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A Wi-Fi-enabled security camera is an excellent way to keep an eye on your home while you're away. If you can find any Alexa-compatible security cameras, that makes watching over your home that much easier. You can check in on the pets while you're at work, and in the case of those with built-in microphones, quickly tell your kid that they're supposed to be studying instead of playing video games. With these cameras, you can ask Alexa to show you what is happening at any point in time and connect your cameras to Alexa routines for further home automation.
Budget pick
Wyze Cam v3 with Color Night Vision
Staff Pick
The latest Wyze Cam v3 comes with all the great features of the favorite v2 camera plus the bonus of 1080p color night viewing thanks to its impressive Starlight Sensor. This means you'll be able to easily spot your dog playing in the backyard even after the sun goes down. Also, unlike its predecessor, it's water-resistant with an IP65 rating so that you can use it both indoors and outdoors.
Top brand
Arlo Pro 3 Spotlight Camera
Arlo Pro cameras are some of the best money can buy, period. The new Arlo Pro 3 carries on that legacy and expands upon it with footage now in 2560x1440 (as well as 1080p and 720p), high-powered infrared night vision, a 6500K spotlight, and a 3- to 6-month battery life. Available in packs of two, three, four, or six.
$176 at Amazon $200 at Best Buy $232 at Walmart
Indoor or outdoor
Logitech Circle 2 Indoor/Outdoor Wired Home Security Camera
This wired security camera is great inside and out with wide-angle 1080p live-streaming footage, and you can store up to 24 hours of footage for free. You also get a free daily 30-second time-lapse, and the smart alerts come with thumbnails.
$200 at Amazon $180 at Walmart
Smart home
Google Nest Cam Indoor - Wired Indoor Camera for Home Security
The sleekly designed Google Nest Cam gives you a 24/7 live stream of your home, and you'll get alerts in the Nest Aware app, with the ability to control all of your Nest products from one place. You'll also get two-way audio, and you can hide it just about anywhere, thanks to its diminutive size.
$130 at Amazon $130 at Best Buy $130 at B&H
Pan and tilt
Wyze Cam Pan 1080p Pan
Another budget option, Wyze Cam's Pan, has a 360-degree horizontal range and a vertical range of 93 degrees. When it detects motion, it'll even follow the target and tag it within its field of view. You get 14 days of rolling cloud storage from alert video, which is 180p at 15FPS.
Integrated security
Ring Spotlight Cam Wired
For 24/7 professional monitoring, the Ring Spotlight Cam is your best option since Ring offers Protect plans. These cameras also have full HD live streaming and recording and two-way audio and lifetime purchase protection from Ring. Plus, stolen cameras are covered.
$200 at Amazon $200 at Best Buy
Old favorite
Wyze Cam v2 1080p Indoor Smart Home Camera
The second-gen Wyze Cam is everything you loved about the first generation but better. It offers 1080p live streaming and recording with a night vision range of up to 30 feet, and it tags motion in both live stream and recorded video, detecting and outlining moving objects, people, or animals. Though there is a third-gen Wyze Cam available, this cam still offers great bang for your buck.
Blink out
Blink Outdoor – wireless, weather-resistant HD security camera
Blink's new Outdoor camera is reasonably priced for the feature set, offering a two-year battery life, which can be boosted to four years with a battery pack accessory. You can store files locally with the Blink Sync Module 2, or you can take advantage of Blink's affordable cloud storage plans.
$100 at Amazon $100 at Best Buy
Blink in
Blink Indoor – wireless, HD security camera
The Blink Indoor cam shares all of the company's new Outdoor cam's specs and features, minus the weatherproofing. This accounts for the price difference, so if you don't need weather resistance, this is a solid and more affordable Blink alternative for your indoor or sheltered spaces.
Little one
Blink Mini – Compact indoor plug-in smart security camera
While this is a wired-only camera, it offers many of the same features as the pricier Blink Indoor camera at a fraction of the price. It's super simple to set up and get started, and it's easy to use with your Echo Show or Fire TV devices. Plus, you can use the Blink Add-On Sync Module 2 to store your video files locally.
Cream of the crop
The best Alexa devices combine awesome features with ease-of-use and convenience. For a great Alexa-compatible security camera, you really can't go wrong with the Wyze Cam v3 since it's an inexpensive way to start your smart security journey, offering excellent value for the dollar. This is the perfect smart security camera for people who aren't looking for frills but would still like core functionality with Alexa.
If you're looking for a little more in your camera, then sign up for monitoring and grab the Ring Spotlight Cam. The Ring Protect plans are inexpensive, and they come with further awesome features, like Ring Neighborhoods, which send you real-time crime and safety alerts from other Ring users in your area.
by Mick Symons