The rate of occurrence for home burglary increases in homes that don’t include a security system. While professionally monitored home security systems can provide a reduction on your home insurance, they come with a hefty price tag. Thankfully, spy cameras exist. These cameras are an affordable home security option that still offers an added level of protection against home invasion.
Home security systems aren’t just an affordable and easy way to monitor your home and belongings, they also have peace of mind benefits. Hidden security cameras with live streaming capabilities can alert parents to let them know that their children or elderly parents have arrived home safely. They can also let pet owners know if their animal is in a room or near an item that could pose a danger to the pet, with two-way audio on some of the cameras enable the owner to speak to the animal.
What To Look For In A Spy Camera
Size matters when it comes to how discrete you want your hidden cameras. If you’re checking on kids and elderly relatives, finding the tiniest camera available may not be necessary. For cameras that should go undetected, the smaller, the better.
How much, if any, storage do you want? If you’re simply looking for a live feed of your home, a camera that comes with a large memory card or access to Cloud storage may be unnecessary.
Will multiple people need to see your live feed or saved files? Depending on your family or roommate situation, a spy camera that multiple people can access at once may be a top feature for you.
How We Chose The Best Spy Cameras
If you’re looking for a way to add an extra layer of security to your home without broadcasting your intentions, we have the security cameras for you. Small, discrete, and boasting impressive video capabilities, these hidden spy cameras can provide live streaming capabilities, motion detector alerts, and more, all helping to keep your home and your valuables safe and secure. We’ve included options for the technically savvy, as well as cameras that are user-friendly and can be set up in seconds.
Check out our top picks before for the best hidden camera home security systems.
1. YI Security Home Camera
Don’t miss a thing in your home using the Yi Security Home Camera. Access your livestream from anywhere using the WiFi-enabled Yi and its companion app, which users can share with up to five people (view multiple cameras on the same account as well). The Alexa-enabled Yi captures 1080p video and has various levels of alert settings to tell users when movement has been detected. Non-invasive night vision lets users see up to 15m away. The Yi can be used with micro-SD cards up to 64GB and six-second motion-triggered videos are stored for free on the Cloud for one day. Users can also pay to activate a 24/7 emergency response option that alerts the authorities directly through the app.
Pros: Free Cloud storage, can hold micro SD cards, option emergency response service available.
Cons: The Yi is on the larger side of spy cameras and may be difficult to conceal.
2. Spy Camera Charger
If keeping your spy camera hidden is at the top of your must-have list, we recommend this clever unit that looks like a charger block. No WiFi is needed for the compact charger that can hold a micro-SD card and is designed with plug-and-play capabilities. When motion is detected, the camera will begin capturing video in 1080p HD. Loop recording will automatically delete the oldest files and the camera even doubles as an actual charger.
Pros: No WiFi needed, easy to hide in plain sight, can record up to 50 hours using a 256 GB micro-SD card (not included).
Cons: Livestreaming is not an option and the videos aren’t recorded with audio.
3. Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera
If you’re tired of getting stuck with a bill thanks to your video subscription, reach for this option by Wyze. The indoor camera is small and mighty, boasting two-way audio, 1080p recording and Alexa compatibility. All of that, and it comes at a fraction of the price of the other options on our list. If price is a concern (or you’re looking to buy in bulk), this camera from Wyze makes a great option.
Pros: Two-way audio, 1080p recordings and it’s compatible with both Alexa and Google voice assistants.
Cons: The video recordings only last a maximum of 12s which is not very long and cannot be adjusted.
4. Hidden Mini Spy Camera
For a camera that won’t take spy training to hide, we like the Hidden Mini Spy Camera. The camera can be placed just about anywhere thanks to its small size and may even look like a regular magnet on your fridge thanks to its magnetized backing. The WiFi-enabled camera features a 150-degree angle and 1080p live video with sound that captures events at 30 frames per second. Night vision allows users to capture events even in low lighting. Livestream from anywhere or record with an SD card that can support up to 128 GB of memory. We also like that the camera will continue recording even while it’s charging.
Pros: Discrete, room for SD card, livestream up to four accounts at once.
Cons: The built-in lithium battery only records for 60 minutes, so users will likely need to leave the camera plugged in at all times.