Q: How Does The Ring Stick Up Cam Compare To The Nest Cam Battery
If you’re stuck trying to make a choice between Ring and Nest, your decision really comes down to one simple factor: Alexa or Assistant. If you’ve already found yourself deep in the land of Echo speakers and smart displays, you’ll find Ring’s lineup of cameras including the Stick Up Cam fits right into your lifestyle. The same goes for fans of Nest’s connected gadgets both companies have done a great job of building up ecosystems that just so happen to be siloed perfectly from each other. If you aren’t in a specific ecosystem yet, Ring’s Stick Up Cam is the better buy. It’s cheaper, has better video quality, and the required subscription costs are lower.
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery
Like
- Ring dropped the price of its Stick Up Cam Battery to just $100
- It has a simple app packed full of useful security features
Don’t like
- You have to pay for cloud video storage, starting at $3 per month
- The Stick Up Cam Battery doesn’t work with Google Assistant or Siri
This isn’t Ring’s first Stick Up Cam — the first one I tested back in 2016 had some performance issues and the one after that cost too much for what you got. Ring’s latest Stick Up Cam is priced at $100. Considering there are great cameras for just 20 bucks, $100 isn’t particularly exciting. But it is a positive step for Ring, which also recently introduced an affordable Indoor Cam.
Ring’s latest indoor/outdoor Stick Up Cam is available in plug-in and battery versions , as well as a $149 model bundled with a solar panel accessory. Interestingly, the Stick Up Cam Battery has optional compatibility with Ring’s $39 power adapter and its $49 solar panel accessory through a hidden port in the back of the camera.
Ring, which in February 2018, has been in the news for its partnerships with over 600 police departments through RIng’s Neighbors program in the US. The Neighbors program, available through the Ring app or Ring’s standalone Neighbors app, lets users share security footage and receive security alerts in their area. Police can also request access to Ring footage in certain areas within specific time frames.
Ring sells a solar panel accessory separately for $49 that works with the Stick Up Cam Battery.
Video Quality And Battery Life
Ive got little to complain about when it comes to video quality on Rings latest cameras. Much like on the companys most recent Video Doorbells, recording during the day looks phenomenal, capturing color in accurate detail. Zooming in on a recorded event reveals some compression, but unless youre using this to make your next TikTok, I dont think anyone is going to be upset with what they see here.
For most of my testing, I had the camera positioned in my backyard, recording any time someone parked their vehicle or came walking into the back door. Pre-roll recordings helped capture coming and goings in low quality before eventually springing to life in 1080p. Youll want to keep in mind how your event map is laid out depending on where you position it hearing my phone buzz every time my significant other or I walked out to the garage wasnt exactly helpful.
Both this Ring camera and the battery-powered Nest Cam capture full HD video with a 130-degree field of view, though in comparing the footage I captured to videos in our Nest review from last year, I think Rings is the better of the two. Its not perfect as mentioned above, the video is undoubtedly compressed but I didnt notice any strange flickering, nor did the camera ever fail to capture motion once triggered.
With color night vision disabled, my camera dropped about 10% over nearly two weeks of testing, suggesting two months of battery is within my grasp.
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Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Vs Ring Spotlight Cam Battery
The Ring Spotlight Cam Battery has a ton of cool features that the Stick Up Cam Battery lacks, which might explain why it costs twice as much. First of all, it has a motion-activated spotlight as well as an 110-decibel siren built in. That means that night vision can be color or infrared, as opposed to just infrared with the Stick Up Cam. The Spotlight Cam also has a larger field of view by 30 degrees.
But aside from that, the cameras are similar in terms of their rechargeable batteries, 1080p HD video, two-way audio, storage options, smart platform integrations, lack of person detection, and of course, the Ring app. Now personally, Im not a fan of color night vision stemming from a bright white light, as I think it makes the security camera incredibly conspicuous. Therefore, I dont think the extra $99 is worth it for the Spotlight Cam Battery. Stick with the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery instead!
To learn more, read my full review of the original Ring Spotlight Cam Battery.
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Review: Video Quality
Perhaps the most important part of a security camera is its video quality. Most, like the Stick Up Cam, have a resolution of 1080p, but the actual end-result can be muddy and full of artifacts. During my testing, I found the footage from this camera was a little rougher than others Ive used in this price range, but youll still get a clear enough picture of your average porch pirate.
Night vision on the Ring comes in two flavors: infrared and non-infrared. Either has the option to let Ring colorize the image for you. I found that night vision was good all around, and the image was about as clear as it gets with your typical consumer-grade Wi-Fi HD smart camera. The colorization wasnt especially successful at guessing the colors it was seeing, but it was good enough to differentiate objects from each other.
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The Ring Always Home App
The Ring app is where youll livestream footage, view cloud storage, receive notifications, speak through two-way audio, change camera settings, and even get crime and safety alerts from your neighborhood.
Unfortunately, after a recent update, the apps ratings went down to a 2.9 on the Google Play store, although theyre at a decent 3.2 on the Apple store. But Android users should beware, as many people had issues connecting with their Ring Stick Up Cam Battery, defeating the purpose of the app in the first place. Holly J. Roberts, an Android user, wrote in a recent one star review,
It often stops working. So far its been 3 weeks that I have gone without even being able to open it, not really sure what Im paying for at this point. Ive uninstalled multiple times and yet when I open it, I get the send feedback message because it cant open.
Hopefully, Ring will fix this bug soon so that Android users can more easily control their Ring Stick Up Cam Battery. Be sure to check the app ratings before you buy, as these tend to change over time.
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Review: This Versatile Security Camera Doesn’t Cost Too Much
The $100 Ring Stick Up Cam Battery does a lot for less money than before.
Megan Wollerton
Senior Writer/Editor
Megan Wollerton covers renewable energy, climate change and other environmental topics for CNET. Before starting at CNET in 2013, she wrote for NBC Universal’s DVICE . Megan has a master’s degree from the University of Louisville and a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College, both in international relations. She is a board member of the Louisville chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. When Megan isn’t writing, she’s planning far-flung adventures.
Editors’ note, May 1, 2020: After removing Ring products from recommendation at the end of 2019, we are satisfied with the steps the company has taken to improve customer account security. We are reinstating our recommendations for Ring products that still apply. You can read more on that discussion in . The original review, published on December 19, 2019, follows.
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Q: How Does The Ring Stick Up Cam Compare To The Ring Indoor Cam
If you plan on placing your camera indoors and you don’t absolutely need a battery the Indoor Cam is the way to go. It’s smaller and cheaper, perfect for mounting anywhere around the house where a wired connection is feasible. If you plan on placing your camera outside, you’ll need to pick up the Stick Up Cam. It’s weatherproofed perfect for surviving the elements and its pick-up-and-go style means you can move it indoors and outdoors as you see fit. Unless you need that portability, or the flexibiity offered by a recharagable battery pack stick with the Indoor Cam.
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Review: App
Owners of Ring gear will know that the Ring app often shines where other camera makers do not. Particularly when looking at a given camera, the app is responsive, and videos load very quickly, even as you scrub through video history. Loading the live feed is almost as fast as on a HomeKit-based camera. Sometimes its too pretty, though, as its not immediately clear how to, say, download a video or activate the siren, but with a little mild dedication, you figure it out quickly enough. That said, while its nice to have a pretty app, where home security is concerned, I feel controls ought to be clearly delineated and functional.
There is also a Ring desktop app, which I looked at on Mac OS. This app is nice in ways the phone app is not as a dedicated camera-only app, there is no excess here. You get a list of videos, which are easy to select and save, with tabs for categories of video. Improvements could be made here, of course I wouldnt mind being able to batch-save videos, or watch on a timeline, but the straightforward approach is nice, regardless. Additionally, Im particularly fond of the feature where, so long as the app is open, if the camera detects motion, a small live video window will pop up to show it to me.
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Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Review: Features
Smart cameras tend to range from simple, local, record-it-and-store-it affairs to crowd-sourced mass surveillance. Somewhere in the middle, though, theres not much a camera can do besides be a camera. How it accomplishes that task is where much of the special sauce, so to speak, is mixed. In the case of the $129 Arlo Essential, for instance, users can specify whether they want the camera to notify of and/or record not just people that the camera spots, but also cars and animals. The Stick Up Cam is less granular, but can still be set to detect only people. A bummer, perhaps, but Ive found that pet/car detection can lead to a sort of camera-who-cried-wolf scenario, and notification fatigue isnt good for a security camera.
The Ring Stick Up Cam comes with other features that have become indispensable for security cameras in recent years, such as adjusting motion sensitivity and setting detection zones and motion-detecting schedules. From the main device screen, a gridded tile interface lets you, among other things, quickly access event history, customize settings for different modes , or set the size of your Geofence. Here, you can also check device health or look at power settings. The device health section lets you easily update the cameras network settings and view Wi-Fi signal strength, represented by its Received Signal Strength Indicator number, making it easier to place the camera in a place with the strongest connection.
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Vs Ring Stick Up Cam Wired
The biggest difference between the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery and the Ring Stick Up Cam Wired is pretty obvious: the former is battery-operated while the later is wired. Plus, the Ring Stick Up Cam Wired includes a siren, which the battery version lacks. But as far as commonalities go, both are indoor/ outdoor cameras with 1080p HD video, infrared night vision, two-way audio, integrations with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and the same storage options, with no person detection among them.
In terms of durability, the new battery cam has a temperature range two degrees hotter than the wired camera. However, its field of view is much more narrow by 40 degrees. Of course, youll control both cameras using the Ring Always Home app. Overall, Id go with the Ring Stick Up Cam Wired if you want a wireless camera and the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery if you want a battery-operated one. If power source isnt important to you, then definitely go with the battery camera, as its cheaper and only slightly lower quality in terms of video.
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Ring Stick Up Cam Review: Stuck In The Middle With You
Subscription costs and a lack of purpose keep Ring’s portable camera from shining
Ring might be best known for its Video Doorbell lineup, but the company has also expanded into all sorts of other security cameras. For as low as $60, you can throw up security cameras around your house, capturing any movement both inside and out. Youll have to pay a little more if running a power cable is a no-go.
Its latest Stick Up Cam is a fascinating mid-tier unit, combining the affordability of Rings Indoor Cameras with the flexibility and weatherproof status of its more expensive Floodlight and Spotlight devices. However, with a hefty subscription price all but required, where the Stick Up Cam lives in Rings product portfolio can feel a little confusing.
Rings latest Stick Up Cam is a solid security camera that comes in under $100, but it struggles to find a place between more affordable indoor-only cameras and more functional outdoor cameras.
Specifications
- Operating limits: -5°F to 122°F , Weather Resistant
- Measurements : 3.82 in. x 2.36 in. x 2.36 in.
- Hub Required: No
- Field of view: 130°diagonal, 110° horizontal, 57° vertical
- Power: Quick-release battery, microUSB, optional solar panel
- Colors: White, black
- Flexibility and portability of an indoor/outdoor device
Cons
- Color night mode drains battery faster
- Requires a subscription for most functions
Buy This Product
Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Review
This battery-powered camera from Ring is intended for outdoor use, with 1080p HD video and infrared night vision.
What We Like
- Affordable price: $100 is extremely low for outdoor cameras, which can go all the way up to $400 in some cases.
- Alexa and Google Assistant integrations: Amazon owns Ring, which is why its no surprise that the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery works with Alexa for voice commands, but fortunately, it also works with Google Assistant.
- Two-way audio: The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery even offers noise cancellation to get rid of extraneous background noises, providing you with a more clear sound overall.
What We Don’t Like
- Poorly-rated Android app: After a recent update, the Android app has made it harder to use the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery.
- Narrow field of view: The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery only has a horizontal field of view of 110 degrees, which is a bit narrow for my liking.
- No person detection: Unfortunately, youre probably going to receive some unnecessary notifications stemming from any type of movement, no matter the source.
Bottom Line
Features
- Two-way audio with noise cancellation
- Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
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Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Review: Bottom Line
Ultimately, can this camera help you feel safe? Absolutely. Motion detection is consistent and in my testing I never had any issues with disconnection. Also, as far as I could tell, there were no false activations, and if it missed anything I didnt notice. The Stick Up Cam also benefits from Rings ecosystem and its integration with Alexa, both of which are big strong points, considering their penetration into homes. It also doesnt need a special hub, which is nice.
However, questionable partnerships with law enforcement aside, there are more immediate, practical reasons to consider alternative cameras, not the least of which is local storage Ring simply doesnt offer it as an option, while other camera manufacturers offer on-device processing and local storage. Additionally, limited smart home integration and somewhat lesser video quality make it difficult to recommend Ring over other options. Ultimately, while I would definitely recommend this camera to someone already invested in Rings ecosystem, anyone just beginning to build out a security suite at their home should take a strong look at the best outdoor security cameras for other options.
Works With Ring Security Cameras
Do more with your Security Camera and connect it to an array of compatible devices to help create a smarter, secure home.
Connect Your Ring of Security
Link Security Cameras and all your Ring devices to the Ring App to make your security work better together, so you can control them all from your phone or tablet.
Alexa, show me my camera.
Enjoy hands-free home monitoring with select Alexa-enabled devices, so you can hear custom notifications from Echo Dot, launch video with Echo Show and more.
Open Doors Right From the App
See whos there with Security Cameras, and open doors for friends and family right from the Ring App with select smart door locks like Schlage Encode.2
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Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Review: Price And Availability
The Stick Up Cam Battery is $99.99 for a single camera, with 2-, 3-, and 4-packs also for sale . Other available versions include the wired version , which uses a normal three-prong power plug, and the new-for-the-3rd-generation solar-powered version its an impressive set of alternatives for this category of cheap smart cameras.