The best light bulb security cameras have become increasingly popular in recent years as they offer a discreet and ultra-convenient way to monitor your home, office or studio.
These clever devices look like a regular light bulb, but come equipped with a camera that captures high-quality video footage. That offers a couple of key benefits. Firstly, they probably won't be noticed by bad actors (seriously, how often do you look up at a room's ceiling light fittings?) Secondly, they'll plug into a light fitting, so you won't need any extra wiring, but can still go without continuously charging and replacing batteries. Some of the best light bulb security cameras also offer additional features such as motion detection, night vision, and two-way audio communication.
In this article, I will explore some of the best and most popular light bulb security cameras available in the market, their standout features, and what makes each model different from the others. So whether you're looking to keep an eye on your home while you are away or want to monitor your studio during off-hours, I'll help you find the perfect light bulb security camera to fit your needs.
Our top picks
The most popular light-bulb camera around, and for good reason. – it's easy to install, it delivers decent quality for an attractive price, and it essentially does everything you need it to.
Packing a powerful 900-lumen light, this bulb camera delivers a lot more brightness than the competition – though you have to live with lower-quality footage as a trade-off.
One of the cheapest options out there, Luna's light-bulb security camera also has a 256GB card slot and AI-powered detection features – though the latter require an ongoing subscription.
With 3.5K footage, the VIMTAG camera produces video quality that's a cut above the rest, and also offers a 512GB card slot to store it all on. It's often discounted, too.
If you use 5 GHz Wi-Fi, SYMYNELEC's well-connected light-bulb camera is the one for you. It also offers intelligent AI tracking features without any additional subscription cost.
Offering multiple dimmable brightness levels, Lorex's smart light-bulb camera can suit different moods and environments – though be aware that it is a more expensive option.
Best light bulb cameras
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Best overall
The LaView 4MP Bulb Security Camera is the most popular light bulb security camera out there right now. While there are others with specialties or additional features that may be better for you (as we’ll see throughout this list) there’s a good chance that the LaView option is going to deliver everything you need. As such, it’s our top pick for most people.
Screwing in via the standard E27 bulb base, the LaView camera can be fully set up within minutes. Once it’s up and running, it’ll record good-looking 2K video that’s a cut above the 1080p offered by many cheaper bulb cameras, with the option to make use of night vision or HDR modes. The bulb portion of the camera isn’t as bright as some others we’ll meet on this list, offering only up to 350 lumens, but it still works as a decent source of additional light.
You can connect it to your phone using the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi or 5G connectivity, and once this is done you can monitor the feed and use the two-way audio function to admonish a naughty pet, if necessary. The LaView camera has motion-detection alerts and sound-detection alerts, which can be fine-tuned into specific security zones, allowing you to customise your home security setup. Videos can be stored via the SD card slot (you’ll need to buy the card separately) or on the cloud, with the latter offering up to 30 days of free storage.
Best floodlight
Packing in a whopping 900-lumen floodlight, the Zeus Bulb Camera stands head-and-shoulders over the competition in terms of brightness. It still screws in via the standard bulb socket, and in a handy touch, you can actually toggle the floodlight on and off via your light switch if so desired.
It connects via Wi-Fi to your phone – once this is up and running you can stream the 1080p video directly to your device. Sure, this resolution is lower than most other light-bulb cameras, but realistically it’s still going to be fine to see what’s going on around your home. At night, an IR night-vision mode kicks in, offering decent visibility in monochrome.
The Zeus Bulb Camera doesn’t offer a cloud storage subscription option – instead, it has 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded with a micro SD slot. That does save you ongoing costs, though you will of course need to regularly make sure that you clear out the storage space for the camera’s latest footage.
Best cheap
The cheapest decent light bulb camera on the market, the Luna Light Bulb Security Camera can be plugged up and working in your home for less than $20 – though it’s worth being aware that quite a few features are paywalled off behind a $6.99/month subscription. With that said, you don’t have to pay anything extra to get decent-looking 2K footage from a camera that plugs straight into your bulb socket and sets up in minutes. The Luna camera offers intelligent motion detection and two-way audio, and for storage you have the options of paying for cloud services or using a card up to 256GB in the provided slot.
If you do pay for that subscription, then you get access to some interesting AI-powered features. These include descriptive notifications that tell you exactly what’s happening in (e.g. “man putting package on porch”), as well as the ability to intelligently search your archive for specific moments or subjects – for instance, you can search “dog” and it’ll dig up all the clips where a dog appears. You may feel this is worth the ongoing expense, or you may not. Either way, this is a light-bulb camera that offers impressive value for money.
Best for resolution
A resolution of 2K (equating to about 4MP) is common among light bulb cameras, and so this VIMTAG model immediately distinguishes itself from the rest with its 3.5K (6MP) video resolution. Put the two side by side and you will notice the difference – footage from the VIMTAG is clearer, sharper and more detailed, and its 8x digital zoom function holds up better than similar modes in lower-resolution cameras. Also, while the RRP of this camera is higher than many rivals, we’ve seen frequent discounts that mean it’s often not all that much more expensive in real-world terms.
Where you may end up spending more money is on storage – higher-resolution footage requires more space, and accordingly, the VIMTAG light bulb camera can support micro SD cards with a storage capacity of up to 512GB, rather than the 128GB or 256GB that’s common to other light-bulb cameras. A 512GB card is a good deal more expensive, albeit more convenient, and you do always have the option to go with a cloud subscription if you don’t mind the ongoing cost. Otherwise, this is a tricky one to find fault with. Sure, 5 GHz Wi-Fi would have been nice, but it’s something of a rarity on these cameras, so it’s hard to criticize too harshly.
Best for connectivity
If you use 5 GHz Wi-Fi, the SYMYNELEC Light Bulb Security Camera should definitely be one to consider, as it’s capable of connecting using the faster band as well as 2.4 GHz – and even throws 5G connectivity into the bargain as well. Like the cheaper Luna camera it also features some AI smarts such as intelligent human recognition and subject/motion tracking – however, unlike that camera, it doesn’t lock these features behind a subscription. The only thing you’ll potentially need to pay ongoing costs for is the cloud storage, once you’ve used up the rather meagre 7-day free trial.
Fortunately, if you prefer you can also use the 256GB micro SD card slot to store your footage on instead. The SYMYNELEC app also lets you build up a system of up to 16 cameras, which is great if you want to build a comprehensive home-security setup with complete coverage. Extensive IP65 weatherproofing also means you can set up and leave the camera outdoors without fear.
Best dimmable bulb
If you fancy being able to control the light output of a light-bulb camera to suit different moods or situations, the Lorex 2K Wi-Fi Smart Lightbulb Camera has you covered, with four dimmable settings up to its maximum brightness output of 400 lumens and a cool white color temperature of 6500 Kelvin. It’s also a sleek all-rounder of a light-bulb camera, offering all the features that by this point we’ve come to expect – round-the-clock coverage, an SD card slot (256GB in this case), two-way communication, the works.
It interfaces well with smart home setups like Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa, meaning it’s a good option if you’ve already got a connected home. The all-weather design means you can install it outdoors with no problems, and the 2K footage offers decent clarity, without being exceptional. This is one of the more expensive options, however, and one could argue a few other features like 5 GHz Wi-Fi coverage might have been nice at this price tag.
FAQs
Do light bulb cameras have to be ceiling mounted?
No. You can use these lightbulb cameras in wall-mounted sockets and in table lamps too.
What if your lights have a bayonet fitting?
All of the lightbulb security cameras in this guide are designed for E27 type screw-in light sockets. If you are in an area where bayonet fittings are more common, you can either change the light fitting or you can use a cheap B22 to E27 adapter.
What is the difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz?
As more and more products have come out, Wi-Fi standards have evolved to reduce the amount of conflict between devices on the same frequencies. The first Wi-Fi systems used frequencies around 2.4GHz, while newer ones have added 5GHz bands as well, and very recently 6GHz too. This isn't the same thing as 5G when it comes to phones – cell phones might also support 5GHz Wi-Fi, but 5G typically refers to the 5th (and current) generation of mobile phone technology.
This confusion is something some unscrupulous consumer electronics retailers take advantage of to give the impression their camera supports phone signals (5G) rather than just better Wi-Fi.
What are some alternatives to lightbulb cameras?
The best indoor security cameras and the best outdoor security cameras give you a lot more flexibility when it comes to placement, and some are so small that you don't need to worry about having a negative impact on your decorations. The major brands – Blink v Ring, for example – all have choices, and you can also find options like HomeKit cameras for Apple uses wanting elegant integration.
How do we choose light bulb cameras
Where possible we test cameras by putting them through their paces in the real world for several weeks. We commission reviews to experts in their field, which means that they'll know exactly what to look for when it comes to letting you know whether a product is a good buy. Find out more about how we test and review at Digital Camera World. We also make sure we investigate any worrying patterns we see in consumer reviews and highlight them.
