Last Updated on February 3, 2023
Whether you want to keep an eye on your kids or are worried about intruders, a home security camera can be an effective way to protect your property. However, before you purchase one, you need to decide what kind of system is best for you.
You’ll need to consider video resolution, the field of view, and night vision. It’s also a good idea to choose a camera with smart detection that can tag people, animals, and vehicles for more accurate motion alerts.
TP-Link Kasa Spot
If you’re looking for a smart home security camera that will provide you with the basic features you need at an affordable price, the TP-Link Kasa Spot is worth checking out. It’s a simple, easy-to-use device that’s great for people who want to keep an eye on their home or small business while they’re away from it.
Its key feature is the quality of its video. It offers sharp 1080p Full HD video at 130 degrees wide-angle with crisp two-way audio so you can speak to anyone who might be causing trouble in your house. It also has night vision up to 30 feet so you don’t need to worry about missing anything at all.
Another cool feature is motion tracking and patrol mode, which can follow a subject so you always know what’s going on. The app also lets you set up four activity zones to control the alerts you receive. These are pretty rare to find on cheaper cameras, so it’s a welcome addition.
You can upgrade to Kasa Care for a $3 per month or $30 per year subscription, which allows you to replay footage and enable manual recording. That’s a nice feature to have, especially since you can record up to 1GB of data at a time for free.
The Kasa Spot has a built-in two-way microphone, which can help you keep an eye on your kids and pets. It also has a 106-degree field of view and five infrared LEDs for night vision.
It’s one of the most affordable cameras on the market, and it comes with a two-year warranty. If you’re looking for something with more bells and whistles, you might consider a higher-end camera like the Nest Cam or Ring Spotlight Cam.
TP-Link has become a popular name in the world of smart home devices thanks to its affordable, well-made products. The Kasa range of smart home gadgets includes a variety of high-quality devices at various price points, and the KC105 is no exception. It provides all the basics you’d expect from a security camera at an incredibly low price, and it is compatible with Apple’s HomeKit so you can pair it with other smart home gadgets to trigger actions.
Nest Cam
If you’re looking for a new surveillance system, the Nest Cam is a great choice. It has some of the best smart detection features on the market, a low price point, and excellent performance inside and out.
The Nest Cam also comes with a lot of extras that other security cameras don’t have, like motion zones and an infrared night vision mode. These features are a great way to protect your property, especially when you’re away from home.
Another great feature is on-device machine learning, which helps identify objects without sending them to Google’s servers to be processed. This is great for privacy and makes the camera easier to use with or without a cloud plan.
You can set up alerts in the app when people, vehicles, animals, and other motion is detected. These alerts can be customized with specific zones, so you don’t miss anything important.
When you get a notification, you can respond by clicking through to the video feed from your smartphone. It’s a really easy way to check in and see what’s going on, even when you’re not home.
We’re big fans of Nest’s battery-saver options, which help you extend the camera’s life when you need it. They’re easy to turn on and off, and you can monitor your battery level with a quick glance at the home screen.
For instance, you can set up a routine that turns your camera on and off when you arrive and leave the house. This makes it easier to keep an eye on your kids when you’re not there.
It also saves up to three hours of downloadable footage for free, which is a great way to rewind and see what happened when you were out. However, if you want more storage, you’ll need to sign up for a subscription with Nest Aware.
In addition, the Nest Cam has some great security features, including encrypted video and enhanced security through your Google Account. It also has a green LED light that shows when it’s processing or streaming video, helping to prevent burglars from seeing your home.
Ring Spotlight Cam
Ring Spotlight Cam is a good choice for anyone who wants a smart, inexpensive home surveillance system. It’s available in a number of models, including the battery-powered version, which is a cinch to install, and the Wired model that plugs into an outlet.
Both are easy to use, and the battery-powered model is a particularly good choice for people who want to save money on electricity bills. They also offer the same great video quality as their wired counterparts.
One of the most important features to consider when shopping for a home security camera is its video resolution and motion detection. This is crucial for making sure your camera is able to pick up on the movements it detects, and Ring’s 1080p models are excellent at doing that.
This means you get high-quality, clear images without any loss of detail. Plus, the camera is very sensitive to movement and will trigger an alert as soon as it senses activity.
The Ring Spotlight Cam is also a great option for people who want a little extra security on their property, especially if they live in a neighborhood that isn’t as well-lit as they’d like. It also comes with a powerful spotlight that’s activated when motion is detected.
With a subscription to Ring Protect, you can pair the Spotlight Cam with other Ring devices, including doorbells and indoor cameras. The Basic plan is a good choice for beginners, while the Plus version offers additional features and a monitoring service that will keep an eye on your devices.
To get started, you’ll need to download the Ring app on your mobile device (Android or iOS) and scan a QR code on the Spotlight Cam. The app then connects to the Spotlight Cam and adds it to your Ring network, which will be able to communicate with it via Wi-Fi.
The app also lets you customize settings for the camera, such as motion and privacy zones. You can even design them to ignore specific people or areas of your house, which is useful for keeping intruders out while you’re away. The app has a great user interface that’s more intuitive than any we’ve seen before on a security camera.
Blink Mini
If you’re looking for a small, smart home security camera that can easily be positioned wherever you like, the Blink Mini is worth considering. It’s currently available at a 30% discount and offers a range of features that make it easy to install and use.
The Mini is one of Blink’s smallest and least expensive models, measuring just 1.97 x 1.93 x 1.41 inches (WxHxD) when unboxed. It comes with a stand for mounting it on a counter or shelf, as well as screws that let you mount it on the wall.
It has 1080p video quality, two-way audio, and night vision. It can also work with Amazon’s Alexa smart home system, so you can arm or disarm the device using voice commands. It also has customizable activity and privacy zones, and it’s easy to use with the free Blink app.
Another plus point is that the Blink Mini has local storage via the sync module, which will store your videos locally. This saves space compared to a local storage DVR or NVR box that comes with many other cameras, and it also lets you avoid a monthly storage fee.
You can store up to 10 cameras on the Sync module and view them all with the free Blink app. However, you’ll need to pay for a cloud storage subscription if you want to access the footage at any time, starting at $3 a month or $30 a year.
Alternatively, you can store the footage on a USB flash drive that’s included with the camera and then watch it on your phone via the Blink app. The app also allows you to set up customized motion alerts.
The stand for the Blink Mini consists of circular divots that snap onto the back and bottom of the camera, which lets you position it in multiple ways. It can be used as a mantel, countertop or desk stand, or clipped to the back of the camera for wall mount options.
The camera is easy to set up, requiring a simple tap of the button on the base to activate Wi-Fi and connect it to your account. You can then use the app to check on live view, adjust the settings and watch recorded clips. It can also pair with an Alexa-enabled speaker to provide alerts when movement is detected, as well as stream live video and play recorded clips from your home.