Securing yourself and your family is the top priority for everyone. With a home security camera, you can feel safe when you sleep at night or leave for vacation. Not only does it record everything around your house, but it also scares away potential thieves from breaking into your house and stealing your belongings. In this article, you can learn everything you need to know about home security cameras and what to look for before you purchase one. At the bottom of the article, we will give you our home security camera recommendations.
What is a security camera?
A security camera is a small device that records either 24/7 or based on movement. Some cameras come with built-in storage, and some come with an internet connection so it automatically uploads the footage directly to the cloud. This way, you won’t have to empty an SD card every month or two. Home security cameras come at different price levels ranging from $69 all the way up to $1000 and can be made for both personal and professional use.
What should you look for when purchasing a security camera?
Picking a surveillance security camera is a jungle and it’s hard to navigate in. Before you make your purchase you should think about your needs. Here are some of the questions you should be asking yourself:
- Do I need to use the security camera inside or outside?
- Should the security camera have night vision?
- What kind of resolution do I need?
- Do I need motion-detecting?
- Can I wire the home security camera or should it be wireless?
- What about a solar-powered home security camera?
How we tested the home security cameras on the market
Before writing this review we did extensive research for cameras on the market. We looked at different price ranges, outdoor cameras, and indoor cameras and even tested some of the cloud storage options. We gave all cameras a rating from 1 to 10 based on their features, price, and build quality.
Test Winner: Reolink Argus 3 Pro
Based on our tests the Reolink Argus 3 Pro was the overall winner. The Argus 3 features 2K video resolution, a large battery, and even supports a 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection. The camera comes with built-in night vision and has a view angle of 120 degrees. You can use the Reolink Argus 3 Pro both indoors and outdoors as it works from -10 degrees celsius to 55 degrees celsius. The camera has 4 megapixels and comes with 2 years warranty if it breaks – even if you leave it outside in the rain.
The Reolink Argus 3 Pro comes with solar panels to charge the batteries and make them last longer. It records video based on motion detection or you can view it live in the App that comes with the camera. All the footage is saved to an SD card or saved directly in the cloud so you can view it anywhere you’d like. You don’t need a subscription to access the footage in the cloud which is a huge bonus.
Pros
- Great video quality
- A great budget pick due to the solar panels
- Built-in night vision
- Supports 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection
Cons
- You can’t replace the batteries
- Only one color to pick from
- Sold out almost everywhere
Best budget camera: Wyze Cam v3
At just $35.98 this Wyze Cam v3 is the best budget camera on the market. With free cloud storage, the Wyze instantly uploads footage to the cloud and if you pay just $15 for the annual plan you can have full-length videos saved on the cloud forever.
The Wyze v3 comes with night vision and can record at 20 fps giving you a smoother video playback and it allows you to see fast movements. The Wyze comes with an indoor wired power connection and you can purchase an outdoor cable that will withstand temperatures from -20 degrees celsius all the way up to 45 degrees celcius. It is IP65 weather resistant which makes it a great all-around camera.
This camera comes with a one-year warranty from the manufacturer.
Pros
- Great app for both Android and iPhone
- Weights below 100g
- Includes both cloud storage and local storage
Cons
- Built-quality is not as great as the competitors
- Outdoor power cable is sold separately
Most versatile camera: Arlo Pro 4
The Arlo Pro 4 is actually the surveillance security camera we use at work. It is made for personal use, but it works great for both office and at home. The Arlo Pro 4 is a fully smart camera that integrates with both Apple, Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings. The reason Arlo is not at the top is because of their newly released updates that made the app worse than before.
The Arlo Pro 4 comes with 2K video resolution and is 100% wireless. You need to charge the camera once a month using the USB that comes with the box. This camera can be used both for inside and outside homes but should be kept away from rain and snow.
Arlo has a great cloud service (though it’s paid, $2.99/month) and you can store terabytes of video before you’ll get limited. It is good for many years, and a camera we recommend for both beginners and experts.
Arlo Pro 4 comes with night vision and even has a special built-in spotlight that allows you to view better at night. Using the magnetic mount you can easily remove the cameras for maintenance or when it’s time to charge it.
Pros
- Great resolution
- Smart magnetic wall mount
- Work for both work and home
- Integrates with smart homes
Cons
- Pricy cloud storage subscription
- Newest app update is not great
Final Words
This is just a small share of the security cameras on the market and the ones that did best in our testing. The clear winner of the review is the Reolink Argus 3 Pro that stands out with its 100% wireless connection, local storage, solar panels, and outstanding brightness even at night. It’s by far not the perfect camera, but it’s the best one currently on the market.
Are we missing a home security camera on the list? Please don’t hesitate to reach out and inform our editor.
Read more about home security cameras:
Where to place your home security camera
Why do security cameras have red lights?
FAQ about Home Security Cameras
Cameras are subject to thieves and can easily be torn from the wall. Our best tips are: mount the camera out of reach, looking from the inside out a window or similar positions.
Yes! Most cameras come with local storage allowing you to save your surveillance on an SD card
A surveillance camera usually works online (IP networks) on remote areas where home security cameras are used to monitor homes, office spaces, and similar.