Best Security Camera Deals For December 2022
If you’re in the market for home security camera deals, you have tons of choices in what has quickly become a relatively mature smart home electronics device category. Wireless surveillance has come a long way, especially from the days when you had to pull wires all across your property to power and receive video to a DVD writer or storage device. Of course, almost everything is wireless nowadays, and with that comes a need to connect to the cloud and get a subscription service, at least if you want to store things online. There are a variety of wireless security cameras to pick from as well as wired models. We’ve collected the best security camera deals you’re going to find on the internet today so that you don’t have to go dredging through dozens of postings. Prices change often, so if you don’t see a deal that works for you, check back often.
Today’s best security camera deals
Why buy
The Blink Outdoor shows that you don’t need to fork over a ton of money to get a good wireless security camera, and with the Blink Sync Module 2, you don’t have to spend a ton of money on subscription services. That being said, if you don’t want to drop the extra money, the security camera comes with a free trial, after which you pay $3/month for various features, including online storage.
As for the security camera, you get 1080p resolution and a surprisingly great 110-degree field of view, not to mention some great image quality for something so tiny. While this is battery-powered with two AAs, the battery life is still pretty good, lasting up to two years, which is impressive and helps keep the maintenance effort down. It manages this by only turning on when it’s triggered by movement in its field of view, and even better, you can adjust the motion zones that alert you through the Blink Home Monitor app so you don’t constantly get needless alerts.
Another nice feature is that it comes with a speaker, which you can use to deter thieves or even animals, which isn’t necessarily the best feature out there, but it’s still pretty useful. The wireless camera is also weatherproof so that you can set it up outside without any worries; plus, it’s easy to put up yourself since it’s wireless, only needing a couple of screws and pairing. We also really like that it works with Alexa, which means you can monitor the camera through any Alexa device, which is pretty cool.
Ring Floodlight Cam Plus — $200
Why buy
Security cameras with floodlights are pretty great, and this one from Ring is one of the better ones, especially given the clear daylight images that come with HDR, meaning you’re likely to see even minute details with full color. At night, the floodlights illuminate with a power of 2,000 lumens, a substantial amount, and are triggered by the infrared motion sensor with a 270-degree angle. The downside is that the camera only has a 110-degree field of view, so if the floodlights are triggered on the edges, there’s a chance you might not see anything on the video, which is a bit of a let-down, although not necessarily a deal breaker.
As for night footage, the quality is still good, and the Ring camera has an infrared LED to illuminate the area at night, so you’ll still be able to see what’s going on. The detection range in front of the camera is about 40 feet, which is substantial, and you can change the detection range so that you’re not constantly getting alerts for things you don’t need to. The Ring is pretty great, and of course, it integrates with Alexa, but keep in mind that you’re essentially forced to use a subscription service if you want to record video, which costs $3/month/device or $10/month for an unlimited number of devices, which is better if you have four or more cameras.
That said, if you decide you don’t want to subscribe, you can still view the Ring video feed live and use the two-way audio. The latter feature is great since it allows you to talk to anybody trying to break in and acts as a great deterrent, and if it doesn’t, there’s also a 105-decibel alarm that you can trigger. The one main thing to keep in mind here is that you need to wire it up to your house’s electricity, and it also needs a good wireless connection since there’s no ethernet port on it.
Google Nest Cam Battery 2-pack — $330
Why buy
Nest is a pretty big lineup of cameras, just as the Ring is, and if you’re already integrated into the Google ecosystem, you may be more interested in going with something like this Nest Cam, which is rated for both indoor and outdoor use. That being said, there is a bit of a caveat for outdoor use, as it’s only weather-resistant rather than weatherproof, so you might still want to mount it somewhere that’s relatively covered and not completely out in the elements. Also, the wall mount it comes with is magnetic, which is pretty sturdy, but you can also get a $30 stand if you prefer that.
In terms of image, it’s about what you’d expect for a product coming from Google, as it has 1080p and HDR, so you’re going to be able to see everything that goes on in its 130-degree field of view. It also has two-way audio, which is a nice deterrent feature and a generally nice feature to have if you want to use it indoors with pets or whatnot. Smart alerts are free and well done, and you’ll be happy to note that even if the Wi-Fi goes down, the Nest Cam can record for up to an hour for you to view later.
Speaking of recording video and audio, it’s important to note that you only get the three-hours worth of recording for free. If you want more, you can get the $6/month, which gives you 30 days of recording, or the Nest Aware Plus subscription for $12/month, which gives you 60 days of recording. Regardless of your subscription, you get Google’s facial recognition, which helps cut down on needless alerts as it learns who should and shouldn’t be around your home.
Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera — $291, was $350
John Velasco / Digital TrendsWhy Buy
If you want one of the better wireless cameras out there, then the Arlo essential is a great option, and while it doesn’t have a removable internal battery like other Arlo wireless cameras, it’s easy to take down and re-install for charging. Another thing we like is that you get some color video, even in night mode, and there’s an infrared light for the night when there’s no other light around, so you can see what’s going on even without a spotlight. Even so, there is a spotlight for you, which is great if you want to use it for some extra security and to brighten up areas, although don’t expect it to be incredibly bright.
Much like other wireless cameras, it doesn’t need a hub but rather just a wireless connection to the internet. It also doesn’t use any power cables since it runs on a battery, which means you can install it pretty much anywhere, and it is weather-resistant, so it should handle the elements just fine as long as you don’t put it in a completely uncovered place. The motion sensor is also pretty good, and you can adjust the level of what it alerts you with, whether it’s people, packages, or vehicles passing by, which is pretty useful.
There’s also an included two-way audio, which can be great for warding off introduction or talking with delivery folks. It also works well with all the virtual assistants, including Google Assistant, Alexa, Apple Smart home kit, and Samsung SmartThings, so that you can integrate it into your existing ecosystem. Of course, one important thing to keep in mind is that if you want to use the more advanced features and cloud storage, you need to get the Arlo Secure package which costs $3/month/device or $10/month for unlimited devices. It’s competitively priced, and for the extra features such as e911, Smoke/CO Alarm Detection, and motion detection zones, it’s worth it.
Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera 2-pack — $320, was $380
Why Buy
If you like the Arlo Essential and want something with a little bit more punch, then the Arlo Pro 4 is the one to go for, especially given that it has an upgraded 2k HDR camera to work with, giving you much better detail resolution than other cameras on the market. Of course, many folks might then worry that the battery doesn’t last long, but thankfully you can decrease the resolution down to 720p to help conserve the battery if you want to. It also has two-way audio for you to speak to and hear any creepy crawlies and a relatively loud alarm if all else fails.
Another thing that’s pretty impressive about the Arlo Pro 4 is the 160-degree field of view, which you don’t often see on camera on the market, and you can even decrease the FoV if you need to place it inside a home or somewhere where 160-degree is too much. Regarding placement, mounting the Arlo Pro 4 is pretty, as it comes with a similar magnetic mount to the Google Nest, although you can also get a rotating mount for an additional cost if you’d prefer that. You’ll also be happy to know that it has a reasonably powerful spotlight that is activated by motion control, although it’s not going to be powerful enough to be used as a standalone flood light for general illumination purposes.
Much like other Arlo products, most features are locked behind the Arlo Secure package, costing $3/month/per device or $10/month for an unlimited number of devices. Again, things like its advanced zone control, which allows you to set up more than one zone, or e911, are only available with the subscription package. That being said, it’s competitively priced and not a bad deal, all things considered, so it shouldn’t be considered a dealbreaker for the extra $3-10 per month you’d end up paying.
Security camera deals FAQ How much should you spend on a security camera?Ultimately, that depends a lot on what you want out of it. The more money you pay, the better the quality security camera is going to be, mostly in terms of resolution. For the most part, the average good security camera goes for around $150 to $200, and that tends to buy you floodlights, 1080p video, and two-way audio. If you want better resolution, like in the case of the Arlo Pro 4, then you’re talking $250 to $300+. That being said, you can get security camera packs and kits, which help decrease the overall cost of each unit, and that’s a great way to go if you need more than one camera.
Another cost you need to consider is the subscription service a lot of these security cameras require for you to get all the features plus recording. The most competitive rates are $3/month/device or $10/month for unlimited devices, which both Amazon and Arlo have. Is it worth paying more than that? Possibly, especially if the camera itself is cheaper or comes with added features, but ultimately you have to think about it in terms of the lifetime cost, and if you’re going to have the security cameras for 5-10 years, subscription costs start to add up quickly.
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Ezviz DB2 Battery Video Doorbell Review
© Future / Rachel Ogden null One-minute reviewIt’s been almost 10 years since EZVIZ (short for ‘easy vision’) launched its first smart home devices. In the last few years, the company has scooped awards for its ‘user-centred’ designs, making it a real contender in the cluttered smart home market. The DB2 video doorbell is one of its latest offerings, a tech-packed follow-up to the DB1, which launched three years ago.
As well as blur-free 2K video with a wide field of vision, the DB2 includes human-shape and PIR detection up to five metres away, meaning that you can be alerted before someone has reached the door, as well as be notified if someone is hanging around outside without ringing the doorbell. These features give it the feel of a video doorbell but with some security camera capabilities, making it ideal for those who may not need a fleet of all-singing, all-dancing best home security cameras but would still like the ability to monitor their property.
Another useful feature is the ability to save video recordings locally using a microSD card (up to 256GB, card not included), rather than being tied into a cloud storage subscription. This slots into the side of the chime included in the kit, so is safely inside your home. There’s also a voice changer function which changes your voice when you answer the door so the person ringing the doorbell can't tell if you're a child/woman/elderly etc - a good option if you live alone, perhaps - though how often you’ll use this is debatable.
On test, we found that the DB2 functioned well, with no real delay between someone ringing the doorbell and notifications coming through. The only issue we encountered was that it could be overly sensitive to movement when not in energy-saving mode, notifying us of every passer-by and vehicle beyond the bounds of the property. We had mixed success when drawing privacy zones. As a video doorbell with some security monitoring built in, the DB2 would be great for those on a tight budget, or who would rather not have to manage multiple devices, or incur the ongoing costs associated with some of the best video doorbells.
Ezviz DB2 price and availabilityThe EZVIZ DB2 video doorbell kit is only available in the UK, and is priced at £109.99 at Amazon, Very and the EZVIZ store.
Compared to other video doorbells, the DB2 is relatively affordable considering that it has lots of functionality and that the kit includes the chime. This is an element that’s usually an extra cost with Ring video doorbells, and pushes the price up by 10-20%. The kit also includes two mounts: one straight-on, one angled down: which one you choose will depend on where the doorbell is mounted and the field of vision you’d like it to cover.
EZVIZ doesn’t even take the opportunity to upsell you on a spare battery: as the battery is embedded in the doorbell, the whole unit is charged as one. The only accessory you may want to invest in is an extra chime for other floors, which costs £34.99 at Amazon. The DB2 is the more basic doorbell in the DB2 range: for those who want even better-quality video, there’s the higher-resolution DB2 Pro.
Value score: 5 out of 5
Ezviz DB2 designDespite being sleek and high-tech looking, the DB2 is still recognisable as a doorbell, which might not sound like a feature to highlight, but is essential to its being useful. This is thanks to a large button with a bell symbol on it; and interestingly, once we’d installed the DB2 video doorbell, our existing doorbell was routinely ignored in favour of the new one. In its Classic White version, it stands out, but there’s also a Space Grey finish for those who prefer something more subtle. It’s quite tall compared to other video doorbells at 15cm, and fairly slim at 5.8cm deep and 3.2cm wide. Above the button is the camera, which captures a 176-degree field of view.
The whole unit needs to be removed from the mounting plate for charging: it clips on and off with use of a pin, and there’s a cover at the side protecting the charging port from water ingress (it’s weatherproof up to IP65). A USB charging cable for recharging is included. We found the installation process to be pleasantly fuss-free; as mentioned, the kit includes two mounting plates – one straight-on, and the other slightly angled downwards by five degrees – plus screws and a compatible screwdriver for more permanent installation, and a foam sticker if screwing into the wall isn’t an option.
Adding it as a device in the EZVIZ app was also straightforward – once we’d scanned its QR code, it only took a couple of attempts for the doorbell and chime to sync up.
Design score: 5 out of 5
Ezviz DB2 performanceOne element we liked about the DB2 video doorbell was the simple set-up: small things, such as including the right-sized screwdriver in the box, which saves you rooting around in a toolbox, make installing it a quick job. We opted for the straight-on mount, as we were mounting the doorbell to one side of the door at roughly shoulder height.
The main issue we had with the DB2 was its PIR detection. In the high-performance mode, it tended to pick up every vehicle that drove past, as well as passers-by, resulting in us receiving multiple notifications every hour. Even dropping this preset to the power-saving mode resulted in fewer unwanted notifications. There is also a super power-saving mode, but that effectively puts the doorbell to sleep until it’s activated.
There are a couple of ways round this issue. For a start, the user customisation mode allows you to modify settings, such as reducing PIR sensitivity to low; however, when we selected this option we still received unwanted motion notifications. There’s also the option to change the detection mode to ‘human shape’, but the doorbell continued to pick up people walking past. Interestingly, the DB2’s loitering detection only works when in PIR detection mode, and not when in human-shape detection mode. The loitering period only stretches up to 15 seconds though – the option to select a longer loitering period would be useful too.
We eventually worked out that the most effective solution was to set up no-filming privacy zones, blocking out the street. This resulted in the odd notification of movement, but far fewer than before. For those who would still like to receive notifications of movement, but not past a certain time or during the day, there’s also the option of setting a schedule to cut down on notifications 24/7.
Motion alerts aside, what the DB2 does well is work as a doorbell – from the button being pushed outside, there’s barely a delay between the chime sounding and the notification coming through to your phone. The notification takes the form of an incoming call, giving you the option of answer or reject, and the sound and video once you’ve answered are clear. At night, the footage is in black and white (as there’s no integral light) but the clarity is still good.
As with a security camera, you can monitor a live view of the video feed without the doorbell being rung, and take a snapshot of the view, or record it. The doorbell also records sound, and the range is impressive – we could hear people chatting around 10 metres away, although it wasn’t possible to make out words.
One of the DB2’s more novel features is a voice changer. It’s an interesting idea for those who dislike answering the door to strangers, but the options leave something to be desired – you can choose between Clown, which makes you sound like a cartoon chipmunk, or Uncle, a deep tone that wouldn’t sound out of place when demanding a blackmail ransom.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Ezviz DB2 appWhile most of the DB2’s settings can be accessed via its main menu, including its working mode and detection sensitivity, others are hidden several screens away. These include the option to demarcate custom privacy zones – three screens away from the app opening – which is a shame because it’s a useful feature. The zones themselves are easy to draw over the live camera view - you can draw up to four of them as coloured boxes and then hit the save button - but are tricky to remove: they require a double tap to select them once saved, which isn’t explained, and may make you think once they’re drawn, they’re on there forever. The app’s clunky explanations can be at worst, unclear, and at best, jarring: for example, when someone has rung the doorbell, the accompanying event displays the text ‘Somebody there ring the door’.
The option to create a notification schedule is similarly hard to access: should you wish to set one, you’ll have to go into Settings > Notification > Message Notification > Configure Notification > Add a schedule. You’ll need to go through fewer screens if you want to alter the tone of the Clown/Uncle voice changer, which begs the question of what’s more of a priority for the average user. A search facility for the feature you’re looking for would be a handy addition here.
The DB2 can be linked to a wireless speaker, though again, there’s little guidance on how to do this in the app, and it doesn’t state if the doorbell is compatible with, for example, Alexa or Google Home.
App score: 2.5 out of 5
Ezviz DB2 battery lifeEZVIZ says the DB2 can run for up to 115 days on a full charge, with battery life maximised by its energy saving mode. In testing, we found the battery to last really well – three weeks of alternating between high and low sensitivity and changing settings resulted in it dropping to only 75%. However, the fact that you can’t swap in a fully charged battery for a flat one is an annoyance. The whole DB2 unit needs to be removed for charging, meaning that you’ll probably have to put it on charge overnight, or be without a doorbell for a portion of the day. From empty, the battery charged to 30% in two-and-a-half hours, suggesting that flat to full could take around eight hours.
Removing it for charging isn’t that straightforward: there’s a pin tool, which you push up into a hole at the bottom of the doorbell to release the locking mechanism. While this is to ensure that the doorbell can’t be easily stolen (it also has an anti-tamper alarm), the pin tool is so small that it’s likely to be easily lost if you don’t pop it on a bunch of keys or tie something to it. There’s an on-off switch at the back to disable the tamper notification while the unit charges.
Battery life score: 5 out of 5
Ezviz DB2 score card Should I buy the Ezviz DB2? Buy it if... Don't buy it if...