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Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Review

Good camera if you don't mind having to pay for a monthly/yearly subscription
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ring stick up cam battery security camera review
Credit: Ring
Price:  $100 List
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Manufacturer:   Ring
By Nick Miley, Matt Spencer, and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Apr 18, 2022
77
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#5 of 12
  • Recorded Video Quality - 35% 8.4
  • Monitoring Performance - 35% 9.0
  • Ease of Use - 30% 5.3

Our Verdict

The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is a top-rated, fully-loaded option that we included in our review of our top-ranked security cameras. It offers high-definition 1080p video, crisp audio, and it's easy to set up and program numerous alerts. However, it lacks onboard data storage, and its power source is a battery — meaning it lacks redundancy for data storage and power. Moreover, it is relatively expensive both at checkout and in terms of monthly subscription fees, which are required to store data in the cloud. Consumers can get the same functionality for a lot less in short and long-term costs by looking at some of the other high-ranking products in this review.
REASONS TO BUY
Great audio and video quality
Color night vision
In/outdoor rated
REASONS TO AVOID
No local data storage
Requires paid subscription to record
Battery power only

Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Best Buy Award   
Price $100 List
Check Price at Amazon		$40 List
$35.94 at Amazon		$30 List
$24.98 at Amazon		$36 List
$28.00 at Amazon		$30 List
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Bottom Line A quality camera, but a bit expensive both in the long and short termAn exceptional and affordable camera that builds on the success of the previous modelThis very affordable security camera offers exceptional performanceA top-performing camera at a below-average price that doesn't require a subscription to unlock most of its featuresA reasonable, do-it-all camera at an affordable price
Rating Categories Ring Stick Up Cam B... Wyze Cam Pan v3 Wyze Cam OG Wyze Cam v3 YI 1080p Home
Recorded Video Quality (35%)
8.4
8.9
8.4
7.5
6.5
Monitoring Performance (35%)
9.0
7.8
7.8
7.8
7.8
Ease of Use (30%)
5.3
8.7
8.7
8.7
8.4
Specs Ring Stick Up Cam B... Wyze Cam Pan v3 Wyze Cam OG Wyze Cam v3 YI 1080p Home
Camera Type (Indoor or Outdoor) Indoor and Outdoor Indoor and Outdoor Indoor and Outdoor Indoor Only Indoor and Outdoor
WiFi Type 2.4 GHz
802.11b/g/n		 2.4 GHz
802.11b/g/n		 2.4 GHz
802.11b/g/n		 2.4 GHz
802.11b/g/n		 2.4 GHz
802.11b/g/n
Encryption Types TKIP, AES, TKIP + AES H.263 256-bit encryption
and SSL		 AES 128-bit AES 128-bit
Resolutions Available 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p 1080p
Video FPS 15 FPS 20 FPS Day
15 FPS Night		 N/A 20 FPS Day
15 FPS Night		 20 FPS Day
15 FPS Night
Wired or Battery Battery Wired Battery Wired Wired
Smart Device Compatability Amazon Alexa Amazon Alexa
Google Assistant
IFTTT		 Not Supported Amazon Alexa
Google Assistant
IFTTT		 Amazon Alexa
Google Assistant
IFTTT
Siren Volume (dB) 66.4 dB 67.6 dB 70.2 dB 67.8 dB 66.0 dB

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Ring Stick Up Battery offers users versatility in camera location and alert settings, high-quality video, audio, and an easy-to-use app. However, the camera is a bit spendy and requires a subscription to record video. Price considerations aside, this camera was a top performer.

Performance Comparison


ring stick up cam battery security camera review - the ring did well across the board in our assessments, just barely...
The Ring did well across the board in our assessments, just barely being edged out of an award.
Credit: Austin Palmer

Recorded Video Quality


The Ring Stick Up Battery earned outstanding marks for its recorded video quality. The unit's recorded video displays bright colors, sharp details, and crips borders across its 130ยบ field of view. And, unlike some competitors, this camera maintains its recorded video quality at a distance, not just with subjects close to the lens.

The camera also boasts quality color night vision. In our tests, we could clearly make out facial features and even read lettering from a distance. However, the camera video displayed some graininess, but it was relatively minimal. It should be noted that we had some trouble loading into the live feed when it started in the dark. It's unclear if this is a bug across the entire Ring system or just with our camera.

ring stick up cam battery security camera review - the ring's nigh vision allowed us to easily make out facial features...
The Ring's nigh vision allowed us to easily make out facial features and read lettering.
Credit: Matt Spencer

Monitoring Performance


Unlike the recorded video metric, the monitoring analysis focuses on real-time viewing. This evaluation includes the sound quality both captured by the camera's microphone and produced by its speaker. The Ring Stick Up did remarkably well in this category. The main issue with the real-time video produced by home security cameras is that there is often a lag in the event and its representation on screen. Moreover, many cameras have audio/video syncing issues where the sound will come after the action that created it. This is not a problem with the Stick Up. There was almost no perceptible lag and the sound matched up with the video correctly.

As with the real-time video quality, the sound quality was also quite good. Unlike some other cameras we tested, the Ring Stick Up lacks background noise, though it did have a tiny bit of echo with speech. But all in all was very clear. The same holds for the sound coming out of the camera's speaker — when we spoke through the camera, our voice was loud and clear. Unfortunately, the same speaker issued a very weak alarm which we recorded at 66.4 dB at 10 feet distance — too quiet to be of any use. Despite this minor shortcoming, we were quite impressed with the camera's performance in this metric.



Ease of Use


The Ring Stick Up struggled in the ease of use department, receiving a below-average assessment. This poor showing results from the limited alert functions, lack of onboard data storage, and the (relatively expensive) subscription requirement to record and save videos. Additionally, we found the app to be a bit clunky given the lack of programmable alerts.

Aside from the issues with subscription, storage, and alerts, we thought the camera was easy to mount on a wall or place on horizontal surfaces. All hardware needed is included in the box. Cleverly, the base of the camera doubles as the screw-in-place wall mount.

ring stick up cam battery security camera review - all you need to do is pull this device out of the box and plug it...
All you need to do is pull this device out of the box and plug it in. It's that easy.
Credit: Austin Palmer

Value


When we contrast the high up-front cost and subscription requirements of the Stick Up with its so-so performance in the ease of use analysis, we do not see it as a particularly great value. Simply put, you can get a lot more out of other cameras for considerably less money.

Conclusion


The Ring Stick Up Battery is an all-around decent camera with superb audio and video quality. Unfortunately, it struggled in our ease of use metric and our value assessment. The camera is expensive to buy, and a monthly subscription is required to get it to function properly. All told, your money goes much further with other products.

— Nick Miley, Matt Spencer, and Austin Palmer
 
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