Best Motion Sensor Security Cameras

If you’re looking for a full home security system with components like entry sensors and smoke detectors, Lorex isn’t for you. If you’re looking for a home security camera, though, no one does it better. The company has been providing DIY security options for more than 30 years. They produce more camera models than anyone else, and they’re constantly innovating. They come out with new models at regular intervals. And new models feature new technology, like the recently released Lorex A4, which includes Listen-in Audio and Smart Motion Detection.

Smart Motion Detection means the A4 can differentiate between moving objects based on how they move. People don’t move like squirrels. Thank goodness. And bicycles don’t move like cars. The A4 can tell you which one you’re dealing with. More importantly, it can make decisions about which ones warrant your attention. If it recognizes motion that represents a threat, it can send you an instant alert. If it recognizes a squirrel, it can keep that information to itself. Fewer false alerts mean you’ll pay close attention to the ones that count.

Here’s the thing, though – if you don’t like the A4, it’s no problem. Lorex is bound to have something to suit among its dozens of different models. And if smart detection isn’t your thing, pick another kind of detection.

Types of Motion Detection Available with Lorex Cameras

One of the downsides of Lorex is that the company doesn’t offer any professional monitoring. However, all cameras include some type of local video storage options – DVR, NVR, mini-SD cards – so we wound up saving a ton of money over the long haul and still had video footage to share with authorities when we needed it. We always prefer professional monitoring, but saving money on monthly monitoring fees is a pretty nice compensation.

Now it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the smarter your motion detection gets, the more you’re going to have to pay — more on that in our guide to Lorex’s prices and products. That said, whatever your need or budget, Lorex likely has a camera that’ll work. And if prices still don’t suit you, check out the Lorex Clearance Outlet on their website. They offer big discounts on Certified Open Box and Last Chance clearance products.

Google Nest only sells three cameras — the wired indoor Nest Cam, the battery-powered indoor/outdoor Nest Cam, and the wired Nest Cam with Floodlight. But you know what they say: Quality over quantity. And in the case of Google Nest, it’s definitely the former rather than the latter.

What does quality mean in this case? Google Nest Cams don’t just come with motion detection. In fact, they don’t just come with person detection. I mean, come on, that’s so last year. Google Nest Cams include full facial recognition. Now, they’re not hooked up to an FBI database or anything like that, but you can teach them to recognize people you know. Person detection can tell you the difference between your mailman and a squirrel. Facial recognition software can tell you if a new mailman takes over your route. We connected our Nest Cam to our Nest door locks and Aunt Linda was able to get in to walk the dog even when were too busy to respond to the alert.

Technology isn’t cheap, and Nest prices are higher than average. Be advised: you don’t get something for nothing. You can pick up an indoor cam for $99. That’s not terrible, but it’s twice the cost of a comparable camera from Ring. The Nest Cam Indoor/ Outdoor model is $179.99, and if you need more than a couple, that adds up quickly. You also need to know that extras like facial recognition require you to sign up for a Nest Aware monthly subscription. The lowest tier costs $8 per month.

Check out our Google Nest Cam review to get the full scoop on our live Nest tests.

As good as they are, Ring cameras don’t include facial recognition. If you want that, you have to go with Nest. Ring cameras come with People Only Mode, though, and that cuts down on false alerts. If you’re self-monitoring your system, People Only is an absolute necessity. Trust us, when you take time out from what you’re doing to check a system alert only to pull up footage and find a picture of the neighbor’s dog grinning up at you, it gets frustrating. In addition, several of Ring’s outdoor cameras come with lighting options, and these ensure that, even at nighttime, most of your alerts will be genuine.

Beyond People Only Mode, Ring cameras let you create motion zones so your devices aren’t picking up activity at your neighbors’. You can also set up schedules, so the morning street sweeper doesn’t trigger your cameras every morning when it comes by at 4 am. Heck, Ring even trims video for you, so you can see what happened at home without having to scroll through long sections of empty footage. Want to know more? Check out our Ring Cam analysis for a complete review.

Powerful motion detection works best when it’s paired with high resolution. You don’t just want your camera to come on when it sees something; you want it to provide you with crystal-clear images so you know exactly what’s happening with just a glance at your video feed. During our most recent review of the Arlo Pro 4, one of the company’s we were impressed by the image quality – full 2K resolution. This mid-range camera’s motion detection ensured captured absolutely everything that crossed the frame and captured it with enough detail that we were able to pass it on to police when it showed a reckless driver plaguing our neighborhood.

Best of all, Arlo managed to package this high-resolution technology and all of its motion sensor technology into a camera that’s wire-free – no communication wires and no power cords. They’re stylish as well. Yeah, we know – security is more important than style. If you can get both, though, why wouldn’t you? You can learn more in our full rundown of Arlo’s equipment costs and monitoring.

We sometimes get so caught up in talking about fancy motion security tech that we don’t have time to mention other important camera features. One thing Blink does especially well, though, is manufacture customer-friendly products. Complex internal software and the latest gadgetry can actually be frustrating rather than helpful if it’s too complicated to use. You want lots of control over your devices. The more adjustments you can make, the better your cameras will perform. If you can’t figure out how to make those adjustments, though, what good are they? Blink manages to strike a perfect balance between control and ease-of-use.

Best of all, Blink is eminently affordable. In fact, no camera in Blink’s suite is more than $140. Of course, you get what you pay for, and these cameras don’t have extras like fine-tuned motion alerts or color night vision. Still Blink cameras offer great basic security without breaking the bank. Here’s the breakdown:

Kuna cameras include sophisticated AI that can differentiate between people, pets, vehicles, and packages. That cut down on the number of alerts we received while we were at work. But the company has also promised that its AI is designed to grow and develop. Eventually, these devices are supposed to be able to tell the difference between various people within your home and recognize burglars based on their actions alone. Best of all, you don’t have to reinvest in new equipment to get new advantages like these when they are released. Your current cameras will actually evolve to be better and better. That makes for a solid investment, and it’s a promise you won’t get from many companies.

Since light-camera combos are Kuna’s bread and butter, it was nice being able to control the Kuna camera using the mobile companion app. The moment I received a motion-activated alert on my phone, I could react directly from my phone’s lock screen. A nice touch, and a speedy way to monitor my space while I’m on the go. See our full Kuna camera live testing guide to learn the ins and outs and to see if this camera makes sense for you.

We’ll confess that we’d like to see Kuna offer more straightforward camera models. It’s not that we don’t like their lighting/camera combos, but we like their cameras so much that it would be nice to have options. Would it kill them, for instance, to manufacture a camera we could use in our living rooms? At a minimum, we’d like to see more options when it comes to their light fixture models. Still, this is a company that found a unique niche and they occupy it well.