You're probably looking at a deal right now. Maybe it’s Prime Day, Black Friday, or just one of those random Tuesday markdowns that Amazon loves to throw at us. Seeing Ring doorbells on sale is basically a weekly occurrence at this point. But here’s the thing that most people—and honestly, most tech reviewers—don't tell you: a "sale" price on a Ring device is often just the manufacturer clearing out hardware that's about to be obsolete.
I’ve spent years tracking smart home hardware cycles. It’s a bit of a shell game. You see a $40 price tag and think you’re winning. In reality, you might be buying a sensor from 2020 that struggles to tell a stray cat from a delivery driver.
Buying a video doorbell isn't just about the upfront cost. You're entering an ecosystem. You're buying into a subscription. You're inviting Amazon’s Sidewalk network into your home. If you don't know which version of the "Video Doorbell" you're actually clicking on, you're going to end up frustrated.
Why Ring Doorbells Go on Sale So Often
Amazon owns Ring. This is the most important piece of the puzzle. Unlike competitors like Arlo or Eufy, Ring doesn't necessarily need to make a massive profit on the plastic housing or the camera lens. They want you in the Ring Protect ecosystem.
When you see Ring doorbells on sale, it’s often a loss leader strategy. They'll drop the price of a Battery Doorbell Plus by 30% because they know you’ll pay $5 a month (or more) for the next five years just to see who was at the door yesterday. It’s the "razor and blade" model, but with 1080p video and two-way talk.
The Refurbished Trap
Don't ignore the "Certified Refurbished" section. Sometimes it's a goldmine; other times it's a headache. A refurbished Ring Video Doorbell 4 might be $80 while a new one is $140. Is it worth it? Usually, yes, because Amazon’s warranty on these is surprisingly robust. But you have to check the generation.
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If it's "1st Generation," run away.
Seriously. The 1st Gen models are slow. The motion detection is primitive. They use PIR (Passive Infrared) sensors that get triggered by every passing car's headlights but somehow miss the guy dropping off a giant box from UPS.
Navigating the Different Models During a Sale
It’s confusing. Purposefully so. You have the "Video Doorbell," the "Video Doorbell Pro," the "Video Doorbell Plus," and the "Video Doorbell Elite."
Let’s get real about the differences.
The standard Ring Video Doorbell (2020 release) is the one you see on sale for $50 or $60. It’s fine. It’s "okay." But it has a built-in battery. When it dies, you have to take the whole doorbell off the wall to charge it. Your house is unprotected for six hours while it sits on your kitchen counter. That's annoying.
Then there’s the Battery Doorbell Plus. This is the sweet spot. It has "Head-to-Toe" video. Why does that matter? Because standard doorbells often cut off the bottom of the frame. You see the person's face, but you can't see the package they left on the mat. The Plus fixes this. If you see this specific model for under $120, that’s a genuine deal.
Wired vs. Battery: The Hidden Cost
People often buy the battery version because it’s easier to install. I get it. No one wants to mess with 16V transformers and old chime wires. But if you have existing doorbell wires, the Ring Video Doorbell Wired is often the cheapest model available. It’s tiny. It’s fast. It never needs charging.
The downside? It doesn't ring your existing mechanical chime inside the house. You’ll need a Ring Chime or an Alexa speaker to hear the "ding-dong." Factor that extra $30 into your "sale" price.
The Ring Protect Subscription Reality
You cannot talk about Ring doorbells on sale without talking about the subscription.
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- No Subscription: You get alerts and a live view. That’s it. If someone steals your package while you’re at work and you didn't happen to be looking at your phone at that exact second, you have zero video evidence.
- Ring Protect Basic: Usually covers one device. It lets you save video for up to 180 days.
- Ring Protect Plus: Covers all devices at one location.
In early 2024, Ring hiked prices. People were mad. They had every right to be. The cost of owning these devices is rising, even if the hardware price is dropping. If you’re buying three or four cameras during a sale, you have to budget for the annual subscription cost, which can quickly eclipse the "savings" you found on the hardware.
Privacy, Amazon, and Law Enforcement
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. Ring has a complicated history with law enforcement. In the past, they made it a bit too easy for police to request footage via the Neighbors app without a warrant.
They’ve tightened things up. They now require a formal legal request for most things, and they’ve ended the "Request for Assistance" tool that allowed police to publicly ask for footage. But the data is still on Amazon’s servers.
If privacy is your number one priority, a Ring doorbell on sale might not be the deal you think it is. You might be better off with something like Reolink or Eufy that offers local storage on an SD card. No monthly fee, no cloud storage, no Amazon. But you lose the seamless Alexa integration. It’s a trade-off.
How to Spot a Fake Sale
Retailers use "anchor pricing." They’ll list a Ring Pro 2 at a "MSRP" of $250, then mark it down to $190 and call it a 25% savings.
Check the price history. Use tools like CamelCamelCamel. You’ll often find that the "sale" price is actually just the normal price it’s been at for the last three months. A real deal on a Ring device usually happens during:
- Prime Day (July)
- Black Friday/Cyber Monday (November)
- Target Circle Weeks
- Mother’s/Father’s Day (Surprisingly good for smart home tech)
If you see a Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 for under $150, that is a "buy it now" price. That model has 1536p HD+ video and "3D Motion Detection" using radar. It's significantly better than the base models because it cuts out false alerts from swaying trees.
Technical Nuances Most People Miss
The Wi-Fi chip in these things matters.
Cheap Ring models only support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. If your router is far from your front door and you have a lot of interference, your video is going to look like a Lego movie. It will stutter. It will lag.
The higher-end models—the ones that rarely go on deep discount—support 5GHz. This is a game changer for video fluidity. If you live in a dense apartment complex or a suburban neighborhood where everyone has a router, 5GHz is almost mandatory.
Also, check your transformer. If you buy a wired Ring on sale, you might find it doesn't work because your house's old doorbell transformer only puts out 10V. Ring usually needs 16V to 24V. You might have to spend another $25 on a new transformer and climb into your attic or crawlspace to swap it out.
Real-World Performance: What to Expect
I’ve tested these in the rain. In the heat. In the snow.
The battery life claims are... optimistic. Ring says months. If you live on a busy street where the motion sensor triggers 50 times a day, you'll be lucky to get three weeks. Cold weather kills the batteries even faster. If you live in Minnesota or Maine, don't buy the battery version unless you enjoy swapping batteries in a blizzard.
The "Pre-Roll" feature is something you should look for when browsing Ring doorbells on sale. It records a few seconds of black-and-white video before the motion is even detected. It’s great for catching the face of a "porch pirate" who is running toward your house. Without it, you often just see the back of their head as they run away with your package.
Actionable Steps for Saving Money Right Now
If you are ready to pull the trigger on a new doorbell, don't just click "Buy Now." Follow this checklist to make sure the "deal" is actually a deal.
Step 1: Check the Generation
Look at the technical specifications. If it doesn't say "1080p" or higher, put it back. If it's a 720p model, it’s ancient tech and won't be supported much longer.
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Step 2: Evaluate Your Wiring
Pop your current doorbell off the wall. Do you see two wires? If yes, look for the Ring Wired Doorbell Plus or the Pro 2. If no wires, you're stuck with battery models.
Step 3: Bundle and Save
Amazon almost always bundles Ring doorbells on sale with an Echo Pop or an Echo Show for like $5 extra. Even if you don't want the speaker, the bundle is usually cheaper than buying the doorbell alone. You can always give the Echo speaker away as a gift.
Step 4: Check for "Ring Renew"
Ring has an official store on eBay where they sell open-box and refurbished units with the same warranty as new ones. Often, these prices beat the Amazon "sale" prices by another 20%.
Step 5: Factor in the Chime
If you’re going with a model that doesn’t work with your existing house chime, look for a bundle that includes the "Ring Chime." Otherwise, your phone is the only thing that will make noise when someone presses the button. If your phone is on silent in the other room, you’ll miss the delivery.
Step 6: Set Up End-to-End Encryption
Once you buy it, go into the Control Center in the Ring app and turn on End-to-End Encryption. This prevents anyone—including Amazon—from viewing your videos. It makes the "sale" feel a lot better when you know your privacy is actually locked down.
Buying a Ring doorbell on sale is a smart move if you know what you’re looking at. Don't get distracted by the big red "30% OFF" stickers. Look at the resolution, the power source, and the feature set. A $60 doorbell that doesn't show you the package on the ground is a waste of $60. A $140 doorbell that catches every detail is an investment in your peace of mind.