Installing a home security camera is easier than ever. Many are wireless, requiring no cabling, and most record in HD or higher resolution for sharp, clear video. They can be programmed to record only when motion is spotted, and even capture video only when certain types of movement, like an unfamiliar person, are seen. Night vision is standard on every model, along with a microphone and speaker for two-way audio between the camera and your smartphone.
If the price of a security camera has previously put you off, they are now cheaper than ever, with prices starting well under £50. Pricier models benefit from extra features – including spotlights, radar, sirens and solar panels – but core functionality is the same across almost every camera on sale today. A key difference between a cheap model and a more expensive one is video storage. Some models store recordings on the device itself or save them to an SD card or a hub elsewhere in the home. Others upload recordings to a cloud server, where you can access them remotely – but this requires a monthly or annual subscription. Some security cameras let you choose between free local storage and paid cloud storage, while others only allow the latter.
This guide includes a broad range of home security cameras, from brands like Ring, Blink, Yale, Eufy, Arlo and Tapo. Each of the security cameras was installed in a home to test them in the same real-world scenario you’ll be using them. The testing process included exploring all of the camera’s features, assessing video quality, and timing how quickly alerts arrived on a phone after movement was detected. Battery life was also tested.
The Eufy S3 Pro is currently the favourite security camera kit. While not cheap, the kit includes a pair of wireless, solar-powered, 4K cameras and Eufy’s third-generation HomeBase hub, which acts as a central storage centre and gives the cameras AI-powered abilities. These AI functions include being able to tell the difference between a person, a vehicle and a delivered package, but also means the cameras can learn familiar faces. Once set up, the system will know when it sees you, other members of your household, your neighbours, and even frequent visitors like couriers and the postman.
Installation was quick and easy, with both cameras quickly pairing to the HomeBase with minimal effort. The cameras alert when movement is spotted, tell if it’s a familiar face, and even stitch videos together if someone is spotted moving from the view of one camera to another. The S3 Pro’s 4K video is fantastic in daylight, but is even more impressive at night, where Eufy’s take on colour night vision – called MaxColour Vision – needs to be seen to be believed. The HomeBase has 16GB of storage built in, but it can be expanded by up to 16TB with either an HDD or SSD. It also doubles as a siren for Eufy’s home alarm system and a chime for the company’s video doorbell.
Less impressive is Eufy’s smartphone app. It has all the features you’ll ever need, but it isn’t very intuitive – especially when it comes to setting how the cameras and other security devices respond when motion is detected or another alarm is triggered. An issue where devices can’t be renamed was also found, but Eufy says they are investigating. For now, though, the S3 Pro is still the favourite home security camera to date – and, as ever from Eufy, it works fully without a subscription.
