Ecobee SmartSensor for Doors & Windows vs Ring Outdoor Contact Sensor

The Ring Outdoor Contact Sensor wins overall. It is more affordable, better rated, weather-resistant (IP66) with long battery life and long-range Z-Wave for outdoor use. The Ecobee SmartSensor for Doors & Windows is an indoor-only sensor that counters with a longer warranty and added occupancy and motion sensing.

Indoor versus outdoor. The Ring Outdoor Contact Sensor is IP66-rated and built for gates, garages and sheds in harsh weather, while the Ecobee SmartSensor for Doors & Windows is an indoor sensor that pairs with an ecobee thermostat to pause HVAC and add occupancy sensing.

The Ring Outdoor Contact Sensor. It has an IP66 weather rating and keeps working in extreme cold, making it suited to outdoor gates and sheds. The Ecobee SmartSensor for Doors & Windows lists no weather resistance and is intended for indoor use.

The Ring Outdoor Contact Sensor, rated up to about 5 years on 2 AA cells, edges the Ecobee SmartSensor for Doors & Windows, rated around 3 years on a CR2477. Both offer multi-year runtime, but the Ring is the longer of the two.

Buy the Ecobee SmartSensor for Doors & Windows if you own an ecobee thermostat and want indoor occupancy sensing and HVAC-pausing on an open door, plus a longer 3-year warranty. Its full security features require an ecobee Smart Security subscription.

Buy the Ring Outdoor Contact Sensor if you run a Ring Alarm system and need durable outdoor monitoring of gates, garages or sheds, with weatherproofing, long-range Z-Wave and years of AA battery life. Plan to reinforce the mount, as the pieces can pop off their brackets.