You must choose the best indoor security camera because it can keep you, your family, and your home safe from harm’s way. It’s also a sound investment if you own your own business.
Because of technological advancements, choosing the best model for your needs can be challenging. They are now packed with a mound of features to choose from and different designs and price ranges.
To help you, we’ve created this buying guide. In it, we’ll tell you why it is essential to pay great attention when choosing the best indoor security camera for your home or workplace and share some key features to look out for.
Finally, we’re going to share our top three picks on the market today. We have chosen these three models based on their features, capabilities, and value for money.
Table of Contents
- Why You Should Take Great Care When Choosing Your Indoor Security Camera
- Features To Pay Attention To When Choosing Your Indoor Security Camera
- The Best Indoor Security Cameras On The Market Today
- Our Verdict
Let’s get started with some basics:
Why You Should Take Great Care When Choosing Your Indoor Security Camera
Indoor video security is great for a huge variety of reasons. Firstly, you can keep an eye on your home and receive alerts should anyone be in there when they’re not supposed to be. This is a great way to keep you, your loved ones and your home safe.
It’s also an excellent way to keep an eye on people who have permission to be in your home. For example, you may be suspicious of your babysitter or housesitter and even think your kids are planning a party while you’re away.
No matter what you think you know, you can’t jump to the wrong conclusions. An indoor security camera can confirm or deny your suspicions before you say anything you maybe shouldn’t.
The best indoor security cameras allow you to monitor one or more areas of your home from one device. You’ll get a great view of what your loved ones are doing without having to step foot through your front door.
Features To Pay Attention To When Choosing Your Indoor Security Camera
While the reasons for choosing the best indoor security camera are clear, you must be sure you purchase one with the right features for your needs.
Before you make your final choice, you should make sure that your indoor security camera is equipped with at least the features we’ve mentioned below:
Field Of View
The field of view is the size of the area that your camera can capture on video. The size of this field of view will entirely depend on your individual needs. However, we recommend going for one that is as large as possible.
If you have a small household and want to see who is going through your front door, your field of view will not have to be that big. However, if you monitor who is going where in your home, you may want to ensure that your camera has a 360-degree viewing field.
Some cameras have motion detectors that detect movement and start filming coincidentally, following these movements as they continue. For example, some cameras could film you walking from one end of your living room to the other.
Connectivity
The best indoor security cameras come with a wireless setup. This means that if burglars or other criminals enter your home, it is a lot harder for them to disconnect your security cameras as they will not be able to unplug or cut leads.
Network cameras, Cloud cameras, and WiFi cameras do not require special cabling and can be much more reliable than their cabled counterparts. Best of all, you don’t have to invest in a new internet connection as it can connect directly to your home’s existing wireless network.
Once they’re set up and turned on, they can stream live videos straight to any devices you have connected to your system. In most cases, this would be your computer, tablet or smartphone.
Storage
Modern-day security camera systems use Cloud storage, so they don’t have to worry about running out of memory. It’s a great way to keep all your footage saved in one safe place.
All the videos you gather are saved to a server in the Cloud and are typically stored for anywhere between one day and a couple of weeks.
If you’re unsure about this storage method, you can opt for local storage. Some security cameras come with a memory card slot that allows you to store your data on the device rather than online.
This option can cut monthly storage fees on the Cloud. However, it also requires you to delete the content regularly so your camera can continue recording footage daily. Also, if a thief steals your camera, the footage is gone.
Resolution
Video footage is useless if it’s not quality enough for you to see what is going on truly. The best indoor security cameras offer clear, crisp footage and pick up colour whether it’s day or night.
It’s worth noting that many go for cameras with a resolution of 1080 pixels. However, once this footage is uploaded to the Cloud, the resolution automatically goes down to 720 pixels.
The only cameras that benefit from the extra resolution are those for which the footage is saved to a local storage system.
Additional Features
The best indoor security cameras come with many features to choose from. You may want to buy a state-of-the-art camera that sends you alerts whenever you’re not in your home and motion is detected.
You may also want to consider a model that offers facial recognition to know when the person in your home is a family member rather than a burglar.
Consider choosing one that integrates with a mobile application so that you can keep an eye on your home or business no matter where you are.
These models are also great when coupled with built-in microphones and speakers so that you can ask the postman to leave your parcel on the side if you’re too busy to answer the door.
Another simple additional feature could be scheduling, which allows you to turn your security camera on and off at specific times of the day or night. Lastly, remember to opt for a camera that has night vision so that you can also pick up any intruders when it is dark.
The Best Indoor Security Cameras On The Market Today
While you may know exactly what you need from your indoor security camera, making a final buying decision can be challenging simply because of the sheer volume on the market today.
To help you, we’ve trawled the internet and chosen three of what we believe to be the best indoor security cameras available.
Winner: YI 1080p Home Camera Wireless IP Security Surveillance System
Coming in at just under $60, we believe the YI 1080p Home Camera Wireless IP Security Surveillance System to be the best on the market this year based on its mound of high-quality features and incredible price tag.
Thanks to its 1080 pixel HD resolution, 112-degree wide-angle lens and f/2.0 aperture, this camera system offers full high-definition footage of any room it is placed in.
Aside from its incredible lens, this YI model comes with mobile gyroscope support that allows you to access a full panoramic view of a room with simple taps and by panning your phone left and right.
Backed by unlimited amounts of Cloud storage, this indoor system will retain all your footage even if your security camera gets stolen.
You won’t need to spend extra money on a microSD card, and you can rest assured knowing that all your information is safe thanks to the system’s financial industry-standard encryption.
Through the YI Home application, which is compatible with both Mac and PC, you can view up to 4 live camera feeds on just one screen.
And if that’s not enough, you’ll benefit from night vision and baby crying detection, so you can also ditch your baby monitor!
Lastly, the YI system has built-in accuracy motion detection and supercharged two-way audio so that you can have two-way conversations through the YI Home application.
Runner Up: Amcrest IP2M-841 ProHD 1080P (1920TVL) Wireless WiFi IP Camera
If the YI model doesn’t quite tick all the boxes, we can’t recommend the Amcrest IP2M-841 ProHD 1080P (1920TVL) Wireless WiFi IP Camera enough.
This model allows you to be in more than one place. You can check up on the kids, make sure you’ve locked your garage, see if everything is running smoothly while you’re away on business, and much more. The opportunities are endless.
Aside from the fact that you won’t be faced with any monthly fees, this Amcrest model is easy and quick to set up. All you have to do is scan your QR code with your free Amcrest application, get on your home’s WiFi connection, and you’re ready to get started.
Offering true HD in 1080 pixels, this model comes with Sony image sensors and an Ambarella processor, which gives users some of the best, clearest footage on the market.
With Amcrest Cloud, you’ll benefit from four hours of free, continuous recorded storage. While free, you can upgrade to an optional 7, 15 or 30-day storage plan for an additional monthly charge per camera, depending on your needs.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Cloud, you can also set up your system to save to a MicroSD card in your camera, an FTP server, a NAS or directly onto your computer.
This model comes with 360-degree pan tilt zoom visibility as well as a digital zoom function that is crisp and clear. It also has two-way audio, so you can listen to people speaking and responding through your mobile application, no matter where you are.
Lastly, it has incredible night vision, allowing you to see up to 32 feet in the dark and a one-year Domestic Warranty plus Lifetime Support from the Amcrest team.
With all the above in mind, it is no surprise that the Amcrest IP2M-841 ProHD 1080P (1920TVL) Wireless WiFi IP Camera is slightly more expensive. However, it is still extremely reasonably priced at just under $80.
Alternative: Zmodo 720P HD WiFi Wireless Smart Security Camera with Two-Way Audio
Suppose you’ve checked out the above two indoor security cameras and still aren’t convinced. In that case, we suggest you look at the Zmodo 720P HD WiFi Wireless Smart Security Camera with Two-Way Audio.
Coming in at just under $60, we think this is one of the best indoor security cameras because it is easy to set up, packed with features, and available at a great price.
Because it is wireless, all you need to get started is an Android 4.0 and up or iOS 7.0, a smartphone, and a 2,4GHz WiFi network.
Thanks to the Zmodo app, which is downloadable on the Android and Apple stores, you can get life, around-the-clock, 720-pixel high-resolution footage from the comforts of your smartphone, tablet or PC with just the click of a few buttons.
Better yet, the application sends you alerts whenever unexpected motion is detected in your home or office. Plus, you can check in by voice thanks to the system’s built-in two-way audio, which adjusts the volume through the app.
And suppose all the above isn’t enough. In that case, the Zmodo 720P HD WiFi Wireless Smart Security Camera comes with smarter night vision instead of automatically switching to black and white in lower light. You can disable the IR LEDs depending on your preference.
Lastly, the device can be shared with family and friends through the Zmodo application so they can check up on your home if you’re away. They can also get motion alerts by editing the settings to suit their preferences.
Our Verdict
The type of indoor security camera you choose will ultimately depend on your individual needs and personal preferences. That said, we suggest you opt for a model that offers a wide-angle view and has motion detectors.
It is also crucial that you opt for night vision to keep your home safe no matter what time of day it is. Lastly, wireless connections are much easier to manage, and you won’t have to worry about paying for and keeping on top of MicroSD cards.
We’ve voted the three products above the best indoor security cameras because they offer all the features we believe you need to keep yourself, your family, and your home safe from harm’s way.
Of course, we recommend the YI model because we believe it is the best value for money. The Amcrest and the Zmodo are fantastic security cameras with a mound of features for their price tag.
