Ring Floodlight Wired Plus Review

Video Quality

The Ring Floodlight Wired Plus offers 1080p video resolution, but our tests revealed it is more pixelated than other 1080p cameras. During the daytime, the 4th line of our Snellen chart test was barely visible, which I felt should be easier to read with a 1080p camera. The reduced clarity becomes particularly noticeable when trying to identify details at a distance or in more challenging low-light conditions.

Day Quality Night Quality

The color accuracy is decent overall. However, I observed that colors generally seem flat, and our wide-angle tests revealed noticeable edge distortion, which can make identifying objects on the periphery of the frame more difficult.

While the Ring Floodlight Wired Plus has color night vision, I found the night vision isn't very impressive, considering the floodlight on this camera should assist in getting a brighter picture and help capture better nighttime video. In our nighttime tests, the illumination provided by the floodlights didn't enhance the video quality as much as expected, resulting in footage that still appears grainy and lacks the detail you'd want for security purposes. This underperformance was particularly disappointing given that the floodlight is supposed to be a key feature of this product, yet it is only 90 lumens, whereas other floodlights measured 900 and 1400 lumens.

Monitoring Performance

Our monitoring performance tests confirmed that the Ring Floodlight Wired Plus reliably detects individuals at distances of up to 20 feet, which is adequate for most residential settings and on par with the performance of top models. Detection zones can be set with an 8-point drag-and-drop system that offers great customization. Users can create up to three individual detection zones, which allows for some flexibility in monitoring specific areas while ignoring others. I liked the eight-point detection zone system, as it adds a lot of fine-detail control over zones.

I found that the detection capabilities aren't very robust and only include motion detection, person detection, and vehicle detection. It also includes two-way audio functionality, but what's notably absent are package detection, facial recognition, sound, and animal detection features that have become standard on many competing cameras.

Once an industry pioneer, the Ring Floodlight Wired Plus doesn't stand out when compared to top competitors. Our side-by-side testing revealed that other cameras in the same price range offer more sophisticated detection capabilities in addition to higher video quality. The limited feature set feels particularly dated when considering how rapidly the home security camera market has evolved in recent years.

The Ring Floodlight Wired Plus offers no local storage options, forcing users to rely entirely on cloud storage through a Ring subscription plan, adding ongoing costs to get functionality that is standard with other products.

Ease of Use

The Ring app is mature, clean, and generally intuitive, making basic camera management straightforward. Navigation through most features is simple, and the interface is user-friendly enough for those who aren't particularly tech-savvy. However, I wish it took fewer steps to get to a live video feed and not just a preview thumbnail. This multi-click process became frustrating during testing, especially in scenarios where quick access to the live feed would be beneficial.

On the positive side, the event history page is comprehensive, allowing you to sort by camera and event type, and it offers a clean event summary page. This filtering makes reviewing past footage quick and efficient. The camera is hardwired only, which eliminates concerns over battery life but also limits installation flexibility to locations with existing wiring.

The Ring Floodlight Wired Plus is compatible with Alexa and Hey Google, allowing for integration with broader smart home systems that you may already be using.

Should You Buy The Ring Floodlight Wired Plus?

The Ring Floodlight Wired Plus is best suited for homeowners who are already invested in the Ring ecosystem and prioritize a smooth integration over cutting-edge performance. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it due to the expensive up-front cost and the need for a subscription to access recorded video.

What Other Security Cameras Should You Consider?