Best Solar Chargers for Ring Video Doorbell (2026)
Last updated August 2026
A solar charger clips onto the bottom of a battery-powered Ring Video Doorbell and trickle-charges it off sunlight, so you stop pulling the doorbell off its mount every few weeks to recharge indoors. For most homes, the official Ring Solar Charger is the best pick because it is purpose-built for a flush, weatherproof fit and pairs cleanly with the Ring app’s battery graph. Buyers who want a lower price or a panel that tilts toward the sun should look at the Wasserstein Solar Charger, the strongest third-party runner-up.
Does a Solar Charger Actually Work on a Ring Doorbell?
A solar charger cannot power a Ring doorbell on its own — it supplements the internal battery rather than replacing it. Ring’s battery-only doorbells (the base Ring Video Doorbell and the Ring Video Doorbell Plus) still draw down their battery every time they detect motion, stream live view, or ring the chime. What a solar charger changes is the rate of that drain: in a spot with several hours of direct sun a day, a solar charger can offset most or all of the daily power the doorbell uses, stretching the interval between manual recharges from a few weeks to several months, or eliminating it in ideal conditions. In shaded entries, north-facing doors, or covered porches, the panel will still help, but do not expect it to fully replace charging — see our guide on how to install the Ring video doorbell for the wiring and battery basics that determine how much charging headroom you actually have.
Which Ring Doorbells Support a Solar Charger?
This matters more than the charger you buy, because picking the wrong one wastes the purchase entirely.
- Compatible: the battery-powered Ring Video Doorbell and Ring Video Doorbell Plus both accept a solar charger, since both run on a removable, rechargeable battery pack that a solar panel can top up.
- Not compatible: the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 has no battery-only mode — it runs on existing doorbell wiring — so a solar charger has nothing to charge. The Ring Video Doorbell Elite runs on Power-over-Ethernet and is in the same boat. If you own either of those, solar chargers are not an option; see our Ring video doorbell comparison for the full lineup breakdown.
Best Solar Chargers for Ring Video Doorbell at a Glance
| Charger | Price | Fit | Adjustable Angle | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ring Solar Charger | ~$30-35 | Official, flush mount | No, fixed angle | Simplicity, official support |
| Wasserstein Solar Charger | ~$25-30 | Third-party, slim panel | Yes, tilts on bracket | Angling toward the sun |
| Wasserstein Solar Charger (2-Pack) | ~$45-50 | Third-party, slim panel | Yes, tilts on bracket | Multiple doorbells |
Ring Solar Charger — Best Overall
The Ring Solar Charger is Ring’s own accessory, designed to sit flush beneath the doorbell’s existing mounting bracket without any visible cable or bulky attachment. Because it is made by Ring, it is the safest bet for a clean fit and predictable charging behavior reported in the Ring app’s battery history.
Standout strengths:
- Purpose-built for a flush, factory-matched fit with no separate cable routing
- Fully weatherproof and designed to stay outdoors year-round
- Simple two-screw installation using the same mounting hole pattern as the doorbell bracket
Honest trade-offs:
- Fixed angle — it cannot be tilted independently to chase the sun through the day
- Underperforms in shaded or north-facing entries, same as any solar accessory
- Costs more than some third-party alternatives with a similar panel size
Check the Ring Solar Charger on Amazon →
Wasserstein Solar Charger — Best for Angling Toward the Sun
The Wasserstein Solar Charger trades the flush fit of the official accessory for an adjustable bracket that tilts the panel independently of the doorbell itself. That flexibility matters most on doors that face away from the sun’s path, where a fixed-angle charger simply cannot catch enough direct light no matter how sunny the yard is.
Standout strengths:
- Adjustable mounting bracket tilts the panel toward direct sun regardless of door orientation
- Typically priced a few dollars below the official Ring accessory
- Available in a two-pack, useful for households with more than one battery-powered Ring doorbell
Honest trade-offs:
- Slightly bulkier profile than the flush official charger
- Third-party build quality varies more than Ring’s own hardware
- Still limited by the same sun-exposure requirements as any solar panel
Check the Wasserstein Solar Charger on Amazon →
How Much Sun Exposure Do You Actually Need?
Plan on at least two to three hours of direct, unobstructed sunlight hitting the panel every day to see a meaningful reduction in manual recharging. A south-facing entry in an open yard is the ideal case. A covered porch, a north-facing door, or an entry shaded by trees for most of the day will still get some benefit from a solar charger, but do not expect it to come close to eliminating manual charging — in those spots, a spare battery pack and a fast recharge routine (see replacing a security system battery for the same logic applied to alarm sensors) is often the more realistic fix. Winter also cuts into output everywhere, since shorter days and a lower sun angle both reduce the hours of usable light, so expect to top up manually more often between November and February even with a solar charger installed.
Installation Tips That Prevent the Most Common Problems
- Clean the panel every few weeks. Dust, pollen, and water spots on the panel surface measurably cut its output; a quick wipe with a microfiber cloth restores most of the lost charging.
- Check the connector fit after the first week. A solar charger that is not fully seated against the doorbell’s charging pins will show no improvement in the battery graph at all — remove it, confirm the contacts are clean and aligned, and reattach firmly.
- Do not assume solar means “install and forget.” Even the best-positioned solar charger benefits from an occasional glance at the Ring app’s battery percentage during the first month, so you can catch a poor sun angle before the battery runs low.
- Match expectations to your climate. Homes in consistently sunny regions can go months without touching the battery; homes in cloudy climates should treat the solar charger as a battery-life extender, not a replacement for periodic manual charging.
What to Avoid When Buying a Solar Charger
Not every listing labeled “Ring solar charger” is actually built for Ring’s connector, and a mismatched charger is the single biggest source of buyer disappointment in this category.
- Avoid generic solar panels with a USB output. Some budget listings ship a small panel with a USB cable and expect you to plug it into the doorbell’s charging port under the faceplate. This works technically, but it means removing the doorbell from the wall every time you want to charge it, defeating the entire point of a solar charger. Stick to chargers built specifically for Ring’s magnetic or pin-based charging contacts.
- Avoid chargers with no weatherproofing rating listed. A solar charger lives outdoors year-round, so a listing that does not mention an IP rating or explicit “outdoor use” claim is a red flag, not a detail to overlook.
- Avoid assuming size equals output. A physically larger panel is not automatically better if it is poorly angled or shaded most of the day. An adjustable, well-positioned smaller panel like the Wasserstein often outperforms a bigger fixed panel mounted in a suboptimal spot.
- Do not buy a solar charger for a doorbell that is already hardwired. If your Ring doorbell is a Pro 2 or Elite, or if you had it professionally wired to existing chime wiring, it has no removable battery for a solar charger to top up. Confirm your model and power mode first — our Ring doorbell installation guide covers how to tell wired and battery models apart.
Solar Chargers vs. Just Buying a Spare Battery
A solar charger is not the only way to solve doorbell battery anxiety, and for some households it is not even the best one. A spare Ring battery pack costs roughly the same as a solar charger and lets you swap a depleted battery for a charged one in under a minute, with zero dependence on weather or door orientation. The trade-off is that you have to remember to recharge the spare indoors and physically swap it, whereas a solar charger works passively once installed. Homes with a sunny, south-facing entry get more value from a solar charger since it requires no ongoing effort. Homes with a shaded or north-facing entry, or anyone who wants a guaranteed fix regardless of the season, are often better served by a spare battery, or by pairing both: a solar charger to stretch the interval between swaps, and a spare battery on hand for the weeks it cannot fully keep up. If you are still deciding between Ring’s own doorbell lineup and a competitor with different battery and charging options, our comparison of Ring video doorbell models and best video doorbells roundup both cover how battery life and charging factor into the buying decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a solar charger fully eliminate battery charging for my Ring doorbell?
In consistently sunny, south-facing locations with several hours of direct light daily, a solar charger can come close to eliminating manual recharging. In shaded, covered, or north-facing locations, it will meaningfully extend the interval between charges but will not fully replace them.
Can I use a solar charger on the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2?
No. The Pro 2 has no battery-only mode and runs entirely on existing doorbell wiring, so there is no battery for a solar charger to top up. Solar chargers only work with the battery-powered Ring Video Doorbell and Ring Video Doorbell Plus.
Does the Ring app show how much the solar charger is helping?
Yes. The Ring app’s device health section shows battery percentage over time, and you can watch whether the battery holds steady or declines more slowly after installing a solar charger, which is the easiest way to confirm it is working in your specific location.
Is a third-party solar charger safe to use with Ring doorbells?
Reputable third-party chargers designed specifically for Ring’s charging port, such as Wasserstein’s, are widely used and generally safe. Avoid generic solar panels not designed for Ring’s connector, since a poor physical connection is the most common reason a solar charger appears to do nothing.
Do I need any tools to install a solar charger?
Most models install with a small screwdriver in a few minutes, using the same screws or mounting holes as the doorbell bracket itself. No wiring, drilling, or electrical work is required since the charger connects directly to the doorbell’s existing battery contacts.