Ring Alarm Security Kit Review

Ring is no stranger to home security, and the Ring Alarm Security Kit ($199) contains everything you need to protect and keep tabs on your home. As with other DIY smart home security systems, installation is quick and easy, and you can either self-monitor or pay a modest fee for a professional monitoring service. The system worked well in our tests and interacts with Ring cameras, doorbells, 

and lights. It also supports dozens of smart door locks and switches, and it responds to Alexa voice commands. It's a terrific security system for existing Ring users, though it isn't quite as versatile as our Editors' Choice, the Abode iota.

The Ring Alarm system comes with a base station, a keypad, an entry sensor, a motion sensor, and a Z-Wave range extender. Also included in the box are installation kits containing mounting tape and hardware for the keypad and the two sensors, an AC adapter for the base station, a USB power adapter and cable for the keypad, a getting started guide, and an alarm kit security basics guide.

The white base station is the brains of the system. It measures 1.4 by 6.6 by 6.6 inches (HWD) and has a 1.5-inch LED ring and a speaker on top, and a USB port and a LAN port around back, joined by a pairing button, a reset button, and Wi-Fi and power indicators. The base contains circuitry that supports 

numerous wireless protocols including dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth 4.1, and LTE cellular as a backup if you subscribe to the Ring Protect Plus plan (more on this later). It also has an internal backup battery that will provide up to 24 hours of power in the event of a power loss, and a loud 105dB internal siren.

The LED ring glows solid blue when the system is disarmed and turns red when it is in Home mode (only some sensors, such as contact sensors, are armed) or Away mode (all sensors are armed). When you arm and disarm the system, a voice tells you what mode you are in. You'll also hear a chime whenever a sensor is triggered.

The keypad measures 0.91 by 5.87 by 3.94 inches (HWD) and has numeric buttons (0-9). It also has an X button and a button with a check mark on it: Pressing and holding both of these buttons puts the system into Panic mode, which sounds the siren and sends an alert to the professional monitoring

 service so that police can be dispatched. To the right of the numeric keypad is a round dial with three buttons for putting the system in Home, Away, and Disarm mode, but you'll first have to enter your unique access code. Other LEDs include network and battery indicators, and a faulted sensor LED that tells you if a sensor is open before you arm the system.

At 3.2 by 0.9 by 0.9 inches (HWD), the Z-Wave contact sensors for doors and windows are bulkier than the sensors that come with the Vivint Smart Home system (2.5 by 1.0 by 0.5 inches). They're each powered by a CR123 battery that is rated to last three years and can be installed using double-sided tape 

or with mounting screws. The motion sensor (3.5 by 2.4 by 1.7 inches) also runs on a CR123 battery and uses a Z-Wave radio to communicate with the base station. The range extender (3.1 by 1.8 by 1.1 inches) plugs into a wall outlet and extends the Z-Wave signal by up to 250 feet, so you can place sensors just about anywhere.

The Ring Alarm is controlled using the same mobile (for Android and iOS) and web app as other Ring devices, such as the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, the Ring Floodlight Cam, and the Ring Stick Up Cam. The app lets you link all of your Ring devices to work with the Alarm. For example, you can have a Ring Stick Up Cam begin recording and have Ring lights turn on when an Alarm sensor is triggered.