Top 5 Best Home Security Cameras 2024

You can rest easy knowing your house is secure when you have the best home security cameras installed. With the advent of modern smart home technology, monitoring your home is now easier and more inexpensive than ever before. In the past, full-home monitoring systems required a significant financial commitment.

That does not imply that it is an inexpensive undertaking, though, as many home security cameras have premium memberships that hide many of the greatest features—including important ones like cloud storage and alerts—behind a gate. With various models offering a variety of helpful features like motion detection, alerts and notifications, event recording, two-way audio, night vision, app compatibility, and built-in alarms, these are still some of the best smart home appliances to buy.

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Last update on 2024-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

Top 5 Best Home Security Cameras 2024

1.Arlo Pro 5S 2K Spotlight Camera

Last update on 2024-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

Despite the lengthy moniker of the Arlo Pro 5S 2K, don’t let it turn you off from this recognizable-looking home security camera. It has a large field of view, color night recording, and 2K video recording. Furthermore, it is ready to match or surpass any smart camera on the market thanks to its close interaction with Arlo Secure and its powerful automation features.

Arlo remained with the Pro 5S 2K’s design, which is already effective for the company’s security camera lineup. The camera’s housing is 3.5 x 2 x 3 inches and is shaped like an oblong cylinder with a flat front and a rounded back, making it stand out from conventional security cameras. The accompanying ball joint mount, which you can attach to the side of your house, a fence, or, if you’d rather, the ceiling or an overhang on the side of your house, can be mounted to the rear of the housing of the camera.

To access the internal battery and replace it with a charged one, press the button located at the bottom of the housing to release the camera from its housing. In order to charge the battery while the camera is in position, you may also attach Arlo’s magnetic charging cable to the several metal contacts on the bottom of the housing of the camera.

The other option is to take the camera out of the mount completely, but that isn’t always an easy task, particularly if the camera is positioned high above the ground. You can either purchase a second battery and a charging station that you can use to charge it at home and replace it as needed, or you can install a solar panel close to the camera to maintain the battery’s power.

The lens, a spotlight, and two infrared sensors for night vision are located on the front of the camera.

The same design has been used by Arlo’s cameras for a number of years; it’s not faulty, so there’s no need to fix it, but I do wish the way the camera is mounted could be changed. The length of the camera and the mount itself take up a lot of room with the present mounting mechanism, resulting in a long camera that protrudes from your wall. By contrast, the mounting system of a device such as the Ring Spotlight Cam is far smaller and simpler to install almost flush against your wall. Arlo cameras don’t actually allow you to do that.

2.Google Nest Indoor/Outdoor Cam (2nd-gen)

Last update on 2024-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

With a Maple Wood Base, the indoor Nest Cam comes in four color options: Snow, Fog, Linen, or Sand. Its dimensions are 3.8 by 2.5 by 2.2 inches (HWD). You can tilt and swivel the camera thanks to a thin metal arm that holds the camera enclosure to a semi-round base. The base allows you to mount the camera on a wall or set it on your desktop.

A status LED and a microphone are located on the front of the camera. A speaker and a hardwired, 10-foot USB power cable are located around rear. The camera uses HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology to give increased colors and contrast while capturing 1080p video at 30 frames per second. Its features include a 6X digital zoom, a 16:9 aspect ratio, two infrared LEDs for night vision in black and white, and a 135-degree (diagonal) field of view. You may use the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band to connect the camera to your home network thanks to the included dual-band Wi-Fi radio.

Using the Google Home mobile app on iOS and Android smartphones, you may view the Nest Cam’s settings and video stream. To see a live feed, just tap the camera icon that is displayed in the room panel on the home screen where it was installed. There is a two-way conversation button beneath the video display. There are buttons for History, Live, and More underneath that.

By selecting the History button, a screen with a timeline of events and films of each occurrence may be viewed. The Full History button displays a list of events along with thumbnails of each video. To watch the video, choose any thumbnail. To access event details, tap the three dots in the top right corner Transfer the video to your smartphone. The camera can be turned on and off with the More button, and you can adjust video quality and night vision settings, create activity zones, enable or disable audio recording, and configure what kinds of events trigger a recording by using the gear button (also located in the upper right corner). You will also see a menu option for managing your Familiar Faces (facial recognition) library if you have a Nest Aware plan.

3.Ring Indoor/Outdoor Stick Up Cam (2nd-gen)

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Last update on 2024-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

The basic cylindrical design of the first-generation Indoor Cam is also shared by the second-generation variant. It is 1.9 inches broad, 3.8 inches high (with the stand), and available in black or white. The circular base can be mounted on a wall or ceiling with the accompanying mounting hardware, or it can be used as a desktop stand with manual tilt and swivel movement.

Compared to its predecessor, it has a privacy cover and color night vision, among other enhancements. Quickly disable the camera and microphone by sliding the detachable privacy cover into place. A speaker is located directly below the glossy black camera front, which also houses the lens, microphone, and status LED. When the camera is recording, the status light is solid blue; during setup, it blinks blue gradually; during two-way audio conversations, it pulses blue; and when Wi-Fi is disconnected, it flashes red and blue. There is a micro USB power port around back of the camera, and a button on top allows you to reset the gadget. A USB power converter, a quick start instruction, and a 6.5-foot power cable are included with the camera.

With a diagonal field of view of 143 degrees, the camera records 1080p video. When there is enough ambient light, it can record color night vision using infrared LEDs for black-and-white night vision. It supports Ring’s Pre-Roll function, which lets you watch what happened in the six seconds before the motion trigger, and records video when it senses motion. A built-in 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio provides network connectivity. While IFTTT applets and voice commands with Alexa can be used to manage the camera and make it work with other devices, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant are not supported.

The Indoor Cam shows up on the dashboard in its own section next to a still photo of the most recent motion event, and it utilizes the same mobile app (available for iOS and Android) as every other Ring device. A screen including a video panel and a play arrow will appear when you tap onto the camera’s area. A timeline of recorded events scrolls beneath the video screen.

You can see a live stream in landscape mode by tilting your phone sideways or by touching the box located in the lower right corner after tapping the play arrow. You may use the buttons on the landscape mode to turn on and off other Ring devices, mute the speaker, stop streaming, activate the siren, and engage two-way communication.

4.Eufy 4G “Starlight” Camera S230

Last update on 2024-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

The 4G LTE Starlight Camera appears nearly identical to the original EufyCam but, at 2.4 by 2.4 by 4.5 inches (HWD), it’s a touch larger than its predecessor (2.2 by 2.2 by 4.2 inches). The white-and-gray container features an IP67 weather-resistance rating that protects the camera from dust, rain, and severe temperatures. In addition to the camera, the package includes a charging cable, a waterproof solar panel wire, mounting screws, a mounting bracket, and a setup instructions. There is no solar panel that is optional.

Inside the front casing are the motion sensor, spotlight, microphone, LED indicator, camera lens, and microphone. In the event that it is stolen, you can find the device thanks to an integrated GPS radio. Two-way audio is enabled by a speaker on the bottom of the camera, and a Sync button is located on top. The SIM card slot and charging port are located behind the rubberized covering on the back. Additionally, there is a screw-in hole for a mounting bracket on the back of the camera.

The Wi-Fi radio on the 4G LTE Starlight Camera is nonexistent. Rather, it connects to the smartphone app, Alexa, and Google Assistant devices via an LTE 4G cellular radio. This implies that in order to utilize this camera, you will need to provide an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM card and have a data plan. Eufy reports that the device streams five minutes of live 2K video for about 128MB of cellular data. You can use this information to determine what kind of data plan you require.

The security device uses 8GB of onboard space to store locally the high-resolution 2K or 1080p video footage that it records. This can record two hours and thirty minutes of 2K video. The camera is neither cloud-connected, nor does it save data there. It can be set up to record only human motion or to record video whenever it detects any motion at all. In addition, the camera has the ability to see in color at night by using its spotlight; in the absence of light, it employs an infrared LED to see in black and white.

As previously indicated, the camera is compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa devices; however, it is incompatible with Apple’s HomeKit framework. Consider the Arlo Pro 4, which supports Alexa, Google Assistant, HomeKit, and IFTTT, if you require additional connectivity options.

The Starlight is controlled by the same Eufy Security app (available for iOS and Android) as other Eufy security devices, such as the Eufy Floodlight Camera. It shows up as a still image of the most recent video that was taken in a dedicated panel on the app’s home screen, and you can press the play arrow to start a live stream of the camera feed.

Buttons to turn on the flashlight, take a picture, manually record video, muffle the speaker, and start two-way communication are located beneath the video panel. Additionally, you may widen the choices to reveal buttons that allow you to see thumbnails of recorded video on the Events page, switch between color and black-and-white night vision, sound the alarm, and open the Settings screen.

Here, you can also enable the Anti-Theft Detection option (it sets off the siren if someone tries to move or tamper with the camera); select a battery-life mode (optimal battery, optimal surveillance, or custom); toggle motion detection; configure motion and notification settings; adjust video and audio settings; and share camera access with other users.

The Starlight camera is easy to install. After downloading and creating an account on the Eufy mobile app, we selected Add Device from the Devices tab. Next, we chose the 4G Starlight Camera and installed the SIM card by following the directions, then we scanned the QR code on the base of the camera. After that, we hit the Sync button for two seconds till we heard a beep, then we tapped Connect Directly. After giving the camera a name and waiting a little while for it to connect to the cell network, we selected Next. Ultimately, we decided to install the camera on a backyard deck using the included mounting bracket after choosing the working mode, updating the software, and fully charging the battery for eight hours.

5.Lorex 4K Spotlight Indoor/Outdoor Security Camera

Last update on 2024-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

This Lorex camera bears resemblance to the company’s earlier models. A glossy black camera is housed in an IP65 weatherproof cylindrical casing made of matte white that is 3.4 inches long by 3.0 inches wide. There’s a hardwired 19-foot USB power cord that protrudes and a threaded mounting hole on the back. A speaker and a rubber cover shielding a microSD card slot and reset button are located on the bottom. The camera can hold cards up to 256GB in size and comes with a 32GB card for local recording storage.

The front is equipped with an LED light band to notify intruders of the camera’s presence, two warning LED spotlights, a microphone, and a lens. The latter can be altered to any desired color. In addition, the band serves as a status indicator. It flashes red when the network connection drops, glows solid red in the event of a failure, and glows solid green when the camera is connected and working. A dual-band 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) radio and a warning siren are located underneath the engine. Though supporting Wi-Fi 6 networking devices is excellent, I would be more thrilled if the camera could support Wi-Fi 6e, which uses the uncrowded 6GHz radio band and is significantly more exciting.

The 8MP image sensor on the camera has a 140-degree field of view and can record 4K video. It records in black and white when there is insufficient ambient light by using an infrared LED and color video in low light using Lorex’s CNV (Color Night Vision) Booster technology.

When it senses motion or sound, the device records video to the microSD card. It can distinguish between people, animals, automobiles, and package deliveries. It does not support Apple HomeKit or IFTTT, but it does allow voice commands from Alexa and Google Assistant.

The Lorex Home app, which is available for iOS and Android, is used to control the camera together with all other devices from the firm, including the Wi-Fi Video Doorbell. It shows up in a panel on the Devices screen next to an image still from the most recent capture, a play arrow for starting a live stream, and a Privacy Mode button for stopping the event recording and live stream. The buttons for Home, Events, and Settings are located at the bottom of the screen. Whereas the Events button displays video thumbnails of every recording, the Home button allows you to return to the app’s home screen from anywhere in the program. To play or remove the video, simply tap any thumbnail.

You can adjust your Home and Away settings in the Settings section. Basically, where you are influences whether or not you receive notifications. In addition, you can connect more devices, set up two-step account authentication, customize notification sounds and schedules, and watch snapshots and manual recordings here.

To change the motion sensitivity, activate sound detection, enable continuous recording, create custom quick responses, and toggle the Object Bounding box (a motion tracking feature that surrounds objects that cause a motion alert), tap the three dots in the top right corner of the live stream view. Additionally, you can set up motion zones, Smart Lighting options (you may program the lights to turn on as a deterrent when the camera detects motion, for example), and Smart Detection settings (intelligent alerts).

Five buttons at the bottom of the live stream screen allow you to mute the sound, pause the video stream, choose between HD, SD, or auto video quality, and switch to a multi-camera view having panels that can hold nine cameras. Additionally, there is a duplicate (from above) View Events button and a Timeline button that allows you to pan and zoom through video events. The siren, warning lights, and two-way talk buttons are located farther down, along with manual record and snapshot buttons, a duplicate Privacy Mode button, and a button that plays a fast response message.

Factors to consider when choosing a home security camera

The cost, features, and quality of the hundreds of home security cameras available today vary greatly. It might be difficult to avoid getting overwhelmed quickly with all the options, particularly when you’re thinking about something as significant as the safety of your house.

Privacy

This one is significant. You don’t want someone breaking into your camera or spying on your land. Because wireless home security cameras can be accessed remotely and are connected to Wi-Fi networks, they may be more vulnerable to hackers, particularly if your router security is weak. In general, home security cameras that are wired and do not utilize Wi-Fi are more secure. (Click here to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of wired vs. wireless). As we previously discussed, security flaws and data breaches can also pose a risk to your privacy, so it’s critical to take a company’s recent reputation into account.

Battery or wired power

The choice between wired and wireless cameras, each with their advantages and disadvantages, comes down to personal preference.

Installing and using wireless solutions is typically simpler, and they frequently utilize cloud storage, allowing you to access your video from any location. Since wireless security cameras are self-sufficient, they may continue to record and save footage even in the event of a power or internet failure. Unless you choose a solar-powered home security camera, one of the main drawbacks is that you’ll need to manually change the batteries or charge them sometimes.

Because they are tethered to a constant connection, wired cameras rarely require recharging and can frequently increase the resolution of their high-quality videos. They are typically more dependable, safe, and consistent in video quality without needing to pay a monthly subscription for cloud storage. Unfortunately, wired home security cameras don’t work with smart home assistants like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, and they frequently require expert installation.

Wi-Fi quality and range

When installing wireless home security cameras, bear in mind that the quality of your Wi-Fi connection at the installation site will determine how well the smart home camera you purchase and how effective your security system will be overall. Thus, before you drill holes in the walls or cause any other damage to your door frame, brick, or siding for your home security camera, check the speed of your Wi-Fi. Your wireless security camera will experience noticeable lag times, pixelation in the live feed, and other Wi-Fi delays if the connection is patchy. This results in low video quality and difficult-to-use home security cameras.