Ring Wall Light Solar Review: Sunshine Whenever You Need It
"Powered by sunlight, the Ring Wall Light Solar brings light conveniently anywhere in the house."
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Effortless installation
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Bright light output
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Extended battery life through solar charging
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More functionality through linking
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Solar charging is a little slow
Ring's range of products has been largely dominated by its various video doorbells and security cameras, but the home security company doesn't neglect some of the other product categories it deals in LED lightbulbs, path lights, floodlights and more. The newest member of the Smart Lighting family is the Ring Wall Light Solar.
I'm a big fan of almost anything that uses solar energy. The special thing about this particular model is that the solar panel is integrated into the light itself, so you don't have to worry about additional cables or fixings. All of this is a simple and straightforward solution for anyone looking to add a little light outdoors. Are there any disadvantages? Well, let me break it all down.
Installation: ring bridge is required
The installation and setup of the Ring Wall Light Solar is quite simple. In fact, I got it working in about 10 minutes. First of all, you should decide where to place it. I ended up putting it in my garage as it lights up the area around the garage when it detects movement. You only need to install two screws to secure the included mounting plate to a surface. That's all. You can then attach the Ring Wall Light Solar to it.
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To complete the setup, you will need the Ring Bridge to connect the solar light to your home's Wi-Fi network. There was an option to use my Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation) as an alternative for a bridge, but that would mean Amazon Sidewalk was enabled for it to work. I decided to stick with the Ring Bridge as many of my existing Ring products already communicate with it.
After making my selection, the Ring Wall Light Solar appeared in the Ring app – where I then added it to a group for quick access. Unlike some Ring doorbells, the Ring Wall Light Solar is so easy to install that anyone can use it.
Output: Bright 800 lumens of white light
What amazes me most about the Wall Light Solar is its strong brightness. Before it was turned on for the first time, I was skeptical of how bright it might get – so you can imagine the amazement I was when I saw it. While it could easily be used as an accent light for houses and apartments, such as above outdoor decorations or house numbers, the 800 lumens white light was powerful enough to cover a large space around my garage.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
I was genuinely surprised at the range of the light. In the Ring app, you can manually turn the lights on as you wish – perfect for occasions when you know you will be in this area for a while. The longest duration is 15 minutes, the shortest one minute. As a deterrent, the motion sensor turns on at night when the sun goes down to automatically turn on the lights when it detects motion nearby. Of course, I appreciate how well this works as a deterrent to unwanted visitors, but I also like how helpful it is when I walk in and out of the garage.
You can use the app to set the intensity of the light – lower to save the battery, higher for more lighting. The Ring Wall Light Solar offers both strong lighting and wide coverage and is a great addition around the house, including those secluded gaps.
Battery: Integrated solar panel is helpful
Using solar panels in its product is not a new idea for Ring. In fact, his portfolio has built a pretty large selection of solar-powered smart home devices – such as surveillance cameras powered by a solar panel and even a solar powered step light. The remarkable thing about the Wall Light Solar is that it can rely on the power of the sun during the day to recharge its battery when it is not actively used. There is also a setting to completely disable the motion detection sensor during the day.
The Ring Wall Light Solar is so easy to install that anyone could do it
When testing the battery, I am happy to report that it has managed to keep a level of over 50% at the highest brightness level for an entire day of use. It's worth noting, however, that during this time there were a handful of occasions where it stayed on for 15 minutes at a time – while the rest of the one-minute cycles would expire when it detected movement. But here the integrated solar panel comes to the rescue. In my tests, it managed to charge the battery by 2% during a 30-minute interval of intermittent sunshine. Sure, this number might be skimpy, but it's still helpful. Plus, you can easily remove it from the holder at any time for manual charging.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
The nice thing about the solar panel is that it charges all day long, which is better in summer when the sun shines longer. Of course, battery life will vary, but having a light source that requires minimal manual charging helps.
Our opinion
If you already own a Ring Bridge, all you need to do is spend $ 60 on the Ring Wall Light Solar. If not, the light and bridge combo costs $ 80. Either way, the Ring Wall Light Solar is a fantastic addition that works great with the Ring ecosystem. Not only do you get a practical outdoor light that charges during the day, but it can also act as a first line of defense for your home thanks to the ability to connect to other Ring devices.
Is there a better alternative?
Not really. There aren't many smart solar lights on the market, especially those that can be plugged into a robust smart device ecosystem. The only other alternatives are Ring's Solar Steplight and Solar Floodlight.
How long it will take?
It is solidly made and has a weatherproof protection class IP66, which makes it possible to work at temperatures between minus 4 ° F and 122 ° F. There is a one-year limited warranty that covers defects.
Should you buy it?
You should definitely buy it as it is easy to install, has strong lighting and is charged with the help of the sun.
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