Wyze review

Wyze is based in the United States and offers some of the most innovative home security products and services on the market. The original Wyze Cam 1 security camera turned Wyze into a market leader and the company continues to manufacture new smart home cameras, locks and accessories. Wyze's motion sensors are also pet-friendly and designed to detect packages, vehicles, people and animals.

The cameras and sensors are extremely easy to install and, unlike some of the other best self-monitored home security systems, you don't need to make holes in your walls or use tools, screws or professional help. Simply peel the adhesive and stick the devices directly on the wall. As the cameras provide a 130º viewing angle, you’ll get excellent coverage no matter where you install it.

Wyze no longer sells in the UK, however, those outside of the US can still self-monitor properties using the Wyze cameras or other smart accessories, such as the video doorbell, which are still available on Amazon or via websites like Starky that will ship US products to just about any location.

Unfortunately, the ever-popular Cam Plus service, although not geo-locked, is unavailable to anyone that hasn't got a US or Canadian address according to a 2022 post in the Wyze Forum. Also, items, like the video doorbell, come with a US plug and are not compatible with Alexa, which may put some people off.

Rating: ★★★½

Wyze offers good custom-build kit options so you can cover your home no matter its size. Wyze utilises every aspect of modern smart home security, including a focus on colour night-vision, smart movement detection and facial recognition in their V3 cameras. This means that alerts for real threats or intruders won't be accidentally triggered by neighbours or unexpected visitors. So, we would recommend specifying V3 for your home security package, alongside the smart video doorbell.

The Wyze system is easy to set up with simple plug-in elements (the hub, for example) and peel-and-stick sensors for windows and doors. The app is easy to use, letting you quickly access footage (stored in the Cloud using the basic plan) and check in on your home from wherever you are. Wyze is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant in the US, for a streamlined smart home setup.

However, not all of the products and monthly plans are available in the UK, so there were therefore a few unhappy comments from customers on Amazon and Trustpilot for not being able to effectively use the service. The majority of people enjoy using the cameras and other products available with the accessible Wyze app features for a DIY home security setup. Make sure you double check service in your location before purchasing, the plug needed (if any) and finer details.

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Smart home security systems are designed to help you protect a house from intruders remotely via a phone or another device, usually on an app. This differs from a traditional home security system, which requires on-site access and control. Packages typically have a hub, which will use wifi to connect cameras, doorbells, sensors, alarms and other devices in your set-up. Users get notified whenever one of the devices is triggered and usually are able to view a live feed of the home using a smartphone or tablet. Smart home security systems can be self-monitored, but many companies also offer professional monitoring for an additional monthly fee with different levels of cover, for instance, alerts to emergency services and enhanced storage in case footage is required as evidence.

Wyze fares pretty well against similar brands, including other DIY home security providers, like Ring, with a much lower minimum equipment cost, and much cheaper monthly professional monitoring fees, when compared to SimpliSafe and Verisure.

Wyze is one of the more affordable smart home security systems on the market, with a 9-piece kit costing $99.99 (£80.91). Individual cameras and sensors to expand a security system are reasonably priced, meaning you can achieve a secure and protected home for a fraction of the cost of many of its competitors.

The benefit of choosing Wyze is its extreme versatility in custom-building a home system. For example, for a flat or small apartment, you can start with a hub and add the basics to suit your budget, such as an entry sensor, motion sensor and keypad. For a one- or two-bedroom house, you can add another keypad for the back door and a Wyze Cam. And for bigger residences, you can scale up the whole system using two additional entry sensors, two keypads, a cam with a motion sensor, Sense Leak and Climate Sensors. The majority of Wyze's equipment is very reasonably priced.

The guarantee for all Wyze products is one year from the date of purchase. This covers defects in materials and workmanship. If there's anything wrong with your system, you will be able to replace the product or component or get a refund for your original amount. If purchasing through Amazon this guarantee will not be upheld by Wyze.

In the US, homeowners can try the Wyze subscriptions for free with a 14-day trial. They offer four plans in total. The first is a free Basic plan, which includes snapshot videos (with a delay of five minutes between events), motion-triggered alerts, sound-triggered alerts, and smoke and CO2 sound-triggered alerts.

The second plan is Cam Plus Lite, which is only available on Wyze Cams released before April 2022. In addition to the free features, it includes 12-second video recording and person detection. Payment for Cam Plus Lite is optional, simply name your price to access enhanced features for Wyze Cams.

If you need a more comprehensive plan, you can also opt for the Cam Plus plan, which offers professional monitoring, unlimited video length recordings, back-to-back recordings, fast-forwarding, package, vehicle, and pet detection, and Wyze Web View, whereby users can view live streams or event playback on a browser.

Finally, Cam Protect gives North American customers access to 24/7 professional monitoring by live agents for added protection. This cover is also backed by a service-called Noonlight, which ensures 911 emergency services will be dispatched if needed.

Wyze Home Monitoring is a little more expensive, but includes some additional cover to Cam Protect, including alerts to leaks and drastic changes in temperature, as well as changes in humidity and weather-based sprinkler control. You can sign up to the plans online and then assign them to your Wyze cams via the app.

*Only available for Wyze Cams purchased before April 2022

Wyze has lots of different products and accessories that you can buy to expand bundles or make your own DIY setup from scratch. It depends on your home, but combining the indoor and outdoor cameras with the various sensors can give your home a thorough set-up. Everything is able to function via the app to control your devices remotely.

The Hub is what will link your system together and is essential to the Wyze Core Starter Kit. It connects to your wifi using an ethernet cable and has a 10-hour battery backup. It also has a 152m range for sensors further away or outside the house, with a capacity of up to 100 add-ons. The siren is 88db which isn't the loudest we’ve reviewed, but is enough to act as a deterrent, if triggered.

This award-winning camera is IP65 weather resistant for indoor and outdoor use, and is complete with two-way audio, 360-degree pan and 180-degree tilt, allowing it to look up and down (in a "non-judgy" way, as Wyze puts it). It has automatic motion tracking and, if you subscribe to the Cam Plus plan, the smarter notifications will better differentiate between people, pets and packages, notifying you only when it's a legitimate security alert. There is a privacy mode for indoor use. If you want to use this camera outside, you’ll need to buy the outdoor power adaptor V2, and, once installed, the colour night vision gives clear recordings. The footage can be viewed via the app notification/event, in time lapse, calendar or in continuous mode. You need to have a Micro SD card.

This doorbell features 1080p full HD, night vision and 4:3 aspect ratio, so you can see a full field of vision. This doorbell also lets you live stream footage via the app and has two-way audio for easy communication between you and your visitor, should you be out of the house, or feel unsafe to open the door.

The Wyze Sense Keypad offers a panic button, as well as the option to arm or disarm your system quickly with the backlit keys, if you don't have your phone to hand (this feature is also available on the app).

The entry sensors can be bought individually or in packs and have a 152m sensor range. They simply adhere to your door frame and they will alert the app when triggered; there is also an alert if the doors are left open. These sensors can't be used on their own and are best used in combination with the Wyze Home Monitoring plan, or added onto a kit with a hub.

Wyze motion sensors have a 152m range and 120-degree field of view; any unsolicited movement around your home will trigger an alert. The sensitivity levels are adjustable so pets can be ignored to avoid accidental triggers.

Wyze's outdoor camera has a 130-degree field of view to easily spot intruders. The 1080p night vision works up to a range of 8m for clear recordings at all hours. The PIR motion sensor means it will detect movement quickly while two-way audio means you can talk with visitors, or ask UPS to kindly hide that delivery away properly.

Wyze Sense Leak Sensor sends you instant alerts when it detects unwanted leaks. This product is wireless and has a range of 152m. Wyze Sense Climate Sensor notifies you if the humidity or temperature falls below or rises above your preferred limit. It is unclear if Wyze plans to bring these options back to the UK.

Wyze, although still offering a comprehensive range of smart home security systems to US customers, has unfortunately lost the faith of UK customers in the past couple of years. The current Trustpilot score is 1.3 out of five stars. This is notably down to poor customer service and not being able to fully make use of services with misaligned notifications, which is likely a result of customers no longer able to subscribe to the available services; Cam Plus, Cam Protect or Full Monitoring are only available to those with a US or Canadian postcode.

Nevertheless there are positive reviews on Amazon, still rating the top-notch quality of the products themselves, such as the Indoor Smart Home Camera with Night Vision and the wireless video doorbell with chime.

"This is by far the best camera I’ve ever owned. The picture quality is amazing, even when it's pitch black. It's easy to control via your phone, you can move it from side to side and up and down and it alerts you quicker than any other camera. There are cheaper cameras out there but I would buy this one over and over. Nothing I’ve tried comes close to this."

"Great product including clear picture, day or night. It is really helpful as it has a 360 degree feature which means we can move camera angle at one click on the app. App was really easy to install and set up. The seller was really good at communicating. I am very happy with the product and the seller comms."

"Nice, low-expense security cameras. I’ve dropped them off a shelf repeatedly and they’ve survived. And their services are usually reasonably priced, somewhat even though there was a mild bait and switch once."

The Wyze app is conpatible with most devices and allows remote control and monitoring of the home security system. (Wyze)

The Wyze app (included with all Wyze cameras and locks) allows you to monitor your home, check on camera footage and stay in control of your home security system. Unfortunately, many of the features are only available to subscribers of the paid-for plans, but Basic users will still receive notifications and alerts and see snapshots of motion captures. The app is compatible with Android (7.0+) and iOS (14.0+) devices; it should work in the UK, but you may be restricted in what features are available as a result of the plan being unavailable. Here are some of the features included:

Every home and its home security needs are different, but we’ve chosen three standout Wyze packages that you can build out to suit your setup for simple, customised home security.

The Home Monitoring Core kit would be a great basis for any kind of home to customise using the extra accessories, sensors and cameras available. (Wyze)

The core starter kit is ideal for anyone looking for a DIY-installation kit with a 24/7 professional monitoring option. It features motion sensors to detect movement inside the house and entry sensors to be adhered to windows and doors. The keypad, which features a panic button to quickly contact emergency services (US only), can go anywhere in your house and be used to arm and disarm the alarm system.

Batteries are included and the hub needs to be plugged in. We think this is best for medium homes as it's a great jump off point that you can customise with 100 Wyze products to suit your surroundings and home security needs.

A front porch security bundle will keep your home covered for both security and receiving packages.

This bundle is a great choice for homes with just one entrance (for instance a flat or apartment). The video doorbell will let you see who's on your doorstep 24/7 using the Wyze app, and includes ‎Infrared LED night light and a built-in speaker and mic for easy communication with anyone outside. You can also lock and unlock your door remotely, which is especially useful for guests when you’re not at home. Expect good-quality video doorbell recordings and live streams with 1080p Full HD and a 3:4 aspect ratio that will let you spot people and packages, even those on the ground. The chime is included and ready to pair with any other Wyze Chimes around the home; it's also compatible with Wyze Cam and is IP65 rated to withstand rain and snow.

The fingerprint sensor makes coming home and unlocking the door far more seamless, as does having different passcodes for guests. (Wyze)

Side-hustle or not, this is a good bundle as a basis for a home security system. The lock bolt functions like a smart deadbolt using bluetooth so it can be unlocked with your fingerprint in less than a second, or in the app. If you have guests, you can create expiring passcodes for short term access and you’ll be able to configure everything easily from the app. Plus, the backlit keypad looks pretty smart, as do those the Wyze night lights that should help guests find their way round, too.

Wyze is about as modern as home security gets and the fact that you can customise the bundles with add-on accessories and devices means you can set up your home system exactly as you wish – also on a good budget. Reviews for the brand itself are generally mixed, with praise for the hardware and value for money, but complaints where features aren't available in countries outside of the US and Canada. The app has lots of helpful features, many of which you can only unlock with a subscription, but this could be accepted, given the reasonable rates of cameras and doorbells. While there seems to be some issues with connecting Alexa, this mostly affects users outside of the US. Otherwise, UK Wyze users can still get good use out of the cameras, video doorbells and other products available for self-monitoring. If you are able to choose one of the monitoring options, there is a good range to meet users needs.

So, if you want an affordable and customisable purchase to upgrade your home security, with something that is easy to install and update, it could be a good investment.

Rating: ★★★½

Wyze currently offers three monthly plans, including a free basic option. The paid-for plans start at as little as $1.67 per camera and $9.99 for unlimited cameras per month. The Cam Plus Plan starts at $3.33/month, or $39.99/year, which will see you enjoying a lot more features to create a more comprehensive smart home security package. This includes video events history for 14 days, cloud storage, event reports and smart detection of people, pets, parcels and more for less irrelevant triggers and notifications via the app.

Currently you can't access Wyze professional monitoring in the UK unless you have a registered US or Canadian address. This might change in the future. UK users can use the app to self-monitor and use its free features.