The Best Cameras For Home Security
To protect your home from intruders, parcel thieves, and neighbors who don't pick up after their dogs, you'll need a security camera. Or maybe you simply want to keep an eye on your children or pets. Whatever the case may be, you can affordably outfit your doors with 1080p security cameras that stream straight to your phone or computer, even hooking up to Google Home or Alexa.
What to Look For
But how do you choose a great camera? To point you in the right direction, we’ve combed the market for the best home security cameras so you can get straight to upgrading your home. For tech lovers, you can’t go wrong with the top-of-the-line security camera and digital recording device from ZOSI. And if you’re looking for an indoor camera option as a baby or pet monitor, Blurams’ high-definition 2K camera might be the ultimate indoor camera. It has smart control, remote and motion activation, and a bevy of cutting-edge security features. Whatever your home monitoring needs are, these cameras are sure to help you keep tabs on what’s going on inside and around your house. Stay on top of things and keep reading to discover your newest home security upgrade.
Wyze V3 Security Camera with Spotlight Kit
Spotlight on safety
This home security camera has it all: IP65 weatherproofing, free cloud storage, SD card slot, floodlight, and motion detection. The motion-activated floodlight really makes a difference at night — you can see what’s going on almost as clearly as in broad daylight. Plus, the bright flash will likely scare off intruders or would-be thieves. We found the companion app to function well, letting us control the spotlight and talk through the camera, which features a speaker and microphone for 2-way communication.
Pros:
- The rolling 14-day cloud backups let you review any stored clips.
- High-definition picture quality exposes details, which could be crucial should anyone try and do something like steal packages off your porch.
- You can pair this with other Wyze cameras and use the app to monitor up to four cameras at once.
Cons:
- Unfortunately, this camera can’t use batteries and doesn’t include its own SD card.
Blurams 360-degree 2K Security Camera
Plenty of pixels
These days, 2K resolution is swiftly becoming the next 1080p. With the advent of 2K monitors and TVs, this security camera rides the trend and delivers crystal-clear picture quality. You’ve got options between cloud storage, which is free with a trial, or an SD card. You have to use your own card, but this can take up to 128GB of add-on storage — plenty of space for 24/7 recording.
It also has the usual bells and whistles we’d expect in a modern security camera: motion sensors, 2-way audio, phone app support, and so forth. This camera shines through its high-fidelity picture and wide panoramic views.
Pros:
- We found the sound quality impressive, certainly good enough to hear conversations or unexpected noises. The sound quality is so good, dogs can recognize your voice and follow commands, perfect for checking up on your pets while at work.
- The file size for video recordings averages around 5MB per 15-second shot. Using a 128GB SD card, which usually has about 120GB of actual storage available, you get around 24,000 available recordings before needing to swap out the card or backup the files.
Cons:
- Unfortunately, this camera isn’t rated for outdoor use.
YI 1080p Smart Home Camera
Surveille and save
When we hear the phrase “home security system”, we might think that it’s a costly affair. But since we live in the 21st century, today we can get a high-quality security camera with wireless connectivity and plenty of features — all at a low, affordable cost. This one from YI records 1080p footage to either cloud or SD card storage. It also has advanced motion detection using AI to recognize people. This smart home camera works wonders for monitoring kids or pets.
Pros:
- When paired with the Windows app, you can monitor up to nine of these cameras. With the low cost of this camera, you can affordably set up a perimeter of surveillance around your home.
- Luckily, you don’t need a subscription to record footage to the SD card slot.
Cons:
- We discovered that you may have occasional streaming issues when trying to view the video feed live.
ZOSI H.265+ Full 1080p Home Security Camera System
Eyes on all sides
If you’re the kind of homeowner who needs to be on top of everything that goes on at home, this system has you covered. With four cameras and a dedicated recording unit, you can monitor the perimeter of your home with the utmost precision. The recording unit accepts up to 8TB of storage, and you’ll need your own hard drive. Fortunately, these days they’re relatively inexpensive. You can choose to use the app to view files or simply hook a monitor up to the recording box and view them from there.
Pros:
- You don’t need internet or WiFi for this to work, but it does connect for DVR and streaming purposes.
- The build quality feels solid, not plasticky or cheap.
- The lights turn on automatically at night so you won’t miss anything. This is especially good if you’re on vacation and want to deter burglars.
Cons:
- These cameras unfortunately don’t have wireless video transmission, so you’ll have to contend with some cable management.
Blink Outdoor 3rd Gen + Floodlight
Let there be light
Without a powerful floodlight, it’s usually hard for cameras to pick up anything at night. This camera is the exception. It includes two floodlights, providing 700 lumens to shed light on your surroundings. They provide plenty of light so you can see where you’re going, while intruders get spooked at the bright spotlight. Both the camera and lights are connected to the Blink Sync Module 2, letting you control all Blink devices from one app. It’s easy to add more devices to this system as well.
Pros:
- The powerful LEDs light up a large area outside. If you frequently need to venture outside and there aren’t streetlights around, this makes it so you don’t need to bring a flashlight every time you venture outside at night.
- Installation is a breeze with the Sync Module 2 and companion app on your phone, tablet, or PC.
Cons:
- Unfortunately, this system requires a subscription to record videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use a wired or wireless security camera?
Wired systems have better stability and picture quality, while wireless cameras are easier to set up. Ultimately, the choice is yours to decide based on the home security needs.
Can I pair a security camera to Alexa or Google Home?
These days, most home security cameras include options to control them via Alexa or Google Home. If they don’t, they usually at least have options to schedule recording times through a phone app or to use motion sensors to record activity around your house.
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