Indoor security cameras to keep you safe and sound
Google Nest Cam offer smart alerts that distinguish between people, animals and vehicles. Credit: CBS Interactive
No longer are fancy security systems a thing for rich people — finding quality cameras and systems is easier and more convenient than ever. Which indoor home security camera is best for your home? That can depend on a number of factors, including price and compatibility with smart home devices and ecosystems, not to mention video quality and features like pan, zoom and real-time alerts. Here are the three excellent options.
WHAT Wyze Cam Pan v2
THE COST $43.99
AVAILABLE FROM wyze.com
Few indoor cameras will offer as much bang for your buck as the Wyze Cam Pan v2. It comes with the features you'd expect: 1080p resolution, night vision, pan, tilt and zoom, and two-way audio, at a budget-friendly price.
The Wyze Cam Pan can also identify a person and follow them as they walk across the room, send you a real-time notification of the event and store a record of it for up to 14 days.
What sets this security camera apart even more is the free two-week cloud storage and built-in microSD card slot for local storage. If you'd like to continue cloud storage past the trial period, a monthly subscription runs as low as $1.25.
WHAT Google Nest Cam (Indoor, Wired)
THE COST $139.99
AVAILABLE FROM store.google.com
The Google Nest Cam isn't cheapest on our list, but it does boast robust features, not to mention the device's contemporary design. The camera comes with the usual two-way audio, 1080p resolution with HDR and night vision, plus smart alerts that distinguish among people, animals and vehicles, three hours of event history, activity zones and Google Home app viewing and support.
With the Nest Aware subscription (starting at $6 per month or $60 for a year subscription), you'll also get facial recognition, sound alerts that listen for things like smoke and CO alarms and weeks of event storage. Finally, the Nest Cam works well with Google Assistant and Nest smart displays.
WHAT GE Cync Smart Indoor Camera
THE COST $69.98
AVAILABLE FROM amazon.com
The GE Cync Smart Indoor comes with a mounting bracket and installation hardware (three drywall anchors and screws) that enable you to set the device up anywhere.
While the camera comes with many standard features — 1080p resolution, real-time notifications, two-way audio and Google Home/Alexa compatibility — it doesn't pan or tilt, though you can manually adjust the camera angle. As such, the indoor camera displays a fixed view that may be best suited to monitor doorways for when the kids get home or for unwanted guests like possible intruders.
The following CNET staff contributed to this story: senior writer David Anders, former CNET staff members Molly Price and David Priest, and copy editor Jim Hoffman. For more reviews of personal technology products, visit cnet.com.
