Ring Indoor Cam (2019) Review

After years of making video doorbells and other smart devices, Ring is finally ready to offer buyers an inexpensive camera that actually packs a lot of value into its $59.99 price tag. Capturing 1080p video, supporting Alexa Voice Assistant, and compatible with IFTT applets, while it does lack some of the features of the Ring Stick Up Cam, the Ring Indoor Cam is still a great addition to the Ring lineup of products.

The first thing you will notice about the Ring Indoor Cam is how minimalistic the little camera is. Standing only 2.9 inches by 1.8 inches, the indoor camera is almost half the size of the Stick Up Cam. It has a base that can be moved for wall mounting, and the full camera feels unobtrusive in a room.

The front of the camera looks like many would expect, with a black area for the microphone array and speakers along with the indicator light and camera. Around the back, you will find where you plug the camera in using the included micro USB cable for power —as it has no battery—and not much else. It is a simple camera that fits with the clean look of most Ring devices.

The Ring Indoor Cam is able to capture 1080p video at a 140-degree FOV, along with a series of LEDs the camera uses for night vision. The Ring Indoor Cam features a 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi radio to connect to your network. This being a Ring product, there are upsells aplenty to get you to buy more comprehensive plans to deal with security. The Basic plan starts at $3 a month, with the Plus plan costing around $10. These offer varying levels of cloud recording and history, but it is all up to your needs and what you plan to do with the video.

If you have set up a Ring product before, the Indoor Cam is no different. You load up your app and sign in—or sign up if you have never used Ring before. From there you follow the on-screen prompts, scan some QR codes, and you are done. Once set up, the app will display a screen showing a still image from the camera, along with toggles for other Ring devices you may have active. It all works to be very self-explanatory and is easy to jump into and figure out.

Once everything is in place, the Ring Camera works as you would expect. You can look back at the footage, including time-stamps, and it is also possible to load up live-view to see what is going on live. There are many settings for the camera once you jump into it, from the level of notifications to how the camera works with other Ring devices.

In testing, the Ring Indoor Camera offered crisp and clear video in standard lighting, producing great colour with good overall image detail. The night black and white footage offered enough contrast to show any movement and people clearly. The Ring Indoor Camera motion detection worked as advertised, giving an alert every time it saw movement or action in front of the camera.

While the Ring Indoor Cam does require power via the included Micro USB cable, due to the purpose of this device, it is a small trade-off. We found it easy to hook up, and despite the need for some form of power, we never found it difficult to place within the home or office. This will differ based on the use case, but as long as there is power nearby, the Ring Indoor Cam should do the job with ease. The camera also does lack external light, so if you want a camera with this feature, the Ring Spotlight Cam offers a similar feature set, with the added ability to have it work as a light for security.

The Ring Indoor Camera delivers an inexpensive yet feature-rich indoor camera. While it does feel built to be part of a bigger series of Ring products in your home or office, the device offers just enough to make it a great addition to anyone looking to bring a little security to their lives. Despite the series of upsells, the Ring Indoor Cam is one of the best affordable cameras you can currently buy, and for anyone already invested in the Ring ecosystem, it is a no brainer.