PoE, a wide field of view and a flexy mount makes this a great outdoor cam
The Ring Stick Up Cam Elite is pricier than its stablemate the Ring Stick Up Cam, but if you want the benefits of PoE it's worth it, plus it has nice, clear HD footage and a wealth of security features including two-way talk and that built-in siren. The PoE option makes it a great outdoor camera for people who struggle to get a decent Wi-Fi connection outside of their homes and the included mount makes it easy to get the view you need. The only major drawback is you really need a cloud account to make the most of the device.
Pros
- PoE means no Wi-Fi woes
- Slick looking design
- Simple installation
- Wider field of view
- 2.4GHz and 5GHz on offer
Cons
- No 24/7 recording option
- Cloud subscription needed
- No Google Assistant
- No HomeKit
Ring’s Stick Up Cam range is a versatile line-up of smart security cameras, featuring sub £100 indoor / outdoor cameras that can be powered by battery, solar or plugged in to the mains.
But, if you’re worried about covering areas of your house where the Wi-Fi is iffy, you’ll want to invest in the Stick Up Cam Elite.
The Ambient Verdict: Ring Stick Up Cam Battery Powered
The “Elite” bit here means you can power this camera using Power over Ethernet (PoE), which supplies juice and connectivity all in one wire.
Meaning you’ll never have to worry about Wi-Fi dead zones or charging a battery. You also get Ring’s £20 flex-y security mount that lets you install the cam on a wall or ceiling.
Premium plans: Ring Protect costs and features
As with all Ring smart security cameras, it lives within the existing Ring app alongside your other cameras and doorbells, and works with all the new features such as Modes (to turn your cameras on and off), Linked Devices (to activate other devices when one is triggered), and People Only Mode (with a subscription).
We’ve lived with the Elite for a few months now and here’s our updated Ring Stick Up Cam Elite verdict.
Ring Stick Up Cam Elite: Design and installation
The Elite is the second-gen of the Stick Up Cam, and it’s a much more versatile camera than its predecessor, which, let’s face it, was essentially a Ring doorbell without a button or bell. The glossy cylindrical body is a far cry from the boxy, basic original and, like any good smart security camera, it does the job of being noticed without being too in-your-face.
Installing it couldn’t be easier; everything for mounting the Cam comes packaged in the box, including templates and a built-in spirit level to avoid a wonky installation. The mounting arm can be positioned in a number of ways so you can stand it on a desk, mount it on a wall, or even hang it from a ceiling or overhanging roof.
New flagship doorbell: Ring 2 Pro review
As we’ve said, the big feature here is the option of powering it using Power over Ethernet, using the adapter pictured below.
This is a superb option if you’re thinking of using it as an outdoor camera where your Wi-Fi isn’t going to be as strong, so not only does the Ethernet cable power the device, it also transmits the data directly back to the router. Obviously, if you’re mounting outside, you will need to drill through the wall to get access to the router to do this.
There is also the option of Wi-Fi connectivity, with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz on offer, which isn’t always the case with smart security cameras.
Getting it set up is extremely straightforward: you are literally told what to do by a voice on the camera after you scan the QR code on the back.
Ring Stick Up Cam Elite: Features and video quality
Costing £199, the Stick Up Cam Elite undercuts the likes of the heavy hitting Nest IQ / Arlo Pro 3 gang and instead goes toe-to-toe with the likes of the Canary Flex and the Logitech Circle View; and the feature set is pretty much on a par with its similarly priced rivals.
The Stick Up Elite has the same video quality as the Stick Up Cam third-gen; Full 1080p HD, meaning a nice crisp image (it does start life as 720p by default, however, so you’ll have to amend the settings in the app). But it boasts a wider field of view that spans 150 degrees horizontally compared to the third-gen’s 130 degrees, making it a better option for more complete coverage of an outdoor space.
AMBIENT VERDICT: Ring Video Doorbell 3 review
The night vision is particularly impressive and you’ve also got a built-in siren that’s mighty loud – good for scaring away potential burglars. Just as with Ring’s doorbell range there are motion alerts on offer (with areas set in the app) and two-way talking.
The Ring Stick Up Cam Elite is very much a security device and nothing else. That may seem like an obvious thing to say, but some other security cameras also make great smart baby monitors with continuous live footage available. While there is a Live View option on the Ring, it turns off after 10 minutes, so it really is only useful for a snapshot of what’s going on in and around your home.
With an IP rating of IPX5, it’ll survive the elements and is designed to work at temperatures ranging from -20 to 48.5 degrees Celsius.
Ring Stick Up Cam Elite: The app
For those of you who already use Ring products, adding the Stick Up Cam Elite is a breeze. New to this Ring business? Luckily the app is super easy to get to grips with.
It’s the same live screen you’d see with any Ring Doorbell, with the live view accompanied by the red and green call buttons in place for two-way talking. From within the app you can play around with the Cam’s settings, choose what alerts you want, set motion areas, share the camera’s feed with friends and family and a whole lot more.
We particularly liked the motion alert snooze feature, which is handy for when you’ve got workers in your house, for example.
The bad news is there’s no free cloud storage at all with Ring. All Ring devices are subscription free for motion alerts, two-way talking and live streaming, but you’ll need an optional Ring Video Recording Plan to access your recordings (for up to 30 days). That way you’ll be able to view videos, download them and even share them via social media.
Basic plans costs £2.50 per month, or £24.99 for a year per device; Protect – which is for multiple devices – costs £8 per month or £80 for a year.
Also, don’t forget that Ring is an Amazon company. As such, if you have an Echo Show or Spot, you’ll be able to give commands like, “Alexa, show me my Stick Up Cam” or, “Alexa, show me the latest event from my backyard”.
There’s no Google of HomeKit integration – but there are some nice IFTTT applets syncing up the Cam to the likes of Philips Hue.
