I love technology because of the way it helps human beings. The safety of your home, especially in neighborhoods with high traffic, is always a concern for homeowners. It used to be that all you could do is lock your doors and hope for the best. However, today, in the 21st-century, technology has given us smart cameras. This is not the 1950s anymore. As we advance into the 21st-century, crime has increased. A smart camera is a good way to protect yourself. Let’s examine how to choose the best smart camera for your home. First, I’ll answer some frequently asked questions, and then I’ll review what I consider the top eight smart cameras. Finally, I’ll let you know the smart camera I think is the best.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Smart Cameras
What is a Smart Camera?
You know what a smartphone is. Well, smart cameras are cameras, often wireless, that can capture traffic on your property with functions that you can control remotely through your mobile devices, such as your smartphone or tablet, even when you’re hundreds of miles away, or more.
How Do I Choose the Best Smart Camera?
Choosing the best smart camera, I found it to be difficult at first. However, there are features that I learned are very important when it comes to these kinds of cameras. Here are the features you should look for:
1. Motion Activation: The top smart cameras are motion activated. Therefore, you want to look for that, and you want to choose a camera that has motion activation that is reliable and that works at least up to 30 feet away.
2. Has a Siren: A remote-activated siren is excellent to have to scare suspicious people away. Therefore, in my opinion, the best smart camera has a siren.
3. Two-Way Communication: The smart camera you want will have two-way communication. That means that you can speak to a person on your property, even remotely, and they can speak to you.
4. Use on All Electronics: You want a smart camera that can connect to your smartphone, tablet, or PC.
5. Works With Both Alexa and Google Assistant: It’s one thing for a smart camera to work with Alexa, but what about people who have Google Assistant? I confess, most people I know have Alexa. However, some people use Google Assistant, and therefore, a smart camera should work with both.
6. It Should Have 1080p HD: 1080p is a type of HDTV high-definition. All decent smart cameras should have this.
7. Night Vision: Whether the camera is an outdoor camera or an indoor camera, it should have excellent night vision.
What are the Advantages of a Smart Camera?
There are quite a few advantages of a smart camera. They are relatively affordable. They give you a great way to watch your property and to see who is on your property. They can be used remotely. So if I’m at the nail salon, and I get an alert on my smartphone that someone is on my property. I can see who the person is and respond accordingly. Of course, if it’s not a suspicious person, I won’t need to take any action. Also, depending on your home owner’s insurance, they may give you a discount if you have such a camera on your property.
What are the Disadvantages of a Smart Camera?
In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of having a smart camera. However, what are the disadvantages? Criminals can get wise to your having a smart camera and can find other ways to break into your property. But in my opinion, that’s not something I want to worry about. Of course, because it’s a piece of technology, it can have a glitch, which will cause it not to work properly and need to be fixed. There could be hackers that get into your system, as well. One disadvantage I talk about in my description of the eight products is that in almost all cases, you’ll need to buy a MicroSD card if you want to store images. The smart cameras I reviewed don’t provide this card.
Top Eight Smart Cameras
1. Ring Smart Floodlight Camera
Ring is a smart home and home security business owned by Amazon. Its smart camera has ultra-bright floodlights and a motion-activated H.D. camera. The camera allows you to see, hear, and speak to people who come to your door. You can do that through your smartphone, tablet, or P.C. Alexa, also owned by Amazon, is a virtual assistant/artificial intelligence (A.I.). The Ring smart camera can be connected to Alex, which provides announcements when motion is detected. Homeowners can also say, “Alexa, please talk to the front door.” The motion works up to 30 feet. The camera also has a remote-activated siren to scare suspicious people away.
Pros:
• The ability to watch your property with H.D. on-demand video and audio
• The ability to hear and speak to people on your property, from your smartphone, by way of the built-in speakers and microphone
• Works up to 30-feet away.
• The ability to get alerts on your smartphone, tablet or P.C. when people trigger the motion sensors
• The ability to make a siren go off when you suspect someone as being suspicious and which you can activate from your phone, tablet or P.C.
• The ability to activate ultra-bright LED floodlights that can come on when you suspect suspicious activity
• If you are an Alexa user, it works with Alexa.
Cons:
• Some customers have complained that the motion detection doesn’t work properly at night.
• Doesn’t work with Google Assistant.
2. Wyze Labs Smart Camera Two Pack
Wyze Labs is a Seattle, Washington based company that specializes in smart home products. Its smart camera provides live stream 1080p H.D. to your smartphone. The motion on the camera works up to 30 feet away. The technology of this camera not only live streams, but it also has a playback mode. Recordings can be recorded to a microSD card that is sold separately. The smart camera works with both Alexa and Google Assistant. Therefore, all you have to do is ask your A.I. device to show you who is at the front door, etc. This Wyze Labs smart camera comes in a two-pack.
Pros:
• Two-pack smart camera
• The ability to watch your property with live stream 1080p H.D. to your smartphone.
• Works up to 30-feet away
• The ability to not only live stream but also playback what’s on video
• The camera works with both Alexa and Google Assistant.
Con:
• It supports local storage to a MicroSD card. However, the card does not come with the camera. You have to buy it separately.
3. Ring Smart Spotlight Camera
The focus of this Ring camera is its HD-security with built-in spotlights, as well as a siren to protect your home. The camera allows you to talk to someone outside your door and for them to talk to you. The camera has a siren alarm that comes in handy when you suspect a suspicious person. Both Ring and Alexa are owned by Amazon, and this Ring camera works with Alexa in combination with the motion activation. So you can say, for example, “Alexa, please talk to the front door.” The camera allows you to hear, speak, and see people who are picked up by the motion sensors from your smartphone, tablet, and P.C. You do not need to charge the camera because it plugs into a standard outlet.
Pros:
• You can monitor your property with on-demand life H.P. video and audio.
• Receive alerts on your smartphone, tablet, and P.C. when the motion sensors are alerted.
• You can speak and hear people on your property with the built-in microphone and speakers with your smartphone.
• The siren to scare off suspicious people can be activated from your smartphone, tablet, and P.C.
• It plugs into a standard outlet. Therefore, you don’t need to charge a battery.
• If you’re an Alexa user, it works with Alexa.
Cons:
• Only works with Alexa, not Google Assistant.
• Some customers have complained that the motion detection doesn’t work properly at night.
4. Blink Smart Camera
Blink is a company that produces home security cameras that are battery-powered. This smart camera by Blink uses two A.A. lithium batteries and has a two-year battery life. The camera allows you to talk to someone outside your door while they also speak to you. The camera also offers a live view and is activated by motion. Use your smartphone or tablet to talk to the people on your property. This camera comes with free cloud storage where you can store hundreds of clips up to a year. The service requires no monthly fees or contracts. The camera works with Alexa and can be used inside or outside. The setup requires no wiring, tools, or professional installation.
Pros:
• The camera is a two-year battery-powered camera.
• The ability to speak to people on your property and have them speak to you via your smartphone or tablet
• You get free cloud storage with this camera up to one year.
• This camera works with Alexa.
• This Blink camera can be placed outside or inside.
Con:
• Some customers found the 2-way audio a poor performer.
5. AMICCOM Smart Camera
One of the focuses of AMICCOM Technology Ltd is on smart cameras. Their outdoor security camera has 1080p H.D. image processing technology, Wi-Fi connection capabilities, night vision, and is operated via motion detection where images can be easily downloaded to your smartphone. Images can be stored on a high-speed micro S.D. card that is sold separately. This is an outdoor camera that is waterproof and withstands temperatures from four below zero to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The advantage of a strong outdoor camera is that it can withstand severe weather such as a rainstorm or a snowstorm. The camera features two-way audio, allowing you to speak and be heard and for a person on your property to speak and be heard from you. This AMICCOM camera is certified to work with Alexa.
Pros:
• Waterproof smart camera can withstand severe weather
• This is a camera with two-way audio.
• This smart camera has A.I. motion detection. They are uploaded as videos and can easily be downloaded onto your smartphone.
• Includes 1080p H.D. image processing technology.
• Has night vision capabilities.
• Can be bundled with various mobile platforms.
Cons:
• Designed for outdoors, not outdoors and indoors.
• High-speed micro S.D. card does not come with the camera.
6. Wyze Labs Smart Camera PTZ
Seattle’s Wyze Lab’s pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ) camera is another of their smart home products. With PTZ capabilities, remotely, you can use the Wyze app so that you can see every angle of a room, right on demand. Automatic monitoring of a room is also a capability. Through the use of 1080p H.D., you can live stream in real-time with your mobile device. The camera has night vision, and it also includes two-way audio for you to speak to people on your property and for them to talk to you. Motion and sound can be recorded with cloud storage for 14 days for free. The app provides push notifications to let you know when you need to be alerted. It prevents you from having to be tied to your app every minute. If you wish to record to a MicroSD card, the card is sold separately. This camera works with both Alexa and Google Assistant to assist you in discovering who is at your door.
Pros:
• The camera gives you 360-degree coverage in less than 3 seconds.
• It works both with Alexa and Google Assistant.
• Indoor smart camera with night vision
• The camera has two-way audio
Cons:
• Not designed to be used outdoors
• If you wish to use a MicroSD card, you need to order that separately.
7. Wyze Labs 1080p HD Smart Camera
Here’s another smart camera by Wyze Labs. It’s an indoor camera that has 1080p HD, which is a superior form of HD, and it is motion-controlled. The camera also has two-way audio, allowing you to speak to people and for them to talk to you. This is a smart camera that works with both Alexa and Google Assistant, and it has night vision that allows you to see up to 30 percent even when it’s pitched black. This Wyze Labs camera has a siren that you can activate.
Pros:
• The camera has 1080p HD.
• This is a two-way audio camera.
• It works with both Alexa and Google Assistant.
• The camera has night-vision up to 30 percent.
• Has a siren that you can activate.
Con:
• Some users were concerned about privacy issues.
8. Ring Floodlight Camera Motion-Activated HD Security
Here’s another Ring smart camera that works well with Alexa. You can hook this smart camera up to your phone, tablet, and PC. This is a camera that uses 1080p HD and has infrared night vision with a live view. This Ring smart camera has built-in ultra-bright floodlights and a siren. Furthermore, Ring includes, with this smart camera, lifetime theft protection. So if the camera gets stolen, they’ll replace it for free. You can add a Ring Protect Basic Plan to record your videos for up to 60 days.
You will need hardwired installation to weatherproof electrical boxes.
Pros:
• Works with Alexa
• You can stream this smart camera with your smartphone, tablet, and PC.
• Uses 1080p HD
• Has infrared night vision
• This is a camera with built-in ultra-bright floodlights.
• Has a siren
• If your camera is stolen, Ring will replace it for free.
Con:
• You’ll need a Ring Protect Basic Plan, which costs money, to record your videos.
Well, we’ve looked at eight smart cameras. You’ve got some great choices here, but my winner is the Wyze Labs Smart Camera Two Pack. Two things that stick out for me is first, the fact that you’re getting two cameras instead of just one. Second, it works with not only Alexa but also Google Assistant. This is a moderately priced pack that most people should be able to afford.