Ring Spotlight Cam Pro (Battery) review

One-minute review

Once known for some of the best video doorbells, Ring has steadily been increasing its range of products to include security monitoring beyond your doorstep. It’s actually been more than five years since Ring launched its popular Floodlight Cam, combining an outdoor light with security technology. 

Since then, it’s evolved into the Floodlight Cam Pro, initially with a wired model followed by this battery-powered version, delivering greater flexibility in terms of where it’s installed outside your home. And while the concept behind the camera remains similar – its purpose being to monitor any comings and goings outside your home – the Floodlight Cam Pro Battery boasts a new lineup of features that make fulfilling this purpose easier, clearer and more accurate.  

One of four permanent battery-powered outdoor-only cameras from Ring, the Floodlight Cam Pro Battery is at the more expensive end of the range, thanks to its advanced features and versatility. Most similar is the Floodlight Cam Plus, which lacks the Pro’s biggest selling points of radar-powered motion detection, Bird’s Eye View (providing an aerial view for added context outside the perimeters of your motion zones), and improved audio. We found some of these features more useful than others; however, overall, both the clarity of audio and video of the Floodlight Cam Pro Battery were excellent.

As such, this model is most likely to appeal to those who’d welcome better-quality video and sound than that delivered by even some of the best home security cameras. Those who already have a Ring product are also likely to consider the Spotlight Cam Pro Battery, given that it uses the existing app and can be integrated with other devices.
 

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery price and availability

• List price: $229.99 / £199.99 / AU$329  

The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery is priced at $229.99 / £199.99 / AU$329. It’s available to buy now in the US, UK and Australia directly from Ring or through Amazon. Solar, plug-in and wired versions are also available.

For the technology the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery includes, and the brand’s typical ease of use, it’s fairly reasonably priced – comparable cameras can easily cost up to a third more. However, it’s slightly pricier than Ring’s Spotlight Cam Plus Battery, which is its more affordable option. 

The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery includes one battery in the box, but has space for two (allowing the second to serve as a backup). Additional batteries cost $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$49. 

Value score: 4.5 out of 5 

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery design

•  Twin LED lights 
•  Installation can be fiddly 
•  Space inside for two batteries 

The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery is less obtrusive than some security cameras at a diminutive 3.1 x 3.2 x 5.7in / 7.8 x 8.1 x 14.4cm, but it still looks very much like a camera as opposed to a light. It has a sizeable speaker at its base, while a pair of LED lights flank the camera at the front. While these lights are definitely bright enough for you to be able to see at night, it’s clear that lighting isn’t this camera’s primary purpose. The model is available in two colors, black or white, allowing you to choose your preference over an option that blends in with your exterior or acts as a visible deterrent. 

In terms of design, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery is sleek. It has a single button on top, while the speaker section at the base twists off to reveal a twin cavity for batteries. The unit simply pushes onto and pulls off the mount; there are no clips or levers required. Mounting the camera is fairly easy, although you’ll need the right size of screwdriver since no tool is provided. Ring estimates that installation is a 5-10 minute process (there are four screws on the baseplate, plus one to attach the mounting). However, we found it took longer, especially when it came to tightening the grommet around the small, fiddly ball joint with the camera in place. 

Linking the camera to Wi-Fi is straightforward, but the multiple decisions surrounding the settings you want lengthens the process somewhat, especially since they’re all available to toggle later on. An option to choose default settings would be a welcome addition for those who just want to get the Spotlight Cam Pro Battery up and running. A USB charging cable for recharging the battery is included.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery performance

•  Night videos clear and in color 
•  Needs reliable far-reaching Wi-Fi for best performance 
•  Limited video viewing without Ring Protect subscription 

On the whole, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery proved problem-free in terms of monitoring and alerts once it was set up, although keeping it “talking” to our Wi-Fi was an issue. The property where it was installed relies on booster discs to extend the signal outside – and while this has been sufficient for other outdoor tech, this camera didn’t work well on the system. Often simply nudging the camera for a better angle would cause it to lose connectivity. Essentially, you’ll need a solid Wi-Fi signal for the best performance – and you may well find that while the battery doesn’t limit where you install it, connectivity could have a bearing. Ring states that the Spotlight Cam Pro Battery requires a minimum upload speed of 2Mbps for optimal performance.

An existing camera at the property tended to register motion that the Ring didn’t (for example, animals) when we altered its sensitivity to preserve battery – although it did still spot people reliably. We found the Bird’s Eye View function largely redundant in our small outside area – it tended to pick up vehicles driving on the road past the property, resulting in multiple alerts every hour. However, in a home with a large garden or long driveway (its custom Motion Zones extend up to 29ft 6in / 9m), this could be very useful. 

We especially liked its easily activated, ear-piercing 105dB alarm and the crispness of its sound, thanks to noise cancellation. The field of vision was also excellent at 140° horizontal and 80° vertical, allowing a view far beyond the boundary of the property. At night, when activated by motion, the LED lights really did transform the quality of the video, from grainy black-and-white to full color footage. This allowed us to clearly identify urban foxes from cats, for example. However, there’s no way of differentiating animals from something blowing along in the wind, or a vehicle.

While the camera functions without it, a Ring Protect subscription (from £3.49 a month) is required for some of the more useful functionality. Without it, you won’t be able to review videos that you may have missed in real-time, or save them; you’ll only have access to photos for up to 7 days. We found it annoying to have motion registered during the night without any video. You also can’t differentiate between people and motion alerts without a subscription.

Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery app

•  Easy to use app 
•  Ability to adjust sensitivity and motion zones 
•  Useful for multiple devices 

As accompanying apps go, Ring attempt is probably one of the most user-friendly around. Key features appear to have been kept to the fore, with each option arriving with an explanation of what it is, or how it impacts monitoring. However, with so many features, there are a fair few options to choose from. This is great for those who like to tailor their tech just so, but less appealing for people who prefer to “fit and forget”. You can adjust privacy zones to block out certain areas, adjust the Bird’s Eye View’ reach, motion frequency and video length, among other things. 

What could be useful, if you have more than one device, is the app’s Modes. These allow you to activate all cameras at once when you’re away, for example, or just the outdoor ones when you’re at home, plus its motion schedule, which enables alerts and recordings while you’re away.

The Spotlight Cam Pro Battery integrates with Alexa, illuminating and sending announcements to Echo devices when motion is detected, plus you can speak to people on camera with some Echo and Fire TV devices.

App score: 5 / 5

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery life

•  Easy to change the battery 
•  Frequent monitoring depletes battery life more quickly 
•  Recharges from flat in 5.5 hours 

There’s no real indication of how long the Spotlight Cam Pro Battery’s battery should last, given that it’s largely dependent on use and the monitoring settings enlisted. Additional batteries state that they can last for months between charges, depending on use and the weather. We found that when set to frequent monitoring, our battery lost 20% of its charge in just three days, suggesting that those who want precise monitoring would be advised to invest in a second or third battery – and be prepared to charge them every fortnight or so. It was disappointing that Ring didn’t see fit to include a second battery, or a bigger battery that holds more charge. Our battery took 5.5 hours to recharge from flat.

Battery life score: 3/5

Should I buy the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery?

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• First reviewed: December 2022