After 22 hours of thorough evaluation and product testing in a span of 3 weeks and 4 days, we have come to the conclusion that the best smoke detector camera among all the products we reviewed is the MEAUOTOU Wi-Fi Hidden Camera Detector HD 1080P Wireless IP Security Camera. We were impressed with its capability to support live video streaming and give out motion detection alerts via smartphone. It stood out because of its wide Wi-Fi receiving range of about 15 – 20 meters and can support iOs, Android, and Windows PC systems. Its video and photo quality did not disappoint us. If we were to buy a smoke detector camera ourselves, it would be this particular product.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could watch over your store and home to record potential theft?
In addition to that, do you worry about your nanny’s behaviour whenever you’re not home?
Or do you simply want a way to check on your pets whenever you’re at work?
If that’s the case, then we have good news for you! By way of installing a smoke detector camera, you’ll be able to see what’s going around in an area whenever you’re not there.
The best part? We know which one is the best.
We also know that you’re a busy person and don’t have all the time in the world to research all of the information on every smoke detector camera out there.
That’s why we’re here.
Through extensive research and hands-on-testing we’ve managed to narrow the list down to 5 so that we can only give you the best among all other smoke detector cameras- and also tell you why we think it’s the best.
So put your reading glasses on and have a look at how we came up with determining the best smoke detector camera this year.
Ready?
Then let’s begin.
The Best Smoke Detector Camera 2018
| Product | Sizes | Material |
|---|---|---|
| Sports Research Sweet Sweat Premium Waist Trimmer, for Men & Women | Extra Large- up to 60” Large- up to 44" Medium- up to 38" Small- up to 33" | Neoprene |
| TNT Pro Series Waist Trimmer Weight Loss Ab Belt | Extra Large- up to 60 Large- up to 51” Medium- up to 44" Small- up to 34” Extra Small- up to 32" | Neoprene |
| AZSPORT Waist Trimmer | One size (Fits up to 50”) | Neoprene |
| Waist Trimmer, Maxboost Premium Weight Loss Ab Belt for Men & Women | One size (Fits from 25” up to 42”) | Neoprene |
| Bracoo Waist Trimmer, Neoprene Sweat Belt, Adjustable Caloric Burner, Sauna Band | One size (Fits up to 40”) | Neoprene, Nylon |
How Do Smoke Detector Cameras Work?
Smoke detector cameras allow you to monitor and record activity around a designated area for a number of reasons. For instance, parents might install a smoke detector camera to watch over their nanny’s behavior towards their kids whenever they are not around.
The cameras are also helpful because they catch and record a thief or criminal in the act of breaking in your house. The smoke detector camera is connected to a central system and sends back footage back to a monitor that shows what your camera sees.
What To Consider Before Buying a Smoke Detector Camera?
Before investing in a smoke detector camera system, there are a few pointers you need to go over such as what you want to capture and what you’ll need in order to watch what your camera sees. And if you prefer to simply watch a single room, then you will probably just need one. Including more areas, however, will require a bigger camera system and more cameras.
Here are two important things you need to consider before investing in a smoke detector camera:
1. Legal Restrictions
Before installing any type of surveillance system in your house, you should keep a note of the legal restrictions on video surveillance in your state. Most states require a sign or something that alerts anyone in range of the surveillance camera that he or she is being recorded otherwise it will be illegal.
So installing a hidden camera in your house, for example, without making people aware of its existence, in most states, is technically breaking the law and could get you in jail.
2. Wireless vs. Wired
Although wireless cameras have more versatility than their cable counterparts, you have to be mindful about how other devices like baby monitors, cordless phones, and even the wireless internet will disrupt your wireless camera’s signal.
Plus there is also a potential for others to intercept your video feeds and see if you’re at home or not- and that totally defeats the purpose of having a hidden camera in your home.
Checking with your camera’s manufacturer will help you to know whether they encrypt their wireless system or not.
Wired cameras, on the other hand, are trickier to install since stray wires in a peculiar place will alert a person that there’s a camera in that specific room. However these cameras are capable of transmitting higher-quality pictures than their wireless counterparts because their signals are not travelling through air.
How We Assessed and Evaluated These Products
We visited 10 of our local supermarkets and thoroughly went to all the digital sections to see what type of surveillance cameras were widely available to customers. We also went scouring through the internet to determine how many smoke detector cameras were widely available online.
We were surprised to see an endless amount of smoke detector cameras available in real life and online. But we had to narrow them down. We first established common buying standards based on research, specs, and feedbacks from family and friends. We excluded some brands that were known to be poor-quality and have unreliable parts.
With poor quality products eliminated, we then based the common buying standards established to score each of the smoke detector cameras on our list and it gradually went down to 15 cameras.
Our assessment was then directed towards the quality and durability of each smoke detector camera. We made sure that the ones that ended up in our list were not based on the most expensive camera nor the camera that had the most features.
We hand tested the top 5 ourselves and made sure to record every important detail on how each of the smoke detector camera worked and compared towards the others.
So sit back, relax, and let us give you an overview of what we found.
Our Top Picks
The first smoke detector camera that made it in our list is the Little add Hidden Camera Detector 1080P HD Spy Camera Motion Activated Video Recording. Through our extensive hands-on-testing we were quite impressed with this little device.
It supports up to 16 to 18 hours (give or take) once fully charged. But there were instances when we noticed that the video quality gradually deteriorated when its power was running low. So it’s best to charge it before it runs out of battery. A full charge, we noticed, takes about 5 hours or so.
We love that this smoke detector camera has a variety of recording options. There is a remote that comes along with this device and it lets you select which mode of recording you prefer.
We especially love the motion detection mode. It did fairly well when we tried it ourselves. Whenever the motion detector senses movement, the camera will start recording. We found out that it saves a video every 3 minutes or so. And whenever there’s no movement detected, it goes back to standby mode.
We were able to determine that the battery will not last more than 2 days whenever the area being captured has frequent motion. But we were quite happy with its video and sound quality.
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
2. Spy Camera HD 1080P Motion Activated Video Loop Recording Security - 1st Runner Up
The second one on our list is the Spy Camera HD 1080P Motion Activated Video Loop Recording Security. We determined that this is a good device to track everything that’s happening in an area whenever you’re not there. We love that the video quality is clear and that it comes with a design that looks real and sturdy.
This device can be wall mounted so it doesn’t need to be on the ceiling. The device comes with a generous 8GB SD Memory Card and also a remote. When we assessed the design, we were very impressed because it didn’t give any impression that there was a hidden camera inside. Most of our coworkers were unable to believe that it was a spy cam. And that gave it a lot of points.
This device also has a motion detection feature which we feel is very important in a spy cam to conserve energy. We were able to test its Loop Video Recording feature as well. And it worked well. It deletes the earliest video files when the memory gets full and keeps the latest videos.
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
We tried and tested the WF-402HAC: Spy Camera with WiFi Digital IP Signal and it did not let us down. Although this smoke detector camera cannot be wall mounted, we are quite fond of its main feature that enables the owner to monitor the area from his or her mobile device.
We especially love that it gives us a high resolution 1.3 MP camera. When we tried it out, it provided us a clear picture of the area we were trying to capture and that garnered a lot of points in our book.
Its WPA encryption has impressed us because we surmised that if, somehow, someone caught this hidden camera, they would need a password to get through the camera’s setting and see the current SSID the camera is connected to.
Through our tests, we also were able to determine that this smoke detector camera does not record sound. It is mainly because of the Federal Law: 18 U.S. Code § 2512. Which is a prohibition against devices that are primary used for the purpose of secretly listening by electric communications, oral, or wire.
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
On the SecureGuard 36 hrs Battery Powered Smoke Detector WiFi Spy Camera we used up a huge chunk of time on our hands on testing. This is because of its claim in having 36 hours runtime on its battery alone.
We were able to find out that at most, the battery lasts for about 2 days so it might be a good idea to have another to swap whenever the first one runs out.
When we put it to the test and we were quite happy about how it can connect to a Wi-Fi network and enables us to see the footage real-time. Its Wi-Fi broadcast is hidden so we weren’t all too worried about someone else finding out we had a spy camera around.
Although its Frame rate is only 25fps (720p) and the camera only has 1MP quality it still captures quite well. We were also quite happy about how a second of motion can trigger the camera to record for 1 hour.
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
5. MEAUOTOU Wi-Fi Hidden Camera Detector HD 1080P Wireless IP Security Camera – Editor’s Choice
Although this smoke detector camera’s battery life only runs for about 1 and ½ - 2hrs at most, its all-around features will overshadow that minor drawback. What we found out is that it’s best to mount it beside an outlet to keep it working.
The device also comes with recording and we found that the video and audio quality is quite decent. We also tested its motion sensor alerts via smartphone notification and we were met with good results. We also tried its live video streaming and it worked really well.
We love that this device supports up to 64GB of storage. It’s capable of a bigger amount of memory than most of its counterparts. Plus, we noticed that it is also capable of video loop recording. Very handy whenever your 64GB of storage gets full.
Another thing we didn’t like is the fact that you have to keep it charged all the time. That gives away its guise as a smoke-detector as smoke detectors don’t have wires outside the wall. We think its overall quality as a spy camera, though, is really good.
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
Our Recommendations:
Editor's Pick: MEAUOTOU Wi-Fi Hidden Camera Detector HD 1080P Wireless IP Security Camera
We spent hours carefully assessing and scoring each smoke detector camera to figure out which one topped the list. After much thought, we decided that if we were to get a smoke detector camera ourselves, we would choose the MEAUOTOU Wi-Fi Hidden Camera Detector HD 1080P Wireless IP Security Camera.
We agreed that through all the numerous hands on testing we did, this one stood out. Mainly because of how convenient it was designed for owners to easily see what’s happening in the area they need to watch over. It’s jam packed with all the necessary and high-end technologies to give you the most optimal spy camera out there.
Most Popular: Littleadd Hidden Camera Detector 1080P HD Spy Camera Motion Activated Video Recording
The Littleadd Hidden Camera Detector 1080P HD Spy Camera Motion Activated Video Recording came in second. But just by a number of points. If you’re picky about the design and want a smoke detector spy camera to look as real as possible, then in our opinion, this is the next best thing.
Runners Up: Spy Camera HD 1080P Motion Activated Video Loop Recording Security
The third device that we would pick is the Spy Camera HD 1080P Motion Activated Video Loop Recording Security. It’s packed will all the necessities and can withstand any scrutinies because it’s so real-looking that you’d think it was the real deal.
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