If you regularly miss visitors or courier deliveries and want to add an extra layer of security to your home, then the Video Doorbell 2 is a potentially worthy buy – particularly if you want to avoid hardwiring it into your wall. But its performance and ultimate usefulness is very dependant on your Wi-Fi and the layout of your house. It’s also not quite as pretty or as capable as forthcoming options like the Nest Hello or Blink Video Doorbell, which are both due to arrive in 2018. If you like the idea of adding a video-recording doorbell to your smart home army, we’d be inclined to wait to see how those compare. But if you desperately want one now or particularly like the simplicity of Ring’s rechargeable battery, it’s well worth an audition.

Very easy to install; Rechargeable battery is a useful alternative to hardwiring; Shoots pretty crisp 1080p video (if at low frame-rate); Works nicely with Alexa and the Echo Show;

Video can be quite blocky and jerky; Needs a strong Wi-Fi signal (or the additional Chime Pro); No free video storage option;

Ring video doorbells have gone through several iterations since the original came out in 2013. There’s been the Elite, Pro, Ring Video Doorbell 2, Ring Video Doorbell 3, and Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus. After all that, the company has gone back to the original with the Ring Video Doorbell 2nd Gen ($100). What sets it apart from all of its cousins? Its $100 price tag. It’s by far the cheapest Ring doorbell introduced this year — the Ring Video Doorbell 3 and 3 Plus are priced at $200 and $230 respectively. That’s a huge difference. Is it worthy of the premium Ring brand? I gave the 2nd Gen a try to see how it compares to its competition and the other Ring doorbells. Like the other Ring Video Doorbells, the 2nd Gen is very easy to install. The instructions in the app guide you through everything, step-by-step. The kit even comes with a level, screwdriver, and a drill bit, if you need to use a drill. All you need to do is attach the mounting plate to the wall or door frame with a few screw...

Inexpensive; Great app experience; Privacy Zone censors specific areas; Simple installation;

No removable battery; Glitchy video and audio;

Very easy to install; Rechargeable battery is a useful alternative to hardwiring; Shoots pretty crisp 1080p video (if at low frame-rate); Works nicely with Alexa and the Echo Show;

Video can be quite blocky and jerky; Needs a strong Wi-Fi signal (or the additional Chime Pro); No free video storage option;

Ring Video Doorbell 2 is flexible enough to go anywhere, plus it has good motion-alert settings and low cloud-storage costs.

You can exclude parts of the camera view from motion alerts; Battery power for flexible placement; Slim; attractive design; Useful social function in app

Notification sound is grating; Easily stripped security screw

“The hassle-free Ring Video Doorbell 2 is a smart choice.”

Wireless or wired configuration; Easy installation; Versatile motion alerts; Rechargeable battery; Friendly; simple app control

Chunky design; Cheap plastic finish; Coarse speaker

In many ways, the original Ring Doorbell was the market leader in smart video doorbells. The second improves on a couple of areas that needed it, and adds customisation. There's no massive compelling reason to upgrade if you have the first generation.

Removable battery is a necessary addition; Camera footage is vibrant and clear; Additional mounts/fascias included for unusual doorways

Slight delay in motion/ring alerts; Needs to be fairly close to router; No in-home chime/ring without buying Chime or Chime Pro

A neat way to keep an eye on your front door, boosting security when you're at home or away.

Smart design; Removable battery; Smart motion detection; Clear audio and video

Quite large; No choice of ringtone; Internal chime an optional extra

We've spent some time with the smart Ring Video Doorbell 2 to see if it's worth paying £179 for a doorbell (Spoiler: it is).

In the weather that prevailed just before Christmas fixing a new doorbell was not the most pressing thing on my mind, or course once fitted the various groups of carol singers that seem to materialise can safely be ignored from your indoor comfort.

The Ring Video Doorbell 2 does a great job. It does require a monthly subscription for storing videos but it's more affordable than most, and it works out quite a bit cheaper than the Nest Hello overall.