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Tag: security camera

  • 13 Best Outdoor Security Cameras (2024): Battery-Powered, LTE, No Subscription

    13 Best Outdoor Security Cameras (2024): Battery-Powered, LTE, No Subscription

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    We have tested several other outdoor security cameras. These are the ones we like that just missed out on a place above.

    Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera for $50: This is the most affordable way to try Arlo’s wares, and it’s a solid security camera. Setup is a breeze, the 1080p footage is clear, and the rich notifications are the best, but you need an Arlo Secure subscription ($8 per month for one camera, $13 for unlimited). Compared to our top pick, the Essential has a narrower field of view and lacks HDR, so it loses details in bright and dark areas. I also tried the Essential XL ($100), which is the same camera with a much larger battery (4x longer lasting).

    AlfredCam Plus for $50: The AlfredCamera app allows you to turn your old smartphones into security cameras, but the company also has its own line of budget cameras. The AlfredCam Plus has an IP65 rating, can record video at up to 2K, and comes with a 64-GB microSD card. You get a 9.8-foot cable with it, but you will need a power adapter. The ad-supported free version offers seven days of cloud storage for video clips. Sadly, you need a subscription at $6 a month or $30 a year to unlock 14-day cloud storage, smart features (including person detection, scheduling, and zones), and better quality video for the live feed and recordings.

    Ezviz H3C for $70: I had issues setting this wired camera up because it can only connect to 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, but once up and running, it proved a decent performer. The Ezviz app has 2FA and allows fingerprint unlock, which is handy. There’s also onboard AI for person detection, a spotlight, black-and-white night vision, and two-way audio, though it’s laggy and poor quality. The video quality is decent at up to 2K, and the live feed is fast to load. All in all, it’s not bad for the money. I also tested the Ezviz EB8 4G (£300), which is quite similar to the H8 Pro we recommend above, except it can connect to 4G mobile networks—this means it doesn’t require Wi-Fi, though you will need a SIM card and cell service plan.

    Imou Knight Spotlight Camera for $160 or £100: A smart design and solid feature set make this an attractive security camera for the right spot. It can record at up to 4K with HDR, has a 600-lumen spotlight around the lens, and can take microSD cards up to 256 GB (sold separately) to record locally. The app offers a wide range of features, including detection zones, cross-line alerts, and human or pet detection, though the AI sometimes gets it wrong. Sadly, the low frame rate (15 fps) too often results in blurry footage, but this came close to snagging a spot above.

    Reolink Go PT Ultra for $250: If you need a wireless security camera that can connect to cellular 3G or 4G LTE networks, you could do worse than this offering from Reolink. It’s a pan-and-tilt camera that can record up to 4K video on a local microSD card (sold separately), or you can subscribe for cloud storage. It has a wee spotlight and decent color night vision, and it comes with a solar panel to keep the battery topped up. The detection is reliable but doesn’t always categorize subjects correctly. Loading time and lag will depend on the strength of the signal. Just make sure you check carrier compatibility and get a SIM card before you buy.

    Annke NC800 for $350: Capable of capturing high-resolution footage up to 4K, the NC800 boasts color night vision without a spotlight. This is an IP camera designed for local use with an NVR (network video recorder), though you can also insert a microSD card for local recordings. There is PoE (power over Ethernet), or you can plug in via Ethernet to your router with a separate power connection, but either way, you will have to run cables. I had some trouble with the frame rate to my phone at higher resolutions, but it delivers good picture quality with no lag. I also like that the app supports 2FA with fingerprint unlock. But configuration is tricky and far from intuitive.

    Defender Guard Pro for $134: Previously our top tethered pick, the Defender Guard Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommends) ticks most boxes. It’s affordable and delivers 2K video, two-way audio, and local storage via an included microSD card. Plus, there’s a spotlight and siren. Setup was glitchy and you have to run a power cable inside, so it’s a hassle to install. The price has also increased since we first recommended it, and stock seems to be limited.

    Swann AllSecure650 4 Camera Kit for $700: This kit includes four wireless, battery-powered cameras and a network video recorder (NVR) that can plug into a TV or monitor via HDMI. The cameras can record up to 2K, and footage is crisp and detailed enough to zoom in on, though there is a mild fish-eye effect. The night vision is reasonably good, but the two-way audio lags and sounds distorted. I like the option to view all camera feeds simultaneously, the backup battery in the NVR makes it a cinch to swap batteries when a camera is running low, and everything is local with no need for a subscription. Unfortunately, the mobile app is poor, camera feeds sometimes take several seconds to load, and there doesn’t seem to be any 2FA. The NVR interface is also clunky to navigate with the provided mouse.

    Arlo Pro 4 for $140: This camera was our top pick, and it is still an excellent buy that is widely available. Its successor, the Pro 5, has slightly better battery life and enhanced color night vision, but there isn’t a huge difference. This camera provides crisp, clear footage; responds swiftly; and has an excellent detection and notification system, but you must also factor in the cost of an Arlo subscription starting from $8 per month for a single camera.

    Reolink Argus 3 Pro for $100: There’s a lot to like with this security camera, not least the affordable price. It offers 2K video, local or cloud storage, two-way audio, a siren, and person recognition. The live feed loads fast, and it’s cheap to buy a solar panel accessory for power. The app is a little confusing, but Reolink recently added 2FA. I also tested the Reolink Argus PT with solar panel ($160), which is a solid pan-and-tilt camera with an otherwise similar feature set. Both Reolink cameras also support dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).

    Eve Outdoor Cam for $250: This stylish floodlight camera must be wired in, and installation is tricky (you may want an electrician). It can replace an outdoor light to give you motion-activated light (up to 1,500 lumens), 1080p video (157-degree field of view), and two-way audio. But as a HomeKit camera, you will need an Apple HomeKit hub (Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad) and an iCloud+ storage plan. Sadly, the video and sound quality are average; it only works on 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, and there’s no Android support.

    Toucan Wireless Outdoor Camera for $50: Toucan’s wireless camera resembles our top pick from Arlo with a smart magnetic mount and easy installation. The 1080p video is good in ideal conditions but struggles with mixed lighting (no HDR). The two-way audio is passable. The app works well and loads the live feed quite quickly, but this is cloud-only, which means you need to subscribe (from $3 per month) if you want tagged events, more than the last 24 hours recorded, or to download more than five videos per month.

    Toucan Security Light Camera for $100: You can simply plug this camera into an outlet, and it comes with an 8-meter waterproof cable. It has a motion-activated light (1,200 lumens), records 1080p video, and supports two-way audio. I found the footage quite detailed, but it struggled with direct sunlight. You can record locally on a microSD card (sold separately), and you get 24 hours of free cloud storage, but it has limitations. Plans start from $3 per month. Even with motion detection set to the lowest sensitivity, this camera triggered too often during testing, and there’s no way to filter for people, so I got frequent false positives (blowing leaves, moths, and birds all triggered alerts).

    Blurams Outdoor Lite 3 for $50: This is a feature-packed security camera for the price, with support for pan, tilt, and zoom functionality; spotlights; siren; motion tracking; continuous recording; and two-way audio. You can store footage locally on a microSD card (sold separately) or subscribe to a cloud plan. Video quality is reasonable, but the app is very glitchy and loading the live feed was inconsistent (sometimes it just buffered indefinitely).

    SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Security Camera for $160: A solid set of features, crisp 1080p video, and support for HDR sounds tempting, but you need a Simplisafe security system (9/10, WIRED recommends) and monitoring plan to make this camera worthwhile, making it too expensive for what you get. (The Arlo Pro 4 offers better-quality video and more features.) It may be a useful add-on for existing SimpliSafe customers, though.

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  • 9 Best Indoor Security Cameras (2024): For Homes and Apartments

    9 Best Indoor Security Cameras (2024): For Homes and Apartments

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    Not quite ready to deck out your house with window, door, and motion sensors and hire an on-call monitoring service? Don’t fret! You can still keep your home secure without messing with your wiring by going with an indoor security camera or two. Knowing you can check in when you are away from home offers peace of mind, but these cameras aren’t perfect. There’s an obvious security benefit, but you expose yourself to privacy risks. These are our favorite security cameras after rigorous testing, and we’ve also got details on what to look for when shopping for one.

    Be sure to check out our many other guides, including the Best Outdoor Security Cameras, Best Pet Cameras, and Best Password Managers. If you want more smart home products, we have guides on smart plugs and light bulbs, too.

    Updated April 2024: We added cameras from TP-Link, Arlo, Blink, AlfredCam, and Botslab, a new slide for cameras we don’t recommend, and updated prices throughout.

    Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

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  • Blink Mini 2 Review: Small Size, Big Value

    Blink Mini 2 Review: Small Size, Big Value

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    I set the camera to record clips when it detected a person, and it hasn’t made many mistakes. (It has categorized a couple of clips with people in them as motion, but there have been no false positives.) Most recorded events seem to have been captured in full, but a couple of times, it missed the beginning of someone walking into the frame. You can also tweak the motion sensitivity and set privacy or activity zones by graying out squares in a grid to reduce false positives or cut out areas you don’t want triggering recordings.

    While the overall sound quality isn’t great, it is better than the original Blink Mini. You can carry on a two-way conversation with minimal lag. Certain sounds and weather cause distortion, so it sounds better indoors but is passable in a pinch. Blink cameras also work well with Alexa, but there’s no official support for Google Home or Apple HomeKit. However, there are lots of IFTTT integrations that provide workarounds to use Blink with Google, Samsung SmartThings, and other platforms. One last feature I like in the app is the biometric lock, so you can open it with your fingerprint or face.

    Subscribe or Pass

    You can use Blink cameras without a subscription if you buy a Sync Module 2 ($50) and stick a USB flash drive in it to record locally, but I can’t recommend the Blink Mini 2 without a subscription. Only subscribers get person detection, live view recording, cloud recording with 60-day video history (30 days in the UK and Europe), video sharing, rapid access, and a few other perks. Person detection is a must unless you want lots of false positives.

    Without the subscription, your live views are limited to five minutes, and recorded videos may be much slower to load. This is because videos are uploaded to the cloud from your USB flash drive and then sent to your phone. I have tested without the subscription. With a fast internet connection and flash drive, my videos loaded fairly quickly, taking maybe a couple of seconds longer on average, though they occasionally took much longer. If you subscribe but already have a Sync Module 2, it defaults to a once-a-day backup of your videos. (You can also stick the drive into a computer to review recorded events.) You can see the complete subscription comparison here.

    You get a 30-day trial of the subscription with each Blink camera. After that, the Blink Basic subscription, covering one camera, costs $3 per month or $30 per year, which is about as cheap as it gets nowadays. The Blink Plus subscription, covering unlimited cameras, costs $10 per month or $100 per year. Since Amazon owns Blink, you can connect your Amazon account and manage your subscription through the Amazon site.

    Many of the best indoor security cameras require you to subscribe to enjoy all their features. But if you can’t abide another subscription, the Cync Indoor Smart Camera ($70) or TP-Link Tapo C110 ($30) are good alternatives. You can find better, but not cheaper, outdoor options in our Best Outdoor Security Cameras guide.

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  • Airbnb Bans All Indoor Security Cameras

    Airbnb Bans All Indoor Security Cameras

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    Airbnb will soon ban hosts from watching their guests with indoor security cameras, as the company is reversing course on its surveillance policies.

    As of April 30, hosts around the world must remove indoor cameras and disclose other outdoor monitoring tech to guests before they book. Airbnb previously allowed hosts to install security cameras in common areas of a home, like hallways and living rooms. But it also required hosts to disclose them, make them clearly visible, and keep the cameras out of places like sleeping areas and bathrooms.

    Still, the cameras have been an issue. Guests have reported encountering hidden cameras in their short-term rentals. For hosts, the cameras can be a way to discourage guests from throwing large parties or to stop the gatherings before they become too disruptive. It’s a big enough concern that several companies have started making noise monitoring tech, billing themselves as solutions to protect short-term rentals.

    But guests see them as an invasion of privacy—a watching eye intruding on their vacation.

    “We’re really grateful that Airbnb listened to those of us pushing back and calling for them to actually put safety and privacy first,” says Albert Fox Cahn, founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a pro-privacy organization.

    In its announcement, Airbnb said that the majority of its listings do not mention a security camera, so the rule change may not affect most listings. Vrbo, another short-term rental platform, already banned the use of visual and audio surveillance inside of properties.

    Airbnb says it will investigate reported violations of the rule, and may penalize violators by removing their listings or accounts. But this policy may struggle to address the camera problem at large, as the company has already required hosts to disclose the indoor cameras, and guests have sometimes reported hidden and undisclosed cameras.

    The new rules also require hosts to disclose to guests whether they are using noise decibel monitors or outdoor cameras before guests book. Both are used by some hosts to monitor properties for parties, which have continued to bring noise, damage, and danger even after Airbnb instituted a party ban and employed new anti-party tech to try to prevent revelers from booking on its site. Airbnb will also prohibit hosts from using outdoor cameras to monitor indoor spaces, and bars them from “certain outdoor areas where there’s a greater expectation of privacy,” such as outdoor showers and saunas, it says.

    “This just emphasizes the fact that surveillance always gives a huge amount of power to whoever controls the camera system,” says Fox Cahn. “When it’s used in a property you’re renting, whether it’s a landlord or an Airbnb, it’s ripe for abuse.”

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