Smart home security
Keep an eye on your home even when you’re away.
e all want to keep our homes safe, so it’s not surprising that so many companies have entered the home security market in recent years. For most people, a security camera is the obvious first choice. There’s a huge range of options available here, and you don’t have to spend a fortune to keep your home safe either. You shouldn’t cut too many corners, though, as many cheaper cameras are really just designed for video calls with friends, or for use as a baby monitor. We’d recommend spending a good amount of money on a camera that’s specifically designed with security in mind. The best security cameras that we’ve seen recently generally come in at around the $200 to $300 mark, and should provide a resolution of at least 1280x720 pixels, or preferably Full HD resolution (1920x1080), as well as options such as a night-vision mode for 24‑hour security monitoring.
Software security
The software included with these cameras is also important. Logitech’s Circle ($199) has a neatly designed app that can create a time-lapse video summary of the events it records each day. Another standout security feature is facial recognition technology used in Netatmo’s Welcome camera ($199), which scored a publicity coup recently when it
caught a burglar at an owner’s home in Paris. The Withings Home camera ($200) can also supply you with a time-lapse summary and offers additional benefits, such as two-way-talk and light and music sequences.
clever connections
Most security cameras are designed to work on their own, but Netgear’s Arlo Q ($220) and Arlo Wire-Free ($160) cameras enable you to link up to 15 cameras together to monitor larger homes or offices. Some people find it a bit creepy having a camera watching them at home, so you could consider the Myfox Security Camera ($199), which includes a remote control shutter for privacy when you want it. Like a number of these cameras, Myfox requires a monthly subscription if you want to store your video recordings online, which is something you need to check before buying any security camera (see What Else Should I Consider…?, p91).
One other video option worth considering is a video doorbell, such as Door-Bird’s D101 Video Door Station ($350) or the forthcoming Smart Video Doorbell ($TBC) from Smanos. Neither records video, but both have motion sensors and can warn you if there’s someone loitering around your front door, and you can stream the live video to your phone to see what’s going on.
A camera can be a useful security tool, but putting one in every room can turn out to be pretty expensive. A more affordable option that you can use in several rooms is a contact sensor that can be attached to a door or window frame to alert you when an intruder enters your home. Contact sensors only work with individual doors and windows, but you can also buy motion sensors that can detect any type of movement within a room, or in an area around a door.
These sensors are generally sold as part of a larger security kit, with a hub that can control multiple sensors and other devices. The hub
Always check to see if there are any hidden costs, such as cloud storage fees
provides the tech that connects the sensors to your home network, allowing them to send an alarm to your iPhone or iPad when you’re away.
Samsung is perhaps the best-known name here. Its Smart-Things Home Monitoring Kit ($249) includes a motion sensor, two contact sensors for doors and windows, and a “smart plug” that can turn lights or other devices on and off automatically. However, as this is designed more for home automation, you have to buy the camera separately ($170). You can buy additional sensors for about $40 each, so it
doesn’t cost too much to extend the alarm system to other areas in your home. The Canary home security system ($199) doesn’t come with any contact sensors, but detects motion and records HD video with night vision, and can alert anyone nearby to an intrusion with a 90+ decibel siren.
getting started
If you want every cent you spend to go towards security, consider a starter kit from a company with a more specialized background in the field. Smanos’s W100 is good value at around $190, because it includes a contact sensor and a motion sensor, and its eye-catching, retro-looking control hub also houses a massively loud siren that will probably wake everyone within a five mile radius. Another affordable option is the iSmartAlarm ($200), which includes two contact sensors and a hub, although the compatible Smart Switch is extra ($40).
If you really want to go to town, one of the most complete security kits we’ve seen to date is the Swann-One Smart Home Control Kit ($470), which contains an extensive selection of security devices, including a camera, two contact sensors, and a motion sensor with a microphone that allows it to analyze and recognize specific sounds, such as breaking glass.
If you go with the Canary, it does come with a range of cloud storage plans to factor in, although you get 12 hours’ video history and three hours of video download for free. On the other hand, the Swann-One Smart Home Control Kit comes with a monthly subscription fee in order to use its full range of features, which could work out to be expensive in the long run.
Extra fees like these aren’t always obvious, so you should always check to see if there are any hidden costs involved with this or any other security gear or cameras you might want to buy.