Logitech/Business Insider
- Home security cameras can keep your home safe from thieves, but they also help you keep an eye on your kids and pets.
- After much testing and research, we found that the Logitech Circle 2 is the best camera for any job, thanks to its excellent image quality, cute design, and competitive price.
Home security is pretty important. If you're not constantly home, there's always the possibility that someone could be breaking into your home at any given moment. That problem is heightened if you travel a lot for more than a few days at a time. After all, you wouldn't want to come home after a long trip to find half your stuff gone.
Thankfully, technology is here to save the day. There are a ton of great home security cameras out there, and every year, they seem to get better and better. You can also use them to watch your pets while you're at work, keep tabs on your kids when they're home alone, and monitor your baby in the crib.
Of course, before buying a security camera there are a lot of things to consider.
- Resolution is key: First up, you'll want to think about the camera's resolution. At least a 720p resolution is pretty standard for home security cameras these days, but some now offer an even better resolution than that. Others are stuck in the past with a worse resolution, but there's no reason why you should even consider one of those. We recommend you go with 1080p if you can or 720p if you're on a budget.
- Field of view: Next up, you'll also want to consider the field-of-view, which is basically how far left and right the camera can see. The bigger the better in this case, because you'll see more of your space with one camera instead of having to buy extras.
- Night vision: If you need to see your home at night while you're away, you'll want good night vision. Some cameras have better night vision than others.
- App design: Many of these home security cameras connect to apps and use them for setup. It's important that the apps be easy to use and reliable. Stick to bigger companies to get better apps.
- Cloud storage: These days, security cameras store their footage online, and many security camera companies offer a certain amount of free cloud storage along with their products. You'll want to keep in mind how much cloud storage they offer, and whether or not that's enough for your use - or if you want to pay more to store more footage.
- Security and Privacy: Make sure that the camera you're buying has a strong privacy and security policies. This is footage of your home and your life - You don't want hackers to get their eyes on it. The companies in our list all offer strong security and privacy with solid encryption and secure cloud storage systems.
- Strong internet is vital: It's important to note that you'll need a strong internet connection for any of these cameras because most of them run over your Wi-Fi. If you have poor signal, you may not be able to support a security camera in your house.
Last but not least, you'll want to keep price in mind. Security cameras are getting increasingly affordable, but as is the case with almost anything, the more you pay, the better the quality.
We've tested nearly a dozen different home security cameras and researched a whole host of others to find the best ones you can buy for your every need. - Christian de Looper & Malarie Gokey
Here are the best home security cameras you can buy:
- Best home security camera overall: Logitech Circle 2
- Best budget home security camera: Wyze Cam V2
- Best home security camera for smart homes: Nest Cam IQ Indoor
- Best home security camera for outdoors: Netgear Arlo Pro
- Best home security camera for your door: Nest Hello
- Best indoor home security camera: Wyze Cam Pan
Updated on 10/23/2019 by Monica Chin: Added four new cameras. Removed older cameras that are no longer the best
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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.