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Best security camera 2018: our top picks from the best security cameras available

If you're looking for a curated guide to the best security cameras on the market today then you've come to the right place. That's because T3's tech experts have tested out all the best security cameras on the market today and selected only the best smart cameras for your consideration.

And, that's a good thing, as there's now a growing number of security cameras that livestream whatever's happening in your house to your phone or browser window, wherever you are in the world. But not all of these systems deliver what they promise, and picking a top system from a dud is getting harder than ever.

NB: you are likely to pickup deals on the best security cameras from Netgear, Logitech et al in the Boxing Day sales… Keep your eyes peeled, and secure a bargain.

· These are the best smart thermostats to stop your home getting too chilly

· Why not kit out your smart home with the best smart plugs, too

But if you're in the habit of saving money, now is a great time to pick up one of the best security cameras on the market, providing you enter it well researched. That's because the Christmas sales season is causing makers to drop some very tasty deals on lots of smart home gadgets, and that includes security cameras. If you shop smart, there are some great discounts to be bagged.

So, whether you want the highest quality video footage, the easiest access to your camera, the most intelligent warning system or just the best value for money, we can help by suggesting the right model – read on for our picks of the best security cameras on the market today.

WHAT IS THE BEST SECURITY CAMERA IN 2018?

The Netgear Arlo Pro 2 is our favourite camera because of the fact it can be used wirelessly, indoors or out. It's weatherproof and includes some cloud storage for free, without the need to take out any extra subscriptions.

In fact if you buy a few Arlo security cameras of differing descriptions, then you're not a million miles away from something approaching a professional security camera setup, albeit one that you have to monitor, rather than having ADT or whoever do it for you.

For indoor use, we're big fans of the Logi Circle 2 Wired from Logitech – though it's more of a gran or pet cam than a serious security camera. It's wired (although a battery pack is available), and as it's weatherproof it can technically be used outdoors. Video quality is very good too, and it's simply a lot of fun to use.

There are a number of other very good smart security camera options, including the Nest and Canary cams (see below for more) but another one that stands out is the Hive View. Not for its features – which, to be honest, are pretty basic – but for the fact that it actually looks quite boldly stylish rather than just resembling a small CCTV camera or an eye on a plinth, as most of its rivals do.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST SECURITY CAMERA FOR YOU

This selection of cameras has it all, whether you need infrared for filming at night, or automatic motion sensing so you know as soon as something has happened. Some of the smarter cameras add facial recognition, and can tell the difference between a stranger and a member of your family.

For the most comprehensive coverage of your property, you want something that includes night vision and can record at a decent quality – and almost all cameras now come with HD resolution at least.

We've also tried to limit this list to cameras that can serve up alerts that are reliable and actually useful – if your camera is pinging your phone every time a leaf blows past, you're soon going to get tired of having to check it.

If you want to be able to communicate with whatever's on the other side of the camera – your kids, your pets, your elderly parents – then make sure you go for an option that includes two-way audio. You'll also need something with an alarm if you want to scare off intruders as well as film them, though this is a less common feature.

With all those factors and considerations in mind, here are our choices for the best security camera in 2018 – you should find something to suit your needs.

BEST SECURITY CAMERA 2018: THE 10 BEST SECURITY CAMERAS YOU CAN BUY TODAY

If you're looking for a curated guide to the best security cameras on the market today then you've come to the right place. That's because T3's tech experts have tested out all the best security cameras on the market today and selected only the best smart cameras for your consideration.

And, that's a good thing, as there's now a growing number of security cameras that livestream whatever's happening in your house to your phone or browser window, wherever you are in the world. But not all of these systems deliver what they promise, and picking a top system from a dud is getting harder than ever.

NB: you are likely to pickup deals on the best security cameras from Netgear, Logitech et al in the Boxing Day sales… Keep your eyes peeled, and secure a bargain.

· These are the best smart thermostats to stop your home getting too chilly

· Why not kit out your smart home with the best smart plugs, too

But if you're in the habit of saving money, now is a great time to pick up one of the best security cameras on the market, providing you enter it well researched. That's because the Christmas sales season is causing makers to drop some very tasty deals on lots of smart home gadgets, and that includes security cameras. If you shop smart, there are some great discounts to be bagged.

So, whether you want the highest quality video footage, the easiest access to your camera, the most intelligent warning system or just the best value for money, we can help by suggesting the right model – read on for our picks of the best security cameras on the market today.

WHAT IS THE BEST SECURITY CAMERA IN 2018?

The Netgear Arlo Pro 2 is our favourite camera because of the fact it can be used wirelessly, indoors or out. It's weatherproof and includes some cloud storage for free, without the need to take out any extra subscriptions.

In fact if you buy a few Arlo security cameras of differing descriptions, then you're not a million miles away from something approaching a professional security camera setup, albeit one that you have to monitor, rather than having ADT or whoever do it for you.

For indoor use, we're big fans of the Logi Circle 2 Wired from Logitech – though it's more of a gran or pet cam than a serious security camera. It's wired (although a battery pack is available), and as it's weatherproof it can technically be used outdoors. Video quality is very good too, and it's simply a lot of fun to use.

There are a number of other very good smart security camera options, including the Nest and Canary cams (see below for more) but another one that stands out is the Hive View. Not for its features – which, to be honest, are pretty basic – but for the fact that it actually looks quite boldly stylish rather than just resembling a small CCTV camera or an eye on a plinth, as most of its rivals do.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST SECURITY CAMERA FOR YOU

This selection of cameras has it all, whether you need infrared for filming at night, or automatic motion sensing so you know as soon as something has happened. Some of the smarter cameras add facial recognition, and can tell the difference between a stranger and a member of your family.

For the most comprehensive coverage of your property, you want something that includes night vision and can record at a decent quality – and almost all cameras now come with HD resolution at least.

We've also tried to limit this list to cameras that can serve up alerts that are reliable and actually useful – if your camera is pinging your phone every time a leaf blows past, you're soon going to get tired of having to check it.

If you want to be able to communicate with whatever's on the other side of the camera – your kids, your pets, your elderly parents – then make sure you go for an option that includes two-way audio. You'll also need something with an alarm if you want to scare off intruders as well as film them, though this is a less common feature.

With all those factors and considerations in mind, here are our choices for the best security camera in 2018 – you should find something to suit your needs.

The Nest Cam IQ is one of the most intelligent Wi-Fi cameras on the market, with facial recognition, a 4K image sensor, and person tracking. See below for the indoor version, but this exterior version comes with IP65 weatherproofing: it'll stay recording whatever the British weather throws at it, and can operate in temperatures from -40°C to 45°C.

Picture quality is excellent both during the day and night, and the motion tracking (which zooms in and follows motion) and facial recognition (which only alerts you to unknown faces) are incredibly useful features which actually work.

It's a top-notch package but it's expensive, and to get the most out of it (like cloud storage archives or motion zones) you really need to sign up for a subscription too. You can just about get by with the live motion alerts and livestreaming (no subscription required) if you're on a budget.

The previous, cheaper version of the outdoor Nest cam is still on sale too if you want to save some money – it does have a cable attached though, rather than working wirelessly, which means it's a bit easier to sabotage for potential intruders.

Netgear's Arlo isn't just a single camera, it's a rapidly-growing range that shares the same software platform – at the time of writing you've got six different cameras to pick from. You can also choose between packs of one, two or more units, and accessories such as a Wi-Fi expander hub for outdoor use.

We've named the Arlo Pro 2 as our top pick, with its wire-free operation, two-way audio 1080p HD video, weather resistance, built-in security siren, Amazon Alexa support and the option to store footage on a USB drive. Cheaper models are available if you don't need such sharp video or a different set of features. The new Arlo Go, for instance, works with cellular networks if you need a camera out of range of your home Wi-Fi.

As with most security cameras, you can tap into your video feeds from anywhere using your phone, and get motion alerts – but where the Arlo range stands out is with the wireless, battery-charged operation and waterproofing.

For free, you get seven days or up to 1GB of cloud storage for up to five cameras, which compares very well with rivals such as Nest. These recordings are only triggered when motion is detected, but it should be enough for most users – how many meaningless shots of nothing happening in your back garden to you need?

No current smart home camera is as fun to use as the Logi Circle 2: it's a bit like the home monitoring equivalent of a Fitbit. For example, it preps "day brief" videos that show a sped-up version of the day's action of the day (so you don't have to sift through reams of footage of the slightest motion). That makes it more suitable for keeping an eye on the dog while at work, rather than scanning for burglars.

There’s two-way talking too, fast responses to remote commands, speedy zooming, and an adjustable field of view. The app is nice and slick, complimenting the camera's own neat design, and you can control the Circle via Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit or one of Logitech's Pop smart home buttons.

There are some negatives: you only get 24 hours of cloud storage for free for instance. For longer-term access, you have to pay: £2.99 a month snags you 14-day Cloud access, or £7.99 a month for 31 days. You need to subscribe to the top tier to set you custom motion zones and detect people in front of the camera.

Buy a rechargeable battery base as well and you can put the weatherproof camera anywhere in Wi-Fi range (it lasts up to three months off a charge). There's also a fully wireless incarnation, but this is a different shape to the wired version and has a different range of accessories. It might lack some security features, but as a smart home camera for watching pets or your gran, the wired version of Circle 2 is hard to beat.

We wouldn't recommend Hive View as a 'proper' security camera per se but if you want an attractive camera for monitoring pets and relatives that can also alert you to felons, it's really good. We're big fans of its striking, stylish looks, and the monthly subscription is unusually cheap (you get one day of video stored for free).

Admittedly the Hive View is rather limited features-wise at present, but Hive products have a tendency to get better with age, and we're reasonably confident it'll add Alexa support (as it has for its other smart home devices) soon. A recent update added two-way chat so you can sooth the pets or ward off burglars.

The basic mount and wall mount make it easy to setup at an angle to your liking – the 130-degree field of vision helps – and there's the option to remove it from the mount and use it wirelessly, albeit only for an hour. That could be useful for baby bedtime duties, although we struggle to think of many other applications.

You can download and share videos, should you need to, motion detection works as advertised, and image quality is decent – with a choice of 720p or 1080p maximum resolution depending on your signal strength.

We've split out the Nest Cam IQs separately because the indoor and outdoor variants really are distinct devices and which one you need will depend on where you're putting them. What stands out about these security cameras is the intelligence behind them and the quality of the apps Nest (now owned by Google) has put together.

Video crispness is also great, and this camera can shoot in (compressed) 4K. That means you get a clearer look at everything that's happening, and zooming is actually something that's useful. There's a neat auto-zoom mode here too.

You do need a subscription for a lot of features, like cloud archives and the ability to distinguish between strangers and family members (the camera can identify a person on the free plan, but not who the person is). The Nest Cam IQs are fantastic – but you do need a substantial budget for them.

The older Nest Cam, with the previous design, is still on sale if you need something a little cheaper. You still get 1080p HD streaming, and access to the very intuitive app – just not as many of the bells and whistles.

The Netatmo Welcome was quite ahead of its time as a security camera when it appeared several years ago, and it's still a very viable product. Like the other cameras here, it's a Wi-Fi-connected device that starts recording when it senses movement.

The clever bit is that the camera not only spots that people have entered its 130-degree field of vision, but it will also have a stab at recognising them too. Perhaps more usefully, if someone passes who the camera doesn't know, you get an alert about an "unknown face". You can tell the system who it is (if it's not an intruder), and next time around it should automatically know.

The camera can record video in up to 1080p, which looks perfectly fine on a smartphone screen and won't tax your internet connection too much. Netatmo also allows you to fine tune the settings for each individual user – for example, don't record Abbie, but do record Ben. It's actually pretty smart.