Best Motion Sensor Security Cameras

Let’s be clear right up front: if you’re looking for a full home security system with components like entry sensors and smoke detectors, you probably need to look somewhere other than Lorex. Likewise, if you’re in the market for a system that provides full 24/7 professional monitoring, you’re going to be disappointed with Lorex. 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.

But let’s talk motion detection specifically. The recently released A4 includes Lorex’s brand new Smart Motion Detection system. What is Smart Motion Detection, you ask? The A4 can differentiate between moving objects based on how they move. Turns out people don’t move like squirrels. Who knew? Likewise, bicycles don’t move like cars. The A4 is smart enough to tell you exactly what you’re dealing with. Even better, it makes sophisticated decisions about which ones deserve your attention. Real threats produce alerts; squirrels don’t. And just for good measure, the A4 also includes Listen-in technology, so it can detect problems even if they’re off-screen.

Here’s the thing, though – if you don’t like the A4, it’s no problem. Lorex is bound to have something to suit you 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

With Lorex, you get real-time alerts and the option to view live footage or record images for later playback. The company offers several different local storage systems, including DVR, NVR, and microSD cards, so you can store footage in case you need to hand it over to the police.

In terms of costs, you’re always going to spend a little more for cameras with smart motion detection. Still, with so many options to choose from, you can be certain of finding a Lorex camera that meets both your tech needs and your financial needs. Don’t believe us? Check out our list of Lorex’s prices and products. Plus, Lorex isn’t averse to selling its products at a markdown every once in a while. The company offers big discounts on Certified Open Box and Last Chance clearance products, and you can find some great deals by visiting the company’s Lorex Clearance Outlet.

Google Nest sells just three cameras — the wired indoor Nest Cam, the battery-powered indoor/outdoor Nest Cam, and the wired Nest Cam with Floodlight. You know what they say: quality is always more important than quantity. Google Nest cameras – all Google Nest devices, have quality in spades.

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. We 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 we 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.

Ring cameras aren’t quite as sophisticated as Google Nest cameras. There’s no facial recognition software, but you probably won’t miss it. Ring cameras are equipped with People Only Mode, and the truth is that it can be more useful. People Only technology cuts down on false alerts by distinguishing between people, animals, and cars. If you’ve ever had to check your system every five minutes because your neighbor’s cat kept strolling around your porch – we have – you know just how important that sort of technology can be.

Ring cameras also let you create motion zones so your devices aren’t picking up activity at your neighbor’s house, as well as schedules so the morning street sweeper doesn’t trigger your cameras. Ring also trims video footage for you automatically, so you can immediately see what happened.

Want to know more? Check out our Ring Cam analysis for a complete review.

Motion detection works best when it’s attached to a camera capable of recording in high resolution. After all, what difference does it make if you know something happened at your house if the image is so fuzzy you can’t make it out what it is. As we note in our review of the Arlo Pro 4, this camera’s 2K video gave us a crystal-clear view of absolutely everything in and around our home. It wasn’t just that we knew who was out our door. The Pro 4 captured enough detail to identify the reckless driver who had been terrorizing the neighbors. Once the police had the license plate, we didn’t have to worry about cats – and kids –  on our street being in peril.

As a bonus, Arlo’s motion sensor technology and high-resolution cameras are all totally wire-free. That means they don’t need wires to communicate with other system components, and they don’t need wires to receive power. That’s particularly useful outdoors, since it means you can place cameras out of reach of potential burglars. Oh, and did we mention these cameras are stylish? Don’t get us wrong – security is the priority, but if you can get security that improves the look of your home, why wouldn’t you? Find out everything you need to know about Arlo’s equipment costs and monitoring in our complete price guide.

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.

One nice side-effect of simplicity? 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. These cameras provide great basic security, though, at a price point that’s within reach of almost anyone. Here’s the breakdown:

We’ve talked several times already about just how important it is to choose a camera with motion detection that can tell the difference between people and other sorts of movement. Kuna cameras can do that. They can also differentiate between people, pets, vehicles, and packages. You can set your Kuna camera to screen out everything but people, or you can set it to let you know when that important package you’ve been waiting for arrives.

Supposedly, these devices will also eventually be able to tell the difference between people in your home and detect burglars based solely on their physical behaviors. And you won’t have to invest in new models to take advantage of these features. Your current camera should evolve over time. There aren’t many devices you can buy these days that actually improve the longer you have them.

Kuna’s light-camera models also gave us extra options when responding to motion-triggered events. When our camera picked up motion on the front porch at 2 am, we were able to shine a light on the situation. Turns out, a neighborhood possum was making its rounds, but once our light came on, it sauntered on its way. We controlled everything from the Kuna app, which meant we could both pull up video and react in real time, and we could have done that even if we were on vacation on the other side of the world. Want to know more? Check out our complete Kuna camera live testing guide to learn all the ins and outs of this system and 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.