I’ve Tested Countless Smart Security Cameras, and Here Are the Ones I’d Buy on Prime Day
Prime Day 2025 runs from Tuesday, July 8 through Friday, July 11, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price tracking tools.
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Over the past few years, I’ve been installing and removing security cameras at such a rate that my neighbors have begun to worry that I’m a conspiracy theorist. But since I’ve tested cameras from every company you can think of, from Ring to Vosker, I’ve learned a few things along the way. I love a PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) camera, which means you use your phone as a remote control and can move the camera’s focus, often 360 degrees. I prefer not to have a subscription — I pay enough monthly fees for other things as it is. I love the ability to easily filter my notifications and customize how often I receive them. One company and product line lets me do that: the Eufy Solocam line.
I now have a Eufy doorbell and Eufy cameras installed inside and outside my house. I use them for traditional purposes, like the floodlit E340 that keeps an eye on my driveway, and for unconventional ones (I have an E30 in my chicken coop). But both of those models require a connection; what I’m even more excited about are the solar-powered Solocams.
As a Pacific Northwest resident, I don’t live in a sunny place; however, all winter long, my Solocams are powered by relatively small solar panels mounted directly on the camera. They’re weather-resistant — even during the worst week-long freezes here, the Solocam in my backyard allowed me to keep an eye on my dog in the backyard. Thermal domes also had no effect on them, as far as I can tell. Solar power means you can install the cameras almost anywhere, without having to run cords or wires.
Eufy cameras are easy to set up – they’re ready to go right out of the box. Even wired models like the E340 come with simple instructions and a hook to help you hook them up. I’m wary of electrical work, but it was easy to do myself. The app is simple, too. All your cameras are displayed in a row, and it shows you the most recent photo. Tapping on an image opens a live view, and I’m always amazed at how quickly the live view appears, and how it almost never times out. These are common problems with other apps.
The aspect of Solocams that I really like is the dual lenses that allow you to zoom in by 1x or 3x. The detail I can get when zooming in is incredible: I can see if the vegetables in my garden are ready to be picked, and I can watch the bees in great detail. More utilitarian, you can see the real details of someone’s face when they get close to the camera. Even the audio quality is fantastic. Words aren’t mumbled, and you can hear voices loud and clear without much lag if you’re using either camera to talk.
You can easily tap the icon to jump to the number of clips your cameras have captured, and there are easy-to-use filters to help you quickly jump to the exact clip you want. I log into my Eufy app an unhealthy number of times each day to see who’s at the door, whether the rat has returned to my chicken coop, or double-check that the trash service has emptied my bins.
If you add Homebase (now sadly out of stock), you can also skip the subscription for clip backup. It’s basically a hard drive that sits next to your internet router and connects all your cameras to a network. For an extra $149.99, I think it’s worth it.
Eufy cameras are always a great value, but many of the models listed above are currently discounted by up to 35%, making it a great time to stock up.
Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot are running Prime Day sales that are especially helpful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.
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Walmart’s Prime Day sale starts at midnight on July 8 and includes discounts of up to 50% . It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.
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Best Buy’s Prime Day sale , “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13, and offers some of the best tech sales online . It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.
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Home Depot has extended its July 4 sale through at least July 9, competing with some of its own great deals . It’s a particularly good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor gear.