Ring Alarm Pack M (2nd Gen) review

What is in the box, and what the numbers mean

Ring's UK listing for the M pack with siren gives one Base Station, one Keypad, two Contact Sensors, two Motion Detectors, one Range Extender and one Outdoor Siren, eight devices. The base's siren is rated at 104 dB at 30 cm and the keypad's at 75 dB; the outdoor unit at over 100 dB at one metre. Decibels fall quickly with distance, which is why the outdoor siren is worth having from the start.

Sensors connect over Z-Wave with a 76 m open-air, line-of-sight range, and the extender adds another 76 m. Contact sensors use two CR2032 cells, motion detectors two AAs; Ring gives the types but not their life. The outdoor siren's three D cells last around three years by Ring's estimate, assuming 90 minutes of sounding. Everything carries a one-year warranty, with security updates for at least four years after the device is last sold new.

Covering a two-bedroom home

Two contacts means the front and back doors, or one door and the most reachable window. The two motion detectors usually go in the hall and living room, covering windows you have not sensored. Ring says they ignore pets under 22 kg only at the lowest sensitivity and when mounted 2.1 metres up, so a sofa-climbing cat or a labrador can still trigger them; use the contacts in those rooms. Ring says more sensors can be added later.

The Base Station needs a mains socket and Wi-Fi or Ethernet to the router; its battery is rated at up to 24 hours, so the alarm stays armed through a typical cut while phone alerts stop with the router unless you add Cellular Backup or a router battery. Every kit device is indoor-rated; the outdoor siren alone is rated for minus 20 to 49 degrees outside.

The plan question

Ring Protect starts at £4.99 a month for Ring Solo (one device) and £7.99 a month for Ring Multi (every device at one address), rising to £15.99 a month for Ring Pro and £29.99 a month for the tier with Guard Response, a 24/7 call-out that checks the outside of the property. Ring lists Alarm Calls to three emergency contacts and Cellular Backup on all plans, and a 30-day trial comes in the box. Ring's page contradicts itself on whether app arming needs a subscription; keypad arming and the sirens are outside the plan either way.

How it compares

The Ring Alarm Pack XL is the same system with six contacts, three motion detectors and an indoor camera, sized for three or more bedrooms; buy it only if you would otherwise add four sensors at once. The eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit is the no-fee alternative: nothing monthly ever and a 100dB siren, but that siren sounds from the HomeBase indoors and there is no cellular route at any price. The rest of the field sits on our door and window alarms page.

Insurance and the police

Police response in England, Wales and Northern Ireland follows a National Police Chiefs' Council policy covering remotely monitored systems installed and monitored by NSI- or SSAIB-certified firms. A self-fitted Ring kit does not meet it, and Guard Response sends a guard, not the police. Tell your insurer what you have fitted, but do not expect a discount.

Our verdict

Buy it if you have a flat or a two-bedroom house, want a working alarm in an afternoon, and value a sounder on the outside wall; it is the right size for most first-time buyers and renters whose landlord allows a bracket outside. Do not buy it for a larger house without budgeting extra sensors, or if your insurer demands a graded, police-responded alarm.

Does the Ring Alarm Pack M work without a subscription?

Keypad arming, both sirens and phone notifications all work with no plan. Alarm Calls and Cellular Backup need Ring Protect, from £4.99 a month, and Ring's page is inconsistent on whether app arming needs a plan.

How many rooms does the Ring Alarm Pack M cover?

Two openings and two rooms as supplied; Ring sizes it for a two-bedroom home. Count your ground-floor doors and reachable windows first. Ring says extra sensors can be added later, and the range extender is already included.

How long do the Ring Alarm Pack M batteries last?

Ring puts the base station at up to 24 hours on backup and the outdoor siren's three D cells at around three years with 90 minutes of total sounding. For the contact sensors (two CR2032 cells) and motion detectors (two AAs) Ring gives no life figure, so keep spares in the drawer.

Is the Ring Alarm Pack M pet friendly?

With care. Ring says its motion detectors ignore pets under 22 kg only at the lowest sensitivity and when mounted 2.1 metres above the floor. Larger dogs and climbing cats can still set them off, so rely on the two door contacts in the rooms your animals use.