Smart home & IoT
The best smart indoor security cameras to protect your home - USA TODAY
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Over the past few years, security cameras have come a long way from their direct-to-VHS origins. Today’s security cameras are smarter, using motion detection to tell when something unusual is happening and WiFi connections to send you phone alerts. Many also back up clips to the cloud, so even if a thief steals your camera, you still have the evidence you need. There are other benefits to these smarter cameras: two-way communication, built-in sirens, and even integration with third-party security services can be found in some models.
But not all smart security cameras have the features you need, and some do a better job of implementing them than others. Then there are costs to consider—both the up-front purchase price and the ongoing cost of a subscription service. That’s where we come in.
Over the course of several weeks, we tested nine of the most popular smart indoor security cameras on the market. Through everyday use and controlled tests, we checked for image quality, reliability, customizability, and features, then analyzed how much they’ll cost you over the long term. When all our testing and analysis was complete, it was clear that Logitech's Logi Circle is the best indoor cam to get.
If you're looking for outdoor security cameras or cameras that act as video baby monitors, check out those respective roundups. And if you'd like to see our other top picks for indoor cams, keep reading below.
Best Overall: Logitech Logi Circle
best overall (Photo: Reviewed.com / Ben Keough)
There’s no perfect smart indoor security camera, but in our testing the Logi Circle came closest. In particular, we loved its incredibly simple setup process, minimalist but powerful app, and the fact that it has a built-in battery, so it can be temporarily placed anywhere in your home. On top of that, it has very good image quality in most circumstances, an extra-wide lens, and offers 24 hours of free cloud backup.
The Logi Circle also did the best job of all when it came to sending intelligent alerts. It didn’t spam us with notifications whenever a bird chirped or one of our dogs wandered by, focusing instead on people and unusual events. Live streaming started quickly and rarely lagged, and scrolling through our timeline of auto-captured clips was painless. It’s also easy to capture snapshots and download clips if you want to share them with friends, family, or law enforcement. You can even create a “Daily Brief,” condensing all of the day’s events into a sped-up montage video.
There are some downsides, naturally. The app revels in minimalism but sometimes goes too far, sacrificing in-depth scheduling and motion sensitivity options you get on other models. Our test unit also required absolute darkness to switch into night vision mode, which sometimes left it struggling with muddy color video while other cameras cruised along in crisp black and white. If you want sharp nighttime footage, make sure you turn off all the lights before you head to bed.
Best Value: Yi Dome Camera 720p
best value (Photo: Reviewed.com / Ben Keough)
Yi made a name for itself with affordable yet high-quality action cameras, but it also makes a variety of home security products. The $60 Dome Cam is one of its best values, and the best smart indoor security camera you can buy if you have less than $100 to spend. Despite a price tag that’s less than half of most cameras we tested, it offers more features and better image quality than many of them.
The Dome Cam is one of two models we tested that can pan and tilt via remote control. You simply open the app and use the on-screen directional pad to tilt it up and down, left to right. The camera can spin 345 degrees horizontally and tilt 115 degrees, which more than makes up for the lens’s slightly narrow 112-degree field of view. It’s also the only camera we tested that will lock onto subjects and track them as they walk around. It’s a little creepy, but useful if you want to document a thief’s movements or figure out how your dog keeps getting up on the kitchen counter.
Setup is mostly painless, and image quality is very good considering it’s only 720p. In addition to 7 days of free cloud storage, you get a microSD card slot for local backups. We also liked the two-way speaker, which is much louder and clearer than most rivals. The Yi app provides plenty of in-depth customization, but isn’t as simple or nice to use as Logi’s; it’s fine for techies, but your aunt might find it confusing.
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