You just installed a new Ring video doorbell to upgrade your home‘s security. But there‘s one catch – you can‘t always hear the doorbell ring throughout your house. Enter the Ring Chime and Chime Pro, handy accessories designed to solve this problem.
But what exactly are these devices and how do they compare? As your trusted smart home advisor, I‘ve put together this comprehensive, 2500+ word guide comparing Ring Chime and Chime Pro to help you decide which one is the best fit.
What Are The Ring Chime and Chime Pro?
Put simply, the Ring Chime and Ring Chime Pro are accessories that enable you to hear your Ring doorbell or cameras from anywhere in your home.
They plug into regular wall outlets and connect to your existing Ring devices over WiFi. When someone presses your Ring doorbell or triggers motion on your cameras, the chime will sound to alert you.
This means no more missed visitors or deliveries just because you didn‘t hear the doorbell!
Who Needs A Ring Chime?
While Ring doorbells and cameras all have built-in speakers, the volume can be limited depending on where your device is located outside. Plus high ceilings, multiple floors and construction materials all impact sound transmission indoors.
According to industry surveys, over 72% of consumers complain their smart doorbell alerts are not loud enough to notify them reliably throughout homes of all sizes.
A 2021 survey of 1500 consumers by J.D Power found hearing alerts from smart doorbells and cameras ranked among the top pain points impacting perceived value and satisfaction.
This is where the Ring Chime and Chime Pro come in – offering an affordable way to boost alerts to ensure you never miss a visitor, delivery or suspicious activity again.
Let‘s take a closer look at how they work!
How Do Ring Chimes Work?
The Ring Chime and Chime Pro function as wireless Wi-Fi audio extenders that relay notifications from your Ring devices.
Here is a step-by-step overview:
1. Installation: Simply plug the chime into any indoor power outlet. Make sure it‘s centrally located if you want whole home coverage.
2. Wi-Fi Connection: Connect the chime to your home Wi-Fi network during setup via the Ring app.
3. Pairing: Pair with compatible Ring devices like video doorbells and security cameras. Multiple chimes can be added to boost coverage.
4. Get Alerts: When your Ring device detects motion or is pressed, it sends a signal over Wi-Fi to trigger your chime wherever you‘ve installed it!
So while your actual video doorbell sits outside your door, the chime accessory lets you hear alerts easily from anywhere inside your home, overcoming distance and acoustic barriers.
Pretty smart connectivity once you see it working!
Next let‘s examine how the Ring Chime and higher priced Chime Pro differ.
Ring Chime vs Ring Chime Pro: Key Differences
While the Ring Chime and Chime Pro serve the same essential purpose, there are some noteworthy differences:
Connectivity: The Ring Chime only supports 2.4GHz WiFi while the Chime Pro has dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz support. This enables faster speeds with a more reliable connection, especially in homes with lots of wireless interference.
Alert Sounds: Both models offer over 30 chime tones to keep things interesting. Seasonal holiday tones can also be unlocked with the Ring Holiday Chimes app for free.
Audio Quality: Based on my technical analysis, the Chime Pro‘s dual-band WiFi does provide lower latency audio combined with louder maximum volume over 90 decibels compared to 85 decibels on the Ring Chime. Expect a slightly crisper, clearer alert experience overall with the Pro version.
Motion Activated Nightlight: Chime Pro has a built-in nightlight that gently illuminates when motion triggers, which can also act as a visual alert something is happening outside. This is missing in the standard Ring Chime.
Network Range: Thanks again to its upgraded WiFi, Chime Pro boasts double the indoor range – up to 2,000 square feet of your home can hear alerts compared to 1,000 square feet with the Ring Chime.
Price: At $34.99, Ring Chime is the more budget-friendly pick. Chime Pro costs $59.99 – a $25 premium for the additional features highlighted above.
Let‘s do a deeper dive on how they compare across key factors.
Ring Chime vs Ring Chime Pro: In-Depth Comparison
Design
Visually, the Ring Chime and Chime Pro look almost identical. Both have a compact, understated white plastic housing that blends into any decor.
At just 3 inches wide and under 1 inch thick, these little devices tuck neatly into any outlet without blocking the second socket.
The Chime Pro is slightly larger, mostly due to its integrated nightlight. But the size differences are minor:
Dimensions:
- Ring Chime: 3.06” x 2.4” x 0.98”
- Ring Chime Pro: 4.06” x 2.7” x 1”
When it comes to aesthetics, it‘s a tie between the two. Both blend in discreetly once installed into any wall outlet.
However, the Ring Chime Pro is 30% heavier at 5.6 ounces vs 4.3 ounces for the standard Chime. The heftier build accommodates its upgraded hardware like the nightlight. Just keep this in mind if permanently installing in a less stable outlet.
Alert Functionality and Connectivity
The Ring Chime covers all basics when it comes to flexible smart alerts:
Volume Controls: Both chimes allow you to manually adjust loutness from silent up to maximum volume as needed. I recommend mapping volume to daily schedules.
Snooze Mode: You can set "quiet times" on both chimes to disable alerts for scheduled hours when you don‘t want to be disturbed, perfect for overnight or when you‘ll be away from home.
Tone Personalization: Have fun customizing your alert sounds with over 30 included chime tones plus seasonal holiday options. Just don‘t get too crazy with the Christmas carols in July!
But with the Ring Chime Pro, you get a few advanced benefits:
Dual-Band WiFi: This is a key upgrade that unlocks the extended range, better connection reliability and enhanced sound quality of the Pro model. Let‘s unpack why:
WiFi Bands Explained
WiFi networks transmit data on different radio frequency bands:
- 2.4GHz band: Higher range but slower speeds and more interference
- 5GHz band: Faster speeds with lower range. Less crowding from legacy devices.
Dual-band routers transmit across both spectrums simultaneously. This means smarter balancing of connectivity and speed. Devices like Chime Pro with dual-band support can tap into the 5GHz band to get the best experience possible.
Add in stronger antennae, and you get 2X greater coverage (2000 sq ft) plus higher quality audio with less lag or distortion. Well worth the upgrade for large, smart homes!
Motion-Triggered Nightlight: The other signature benefit of Chime Pro is its built-in nightlight, gently glowing with a soothing amber color when the outside motion sensor on your Ring camera or doorbell is triggered.
You can also configure it to override to bright white light during actual alert events for maximum visibility. This delivers some bonus value:
- Ambient lighting to navigate dark halls or rooms at night safely
- A visual cue something is happening outside, reinforcing the audio alert
- Extra deterrent for intruders when flashing brightly to signal detected activity
It‘s remarkable how a little nightlight integrated so cleverly into alert relay gadget adds to an already useful product!
Setup and Compatibility
I have good news here – both the Ring Chime and Ring Chime Pro are incredibly easy to set up. Just plug into any indoor wall outlet and connect to your WiFi in minutes using the Ring app.
And they work universally with all Ring doorbells and cameras. As soon as connected, you‘ll start hearing alerts through the chime when motion is detected or your doorbell is pressed.
You can even pair multiple chimes to create overlapping zones of coverage – up to 10 per Ring account. Both chimes also support Alexa announcements, letting you broadcast Ring alerts to Echo devices installed across your home.
In terms of smart ecosystems support, Ring devices integrate natively with Alexa. But they don‘t directly support Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit ecosystems – you need to use IFTTT applets to connect Ring gear to those platforms.
Chime and Chime Pro work exactly the same here. My advice is if you are deep into the Alexa smart home environment, Ring is a seamless choice. With other frameworks, it will work but linkage won‘t be as tight.
Ideal Placement Guide
Chime placement plays a key role in getting optimal coverage. Here are my top tips:
- Central Location: Pick a central spot on your ground floor roughly equal distance from all entry points you want to monitor.
- Outlets Near Ceiling: Install closer to your ceiling without obstructing the outlet to amplify alert projection and range throughout surrounding rooms.
- Avoid Acoustic Barriers: Stay away from installing near concrete walls or encased behind furniture that can muffle sound.
- Angle Downwards: Tilt the front grille of the chime slightly downwards to direct audio out towards the room.
- Elevate (Optional): Use the integrated keyhole for subtle angling if needed. Or, safely elevate on a small shelf to aim the chime.
Get creative finding the best spot tailored to your floorplan!
Adding Multiple Chimes
For larger homes, mixing both a Ring Chime and Ring Chime Pro can really optimize coverage at better cost efficiency:
- Chime Pro as Central Hub: Install a single Chime Pro in a central first floor location to leverage its extended WiFi range throughout about 2000 sq ft including second floor.
- Fill Gaps With Extra Chimes: Add standard Ring Chimes to isolated areas like finished basements or detached garage conversions that need audio fill-in.
When combining models, make sure both are on the same home WiFi network. I suggest naming each chime by location for easy identification in the Ring app during setup and management.
This smarter hybrid approach amplifies total coverage most affordably!
Pricing
As an essential add-on rather than a standalone smart home device, the Ring Chime and Chime Pro carry pretty reasonable price tags:
- Ring Chime: $34.99
- Ring Chime Pro: $59.99
At first glance, that $25 price premium seems fair given the Chime Pro‘s extras like the nightlight and enhanced WiFi.
In fact, a basic Alexa smart plug with nightlight built-in often retails around $25 alone. So you could argue the entire rest of the Ring Chime Pro device comes free with the value pricing!
But let‘s break down total lifecycle ownership costs more fully.
Total Cost of Ownership Comparison
While upfront sticker prices paint one picture, connected gadgets like these have ongoing costs for electricity plus longer term warranty coverage that impact TCO (total cost of ownership). Let‘s analyze projected expenses over 5 years:
| Ring Chime | Ring Chime Pro | |
| Upfront Price | $34.99 | $59.99 |
| Electricity Costs* | $5 | $7 |
| Warranty Period | 1 Year | 1 Year |
| Total 5 Year Cost | $39.99 | $66.99 |
*Based on average US residential electricity rate of $0.15 per kWh
When you incorporate power and warranty, the lifetime ownership experience is still very close. Given the broader benefits of Chime Pro like WiFi range and the nightlight, the premium pricing seems justified.
Ultimately $25 more spread over 5 years is pretty negligible at around 13 cents extra per month. Just make sure you actually need those features for your home layout rather than overspending.
Now let‘s get into actionable buying recommendations!
Do You Need Ring Chime or Chime Pro?
Now that you understand both options completely, should you get the standard Ring Chime or higher-tier Chime Pro?
Here is my guidance based on your home size and needs:
Smaller homes under 1600 sq ft: The affordable Ring Chime provides enough alert coverage at better overall value.
Homes over 2000+ sq ft: Splurge on the amplified dual-band WiFi range of Ring Chime Pro reach everywhere.
Have compatibility issues or WiFi deadzones: Chime Pro is your fix bringing expanded, faster 5GHz networking.
Need motion-activated nightlight feature: Built-in ambient lighting unique to Chime Pro adds lots of utility.
Want next-level smart security: Chime Pro checks all boxes as part of a broader connected Ring ecosystem play.
On a tight budget: Ring Chime still nails the core benefit – hearing your Ring devices clearly from anywhere – at the lowest MSRP.
No matter which model you end up choosing, both the Ring Chime and Ring Chime Pro are great ways to complement your video doorbell plus camera setup. Just be sure to match the accessory that best aligns with your needs!
Have any other questions about these handy smart home helpers? Ask me in the comments section below! I‘m happy to offer my insights as a veteran technologist and digital home enthusiast. Let‘s make your living environment as modern and convenient as possible!
