What is a Ring Bridge, and do I need one?

Should you get a Ring Bridge?

For years now, Ring has been making some of the best video doorbells and some excellent security cameras too. While the company may be best known for those product lines, it also offers some great devices that don't have cameras in them — and that's where the Ring Bridge comes in.

The Bridge itself is a small box that can be tucked away and connected to your home's Wi-Fi network. Setup is relatively straightforward through the Ring app, just as with every other device from the company.

All of the best Ring smart lights work just fine on their own and don't need the Ring Bridge to operate. However, should you go this route, each light will function as a solo unit and not interact with other Ring products, or send you notifications when you aren't home. 

When you add the Ring Bridge into the mix, all of the Ring devices you connect to the bridge will be able to "talk to each other." 

For example, if your Ring Video Doorbell 4 detects motion, you can have your Ring Floodlights, path lights, or any other light connected to the bridge turn on. If you have a Ring light with a motion sensor, it can not only turn on when it detects movement, but also trigger a notification and have your Ring cameras start recording.

So, the question of whether you need a Ring Bridge or not depends on what Ring products you have, want to have, and if you wish to expand functionality from those devices. Aside from the interconnectivity between Ring products the bridge allows, it also means you can control devices remotely when you wouldn't be able to before. 

If you want to get the most from your Ring smart home devices, the Ring Bridge is a great pick-up, and is relatively low cost for what it can enable for your smart home.