The Best Smart Home Cameras

✔ The Kasa Cam Outdoor KC200 (£69.99) is the best smart home camera

✔ A top-tier smart home camera typically costs between £60 and £120

✔ The best camera for a family home is the Swann Floodlight

The smart revolution is gathering pace. More than five billion people own smartphones, we’re moving towards self-driving cars, and smart homes are becoming the norm.

In this bright and glorious technological future we’re living through, you can use smart home cameras to keep an eye on your most precious belongings and loved ones from wherever you are in the world.

You don’t have to miss out on anything, from pets jumping on the sofa to your child’s first steps – and if the worst happens and a burglar targets you, your cameras can let you know instantly.

If you want to get updates whenever something important happens at home, you can complete this form for free, bespoke home security quotes. Here are the best of the best smart home cameras:

The top 9 smart home cameras

1. TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor KC200

2. Blink XT2

3. Swann Smart

4. Swann Floodlight

5. Nest Cam Indoor

6. TP-Link Kasa Spot KC100

7. Neos SmartCam

8. EZVIZ Mini O

9. Blink Indoor

Best smart camera: TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor KC200 (£69.99)

TP-Link isn’t one of the biggest names in tech, but it’s beaten giants like Google, Amazon, and Arlo to the top spot here – because you deserve the best, not the most famous.

The KC200 comes with all the features a top-tier camera should – including a 130° field of vision, 9 metres of night vision, and a 1080p resolution – while throwing in fantastic extras like two days of free cloud storage and the ability to be placed inside or outside.

It can also connect to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as IFTTT (If This Then That). This software allows you to set conditional instructions – for instance, you can tell your camera to switch off when you get home.

This makes the KC200 the most flexible, well-equipped smart model on the market at the moment – and therefore the best overall camera.

Best for a family home: Swann Floodlight (£109.99)

When you’re taking care of your family, the last thing you want is to have to expend unnecessary effort. Anything that can be made easier should be – and that’s what you get with a smart home camera like the Swann Floodlight.

With your phone or your smart speaker, you can control spotlights which shine with 2,500 lumens – enough to illuminate even the darkest of evenings.

These powerful floodlights mean you’ll be able to see 30 metres of colour at night. Considering that 61% of burglaries take place between 6pm and 6am, it’s particularly important that you keep an eye out after the sun goes down.

Best for an apartment: Swann Smart (£79.99)

Swann’s other premium offering can go inside or outside, and is great value for money – both of which are crucial elements if you have a flat.

After all, you don’t want to spend the earth on your camera as well as your rent (or mortgage), and you certainly don’t want to have to plug your new device into one of the few power sockets you own.

Thankfully, the Swann Smart is wireless, and has two days of free cloud storage for all users – as well as an impressive 10 metres of night vision.

Best indoor camera: Nest Cam Indoor (£99)

The Nest Cam Indoor is a fantastic machine, but its price has never matched its capabilities – until now. For less than £100, this camera is excellent value for money.

The Google model’s market-leading 12x optical zoom and 130° field of vision pairs beautifully with its spot-on motion detection and 1080p resolution – like a Cabernet Sauvignon with aged Gouda – allowing you to see everything which happens in your home.

With access to snapshots of the past three hours, you can easily find out which loved one stole the last cookie, broke that lamp, or left you an adorable drawing.

The only drawback with a Nest camera is having to pay for cloud storage. You can get five days of footage for £40 per year, which adds a fair chunk onto the price.

If you want to protect your home without breaking the bank, complete this form to compare home security quotes from trusted professionals.

Best outdoor camera: TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor KC200 (£69.99)

As well as holding our title for overall best smart home camera, the KC200 is also at the top of its field for outdoor models.

You want a smart camera which you can check in on from wherever you are, especially when the camera in question lives outside, in the cold, wet, windy darkness – and this model is fully compatible and easy to control.

It’s also well-suited to life in the great outdoors, with 9 metres of night vision and a top-tier IP65 rating for how well-protected it is against water and dust.

You also need your outdoor camera to come equipped with a powerful siren – and the KC200 is one of the few smart home cameras that can sound the alarm.

Best wireless camera: Blink XT2 (£74.99)

Amazon’s best home camera has already picked up our award for best wireless camera, and now it’s cemented its position by picking up the best wireless smart camera trophy.

With a two-year-long battery life, the Blink XT2 is currently unbeatable in this area – and it possesses all the standard smart camera must-haves too, with six metres of night vision, a 110° field of vision, and the hardiness to survive inside or outside.

But while this Amazon device naturally connects to your Alexa, you’ll need to use IFTTT to link it to a Google Home, which is a bit of a nuisance.

And though free cloud storage should always be celebrated, two hours isn’t enough for the modern, on-the-go consumer, even if you can save highlights to your mobile device.

Best on a budget: TP-Link Kasa Spot KC100 (£29.99)

The KC200’s older, cheaper sibling is a wonderful option if you’re looking to protect both your wallet and your home.

As well as having an affordable initial price, the KC100 also comes with 30 days of free cloud storage, which is a weight off your mind (and your bank balance).

The model is definitively worse than its descendant – its night vision only goes up to six metres, it can’t go outside, and it doesn’t have a siren – but it’s still a top-tier piece of machinery.

It offers compatibility with Amazon and Google, a 130° field of vision, and even spins 360° if you ask it nicely. You can also get the KC100 to focus in on four customisable zones of your home which you need to keep a special eye on.

The Neos SmartCam (£24.99) is a worthy runner-up in this category, and excellent value – but it has significant drawbacks. These include two-way audio that sounds like an intercom, and cloud storage which only extends to 12-second clips.

Despite its many positive attributes, it’s still just below the top tier of smart home cameras. As a Neos customer representative said when they were phoned by our anonymous shopper, despite its many advantages, “you get what you pay for” with the SmartCam.

FAQs

What is a smart camera?

A smart camera can be connected to multiple mobile devices, meaning you can control it from wherever you are in the world, altering its different settings and watching live and recorded footage.

How much does one cost?

A world class smart home camera typically costs between £60 and £120, though there are also high quality bargain models in the £25-£35 price bracket.

How do I install a smart home camera?

Whether it’s wireless or wired, you can usually install a smart home camera yourself, for free.

If its physical setup simply requires you to fix it to a magnetic mount, you’ve got this covered. Just follow the instruction manual to turn it on and get it connected with your mobile devices.

However, if its installation requires you to use power tools, or if for any reason you don’t feel prepared to set it up yourself, there’s no shame in getting a professional to do it for you. Your smart camera should make your life better, not more complicated.

What are the best smart camera accessories?

The best smart camera accessory is a cloud storage plan that allows you to view all the footage you need to. There’s nothing worse than buying a flashy new camera, only to miss out on a crucial clip because you ran out of time.

Apart from that, all your smart home camera needs is you. Unless you get a monitored security system, you’ll be the one receiving alerts and checking to see if anything’s amiss, from your child staying up past their bedtime to a burglar trying to break in.

Smart home cameras vs IP cameras: which is best?

You can control and see through smart cameras’ eyes from wherever you are in the world, but cloud storage can endanger your privacy more than the local storage options which come with IP cameras. 

Which one you should buy depends on you – so here are all the advantages for both types.

Summary

The best smart home cameras can make your life easier by letting you know when something important happens at home, leaving you free to enjoy yourself when you’re out or away.

Whether that feeling of shedding your worries is worth somewhere between £30 and £120 is up to you – but we know what our answer would be.

Your loved ones and prized possessions deserve the best – and if you fill in this form, you can compare home security quotes from the best specialists around.