Best indoor security cameras 2021: See inside your home anytime
(Pocket-lint) - A serious bump in your protection can be one of the many advantages of setting up a smart home - whether you want sensors to let you know when people are near, or to tell you whether you left a window open or some other number of items.
Smart cameras will play a key part of that not just to keep an eye on your home when you're not home, but also to let you use a smartphone to check in on items, as well as obtain updates when it's not exactly how it should be.
You may also want to pick up all kinds of other smart devices, from app-controlled lighting and heating to robotic vacuum cleaners, to flesh out your smart home, but it can be difficult enough in the first place to select a smart camera.
If you're looking for a nice and easy model to watch a cat or dog while you're at work, or you want something a little more important, such as a siren or a lullaby singer, here are the best smart indoor cameras available.
We have a separate section for the best smart home outdoor cameras as well.
Nest Cam IQ
The Nest Cam IQ is the smarter of the two indoor cameras that Nest sells, with the Nest Cam Indoor being the other cheaper one. The Nest Cam IQ has a main body on a hinge that attaches it to a stem that hides the cables and a base with a USB Type-C connector, with a similar design to the Nest Cam Outdoor with a white polycarbonate body.
It is one of the most expensive cameras on this list, but thanks to its 4K HDR sensor, it can provide a person or entity with a close-up tracking view and can differentiate between a person and a thing. It even has a built-in Google Assistant, so you can ask your Nest Thermostat to turn up or find out how old George Clooney is.
Netgear Arlo
Netgear provides various smart home camera options, including its regular Arlo, which is totally wireless and weatherproof, which means you can even use it outdoors. The Arlo Ultra, Arlo Pro, Arlo Pro 2 and Arlo Go are in the wireless range as well.
Like the rest of the cameras on this list, the Arlo provides night vision and motion warning, but with 720p video recording instead of 1080p, its image resolution is a bit lower than others. It also has a vision range that is significantly narrower than most. However the Arlo Pro cameras can provide 1080p video recording along with a wider field of view, while the Arlo Ultra provides 4K video recording and 180-degree FoV, so there are other choices to accommodate different needs in the range.
One of the best things about Arlo is that without a subscription, it offers seven days of streaming, uploading, and sharing. Apart from the Netatmo Welcome, most other smart home cameras require a monthly subscription to view video recordings over 24 hours, while Arlo only needs videos over seven days or if you want a few extra features.
Ring Stick Up Cam
There are a few distinct surveillance cameras in Ring, best known for its video doorbells, but the Ring Stick Up Cam is the one recommended for indoor use. It comes in a wired, battery and solar-powered option option, so there are a few versions that meet different requirements.
Like the other cameras on this list, the Ring Stick Up Cam has night vision and two-way chat, and it also comes with a siren. No fancy features such as facial recognition exist, but the Stick Up Cam is waterproof so that it can even be used outdoors. It's also compatible with Amazon Alexa, so you can ask Alexa to display the view of your Stick Up Cam if you have an Echo Show or Echo Location, or a Fire tablet.
Unlike some others on this list, to see some video history with just live recording feasible without a subscription, you'll need the Ring Protect plan. You may want to suggest the Ring Protect Plus subscription for those with more than one Ring camera, which requires a monthly charge for all Ring cameras.
Hive View
Two smart home camera options are provided by British Gas-owned Hive, including the new edition - the Hive View. It provides 24-hour cloud rolling camera background, and comes in two colour choices that include a black and brushed copper model and a gold and white champagne model.
While it does not have as many of the fancy characteristics of some of the others on this list, such as facial recognition, it does have two-way audio as well as zooming, and it also provides individual detection along with sound and motion.
One of the best things about the Hive camera is that it joins other smart home items from the business, which include heating, lighting, motion detectors and smart plugs, making it much easier to build a smart home.
Netatmo Welcome
The Netatmo Welcome camera uses facial recognition technology and apart from the Nest Cam IQ, it is one of the only smart home cameras to do so but that requires a privilege subscription. Welcome will capture people's photos and allow you to create profiles, after which the camera will submit the names of the individuals it recognizes, while also notifying you when an unfamiliar face is detected.
Profiles can be modified such that for example, if you don't want it to record your spouse at any moment, you can set it to make sure it doesn't, and while you are at home, you can avoid alerts coming through.
Unlike other smart home cameras, Welcome does not offer a two-way speaker or siren, night light or music features, but there are no subscription fees, so what you pay to view your videos is the price you pay for the camera. Up to 100 videos will be stored on the included 8GB SD card and the oldest videos will be replaced until capacity runs out.
TP-Link Kasa Cam KC120
The TP-Link Kasa Cam KC120, combined with high quality 1080p video footage, has an easy-to-use app gui. It has strong night vision, two-way talk features, and is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, which means if you have one you will be able to stream the Kasa Cam's feed on an Amazon Echo Show or Google Home Hub.
Without a subscription, you get two days of video history and there are plenty of customization choices, while this camera also provides a powerful and secure link. However, it has its downsides, with often minimal recordings, the push to talk feature with some lag and sometimes a little distracting notifications.
However, aside from Niggles, the 48 hours of free video storage is definitely a cause for this indoor smart camera to be considered - particularly because top-tier competitor Nest only provides cloud clip storage for up to three hours unless you pay more.
Logitech Circle 2
The Logitech Circle 2 replaces the Circle smart home camera, giving its predecessor the option of wired or wireless, weatherproofing and a broader field of view.
It is compatible with Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit from Apple and a number of mounts and accessories are available for it, enabling you to mount it where you want. The Circle 2 has a 180-degree field of view, captures 1080p video and provides up to five meters of night vision.
In addition, Circle 2 has a two-way talk and listening feature and you will have access to individual tracking, motion zones and advanced event and warning filter options for those who opt for the Circle Secure Premium subscription.
Canary All-In-One
In a matter of minutes, the Canary all-in-one safety camera can be set up and it will learn to send you smarter updates over time. It is capable of recording full HD video, recording HD audio, and when activity is detected, you will get instant warnings, along with the ability to display the captured video. It also provides non-subscription person identification, and two-way talk and desktop streaming with a subscription.
There's a 90-decibel siren on board to scare off any unwanted guests that can be operated remotely, and to give you a better picture of your house, Canary even tracks air quality, temperature and humidity.
Canary also offers the Canary Flex for those who have a weatherproof alternative, which can be mounted wirelessly or plugged in, inside or outside your home. It's a smaller system than the Canary standard, and it doesn't have a siren, but it's got a speaker built in. Bear in mind that all the Canary devices you have share 24 hours of free recording access.
Somfy One
Some impressive features are provided by the Somfy One, including a capable camera that works well in all lighting conditions, a physical privacy shutter and a siren warning system based on motion.
It is also compatible with Nest thermostats, Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT, making it extremely versatile and adaptable to your requirements for smart homes.
The free option is not quite as good as some - only when the alarm is set can it alert and capture video, but the payment rates are still lower than some others. There is also a Somfy One+ with a badge key fob and a sensor for the door or window, as well as an integrated battery pack.
Withings Nokia Home
The Home Camera is offered by Withings, which was sold to Nokia and then repurchased. The camera tracks what is happening in your home, monitors the air quality, and when the night light is switched on, it will also play a lullaby.
The night light doubles at the bottom of the stylish-looking camera, while the top features environmental sensors to monitor temperature, humidity and volatile organic compound levels (VOC). The Home Camera has a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor, two optical microphones, an HQ speaker, a 135-degree wide-angle zoom and night vision.
Every noteworthy thing that happens will be captured and sent to your smartphone in notification form in a cloud-stored video, while any of the pictures and videos will then be placed into an interactive timeline that transforms into a home diary. You get free access to your timeline for 48-hours, while a subscription is required for something after that.
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