Home and personal security is becoming increasingly of concern for families around the world. With the news being populated with stories of home invasions, violent assaults and robberies, one can’t help feel the need to take steps to ensure their own safety and the safety of those around them. One company, Ring, wants to be the first line of defense when it comes to protecting your home and your loved ones.

Recently my wife approached me with footage from a Ring doorbell camera showing a young man in our neighborhood with what appears to be a weapon in his hand waiting for the home owner to open the door. Fortunately, they didn’t answer but the culprit, was identified by police thanks to the recording from the doorbell camera itself. Immediately, she said “you must get me one of those” and when I asked her why? She responded, “I want to see who’s at my door without me having to open it”. It was a fair argument. After all, the folks at Ring explain that they are committed to offering smart security that’s accessible to everyone. Ring lets you stop crime before it happens. Flash forward a few weeks and we were given the opportunity to try their latest offerings their Ring Doorbell Pro and Spotlight camera.

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro is the premium version of their most popular hardware, like its predecessors, it allows homeowners to see, hear and speak to anyone at your door from your smartphone, tablet or PC. Day or night, rain or shine. The doorbell itself is essentially a two-way 1080P HD camera that is hardwired (battery versions available too) and connected to your home 2.4 or 5ghz Wi-Fi network, it features the ability to detect motion outside your front door as well as alert you when someone rings the doorbell. When the homeowner is alerted to a ring, they can immediately initiate an audio/video conversation with the person on the other side, indicating that there is someone home. Alternatively, the video on demand feature allows you to see live who or what is going on outside and when an alert is received, the camera instantly starts recording until the movement ceases. One thing we really love about the Pro was its very simple setup process which was entirely app based and very intuitive. Another highlight for us was the cameras’ 160-degree field of vision that allows you to see a much wider view of your front porch. We also appreciated its weather resistant properties (especially in the Canadian Winter) and the little extras like the interchangeable style face plates.

Their Spotlight camera was equally as impressive and fulfills another home security must – surveillance. Featuring similar 1080P HD video recording capability, this is more than just a Wi-Fi enabled camera. It features a very clever LED spotlight and integrated 110 decibel siren that should scare away the most fearless of offenders. We also love that the camera has similar motion sensing ability to the Doorbell Pro and works just as efficiently. With both a battery, hardwired and solar options available, this must have camera with its similar cloud based on demand recording and instant alert system can ensure you are always protected. One real highlight for us with the Spotlight cam was that other systems we have tried often gave false positive motion alerts when shadows were cast or a cat walked by for instance, the Spotlight has been very consistent over the testing period and again install was well under 10 minutes and we were up and running.

Ring continues to build its already stellar reputation as must have home security options for the everyday homeowner. While other options are available on the market, there is a lot to be said about Ring’s simple setup process, intuitive app and accurate alert system but most importantly it’s reliability, something we have just not seen with other offerings.

Feel safer with Ring, get yours at http://www.ring.com