Choosing a Home Security Camera

There are many of options these days when choosing home security cameras and many different reasons to have them. I recently needed to purchase a set to monitor my home while I am away and it also offers you the ability to spy on your pets. For me, there were a few necessary requirements. First, they need to be able to be viewed remotely. Second, they need to be able to record at least some footage in a way that's easy to review. Third I would prefer that multiple cameras can be synced together. Obviously, I am also concerned about price, video quality and whether they require an ongoing subscription. Here are some of the options I looked at and their key features.

The Nest Cam IQ Security Camera

The Good

1. Ability to view high-quality remote video
2. Three-hour snapshot history
3. Ability to detect unknown people and send alerts

The Bad

1. Requires a monthly subscription to record video history
2.  No mounting hardware included

This is a great camera. It's one of the best options available. This does come with some drawbacks particularly in requiring you to purchase a plan. 

The Netgear Arlo Pro

The Good

1. Wireless design, easy to install
2. Weatherproof
3. Includes cloud recording and live 

The Bad

1. Require 123 batteries and poor battery life
2. No audio
3. Unreliable

While this looked like the perfect solution to me. I could place them anywhere and easily monitor my home and pets. The problem is that it's not nearly reliable enough and the battery life is too poor. It's ideal for someone that doesn't need continuous footage.

Canary Home Security Device

The Good

1. Last 24 hour of video recordings included in free plan
2. Also, monitors air quality and temperature
3. High-quality night vision

The Bad

1. No two-way audio
2. No continuous recording
3. Glitchy app

While this camera seems to be the most glamorous of all, it still has a lot of issues. Once they work through some of the reliability issues and improve their app it could be great. It was one of my top choices, but it doesn't offer continuous recording or and its remote app is glitchy. 

Overall, it seems like the top pick is the Nest camera. While it has the least negatives it does require an expensive plan to unlock its full capabilities. It is the most reliable and offers the ability to continuously record if you purchase a plan. This is a great camera whether you want to watch your pets, your kids or keeps your home secure. Personally, I like the freedom that Canary gives and enjoy the extra features they give.

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