I've Tested Over 100 Home Security Cameras. Here's Which to Buy

Consumers weighing a home security camera purchase can cover entrances, driveways, garages, sheds and main hallways with a few affordable devices, though a professional system costs more. Ongoing running costs and some loss of privacy come with the hardware, and buyers should trust the brand they bring into the home. Picking a single brand simplifies app access and management, according to a reviewer who has tested more than 100 security cameras over the past decade.

Five brands consistently dominate that reviewer's recommendations: Eufy for subscription-free cameras, Arlo for subscription cameras, TP-Link Tapo for value, Google Nest for smart features and Aqara for smart homes and Apple HomeKit. The account also lists additional brands worth considering and some best avoided.

Eufy cameras are feature-packed, easy to set up and reliable, and they do not put their best features behind a subscription, allowing local recording on a hub, NVR, NAS device or the camera itself. The Indoor Cam S350 is the pick as a middle ground on price and features, and the pan-and-tilt S4 is the reviewer's favorite in that category. The S4 pairs a fixed 130-degree main lens recording up to 4K with dual 2K pan-and-tilt lenses that pan 360 degrees and tilt 70 degrees.

Arlo hardware is relatively affordable for its quality, but cloud storage, accurate subject detection and smart animated alerts require an Arlo Secure subscription costing $10 per month, or $96 per year, for a single camera, or $20 per month, $216 per year, for unlimited cameras. The second-generation Essential Indoor is the preferred Arlo model, while the Pro 6 is the top outdoor choice. The Arlo Ultra 3 two-camera kit, at $350, steps up to 4K.

TP-Link's Tapo line targets budget buyers, with the trade-off that Tapo cameras lack proper end-to-end encryption and the company's router business has drawn scrutiny in the US. The Tapo C120 offers crisp video at a low price, a magnetic base, support for microSD cards up to 512 GB, smart detection of people, pets and vehicles without a subscription, and an IP66 rating for outdoor use.

Eufy's S4 Max system, priced at $1,500, uses Power over Ethernet and includes four S4 cameras and a network video recorder with 2 TB of storage. The S4 carries 32 GB of built-in storage, expandable to 256 GB via microSD, and a rechargeable 10,000-mAh battery with an included solar panel.

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