Amazon is selling a $330 Ring alarm system for 40% off during Amazon Prime Day sales

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Through the years, technological advancements have changed the average day to day in our lives. Once a luxury for corporate Americans, laptops are a dime a dozen these days, portable and accessible from practically anywhere, and you don’t need a business-heavy job or a schoolwork laden schedule to find the benefit in them. Landlines are a thing of the past while cellphones make you reachable from practically anywhere, able to send an email or a text, or video chat and join a meeting virtually no matter where you are.While lots of folks feel that screens are everywhere, almost to an annoying point, there are lots of benefits to the emerging technologies that are now available for purchase — especially when it comes to home security.

Professional home security companies are nothing new, but more and more folks are taking their home protection into their own hands by purchasing kits where you install motion sensors yourself. Although they require more work on your end at first, long term they are a money-saving solution that eliminates expensive professional installation costs and monthly fees that you’d pay to a professional security company. And if you’ve been in the market for one, there’s no better time to add one to your cart than now during Amazon Prime Day deals where the Ring Alarm 14-Piece Kit is on sale 40% off. Instead of paying $330, you can save $131 and get the newest model for only $199. 

Ring Alarm 14-Piece Kit, $199 (was $330) at Amazon

With 14 pieces, this alarm kit gives you everything you need to easily install an at-home security system by yourself. It includes a base station, two keypads, eight contact sensors, two motion detectors, and a range extender. The base station is the central hub that connects everything and communicates information to the Ring app if you opt to control the system that way. The alarm can be controlled via the Ring app on your smartphone, with one of the included keypads which have buttons to arm or disarm the system, or by voice with Alexa. The latter requires the Ring protect subscription. The keypads, which also can trigger emergency or panic alarms and give you access to the different control modes, are very helpful in giving you a manual way to disarm or arm the system if your phone or Alexa are down, like during a power outage. That said, rest assured. Although the system connects to an app, it does not require Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to run. So, when something like a power outage occurs, you don’t have to worry that you’re unprotected. 

The eight contact sensors are used for monitoring doors and windows. They are two-part magnetic devices that will trigger an alarm when a door or window opens and that magnetic seal is broken. They are best used on front doors, back doors, side doors, and ground floor windows. The motion detectors use passive infrared (PIR) technology to pick up heat and movement. They cover wider areas and are ideal for indoor room monitoring. They are the “second layer of defense” should the contact sensors fail to alert you to a security breach. To clarify, they are not cameras — which can be bought separately here — and they are only good for indoor use. In short, the sensors and detectors give you two layers of protection that will alert you if they sense a barrier breach or movement. 

The sensors can be set to three modes via the keypad, Ring app, or Alexa. Away mode arms them, Home mode sets the motion detectors off but keeps the contact sensors armed, and Disarm mode shuts off all of them entirely. Through the Ring app, you can set specific sensors or detectors to be armed, perhaps if you have children and just want to be alerted when there’s movement in their room. You can adjust motion sensitivity, setting it to low, medium, or high, which is helpful in situations where pets are around the home. 

Related: Amazon is selling the Oura Ring 4 for 48% off on Prime Day

What’s key to know is that although at-home alarm systems can send alerts to professional monitoring services, it’s not automatically included. In this case, you have access to a 24/7 monitoring center, which will be notified if one of your sensors or detectors goes off and then will contact police, fire, or medical services if needed. However, this service  only comes with the Ring Protect Plan subscription which is not included and sold separately. Without the subscription, only a local siren sounds from the base station and keypad. Your phone will not get automated alerts or an emergency dispatch to your house. 

Shop other Amazon Prime Deals

• Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit, $150 (was $250) at Amazon
• Lwohsi Wireless Alarm System for Home Security, $127 (was $160) at Amazon
• Blink Video Doorbell + Outdoor Camera Set, $66 (was $250) at Amazon

What’s the benefit to at-home alarm systems?

Home alarm systems, where a motion sensor or detector will trigger an alarm call from local police, have long been a dependable security measure in protecting your homes, apartments, and other property. However, sometimes it feels good to go the extra mile on your end and add a few extra protections yourself. You know your own home best, and sometimes a few extra endeavors can make you feel more safe and help target pesky areas of the home that you feel are more susceptible to intruders or that you simply want a more focus on. With easy-to-install at-home alternatives, not only are you able to better customize your security system, but you can save money on installation costs.

Professional installations from brands like ADT or SimpliSafe can cost upwards of $800 dollars, while ones you install yourself are typically between $150 to $300 on the lower end. You’re also not locked into a long-term contract or required to pay monthly fees to a security company when you install your own. That said, this isn’t to say that professional home security isn’t worth it for some. Although more expensive upfront and over time, you typically can get better sensor placement and you have 24/7 monitoring so someone is always on watch in a way even when you’re not. It might be preferable to someone who also doesn’t want the work of having to install a system themselves — although many professional brands now sell their own at-home kits for you to install. But for folks who prefer the flexibility and lower costs of purchasing an at-home security kit, it certainly has its benefits. 

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