer, shared his delight after buying a refurbished model for half the price of a new one, exclaiming, "It looked new and came with all necessary tools and accessories."
However, there are minor criticisms regarding the lens design. Ronald pointed out that the field of view (FOV), with its wide-angle lens, could sometimes lead to diminished identification details in captured footage, making it necessary for Ring to consider options that enhance video detail.
Usability and Configuration
Set up and configuration is a process where the Ring Video Doorbell 2 shines, according to customer experiences. Sandy expressed contentment with how easy it was to install the doorbell, noting it "works extremely well" with her existing wired system, even allowing for a seamless trickle charge to the battery.
Another feature praised by users is the ease of app use. "The app is very easy to operate," says Sandy, highlighting its intuitive nature, which makes operating the doorbell straightforward even for those less technologically inclined.
However, Gary mentioned having to attempt multiple times before successfully connecting the doorbell to his relative’s wifi network. This minor hiccup suggests that while straightforward, there might be situations requiring patience and persistence during setup.
Features and Performance
The performance of the Ring Video Doorbell 2 is generally positive, with several customers emphasizing its effective motion detection capabilities. "Great motion detection," one user remarks, though they advise turning down the sensitivity for units installed near busy streets to avoid false alarms. Martha supports this, mentioning her townhouse’s proximity to the street, causing frequent alarms, which she manages by "adjust[ing] the field of view" as best as possible.
Additionally, the app's functionality to rename units to identify the exact location of detected motion adds a layer of convenience for those with multiple units, as Sandy discovered with her two doorbell setup.
A slight downside is highlighted during periods of extreme temperatures, affecting battery performance. Ace noted that the battery might require manual intervention in cold weather, "as they will not trickle charge when the temperature is below 34 degrees." However, the ease of swapping batteries means minimal disruption for users who prepare in advance.
Furthermore, the video quality received mixed reviews. While the resolution is praised, the aforementioned FOV issue can hinder detailed capture. This limitation is acknowledged by some consumers, suggesting Ring could further enhance their tech for clearer, more detailed recordings.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Certified Refurbished Ring Video Doorbell 2 stands out as a solid choice for affordable, reliable home security. The option to purchase a refurbished model at half the cost of a new one without compromising on appearance or function is highly appealing. Users appreciate the ease of use, especially the app's intuitive design and the straightforward installation process, even when integrated with existing doorbell wiring systems.
Visual performances, including night vision, received praise, though users noted room for improvement regarding motion sensitivity settings in high-traffic areas and recognition detail due to the camera’s FOV. Nevertheless, the product successfully fills the roles many expect for a reliable home security device. As it is designed to enhance your peace of mind without straining your budget, this Ring Video Doorbell 2 remains highly recommended, especially for those prioritizing simplicity, aesthetics, and efficiency.
Whether considering security for a personal dwelling or gifting to a relative, this product’s value and functionality shine brightly, rendering it an investment worth making.
Specification Certified Refurbished Ring Video Doorbell 2:
Comments from Amazon:
Easy install. I have a wired system so it works extremely well and trickle charges the battery to 100 percent daily. Works with the preexisting doorbell in the home. App is very easy to operate and 40 dollars per unit per year for the Ring fee (I have two units on my home). Rename each unit so you’ll know where the motion, package or person is and the phone feedback ie alerts have approximately a 5-10 delay. You can set zones so normal walking or road traffic doesn’t give you false alerts or not and just get everything from walkers to car traffic your choice. Highly recommend. Night vision is limited though I’d say around 20 feet in the dead of night. One concern I found out later after the install is batteries and cold weather. Apparently these batteries need to be removed, warmed the charged. They will not trickle charge when the temperature is below 34 degrees as well the same warning for those that have extreme temperatures as they will not charge and may shut down in direct sunlight with temperatures over 105 F.
I purchased the refurbished Ring Video Doorbell 2 for a relative and found that this item looked new. It all had the necessary installation tools, and accessories as if you had purchased a new one at $199. I bought this refurbished unit at $99. Wow what a savings. I installed it for my relative and set it up for them. The camera and motion detection worked great as well as the microphone. It was in perfect working order. Months earlier, I purchased for myself a new Ring Video Doorbell 2 at $199 so I know what came in the box (which I also installed). My relatives were very happy as they could see who was near their property when he they were not home. Also, they signed up for the yearly plan for 1 device which costs $30. The only issue that I had was attempting to connect the Ring Video Doorbell to their wifi network. I had to basically attempt to do it 4 to 5 times. I am not sure why it took that many attempts, but it finally connected then I was able to install it. I used their exiting doorbell mounting bolts so this unit is connected to the wires from the old doorbell. Battery is not an issue. I have read other reviews that seemed to have similar connection problems but I had time to retry and retry again and I finally succeeded. The unit is still working after almost 2 months of use.
It has great motion detection although if you live on a busy street / sidewalk you'll want to customize the zones it monitors and decrease sensitivity to get only relevant detections for your doorway. Me, I live in an old subdivision with not much traffic and want to be warned that a car has drove by or someone has entered my yard, as people have be tampering in my yard rather that casing to steal from my house. Still, if they are doing one, can the other be far behind? So I set sensitivity to it's maximum, have Ring's extra algorithms running, and set the zone to be monitored to the maximum. And it works, mostly. However, cars drive by fast enough such that I often only get the tail end of a car as it's driving by in the Ring app recorded video. The Ring camera is slow then. The solution to that is the Ring Video Doorbell Generation 4 with Preroll, however I could not afford double the price for the Gen 4 Ring Video Doorbell as for this Gen 2 Ring Video Doorbell Refurbished. That's literally the only different, a 2nd security camera is integrated in the Gen 4 Video Doorbell at HD rather than FHD and records all the time rather just only when motion is detected. The most glaring failure in Ring video cameras, and almost all other video cameras is, while these cameras really do capture 1920x1080 FHD or 4K videos the field of view (FOV) of the lens is such wide angles both horizontally and vertically the video captured wind up being pretty darn near useless for identification purposes most times because the details in the video are lacking. The huge FOV means that that HD or 4K video is only the equivalent of about a 320x240 cropped to be a 16:9 perspective and the 4K winds up looking like 640x480 cropped to be 16:9 and then scaled up to be a pixelated limited color palette EGA video. Sad! And almost useless. In the future Ring needs, instead of a wide FOV lens, 6 regular FOV cameras, in 2 rows of 3 columns at the FOV of a 35MM camera and then stitched together as 6 x FHD frames or 6 x 4K frames to make one big frame. Yes, that's a lot of detail but finally really useful for identification. The frames get uploaded according to probability a human or vehicle is in the frame. That's a huge amount of storage and a lot of bandwidth, so redundant local storage is needed too. Until Ring and other security camera solutions have this needed detail you need to supplement your security videos with security cameras with FHD or 4K cameras that have the FOV of about a 35MM camera with local storage. You'd upload manually, only if you ever really had an even that required those videos. I've been looking but not having much luck for such video cameras. Of course higher resolution, more camera sensors, and more reading, writing, and transmitting means such cameras use more power so better batteries that hold bigger charges are needed for such improved security cameras.
I love the ring doorbell. It looks nice at my front door, especially with the option of different colored faceplates, and it works well. The video and sound quality is good. The app is easy to use, and I like the ability to get notifications on my phone when there's motion at my front door. I dont live in a high crime area but it's always nice to have that extra set of eyes on my home. Plus it comes in handy for me because while I'm at work I'm able to see my son leaving and coming home from school every day. The battery lasts a long time before needing to be charged. I've had it for over a month already and I'm still on my original charge. I ordered a spare battery so that when I need to charge it I can just switch them out and not have to worry about interruption in service. The battery charges with a regular phone charger so it's easy and convenient. My only complaint with the ring doorbell is that in my situation the motion detection is almost too good. I live in a townhouse that is only about 15-20 ft from the street so anytime a car drives by or someone walks down the sidewalk, it triggers my camera. In the settings there is the ability to adjust the field of view slightly but it hasn't been enough to avoid the false alarms. I dont really fault the product for this. It's doing what it's meant to do. Just keep that in mind if you intend on using it in a high traffic area like I do. Other than that, I've been very happy with it and I'm glad I got it.