Ring’s video doorbells are some of the most popular smart home products on the market. Leaving Doorbot’s industrial design legacy behind, the first Ring-branded doorbell did a great job of blending tech with design and finish options that looked good on most front door frames. More recent models have offered fewer options for matching door hardware, though, dropping or replacing less-popular finish options. That’s all well and good, but if your front door sports classic hardware, you’ve had few options.
Sure…a connected doorbell needs to do all of the wonderful technical and security stuff it’s supposed to do. But it also needs to look good, and it should be obvious that it’s a doorbell. Counter to those seemingly obvious requirements, most companies are offering chunky black and metal blocks with blue LEDs that might be better suited outside a star-cruiser cabin.
Here Comes the Bling!
Ring surprised nearly everyone this week with the announcement of new interchangeable faceplates for its current consumer products. Up to 18 colors and finishes are now available for the [amazon_link id=”B07Z5PK9T7″ target=”_blank”]Doorbell 2[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id=”B07Z5P6KMP” target=”_blank”]Doorbell Pro[/amazon_link], and [amazon_link id=”B07Z5PFC92″ target=”_blank”]Peephole Cam[/amazon_link] at just $15 apiece. The faceplates should match nearly any door hardware or frame finish. Colors include dark shades (“Blue Metal”), pop colors (“Bright Turquoise”), and metallic finishes like polished silver and gold.
Ring has previously dabbled in themed doorbell faceplates for the Doorbell 2, including novelty options for Halloween, the winter holidays, and limited-time black and white(-ish) offerings. This marks the first time since Ring’s first-gen product that consumers can match traditional brass and chrome hardware.
Do you know of another video doorbell that offers finishes to match varying front door styles? We were excited about the August View, but now that it’s available again, the initially-promoted finishes are not. Let us know what you’ve found that meets your facade design needs. This’ll give us all something to talk about while we’re waiting for Ring to deliver that HomeKit integration.
