When it comes to home security, you have a few options. You can deck your house out in a full system with window, door, and motion sensors that activate alarms, but that can get expensive. If you don’t want to spend that kind of money, or want to avoid having to mount or wire anything, setting up a camera or two is a good alternative. 

Knowing you can check in when you’re away offers peace of mind, but a lot of us have a love/hate relationship with these cameras. There’s an obvious security benefit, but you do expose yourself to privacy risks, so you need to take precautions. We break down what you should keep in mind when shopping for one, and we’ve rounded up our favorites after rigorous testing.

Be sure to check out our many other guides, including The Best Pet Cameras and Best Password Managers.

Updated March 2021: We’ve added the Nooie Cam 360 as a pick and updated prices and details throughout. 

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