The Best Security Cameras for Safeguarding Your Home and Loved Ones

The Arlo Pro 4 is not just a stellar standalone camera, but a full-fledged home security system. It packs a high-resolution sensor, sophisticated motion detection tech, integrated siren and spotlight, and the ability to alert emergency services. The last bit requires a monthly subscription worth every penny, starting at $4.99 per camera.

We like that the weather-resistant product is easy to integrate into any connected home, and it can last up to 6 months between battery charges. As your needs change, you can connect additional Pro 4 units or optional add-ons such as a floodlight camera and security lights to your Arlo setup.

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The battery-powered Nest Cam by Google is an elegant, versatile, and smart Wi-Fi security camera that can recognize faces and alert you if there's a stranger in your home. It can also detect animals and vehicles, though you must sign up for a Nest Aware plan (starting at $6 per month) to make the most of its capabilities and access facial recognition.

The water-resistant camera is super easy to set up. Its daytime and nighttime video quality are excellent, though we wish the resolution were higher than Full HD.

You can snag an outdoor-ready version of the product with a built-in floodlight, too. A cheaper, indoor-friendly Nest Security Cam with a wired-only setup is also available.

The budget-friendly Wyze Cam Pan V3 delivers everything you’d expect from a high-quality home security camera for less than $40. It has a versatile pan-and-tilt setup, allowing it to cover larger indoor or outdoor spaces, while its stand also doubles as a wall mount. The product also has a cool, decidedly high-tech design, a weatherproof build, and solid video quality, regardless of the lighting.

Impressively, the camera can begin following objects upon detecting motion and even alert you about noises. It can store unlimited video clips on a microSD card. The super affordable (less than $2 per month) Cam Plus subscription brings additional features like unlimited cloud storage and pet, package, and person detection, among many others.

Anker’s eufyCam 2C Pro home security system is a value-packed option for larger homes, whose retail package includes a duo of battery-powered camera units. Better yet, the product doesn’t require a monthly subscription — it stores recordings locally.

The camera modules of the 2C Pro have a waterproof build, a 6-month battery life, a built-in spotlight, and infrared night vision. The product can differentiate humans from animals and objects, significantly reducing the number of unnecessary notifications. We only wish that the spotlight could be activated by motion.

The indoor-only Tapo C110 by TP-Link offers sharp video, night vision, two-way audio, motion and sound alerts, virtual assistant compatibility, and a memory card slot, all at a fantastic price below $30 before additional deals and discounts. You can also set up custom activity-monitoring zones to reduce false alarms.

In addition to free live streaming and motion alerts, you can get up to 30 days of cloud storage via a $3-per-month Kasa Care subscription. This is a solid budget-friendly indoor security camera, so long as you don’t need panning and tilting. If the last-mentioned features are important to you, consider the Tapo C210 camera instead — it costs only $5 more.

The sleek, compact, and versatile (its metal stand doubles as a wall mount) Circle View wired camera by Logitech is the best for users of Apple devices. You can set up and control the accessory from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac device, without the need to install any additional apps.

Logitech has equipped the device with a high-quality sensor with glass optics and a 180-degree field of view. The product can stream video with excellent quality, both day and night. While testing it, I also liked that it automatically activated itself each time I left home.

Panasonic’s HomeHawk security camera is the best for outdoor monitoring (e.g., driveway, porch, first-floor apartment, etc.). The product is designed to mount on the interior side of a window via a suction cup. Its sensor has an ultra wide field of view and the ability to record daytime and low-light video with stellar quality.

The accessory will notify you when it detects a person and begin recording before sending the motion alert. You can conveniently set detection areas via its companion app to avoid false alarms. The clips will be stored locally on a microSD card, so you don’t need to pay for a subscription service.