This Highly Rated Security Camera Is My Top Budget Pick, and It’s Now Just $55 for 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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New to Prime Day? We’ve got the lowdown on everything you need to know . Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.
There are good reasons to choose a security camera with a fixed focus point (versus one that can move). If an area is particularly important (like trash cans or a driveway), you want the camera to focus on it at all times. In these cases, it’s often difficult to position the camera correctly—usually requiring you to adjust it several times. Then, every time you need to charge or replace the battery, you have to do it all over again.
The TP-Link Tapo MagCam solves all of these problems. It has a wide focal point of 150 degrees. You get a wide view of what you’re focusing on, and the 2k resolution provides enough detail to clearly see faces and read the fine print on the side of a passing garbage truck. Since it’s wireless, it’s easy to place almost anywhere. It’s also one of the most affordable security cameras out there, especially with its current Prime Day discount of 39%, making it my top budget pick.
Positioning the MagCam is made easy by the mechanism that attaches the camera to the base. A strong magnet makes it easy to make small adjustments, and when you need to charge the battery, removing it from the wall is just as easy. Even better, the battery only needs to be charged once a year—it lasts up to 300 days.
The detail that makes all the difference to me is that you don’t have to buy a subscription. There are cloud and local storage options, and these days I flat out reject any security camera that charges me a monthly fee. I simply inserted a microSD card into the camera and it saved images locally. The TP-Link app is simple. Uploading clips is quick and easy to scroll through. Setting up custom notifications and detection was quick. The camera already works with Google and Alexa.
TP-Link cameras are generally highly rated, but the MagCam has made several “ Best of 2024” lists. They’re also usually well priced, but with 39% off, this camera drops to $54.99, which is a steal.
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.