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BUY THE BEST Smart security cameras
B E ST C A M E RA OV E RA L L RING SPOTLIGHT CAM BATTERY
POWER Wireless RESOLUTION 1080p TWO-WAY AUDIO? Yes EXTRAS LED spotlight, siren DIMENSIONS H12.6xW7.59xD6.91cm PRICE £180 This outdoor camera has an LED spotlight and in-built alarm. Use the camera’s two-way audio to talk to someone outside, and you’ll receive an alert when motion is detected. The 110dB siren can be activated from your device and serves as a warning to your household and neighbours and a deterrent for unwanted visitors. All of this plus live view (available on your phone, tablet or PC) are included, and you can pay for a Ring Protect Plan if you want to record footage. REASON TO BUY Siren and spotlight included REASON TO AVOID Battery needs recharging RATING
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B E ST ST Y L I S H S E C U R I T Y C A M HIVE VIEW
POWER Wireless or wired RESOLUTION 1080p TWO-WAY AUDIO? Yes EXTRAS Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT DIMENSIONS H13.7xW8.8xD8.8cm PRICE £179 Designed by the hugely respected Yves Béhar, Hive View is a stylish little camera. It can be mounted almost anywhere and the 5.6cm cube can even be removed and used remotely for up to an hour. We had no issues with setting up and adjusting settings is straightforward. It took a while to get the sensitivity levels on the alerts right, but it’s worth persevering to avoid false alarms. You get 24 hours of cloud recording for free, so you can look back over the day’s events, though you can upgrade for £3.99 per month which stores clips on the cloud for 30 days. REASON TO BUY Two chic colourways available REASON TO AVOID You might like something more discreet RATING
BEFORE YOU BUY
Work out which model best suits your needs
The majority of Wi-Fi cameras are designed for indoor use, but brands are developing all-weather designs with long-lasting batteries that can be mounted outside. Smart cameras remotely alert you to unusual activity inside and outside the house – depending on where your cameras are. They can also be linked to smart products including Alexa or Google Home speakers so that, for example, if motion is detected by the front door, connected lights or sirens can be activated automatically. You’ll find plenty of Wi-Fi cameras costing around £70-100, but some can cost upwards of £150-200 per camera. These generally have the best image quality and most useful features. Motion sensors trigger the camera to instantly start recording and send an alert to your smartphone if someone walks into shot. With more advanced wireless security cameras you can choose where in a room it senses motion. Noise sensors listen for extremes in sound before alerting you, such as breaking glass. This isn’t available on all wireless cameras. The majority of Wi-Fi security cameras offer 720p HD resolution, which is perfectly acceptable for most needs, but cameras with 1080p HD will have sharper images. Night vision is essential if you’re using the camera outside – with infrared LEDs they can pick out surprising levels of detail. Mains powered wireless cameras can often have more features as battery life isn’t an issue, but you’ll have to hide more cables. Battery operated cameras are popular as you can install them anywhere. Some Wi-Fi cameras work using voice-control systems, so you can simply say ‘set the alarm’ or ‘is the front door locked?’ To get the best features and memory capacity, you generally have to pay (from £2.99 to £7.99 a month) These services allow you to save between 14 and 31 days.
