Ring Stick Up Cam Pro Review

About the Ring Stick Up Cam Pro

• Colors: Black, white
• Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi
• Power source: Rechargeable battery, or USB adapter
• Recording resolution: 1080p HD video
• Field of view: 155-degree diagonal, 139-degree horizontal, 80-degree vertical
• Smart assistant support: Amazon Alexa
• Dimensions: 6.06 inch x 2.76 inch x 2.76 inch (H x W x D)

The Ring Stick Up Cam Pro is available in a few different models, and you can either get a camera that’s battery-powered or plug it into the wall. There are also versions that come with a solar panel for power, and one that has a floodlight.

Our model is the standard white model that plugs in through a USB adapter, so we weren’t able to evaluate battery life in the review process. All models support a battery—it’s just that non-battery models don’t come with one. You could add a battery down the line if you wanted to.

The camera is weather-resistant, so it can be used indoors or outdoors. Considering the fact that our model plugs in, we largely tested it indoors. If you’re looking for an outdoor camera, you may want to consider the battery-powered model. Thankfully, the powered model does have an outdoor adapter to extend the cable for outdoor use, and it’s relatively easy to install.

What we like

It offers great video quality

When it comes right down to it, the image quality is the most important aspect of any security camera—and the video quality on the Ring Stick Up Cam Pro is pretty good.

The camera offers a 1080p resolution with support for high dynamic range (HDR). For a camera in this price range, I would have liked a slightly higher resolution, but I still found that generally the camera was detailed enough to deliver crisp video overall—and easily high enough in resolution to see things like faces.

The HDR support helps to show more detail of objects outside of a window, which weren’t visible in a camera that didn’t support HDR.

With this Ring model, you get 3-D motion detection and Bird’s Eye view

This isn’t the first Ring product to offer 3-D motion detection, but it’s still cool to see it here. The feature makes use of a radar sensor instead of the camera sensor to detect motion, which can give the camera a 3-D view of motion instead of a 2-D one. That allows it to better prevent false alarms by measuring the distance of a moving object instead of just the fact that there is a moving object.

This probably won’t have a huge impact on indoor camera users, but it may have an impact on those who plan on using the camera outdoors. It should allow the camera to better sense when someone is simply walking past your house, and not send you notifications for that, as opposed to when someone is entering your front yard.

The feature combines with the brand’s Bird’s Eye view, which lets you set motion zones in a 3-D environment. So, again, you could set a motion zone for your front yard, but not on the sidewalk in front of your front yard—and the camera should be smart enough to tell the difference.

This Ring camera offers good Alexa integration

As you would expect from an Amazon-owned company, Ring’s products usually work well with Alexa, and that’s the case here. The Ring Stick Up Cam Pro will automatically be added to your Alexa smart home if your accounts are linked, after which you’ll be able to view feeds from it on your other Alexa devices and change its state using your voice.

If you use Alexa, this is good news—though keep in mind the fact that the camera won’t integrate with Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit without some workarounds.

What we don’t like

The camera is more expensive than other security cameras

The Ring Stick Up Cam Pro is a solid camera, but Ring has become somewhat synonymous with great value. Not everyone will need fancy features like 3-D motion detection and HDR, especially when it comes to indoor use. So, if you plan on using the camera indoors and could stand to save some cash, it’s probably worth simply going for the standard Ring Stick Up Cam instead of the Pro model.

For the best features of this camera, a subscription is required

As with most modern security cameras, you’ll probably want to pony up for a subscription if you really want to get the most out of the Stick Up Cam Pro. That’s especially true if you want to do more than live-stream footage from the camera.

There are a few plans you can choose from in the Ring Protect lineup. The basic plan allows you to access 180 days worth of video history, get rich notifications, and so on. The Plus plan adds an extended warranty, while the Pro plan gets you 24/7 monitoring. Most will be happy with the basic plan, at $3.99 per month.

Should you buy the Ring Stick Up Cam Pro?

Yes, if you want a smart camera that works with Alexa

The Ring Stick Up Cam Pro is probably the best camera that supports Alexa out there right now. Advanced features, like 3-D motion detection, will only be helpful for those who plan on using the camera outdoors.

If you’re looking for an indoor camera, it’s probably worth saving some cash. But, if you want a super-smart outdoor camera that you can use with your Alexa smart home, this is the way to go.