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;

We recently reviewed the Ring Video Doorbell Pro and gave it an Editors' Choice for smart doorbells thanks to its sleek aesthetics, sharp 1080p video, and easy installation. The Ring Video Doorbell 2 ($199) also offers good 1080p video and is even easier to install because it uses a rechargeable battery and doesn't require any wiring. It also offers most of the features that you get with the Pro version including motion detection and support for Alexa voice commands and IFTTT applets. But it's bulky and not quite as stylish as the Pro, and lacks pre-buffered recording capabilities. Design and Features Measuring 5.0 by 2.5 by 1.0 inches (HWD), the Video Doorbell 2 is roughly the same size as and looks nearly identical to the original Video Doorbell we reviewed almost three years ago. Conversely, the Ring Pro is much smaller and thinner and looks more like a traditional doorbell. The upper portion of the Video Doorbell 2 enclosure holds the camera and is glossy black, while the lo...

The feature-rich battery-powered Ring Video Doorbell 2 is ideal if you want a smart doorbell but don't want to mess with wiring.

Easy to install; Battery or wired power operation; 1080p video; Alexa and IFTTT support; Motion detection with triggered recording

Bulky; Requires subscription to view recorded video; No pre-buffered recording

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; ;

Great value; Integrates with other Ring products; Gets the basics right;

So-so video quality;

The Ring Video Doorbell 2 is a very clever "smart" doorbell and security system all in one device.

If you’re currently searching for a video doorbell that’s easy to setup and doesn’t really need any wiring, then we highly suggest the Ring Video Doorbell 2. It gives you a colorful and rich 1080p daytime video while its black and white night video is relatively sharp and clear.

Easy to set up, effective and reasonably priced, the Ring Video Doorbell 2 is the best product of its type

Easy to set up and use; Good video and audio quality; Reasonable price compared with Nest Hello

Motion "zones" not precise enough; Those with larger homes will need to add £50 Chime Pro

The Ring Video Doorbell 2 is one of those rare smart home devices that just works and works at least as well as the “dumb” equivalent, but with much more capability. It acts as another barrier between you and the outside world, and works perfectly well simply as a video doorbell and impromptu live...

easy to install and set up; solid app; great as basic doorbell; great as a camera from your door; attractive; no wiring required; lots of accessories and options

battery needs charging once a month; can’t use local storage for video; quite large for some door frames; expensive for a doorbell

I feel so much more secure with this product. It was easy to install. (Hubby did it) . Easy to use. (My input) And I feel so much more safe now I have it. While I'm at work I hear when my husband gets home. He was not keen to have one at the start, but now loves it since I shooed away a door salesman before he could wake Hubby up knocking on the door. And, he often waves to me through the Ring Doorbell as he's unlocking the door. And sends messages as well. I can't fault it. I love it.

Easy to set up, effective and reasonably priced, the Ring Video Doorbell 2 is the best product of its type

Easy to set up and use; Good video and audio quality; Reasonable price compared with Nest Hello;

Motion "zones" not precise enough; Those with larger homes will need to add £50 Chime Pro;