What should I look for when buying a home security camera?
Here are some criteria to consider when weighing your options:
Connectivity: Each different type of security camera has its pros and cons. Wired ones can be tricky to set up (sometimes requiring professional installation) and have limited mobility due to their physical cables, but they typically have more reliable connections. On the flip side, wireless cameras are easier to install, but they're more vulnerable to hacking and signal drops. Wire-free cameras, meanwhile, are super flexible and portable and keep working during power outages, but you have to keep their batteries fresh. (We can say with a moderate degree of confidence that a dead camera isn’t incredibly useful.)
Location: A camera you're installing outside needs to be durable enough to withstand temperature changes and a variety of weather conditions. A good indoor camera, meanwhile, should look decent (or blend in) with the rest of your home decor.
Resolution: A security camera with blurry, low-quality video is a useless security camera — get one with at least 1080p (Full HD) video quality for crystal-clear footage.
Night vision: Make sure you can see who is paying you a visit no matter what time it is. Keep in mind that you'll usually pay a premium for color night vision (as opposed to infrared, which produces a black-and-white picture).
Field of view (FOV): You're going to be able to see more with a camera that's got a wider viewing angle, but it may result in what's called barrel (or fisheye) distortion. Alternatively, some security cameras can pan and tilt — including the eufy Solo IndoorCam P24, one of our top picks — which gets you a huge FOV with less of that curved, bulging effect.
Two-way audio: A security camera with a built-in microphone and speakers will let you hear and talk to whoever's visiting.
Recording type: Most of your options will capture recordings only when they detect motion within their FOV — these are also known as event-based recordings — though some security cameras also offer continuous or 24/7 recording. (That's less common because it eats up a ton of storage space.)
Notifications: You don't need to be sitting in a mission control room to stay up to date with the things your monitoring system sees; most security cameras' companion apps offer instant motion alerts and a live video feed at minimum.
Storage: While a few home security cameras support microSD cards, the vast majority of them use cloud services for clip storage and remote access.
Add-on services: Need extra protection? Most security camera manufacturers offer optional monthly subscriptions for premium features like continuous recording, "activity zones" where important areas get extra attention, and AI-based object detection and facial recognition. (Cloud storage is often bundled in there, too.) You'll pay an additional monthly fee for those on top of the price of your camera, FYI.
Cost: Not counting any subscription plans, a nice security camera will cost you $50 to $200 depending on the features you're after. (If you find yourself gravitating toward options on the higher end of that spectrum, they'd better have built-in extras like sirens, alarms, floodlights, spotlights, and/or free storage.)