Ring Spotlight Pro vs Nest Floodlight: 4 Deciding Factors
Naila Syifa
Updated December 2024
If you're looking for a reliable outdoor security camera with lighting, both the Ring Spotlight Pro and Nest Floodlight are excellent options to consider. However, choosing between these two devices can be a challenge. In this comparison, we'll explore four key factors that can help you decide which one is the better fit for your needs.
Key Takeaways
While the Nest Floodlight excels in wide-area illumination, the Ring Spotlight Pro offers a more focused and targeted lighting solution. Nest Floodlight also stands out with many free smart features like video history and person alerts that Ring requires a subscription for. However, Ring Spotlight Pro has innovative motion event features and various installation options.
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro
Advanced Spotlight Camera
✓ 1080p HDR with Color Night Vision
✓ Bird’s Eye View
✓ Basic Pre-Roll
✓ Battery/Plug-In/Solar/Wired Power
Nest Cam with Floodlight
Smart Outdoor Security Camera
✓ 1080p HDR with Night Vision
✓ Person, Animal, Vehicle Detection
✓ 3-Hour Event Video History
✓ 1-Hour Local Backup Storage
Design & Purpose
Ring Spotlight Pro
The Nest Cam with Floodlight, which we'll refer to as Nest Floodlight, combines a Nest Cam with two circular LED floodlights connected via a magnetic mount. These powerful light panels can emit up to 2400 lumens, offering bright, wide-area illumination that's ideal for large outdoor spaces like driveways or backyards where extensive coverage is essential.
In contrast, the Ring Spotlight Pro has an integrated design with its camera and two vertical LED light strips seamlessly integrated into a single housing. The vertical placement of the spotlights not only minimizes bulk but also provides more focused, narrower illumination for targeted areas rather than broad floodlighting.
This difference in design leads to different use cases or purposes. The Nest Floodlight is designed for wide-area illumination, while the Ring Spotlight Pro is better suited for targeted lighting of specific zones, like porches, patios, or doorways.
Video Quality
Nest Cam with Floodlight
Ring Spotlight Pro and Nest Floodlight both offer a 1080p video resolution with HDR, so they equally deliver high-quality video footage.
One difference between the two is in their field of view, with the Nest Floodlight providing a 130-degree diagonal field of view compared to the 140-degree horizontal field of view of the Ring Spotlight Pro.
Other than that, Ring Spotlight Pro also has color night vision, which allows it to capture color footage in low-light conditions, while the Nest Floodlight relies on traditional black-and-white night vision.
Smart Features
Bird's Eye View on Ring Spotlight Pro
While both Ring Spotlight Pro and Nest Floodlight share essential smart features like live view, two-way talk, motion detection, and app control, they each offer unique capabilities tailored to different needs.
Ring sets itself apart with features designed to enhance motion event tracking and awareness. For instance, Bird's Eye View provides an aerial map that visually traces motion events across your property, giving you a clearer sense of movement patterns.
Another standout is Pre-Roll Video Preview, which shows a 4-second clip recorded before a motion event, helping you identify what triggered the camera.
Additionally, the Ring Spotlight Pro comes with a built-in siren, which can be remotely activated when unwelcome activity is detected, offering an extra layer of security.
While Nest Floodlight offers no such innovative features, it shines with several free features that Ring typically locks behind a subscription. For example, home and away routines, person/animal/vehicle alerts, and a 3-hour video history come included at no cost. There is also a free 1-hour local backup storage during Wi-Fi or power outages.
For extended storage, the Nest Aware Plus plan offers up to 60 days of event history, plus Familiar Faces recognition, which can identify and notify you of specific people on your property.
Ring's paid subscription provides up to 180 days of cloud storage but no free options—not even a backup during outages. It also offers person alerts, but not animal or vehicle alerts which you can get with Nest for free.
Installation
Nest Cam with Floodlight
Nest Floodlight requires a hardwired installation, but only the floodlight units are powered by wired electricity while the camera unit is battery-powered and requires charging periodically.
Ring Spotlight Pro, on the other hand, is available in multiple versions with different installation options, including battery-powered, plug-in, solar-powered, and wired models. The battery model has a rechargeable battery pack, the plug-in model plugs into a regular outlet, the solar model uses a solar panel to keep the battery charged, while the wired model needs to be hardwired for constant power.
Ring Spotlight Pro vs Nest Floodlight
Final Thoughts
Ring Spotlight Pro
For those who prioritize wide-area illumination and free smart features like person/animal/vehicle alerts and video history, the Nest Floodlight may be the better option.
However, the Ring Spotlight Pro offers innovative capabilities like Bird's Eye View and Pre-Roll Video Preview, as well as a built-in siren, which could be more appealing to users focused on enhanced motion tracking and security. The flexible installation options of the Ring Spotlight Pro may also be a deciding factor for some.
Ultimately, both devices deliver high-quality video and lighting performance, so the final decision will depend on the individual's requirements and the specific features that matter most to them.
If you like to read more about Floodlight Cameras, check out our other relevant guides here:
Best Floodlight Cameras
eufy Floodlight E30 vs E340
eufy Floodlight E340 vs S330
Ring Floodlight Pro vs eufy Floodlight S330
Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight vs Ring Floodlight Pro
Ring Floodlight Pro vs Nest Floodlight
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro vs Floodlight Cam Pro
Author
Naila Syifa
Content Manager at Synced. She crafts insightful content on the latest trends in technology, consumer electronics, and smart home gadgets.
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