We love that this camera is wire-free, so you can put it wherever you want without worrying about being near an outlet. (You can also connect it to a power cord if you want to.) Plus, you can backup your footage onto a USB drive if you want to save that video of your cat catching birds forever. The Ring Video Doorbell 3 lets you choose to either use a rechargeable battery or hardwire the cam right into your existing doorbell outlet. (We recommend the hardwired option, just so you never have to mess with it again.) It also lets you select motion zones, so you get alerts about people on your porch but not kids on the street in front of your house. One thing to consider, though: we’ve heard a lot of reports of customers getting alerts but only seeing the backs of people leaving their porches, not their faces while they’re actually there. That’s usually an indicator that your Wi-Fi isn’t fast enough for the camera, so you might want to invest in a Wi-Fi extender if this turns out to be a problem for you. Plus, you can mount the Wyze Cam v2 basically anywhere. Stick it on your fridge, drill it into the wall, or just set it on a bookshelf—it’s up to you. You can customize when the light turns on and how bright it is, plus set up custom motion zones for your Ring camera. Heads up, though—you might want to subscribe to one of Ring’s monthly plans for more cloud video storage. The Wyze Pan Cam gives you HD video plus full pan-and-tilt capabilities. You can look around a whole room in one go or set the camera to scroll over the same set spots every time you check in.
HD video Wireless Rechargeable battery Indoor/outdoor compatible Solar powered Weatherproof microSD card storage option Multiple mounting options
Arlo Pro 3 can be put just about anywhere, and it’s wire-free design makes it easy to set up. You can set it on a shelf or put it in a tree. Just be aware it’s a bit pricey. Ring Video Doorbell 3 is the latest iteration in Ring’s doorbell camera line-up, and we like that you can choose between battery-powered or hardwired connections. Wyze Cam v2 is astoundingly cheap for such a smart little camera. It’s not the fanciest model around, but it will give you basic features at a very affordable price. Ring Spotlight Cam is great if you want an HD security camera with a built-in security light. It’s a bit bulky, but potential intruders will definitely notice it. Wyze Cam Pan is another offering from the affordable Wyze line, and it can spin around to see a whole room. Reolink Argus 2 has multiple power options, including battery-powered and solar-powered. This camera’s great if you want to let the sun charge your security camera. Most cameras work a bit like a walkie talkie where you can’t talk and listen at the same time. Some cameras do let you make outgoing phone calls directly from the camera itself, like the Vivint Ping camera. Monthly subscriptions are usually somewhere between $3 and $30 per month. Home security cameras are generally motion-detected and help deter burglars and theft while allowing you to monitor what’s happening in or around your home. Surveillance cameras are used more by police or businesses and are continuously recording events as they happen.
