This review will point you in the direction of some of the best wireless security cameras on the market. Afterwards, we’ll help you pick out the best possible security camera to suit your needs.
Introduction to the Wireless Security Camera
When considering that fifty dollars is all you need to protect thousands of dollars’ worth of material possessions in a home (not to mention to home’s inhabitants), getting a wireless security camera just makes sense. However, because we’re talking about a device which may very well prove lifesaving under certain circumstances, it’s worth taking that extra bit of time you need to ensure you’re getting the right model. This review will point you in the direction of some of the best wireless security cameras on the market. Afterwards, we’ll help you pick out the best possible security system for your family.
Best Overall Wireless Security Camera
Dropcam Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera
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The Dropcam Wi-Fi is one of the very best wireless security cameras in the market in two different aspects – its ease of use and its overall level of quality. Despite being extremely lightweight and easy to use, it comes with a variety of features which seem more heavy-duty in stature. As such, you can be sure you’re getting the best of both worlds in this sense. You’ll notice, for example, that setting the camera up takes as little as under a minute. This goes in great contrast with some similar products on the market which have you sitting around all day, downloading this and installing that, merely to get your new camera up and running. The extra degree of convenience you’re getting in this camera is certainly a huge plus.
The Dropcam Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera also comes with an extremely high video quality. While a high video quality may sound like more of a luxury feature than anything, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, many cameras with a low recording and playback quality might not even be able to catch license plate numbers under certain lighting conditions. This is a huge drawback depending on where your camera is set up. A high quality also translates to a higher degree of facial recognition, which is also quite important to see in a camera of any sorts, though especially one made with security in mind. This effect is further amplified by the camera’s large field of view. Not only does said field of view increase your household’s overall level of security, it may save money in the long run through allowing you to cover a larger area with a single camera, meaning you won’t have to buy as many in the end to get full coverage of just what’s going on around your property. This helps to offset the Dropcam Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera’s rather high price.
Lastly, the camera in question comes with a few added features focused around both convenience and added security. For example, the camera has two-way audio, allowing you to talk to anyone who may happen to be at your front door. This takes place through the camera’s proprietary smartphone app which allows you to monitor your home at all times, no matter where you may happen to be. It also comes with zoom and night vision, further increasing its video quality, thus increasing the level of security it will provide you and your family. It goes without saying that the Dropcam Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera is one of the most high-end security cameras on the market.
Amcrest IP2M-841
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The Amcrest IP2M-841 is more of a middle-of-the-road security camera in that it offers an average amount of features for an average price. Most of these features revolve around smartphone compatibility. Like the above camera we just covered, you’ll be able to watch over your home and communicate with any visitors whether you’re in the living room or on the other side of the world. This adds a high degree of security that you just don’t see in your standard CCTV camera. While many cameras will allow you to see what happened after an incident took place, the Amcrest IP2M-841 will allow you to deal with issues as they arise.
What makes this camera interesting isn’t its features, but its level of quality. This is especially true when you consider its price range. In fact, its video quality is actually better than the last camera we covered, despite this particular model clocking in at roughly half the price. As such, you can bet this is the perfect camera for you if your main priority is getting the highest level of security you can for your dollar.
Best Budget Wireless Security Camera
YI Home Camera
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Perhaps even the Amcrest is too high in price for you to justify buying? Of course, not all of us have the desire or the resources to spend an entire one hundred dollars on a home security camera. If this sounds like you, it doesn’t get a whole lot better than the YI Home Camera. Clocking in at under fifty dollars in price, you’ll be hard pressed trying to find another quality camera for a lower price. Despite said low price; however, you’ll find that it carries a very high degree of quality in terms of its overall functionality.
This is achieved through the fact that the YI Home Camera sacrifices on a wide variety of features which might be deemed by some as being rather unnecessary in nature. As such, you can be sure that every dollar you spend on this camera is going into a feature you’ll actually use at some point or another. While it may not sound overly exciting, a lack of advanced features is exactly what you want to see in a budget camera, as you can be sure it will still do an excellent job of covering the basics, despite its very agreeable price.
Top Rated Wireless Security Cameras Summary
Despite the large difference in price shared between each of the above cameras, you’ll find they all do a fairly equal job of monitoring your home. As such, which camera you choose to go with will all come down to the added features and the overall price found in each unit. For example, if you have no need for fancy features outside of some wireless capabilities, you might even save hundreds of dollars by opting for the YI Home Camera. Despite not having a very impressive list of features, its specs (recording quality, field of view, etc.) are still easily above average even though it is very below average in price.
On the other hand, if you want it all and don’t mind paying a premium for such a privilege, the Dropcam is about as good as it gets. Not only does it have excellent specs (such as coming equipped with a field of view which beats out nearly every other security camera in existence), it comes with a wide variety of convenient features as well. If you’d rather go somewhere in the middle, the Amcrest is an excellent choice. As an added bonus, it might very well be the best home security camera on the market when focusing solely on its cost-to-quality ratio.
Wireless Security Camera Buying Guide
What is a Wireless Security Camera?
Because every house is different, it can be hard to decide just which wireless security camera is best for your own needs. While the above three cameras are certainly the best on the market in terms of their cost-to-quality ratio and the level of customer satisfaction they generate, it’s also important that you figure out just what makes any given camera the best camera for you. If you’re having trouble deciding between the above three models, or if you’d rather do some shopping on your own, consider some of the below factors to ensure you make the best possible choice.
Action vs. Reaction
Some cameras are built to solve crimes, while others are built to prevent crimes. All of the above cameras we covered belong to the latter category. Of course, it goes without saying that crime prevention is the better of the two outcomes. And, by choosing to go with a camera that gives you real-time access to its video feed, this is an outcome which is rather easy to achieve. You’ll be able to take action the second something happens. On the other hand, unless you plan on always being around a device which allows you to monitor your home in the first place, such a feature may prove to be little more than an unwanted price markup.
Deterrence vs. Detection
When a house has a giant security camera out on its front door, any potential burglars will likely make their way down the street some more. As such, having a large, clunky, brightly-colored camera may be your best bet. If; however, you’re looking to find out who’s been ringing your doorbell in the middle of the night, nothing does a better job of catching certain pesky teens in the act like a small camera featuring neutral colors. Which type of camera is best will depend on your goals. For general home security; however, a larger camera is likely your best bet.
Features to Carefully Consider
There are a variety of features which you may find extremely useful in a security camera, though there are many features which aren’t exactly prized by your average consumer. Carefully consider whether or not you’re willing to contend with the below characteristics before purchasing a camera which exhibits them.
- A Subscription – Many wireless security cameras will require you to pay for a subscription to use them to their fullest potential. It’s important to really dig into a camera’s information to find out if this is the case, being that this feature isn’t exactly heavily advertised by many manufacturers. Many of the best security cameras on the market come with subscription costs, though you may not appreciate the added expense. It’s entirely up to you.
- Mandatory Wi-Fi Access – Trouble can present itself at any time, whether or not your internet is currently working. As with subscription costs, some of the best cameras are unfortunately equipped with this feature. However, you’ll need to decide whether or not having a high quality camera is worth potential security issues given the event that your internet cuts out. Once again, you’ll need to dig deep on any camera to find out whether or not it exhibits such a characteristic.
Common Wireless Security Camera Features
Unlike the above list, there are a few features you should always look for in a camera, as they can only do you good. Keep an eye out for these features if you plan on shopping outside of the three models we covered earlier.
- A Large Field of View – Even if a larger field of view marks up a camera’s price to some degree or another, this is a very important aspect to see in your device. After all, nobody’s there to tell potential burglars not to walk in your camera’s blind spot.
- Satisfactory Video Quality – While you don’t always need to have the best video quality available, it needs to be good enough for you to decipher just who it is you’re looking at when someone comes to the door. There’s not much point in having a camera on your front porch if you have to go to the front door just to see who you’re talking to.
- Night Vision – Although most cameras come equipped with night vision, some don’t preform all that great in this regard. Even if your camera has excellent video quality, it won’t do a whole lot if this is only the case under certain lighting conditions. Before finalizing your purchase on a camera, take a look at what others have to say about the quality of its night vision.
Conclusion
There are many features found in security cameras across the board which could be considered as being universally “good” or “bad.” However, there are a few characteristics whose usefulness will vary based on your own priorities. By keeping the above information in mind, this should prove a very easy endeavor.
Resources
- http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2425539,00.asp
- https://amcrest.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/201854717-Amcrest-ProHD-Indoor-PTZ-Camera-IP2M-841-
- http://www.weareyi.com/homecamera.php?id=1
