4 Smart Gadgets Worth Pairing With Ring Video Doorbells

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Staying safe and secure in your own home involves more than just locking doors and windows. Luckily, surveillance tech is more DIY than ever, and companies like Ring provide detailed instructions and all the tools you'll need to get the job done. Even a video doorbell can be mounted and activated relatively quickly; some doorbell models will let you bypass electrical wiring entirely. Once installed, you'll be able to pair a number of smart gadgets to your Ring bell, too.

Of course, this begs the question: what would you want to have connected to your Ring bell in the first place? You can never have too much home security, and Ring sells everything from smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to motion detectors and glass-break sensors. Amazon also owns Ring, and the Alexa app supports thousands of third-party smart home devices. In the event that the Ring app won't let you onboard a device, you can always add it to your Alexa ecosystem, then create a Routine to pair the gadget with your Ring bell.

We came up with a list of four smart gadgets worth pairing with Ring video doorbells, the first of which is exclusively produced by Ring. The other three devices are sold by both Ring and several reputable retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy. There's a lot of tech to discuss, so let's jump right in to our first pick.

One of the benefits of a Ring video doorbell is being able to choose between a wired and wireless installation. Should you opt for the latter, you won't be interfacing with existing doorbell wiring; that also means an existing chime (if you have one) isn't going to work when someone triggers your Ring bell. As luck would have it, Ring makes its own standalone auditory notifiers: the $35 Chime and the $60 Chime Plus.

Both products are meant to be paired with the same Wi-Fi network that your other Ring tech is connected to. They can also be paired up with traditional Ring cams; the Chime Plus can even be interfaced with Ring sensors built on Amazon Sidewalk. The Plus is also the largest and loudest Chime product, and you can program it to produce a different tone for each Ring device it supports, so now you won't have to guess whether it's your doorbell or backyard cam that's trying to alert you.

Onboarding of the Chime and Chime Plus is handled by the Ring app, and installation is as simple as plugging the gadget into an AC outlet. Just make sure that you're not plugging it into a switched outlet if you don't want to risk the Chime falling offline occasionally.

Your home security doesn't have to begin and end with a Ring doorbell. Extra illumination goes a long way toward identifying difficult-to-see faces, license plates, and other subjects. We like the idea of linking smart lights to a video doorbell for additional visibility, and it just so happens that Ring makes a handful of lighting products, including path lights, stair lights, and motion-detecting outdoor spotlights. You'll need the $20 Ring Bridge to get everything paired up, but once all devices are shaking hands, you'll be able to create useful automations.

You could program your Ring doorbell to automatically trigger outdoor lighting when motion is detected; you can also force your doorbell to start recording when a spotlight or other outdoor fixture is activated. We like indoor automations, too, and Ring makes its own A19 smart bulbs, so your floor and table lamps can get in on the action. Alternatively, you can use software like Alexa to create custom lighting routines that incorporate third-party smart light bulbs and devices; this may even prevent you from needing to buy a Ring Bridge.

Do keep in mind that you can always customize the on-off behavior of your lights; that way, they won't be triggered in the middle of the day when the extra lumens aren't going to do you any good. Compatibility is the biggest obstacle you'll face, so just triple-check that the lighting tech you own or want to buy will work with Ring products (most do).

You may be thinking that a smart plug is about as useful as a set of smart lights, especially if you're plugging the latter into the former. When an action triggers your Ring bell, lights and plugs can both be programmed to turn on or off, but we dared to think outside the box. Imagine a work-from-home setup that includes a frequently operated desk fan, air purifier, or noise machine; you could create an Alexa Routine that automatically cuts power when someone rings your doorbell.

Not only does this make it easier for both you and your guest to hear each other (via two-way audio), but this type of automation could prevent you from missing an important delivery. It's one thing to see a light turn on or off; it's another for the sudden loss of sound to put you at attention, especially if you're used to the background noise. Furthermore, you could add a delayed restart to your plug. This would give you a couple of minutes to address your visitor, without requiring you to turn the plug back on via app or voice command.

Ring makes its own indoor and outdoor smart plugs if you want to keep everything one brand, but you'll need to buy a Ring Bridge to get all your gadgets linked. Fortunately, Alexa-powered ecosystems are compatible with many third-party smart plugs if you'd prefer to cast a wider net.

If someone rings the doorbell while you're busy in the kitchen, dropping whatever you're doing isn't always a possibility. Still, it would be nice to know who showed up and to be able to communicate with your visitor. To that end, it sounds like a smart display would be a great investment for your residence. Products like the Echo Show 5, 8, and 11 are excellent countertop companions, and once you've added the Ring skill to the Alexa app, you'll receive notifications via the smart display.

You should also have the option to view your Ring doorbell's live feed. Every Ring doorbell and Echo Show device has a built-in microphone and speaker; that means you can exchange dialogue with your front-door guest, and they'll be able to talk back to you (you'll hear them through the smart display). You can also pull up a live view from your bell at any time by asking your Echo Show to show you the camera feed, or by pulling it up manually via the Ring or Alexa app.

An Echo Show brings far more to the table than extra property surveillance; you can also stream music with it, watch videos, look up recipes, set reminders, and more. It's also worth mentioning that certain Fire TV devices can pull up a live feed, too, and speakers like the Echo Dot and Echo Studio can be paired with a Ring doorbell for two-way audio.

More than anything, we wanted to spotlight smart gadgets that provided additional surveillance and peace-of-mind features when paired with a Ring doorbell. In our vetting of these items, we didn't choose any product that scored less than 4 stars on Amazon.

We also didn't choose any brands that weren't well-regarded, because security for your home or business should be in the hands of the pros — not the company with an impossible name and prices that are simply too good to be true.