The Best Home Security Cameras of 2019

Whether you’re concerned about theft or simply want to check in on a mischievous pet, home security cameras help provide peace of mind. The good news: There are a ton of great options to choose from. But it can feel daunting to sift through everything out there to find a good match. 

Fortunately, I’ve tested out dozens of cameras and have condensed everything I’ve learned into the list below. These are the best home security cameras in every major sub-category, from smart doorbells to the models that work well with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri voice commands — and beyond. Let’s dive in.

The best facial recognition cameras: And how we test them

The best video doorbells: And which one’s right for you

Note that the products discussed here are independently chosen by our editors. The Techy Trends may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

The best of the best

Chris Monroe/The Techy Trends

The rechargeable indoor-outdoor Arlo Pro 2 home security camera has a lot of things that make it stand out from the pack. First, it comes with free seven-day motion-based cloud storage. It’s also easy to set up and use — and the app is straightforward.

It has a lot of extra security features, such as a built-in siren and arm/disarm modes. At $480, a two-pack of these plus the required base station isn’t cheap, but the Arlo Pro 2 is a solid product that works well and can go pretty much anywhere.

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The $30 Wyze Cam Pan isn’t just a great budget security camera, it’s a great camera. Period.

It has HD live streaming, motion alerts, a decent app and, best of all, 14 days of free motion-based cloud storage. This Wyze camera also has a built-in microSD card if you want to go the local storage route. 

It works with Alexa voice commands, too, and has motion detection zones and the ability to listen for and alert you to special frequencies, like smoke alarms.

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The $229 Nest Hello doorbell has HD live streaming, motion alerts and person alerts. Person detection won’t tell you who’s at the door, but it will tell you it saw a person. If you pay for the Nest Aware cloud subscription service, you also get access to saved video recordings and facial recognition.

With facial recognition, you can create a database of friends and family members and get custom alerts telling you who’s there.

Chris Monroe/The Techy Trends

The $199 Ring Door View Cam is a solid smart video doorbell. Like other Ring cameras, it has HD live streaming, motion alerts and replaces existing peepholes. Pay $3 per month for access to saved video clips so you can review them at a later date. 

It also works with Alexa. With this camera and a compatible Alexa smart display, you can pull up your live feed and even talk to who’s there, straight from your Echo display

Two Ring patent applications suggest that the Amazon home security company is considering adding facial recognition to its cameras in the future. The patents address the possibility of the face-scanning tech running your image through a law enforcement database to ID individuals considered “suspicious.” 

Select US police departments offer Ring products to local residents at a discount, sometimes in exchange for sharing footage with law enforcement.

Ring does not currently offer facial recognition. 

Chris Monroe/The Techy Trends

The $299 Nest Cam IQ Indoor has a lot of the same smarts as the Nest Hello speaker. It has HD live streaming, motion alerts, person alerts and access to the optional Nest Aware service. Starting at $5 per month, Nest Aware offers advanced features like facial recognition. Create a database of friends and family and get alerts telling you “Molly” or “Andrew” is at the door.

But this model also has a built-in Google Assistant speaker. So just like the Google Home and other Google-Assistant-enabled smart speakers and displays, the Nest Cam IQ Indoor responds to the wake phrase, “OK/Hey Google.”

Chris Monroe/The Techy Trends

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Arlo Pro 2 is also our top pick for best outdoor camera. Its weatherproof exterior makes it highly capable in rain, snow, heat and beyond. The simple magnetic mount that comes with your purchase makes it incredibly easy to remove the cameras when you need to charge the battery — no matter where it’s installed.

Chris Monroe/The Techy Trends

The $180 indoor-outdoor Logitech Circle 2 is one of the few home security cameras that works with Apple’s smart home platform, HomeKit, including responding to Siri commands from a HomePod smart speaker. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant too, giving you access to all of the the main voice assistant options. 

Final thoughts

There are a lot of other home security cameras we didn’t include in this round-up. Because there are too many to list here, take a look at the gallery below to see more of your indoor security camera options. And check out this gallery for more outdoor cameras

Keep in mind that the camera you buy will only be as good as the quality of your Wi-Fi connection at the location where you plan to install it. So before you drill holes in your walls or otherwise mess up your doorframe, brick or siding, check your Wi-Fi speed. If the connection is spotty, you’ll notice significant lag times, pixelation in the live feed and other delays that make security cameras a pain to use. 

With a good Wi-Fi connection, you should be in good shape to use your camera without any major issues. Still have questions? Take a look at my home security camera buying guide.


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