A smart security camera can alert you to movement, trigger smart home processes, and in some cases, even contact authorities for you when suspicious activity is detected. As people spend more time at home than ever before (and with online shopping more popular than ever), the demand for smart security cameras is on the rise.
These home security cameras can help protect your online shopping deliveries and give you a 24/7 view of what’s going on around your home. If you’re looking for a smart security camera this holiday season that will keep your possessions safe without breaking the bank, consider some of the following options.
Keep in mind that many of these cameras will also be on sale for Black Friday.
The EZVIZ C3X is an outdoor home security camera with an IP67 weather rating, allowing it to be placed anywhere outside (or inside) your home. It also has one cool feature that sets it apart: color night vision. Provided there is some ambient light, it will show near full color night vision.
In addition to color night vision, the EZVIZ C3X also records and plays video at 1080p resolution. Two-way audio lets you talk to anyone near the camera – perfect for telling delivery drivers where to leave a package or for alerting someone to something bad. The camera can distinguish between people and vehicles.
You can even set up the camera to automatically play custom voice alerts. For example, if it detects a car on your property, you could say, “Private property. No parking “. Color night vision means you’ll be able to produce more detail even on the darkest of nights.
At $130, the EZVIZ C3X is a great value for the amount of features it includes.
The Blink Mini is a great budget option for home security in the home. This 1080p camera has a 110-degree field of view. Although it is not too wide, it is more than enough to trace the entrance to your home or a particular room. With up to 30fps, you’ll have a clear picture of any activity in your home.
Blink Mini will send you notifications when motion is detected. Two-way audio lets you ask your pets to leave the furniture as they (surely) hop onto the couch while you’re away. You can also set up custom detection zones to minimize the number of false alarms.
There is a free trial of the Blink Subscription Plan. After this free trial ends, the plan is $3 per month. This plan allows you to store video footage in the cloud. Alternatively, you can purchase the Blink Sync Module and link up to 10 cameras and store footage locally on a USB flash drive.
At just $35, the Blink Mini is a great choice for those who want home security on a budget. While it lacks advanced features like person detection, its low price makes it a great starting point for your first smart home security camera. It can also be purchased as additional coverage for a specific room, such as a home office.
Yi Home Camera is an extremely affordable product with a lot of smart features built in. The Yi Home Camera not only offers optional 24/7 emergency services, but also has intelligent human detection, abnormal sound detection, and can even listen specifically to the sound of a crying baby. .
The Yi Home Camera captures video and streams footage at 1080p, but the downside is its frame rate is limited to 20fps. However, it does have two-way audio and specific listening algorithms for audio selection. For example, it can hear the sound of a smoke alarm or a window breaking. New parents can also use the Yi Home Camera as a monitor for their babies thanks to its ability to listen to the baby’s cries.
One notable feature is Yi Smart Cloud Search. It can be difficult to search through a large amount of footage in the cloud, but Yi makes it easy to find the key moments and save them for posterity.
Yi Home Camera is integrated with Noonlight to provide 24/7 emergency support registration service. This entails an additional fee of $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year on top of the cost of the home security camera. On the other hand, for a $50 bundle of two (or $26 for a single camera), it’s hard to go wrong with Yi Home Cameras.
If you already use a Ring device and want to keep everything linked to a single app, Ring Indoor Cam is a good choice. This compact home security camera is easy to hide on a shelf and probably won’t go unnoticed at first glance. It has 1080p video and two-way audio, as well as real-time notifications.
The small size and low price make the Ring Indoor Cam a great choice for whole home coverage. Just place one in every room (or in front of every main entrance) and you can keep an eye on everything going on in the house. While the Ring Indoor Cam doesn’t have a built-in siren or many smart features, its more focused capabilities make it well-secured.
Ring Protect Plan is an optional plan that lets you save videos and photos in the cloud. The service is $3 per month per device, or $10 per month per household. If you have four or more Ring cameras, you’ll want the $10 plan — it’s the more economical option.
As an added bonus, the Ring Indoor Cam works with Alexa. If the camera detects motion, Alexa will illuminate and issue a notification. You can also display your live stream on your Alexa smart display like Echo Show.
If this is your first time buying a security camera, there are several features you should look for. The first is high resolution. With the options available, you shouldn’t go below 1080p.
The second thing to look for is live streaming. No camera should just record footage and store it. You will be able to watch a live stream at any time by accessing the app.
The third and final feature is motion detection. While cameras can help you provide details to authorities after a burglary, it’s much better if you can take action while the crime is happening. Motion detection will alert you when it detects anything suspicious.
There are many other options you can look for when buying a smart security camera, but these three characteristics are the most important.
