Historically, Black Friday has been very much focused on technology and gadgets, ranging from Amazon Echo and Kindle deals through to discounts on PS5 and XBox and home security kit like Hue lights and Ring doorbells.
Black Friday 2021 looks like it will be another great year for gadget lovers, with lots of opportunities to bag a bargain on must-have tech.
With the nights drawing in and home security becoming more of a priority for many, a Ring Video Doorbell is going to be top of lots of shopping lists this Black Friday.
The smart doorbell not only allows you to see who's knocking at your door - whether you're home or not - but means you can talk to them.
With some models you can also save the video footage, making it a cheaper way to effectively get CCTV coverage of the front of your home.
On previous Black Fridays, Ring has been discounted by up to 40% on some models across a range of stockists including Amazon, Currys, John Lewis, Argos and Very.
It looks likely that this will be the case this year, with Ring already starting to offer deals on earlier and entry level models of the kit, with Amazon offering the hard wired doorbell for just £49 with a 30-day free trial of the Ring Protect Plan.
The trick to bagging a great deal on Ring is to research in advance exactly what kind of doorbell you're going to need so if you see something going for a great price you know whether to snap it up immediately or if it's not going to work for you.
There's a wide variety of options of varying levels of spec so some research in advance will really help, especially if you want it to talk to other smart home tech you have such as Alexa or Google Nest.
What is a Ring Video Doorbell?
Ring doorbells are smart doorbells that allow you to see who is at your door, whether you're at home or not.
Fitted with motion sensors, HD cameras and audio you can get a notification on your smartphone or tablet when someone is at your door - whether they knock or not.
Can I install a Ring doorbell myself?
Ring doorbells come in wired and wireless models.
Some wired models might need professional installation, but the wireless models - which use removable rechargeable batteries - can be easily installed without needing to pay someone to do it for you.
You can even buy ones that sit within a no-drill mount - ideal if you're renting your home and your landlord wouldn't let you make a permanent hole in your door frame.
As it's a smart doorbell, Ring also relies on a stable high-speed internet connection.
This is worth checking before you shell out for the kit because, whichever model you choose, you're going to need a solid speed of 2 mbps minimum for it to work properly.
Do I need a subscription for a Ring doorbell?
You can use Ring without paying for their subscription and you will get all the standard features including instant alerts, a live view of your camera and the ability to talk to people knocking on your door as standard without paying for the additional service.
But, if you want to record footage from your doorbell and view it back then you will need to sign up for the Ring Protect Plan.
This is currently £10 a month, although most new Ring products come with a free trial of the functionality of at least 30 days.
If you're looking for your Ring doorbell to effectively act as a CCTV deterrent then after that you will have to pay the ongoing fee.
Whichever model of doorbell you decide will work for you, we'll be keeping an eye on the best discounts and deals on Ring doorbells this Black Friday, November 26.
But if you can't wait and want to know now who's knocking on your door (or indeed where those delivery drivers are leaving your parcels) then take a look at the latest deals on Amazon, Currys, John Lewis, Argos and Very to see if you can bag a bargain.
