We Spy the Best Early Black Friday Smart Security Camera Deals | PCMag

If there's one universal experience of Black Friday and the holiday shopping season, it's that there will be a ton of packages left on your doorstep or at your mailbox. If you're concerned about deliveries going missing (or trucks driving through your flowerbeds), take advantage of the early deals we've discovered on various smart security cameras at every price point for any budget.

Low-priced table-mounted cameras are a popular way to keep tabs on pets and babies, and the TP-Link Tapo C210 is a fine value for the price, especially when sales bring it down to under twenty bucks. In our review, we said it "offers useful features including mechanical pan and tilt controls, 2K video, local storage, and voice control," but tester John Delaney criticized its lack of compatibility with Apple's HomeKit platform. That said, if you're not in the Apple ecosystem that shouldn't be a problem, and for under twenty bucks there isn't a better value on the market.

*Deals are selected by our commerce team

Buying security cameras in bundles is often the best way to save, and this two-pack of excellent Arlo devices is a perfect example. In our review of the Arlo Pro 5S, writer John Delaney said it was "a cinch to install" and called out its great 2K video quality, smart alert system and seamless integration with Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls.With six months of battery life under regular operation or a eight months in Low Power mode, it's extremely easy to maintain. You'll need an Arlo Smart Hub or a monthly Arlo subscription to store videos, but you're saving $150 so that should cover that extra cost with ease.

*Deals are selected by our commerce team

While several outdoor cameras offer night vision capability, the Wyze Cam Floodlight pushes the envelope by adding a pair of 2800 lumen super bright LED lamps that can be activated remotely or when motion is detected. In our review, we said that it "delivers detailed 2K video, color night vision, both cloud and local video storage options, and intelligent alerts," according to John Delaney. A wide 160-degree field of view captures tons of space using either infrared LEDs for black-and-white night vision as well as supporting color capture if ambient light is sufficient. You can store video locally on a microSD card or in the cloud with a Wyze subscription.

Amazon's Ring brand makes a selection of video doorbell models, but this is the budget entry, and an additional discount makes it a real deal. In our review, expert John Delaney said that the newest Ring Battery Doorbell "holds appeal if you're looking to smarten up your home on a budget." If you want to take advantage of advanced features like cloud video storage you'll need a Ring Protect plan, which starts at $4.99 a month. It's a good value. As you'd expect, the Ring Battery Doorbell plays nice with Alexa-enabled devices and it's a snap to install.

*Deals are selected by our commerce team

If you're looking for a simple camera system that doesn't require a lot of monitoring, Amazon's Blink setup is a solid choice, especially at this price. In our review, writer John Delaney said that the third-generation Blink indoor model "is a solid buy for anyone looking for an affordable indoor camera that's easy to use and delivers sharp video and accurate motion detection." It naturally integrates well with Alexa devices as well as other home automation systems through IFTTT applets. Two-way audio lets you communicate with the scene through your phone. With an additional subscription, you can store video in the cloud.

Looking to save even more? Head over to our deals page for all the bargains.

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K. Thor Jensen is a writer and cartoonist living in the Pacific Northwest. He has contributed to dozens of prestigious outlets, including PCMag, Tested, Clickhole, and Newsweek. His second graphic novel, Cloud Stories, was released in 2017.

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