Everywhere we looked across the 2018 CES show floor seemed yet another new app-controlled smart home security system. And whether for interior or exterior monitoring, prices have continued to drop, the features list perpetually expands, and the industrial design recurrently improves with every cycle. Here are 10 of our favorite home security cameras available today or coming soon:
Canary View: Announced at the 2018 CES, this 1080p HD resolution camera can keep an eye out for suspicious activity, day or night, with night vision and motion detection sensors inside it’s HAL-in-a-cowl case. The $99 price tag makes it one of the more affordable security measures available, with excellent video quality similar to its more fully featured sibling, the Canary All-in-One.
Hive View: With a choice of wall, shelf or magnetic mount versions, the Hive View design is all about adjustability. Each version can be rotated to capture a wide 130° field of view at 1080p HD in night or light, making placement easier for spaces where surface space isn’t available. The all-black or white versions seem par for the course, but the Brushed Copper and Champagne Gold versions offer an unusually chic veneer for home security duty.
Ring Elite Stick Up Cams: Pardoning the punny name, the wall and surface mountable security camera was one of several models from Ring announced at CES. The Elite is rated for both indoor and outdoor use, including two-way talk, motion detection, the option to designate detection zones, and Wi-Fi- or Ethernet-enabled; the Elite is intended to synchronize with the company’s alarm monitoring system. Available later this year, there’s even a battery-powered version with the same weatherproof features, minus the motion detection.
Ooma Butterfleye Camera: Ooma made a name for itself with their VOIP telephony devices, and they’ve since expanded into the category of home security, offering numerous components and sensors, including the battery rechargeable HD Butterfleye Camera. Availabe in single or three-packs, these are ideal for situations when you want a security measure easily repositionable and movable.
Blink and Blink XT: Available in both interior and a weatherproofed outdoor version (XT), Blink’s pair of palm-sized security cameras are rated for an impressive 2 years of battery life, running on 2 AA lithium batteries. Despite their diminutive size, motion detection and night vision are featured in both editions, and start at a budget-friendly $99.
Logitech Circle 2: Arguably the cutest of all the security cameras on our list, Logitech has imbued the Circle 2 with not only a friendly-looking personality, but also 1080p HD video, 180-degree wide-angle lens, and a 2-way speaker and microphone. The camera is also compatible with a range of accessories – plug mount ($29), window mount ($39), battery pack ($49) and outdoor mount ($29) – permitting the Circle 2 camera to be mounted on a glass window to keep an eye out for would-be Amazon package thieves.
Netgear Arlo Pro 2: Netgear’s newly announced all-in-one baby monitor elicited smiles at this year’s CES, but households sans diapers and crib will probably be more drawn to the high marks and extensive list of security features the Arlo Pro 2 offers as an entire home monitoring system. Available in either a 2 or 4 camera system package, these systems rate as an investment, but deliver a slew of features with handsomely executed design.
D-Link Wire-Free Full HD Indoor/Outdoor Camera: The one valid argument against wire-free security cameras? Battery life. So how does 11 months between charges sound? D-Link’s weather-sealed IP65 outdoor rated camera isn’t just wire-free, but also able to record over LTE, register motion and sound, and send recorded footage captured in either night or day to the cloud in full 1080p! Available later this year.
Angee: Privacy is a big concern when it comes to permitting any video and sound monitoring device into the home. The Angee security camera literally turns itself away from monitoring a room when occupants are home, only to turn to record when its sensors are activated by uninvited guests. How’s that for polite? Angee works in conjunction with small sound-detecting Security Tags, intended to be placed along the interior perimeters of the home to listen for sounds to awaken its camera. Pet owners take note: the system has been engineered to avoid dreaded false alarms caused by wagging tails or inquisitive felines.
Amazon Cloud Cam Indoor Security Camera: If you’re already invested in an Amazon Alexa-enhanced ecosystem, the fully 1080p HD Amazon Cloud Cam and its connected app streamlines makes adding home security into any interior space seamless in orchestration with an Echo, Dot, or Fire device. The camera module supports ceiling mounting, allowing placement nearly anywhere around the house; footage is viewable via connected television or device using voice activation (“Alexa, show the nursery”). And like many Amazon branded devices, the Cloud Cam delivers similarly spec’d features, but at a notably lower price tag ($119)…with Prime.
