Are you on the market for the best covert surveillance cameras but the buying guides are all pointing to wildly different things? Are you confused, and about ready to give up the shop altogether? If you’ve answered yes to both these questions, we hear your frustration, and we’re here to help.
We’ve written the ultimate buying guide for the best covert surveillance cameras, along with a list of our top four choices. That way, you can save your money, and be certain that what you’re buying actually works. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
What Exactly Is a Covert Surveillance Camera?
Covert or spy cameras are discreet CCTV cameras, which you can use to record footage in different environments. Due to their unique shapes and sizes, you can easily disguise a covert camera without anyone identifying or seeing it. Some examples of the more ingenious covert camera designs include pens, lightbulbs, alarm clocks, pens, sunglasses, and so much more.
There is a variety of reasons people use covert cameras, such as:
- Protect their families, employees, or assets
- Deter crime
- Detect vandalism, child abuse, senior neglect, and harassment
- Cover blind spots caused by an already-installed camera system
- Improve operational efficiency
Important Features
Nowadays, thanks to technological advancements, covert cameras come with a wide array of features. Of course, how good they are and how many you have will depend on a number of things, but mostly your budget. So now let’s cover some of the more popular features that you’ll see in most cameras.
Video Quality
Choosing what kind of video quality you want is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in this process. It could basically make or break just how useful and efficient the camera even is for you. Since covert cameras tend to be small in size, the quality usually won’t be as good as a regular CCTV cam.
With that said, we don’t recommend going anywhere below 720 pixels, and that’s even too low in some cases. If you went with anything less than that, it’d be almost impossible to make out faces and details, no matter how close someone or something is to the camera.
Recording Time
Another thing that you might have to sacrifice if you want a covert surveillance camera is the recording time. Unlike CCTV, which tends to be connected to a DVR with a ton of storage, most covert cams only capture motion-activated clips. Of course, you can find models that continuously record, but they might cost more.
You should also always consider where all that footage is going to be stored. Is it a memory card, DVR, or the cloud? All of these solutions have their own advantages and drawbacks, so be mindful of that.
Size and Shape
The most important factor about any covert camera is its shape and size because that’s what’s going to make it covert. And as we mentioned earlier, these cams can come in countless different shapes, most of which are pretty ingenious.
So depending on your space and your needs, you can pick between a regular-shaped cam, and one that’s disguised as an everyday, household object.
Advanced Features
Most covert surveillance cameras have an intricate design, but pretty straightforward features. Often, you’ll see that they can only record or capture snapshots, and nothing more. Advanced features tend to be reserved for bigger camera security systems, and they can cost a pretty penny.
With that said, if you want to spend a bit more, you can find a covert camera with night vision technology. Also, you might want to have one with two-way audio, a built-in siren, or even a floodlight. But at some point, if you’re considering all these intricate features, you might be better off just getting a regular security system that won’t compromise their efficiency.
Alerts
Different cameras will have various alert settings for you to choose from. Some will send you a notification as soon as they sense any sort of movement, while others might do it only when someone triggers the motion sensors.
One thing to keep in mind is that adjusting your alerts so that you see every single thing can be exhausting and lead to alarm fatigue. So make sure that you adjust the settings properly, and that you’re only seeing things you want to.
Our Top Picks For the Best Covert Surveillance Cameras
Now, let’s do a quick rundown of some covert surveillance cameras that are actually worth your hard-earned money.
1. Blink Indoor Camera
The Blink Indoor camera is not your typical covert model, and it’s not the smallest in size. But the reason we wanted to include it is that it’s one of the most advanced, high-quality, indoor cameras out there.
Even though it’s not shaped like a household object, you could still easily conceal it somewhere in your home. Also, it comes with a ton of features, a two-year battery life, and you can buy various kits.
2. Wyze Cam Pan
Similar to the Blink indoor cam, the Pan, Tilt, and Zoom camera from Wyze has a discrete shape and comes with a ton of features. It has 1080p full HD video resolution, a panning rotation range of 360°, along with night vision. It’s compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant, and you can use it to live stream.
3. Zohulu Wireless Camera
The Zohulu Spy Cam is the true definition of a spycam, and like the Wyze cam, it also has a 1080p resolution. You can install it in your car or clock, and no one would be able to tell that it’s there. What’s more, the Zohulu cam comes with night vision technology, motion detection, and loop recording.
4. Divine Eagle Spy Camera Charger
The Divine Eagle Spy Cam has a clever design and looks like a USB charger (it actually works like one, too). It records everything in 1080p Full HD, and only requires a micro SD card to work. The camera also has IQ motion detection, SD card protection, as well as loop recording.
Bottom Line
That is all we have for our buying guide on the best cover surveillance cameras, and we hope that it’s been helpful. Before you settle on any cam that’s on or off this list, just make sure you know exactly what you want.
And if you want to take a deeper dive into covert equipment, EP tools, and gadgets, make sure to sign up for our newsletter.
