Find the Best Security Cameras for Your Smart Home in 2022

Over the past couple of years, security cameras have become a must-have for any smart home. They let you see what's happening at home when you're not there, providing an extra layer of safety. In addition, they can be connected with other smart devices to create a seamless security system. Let's discuss what smart security cameras are and how they work.

How Smart Security Cameras Work

Smart home security cameras work in a similar way to their not-so-smart counterparts. They usually use Wi-Fi or Ethernet to connect to your home network, and manufacturers usually feature either their own proprietary protocol or ONVIF, an open industry standard.

These devices often come with an app that allows you to control and monitor your home remotely, usually via a smartphone or tablet. They also integrate with smart home hubs like Homey which let you access the live video feed, too.

Moreover, smart home integration also means that your camera can communicate with other smart home devices that work on various protocols like Z-Wave and Zigbee. Many things can then be achieved with a home automation setup with security cameras.

Smart security cameras can be powered by mains, rechargeable batteries, or Ethernet if they support the PoE functionality which delivers both data and power over Ethernet. These cameras either record video on internal storage like a microSD card, or they send it over to a home server or a cloud service of your choice.

Most cameras can send alerts if motion is detected, so that you can see what's happening at home instantly on your mobile or desktop device. You can either watch the live video feed or access recorded footage.

What's more, some of these devices also come with features like a built-in siren and two-way speakers, letting you communicate remotely. This functionality also brings us to an important alternative to dedicated cameras. Many smart doorbells feature built-in cameras, motion sensors, and two-way communication, so make sure you consider them, too, when shopping for a security camera.

Unlike doorbells, security cameras can be installed both indoors and outdoors. If you want to mount a camera or a doorbell outside, always watch out for the IP rating of a specific product. The higher the its two digits are, the better the weather-proofing.

The Best Smart Home Security Cameras in 2022

We've reviewed the best home security cameras on the market right now – take a look at our favorites!

Brand	Model	Price	Dimensions	Protocol	Power	Storage	Night Vision	Floodlight	Two-Way Communication	Homey Pro Support	Homey Beta Support
Foscam	FI9900EP	€110	98 x 65 x 62 mm	Ethernet	Mains, PoE	Local & Cloud	Yes	No	Yes*	Yes	No
Eufy	EufyCam 2	€129	96 x 57 x 57 mm	Wi-Fi	Battery	Local & Cloud	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Netatmo	Presence Smart Outdoor Camera	€299	50 x 200 x 110 mm	Wi-Fi	Mains	Local & Cloud	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Blink	Outdoor Camera	€65	71 x 71 x 31 mm	Wi-Fi	Battery, Solar	Local & Cloud	Yes	No**	Yes	Yes	No

Foscam is a well-known manufacturer of IP video cameras for homes and businesses. The company's FI9900EP home security camera is a top of the line product. It packs in two-way communication, smart motion alerts, and night vision that works for up to 20 meters. Moreover, the camera is equipped with a high-quality aluminium housing with IP66 rating, providing optimal protection from dust and water.

In addition to being Full HD, the camera's processor compresses video in a unique way, providing a clear picture in all conditions. Foscam offers recording locally on an SD card or on a home network video recorder, and there's also the subscription-based Foscam Cloud service.

The device connects to your local network over Ethernet, and it can be powered through the same cable thanks to its PoE (Power over Ethernet) support. Unfortunately, there's no wireless connection.

Of course, this product is fully compatible with Homey Pro, which turbo-charges the camera's smart home capabilities. For example, you can watch live footage using the Homey mobile app, and set up motion detection for specific Zones to achieve precise activity alerts and automation.

In addition, Foscam also offers other cameras for various uses. Whether you need a dome camera, one with an integrated floodlight, or a smart doorbell, all Foscam models are supported by Homey Pro!

The EufyCam 2 is a smart security camera that packs in an AI technology to identify and focus on the human in the image to produce better quality video. Moreover, it reduces false alarms with a technology that's able to differentiate people from objects.

Thanks to two-way audio, you'll be able to hear what's happening around your home and communicate with visitors. You can also activate night vision mode in low light conditions, capture photos and record videos of possible intruders with the motion sensor built right into the device... and much more!

Eufy's home security camera offers excellent video quality and battery life of 365 days on a single charge. The device comes with a home base station that stores the footage. While the base might be an extra investment, the video files are stored locally, and no subscription service is required.

Thanks to its integration with Homey, you can view live video footage anytime using the Homey mobile app. In addition, Homey allows you automatically arm or disarm your security system when your mobile device leaves or enters its geofence zone.

When you're away from home, you can turn on the cameras and receive push notifications when activity is detected inside or outside of your home. When you return, the cameras can be automatically turn off to provide privacy.

The Netatmo Presence smart home camera detects security threats and notify you if they're present. With motion detection capabilities and object recognition software, it is able to produce sharp High Definition images in all lighting conditions.

This device features a wide field of view, smart notifications including motion alerts, smart zoom technology that can utilize up to 8x digital zoom. The night vision has a range of up to 20 meters thanks to built-in infrared LEDs. Moreover, the camera has its own built-in floodlight. If an alarm is triggered, the floodlight can shine the light on the intruders.

Unfortunately, there's no built-in two-way communication. However, you can view the live video feed in the Homey mobile app and use the camera's motion detection to trigger various types of home automation. For example, you can play a pre-recorded message to scare off an intruder or inform a delivery person that you're not home.

The design of this smart home security camera is remarkable, but at the same time, it blends nicely into surroundings and isn't easy to identify as a camera. The device can be installed outdoors, with a smart outdoor enclosure that withstands weather conditions such as snow and rain.

The recorded data is stored locally on encrypted microSD card, and there's an option to send your footage to an FTP server or Dropbox, too. No subscription is required for the latter option.

The Blink Outdoor Camera is a small gadget that can be easily mounted or placed anywhere outdoors for surveillance purposes. The camera runs for up to two years with just two AA lithium batteries, and there's also a solar power module available to extend the lifetime.

This smart home product records HD videos during both daytime and nighttime thanks to its built-in infrared light. There's also a two-way audio feature which allows you to talk through smart home monitor and scare off people spotted around your property.

The Blink smart security camera system lets you know whenever motion is detected via smart alerts sent from your Homey. You can choose to receive smart alerts on your smartphone or trigger an alarm on smart speakers.

It's up to you to decide whether local storage is enough. If it is, you'll need to purchase a Blink Sync Module that stores footage from all connected cameras on a USB flash drive. For cloud storage, there's a Blink Cloud subscription plan that costs €3 monthly per camera, or €10 monthly for unlimited cameras.

On the downside, keep in mind that Blink is an Amazon company. Uploading your security footage to Amazon's servers might pose a security risk.

Which Security Camera Should You Get?

If you're looking for the best deal, the Blink Outdoor is the cheapest option even though it requires a subscription or another purchase. If you're in the market for the most feature-packed model, you should probably opt for the EufyCam 2 or the Netatmo Presence Smart Outdoor Camera.

However, there are further alternatives to consider. For example, you can take a look at the endless list of generic IP cameras that run on the ONVIF protocol – any of them can work with Homey Pro. Another good option is simply getting a smart doorbell that doubles as a security camera.

Conclusion

Home security cameras are crucial accessories for any smart home. They increase safety by surveilling your home when you're not there. Additionally, thanks to Homey, they can be connected with other smart home devices, creating a security system for various uses.

In 2022, we expect new devices with even more advanced features being released, as the smart home industry continues to grow. And just like the industry, Homey gets better every day, so go ahead and give it a try!