The three cameras SimpliSafe offers are the SimpliCam indoor camera, the wireless outdoor camera, and the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro. All are decent, affordable models. You could find better versions of an indoor camera, outdoor camera, or a doorbell camera from several other brands, but other brands won’t work as smoothly with your SimpliSafe alarm system. None of SimpliSafe’s cameras blows us away from a tech perspective, but if you want cameras that put the “simple” in “SimpliSafe” and that work with the rest of your security system, then you could do worse. You can buy any of these cameras and use them all on their own without a single other sensor in place. SimpliSafe gives you motion-activated alerts for free, but we recommend subscribing to the video support plan. It starts at $9.99 per month and gives you 30 days’ worth of cloud storage. On the flip side, some cameras offer continuous video recording that keeps the camera going 24/7 and gives you a complete timeline of footage you can look through. Most people don’t need their cameras to record 24/7, but if you’re a business owner or you just want an ongoing recording of your backyard, then heads up that SimpliSafe cameras don’t have that feature. Try the Nest Cam IQ Indoor or the Arlo Q instead. You need a full-on SimpliSafe security system to use this feature, but it’s pretty cool. Video verification helps prevent false alarms, like when your children leave the door open just a little bit and set off the sensor. When your alarm system goes off, the camera starts recording and sends the footage to SimpliSafe’s monitoring center. That way, they can see if there’s really someone suspicious or if it’s just an errant kid. If the idea of some monitoring center rep seeing your camera footage freaks you out, no worries. Video verification is optional—you can turn it off. SimpliSafe SimpliCam features:
1080p HD resolution 120º field of view Night vision Two-way audio Motion detection Person detection Privacy shutter 14°–104° F operating temperature Outdoor adapter kit available Free motion alerts 3-year limited warranty
The livestream is great if you want to check on pets throughout the day or keep an eye on your kids when they’re home with the babysitter. But remember that if you want the camera to store motion-activated clips, then you have to subscribe to the camera plan. For peace of mind about your secret nighttime snacking (and whatever else), SimpliCam comes with a privacy shutter. Not a lot of indoor cameras have this—it’s a visible metal shutter that closes around the camera lens so you can see at a glance that it’s not watching you. Feast away. The kit does expand the SimpliCam’s operating temperature range a bit: from 14°–104° F to -4°–114° F. But we don’t expect it to be the most reliable weatherproof camera around. SimpliCam installation steps:
Once you have everything unboxed, insert the micro-USB cord into the back of the SimpliCam. Plug the other end of the cord into a power outlet. Slide the SimpliCam body onto the base (unless you plan to mount it directly onto a wall). If you don’t already have it, download the SimpliSafe app on your phone and log in with the email address and password you used when you bought the camera. Open the menu and choose Cameras, then tap the Install Camera button. The app will guide you through the process of naming your camera and adding it to your Wi-Fi network.
Once you have the SimpliCam set up, you can adjust settings in the SimpliSafe app. SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Security Camera features:
1080p HD resolution with HDR 140º field of view Digital zoom Color night vision Two-way audio Motion detection Motion-activated spotlight Person detection Rechargeable battery Adjustable activity zones Motion alerts
SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Security Camera installation steps:
Once you have everything unboxed, plug the charging cable into the battery. Plug the other end of the cord into a power outlet. Charge the battery until the three LED lights are solidly lit (about five hours). Twist off the camera’s lens and place the battery behind it with the black tab facing out. The camera will chime and flash a light when the battery is placed correctly. If you don’t already have it, download the SimpliSafe app on your phone and log in with the email address and password you used when you bought the camera. Open the menu and choose Cameras, then tap the Set up a Camera button. Press the button on the front of the camera to connect it. The app will guide you through the process of naming your camera and adding it to your Wi-Fi network. Detach the mounting plate from the magnetic mount. Screw the mounting plate into the wall. Reattach the mount to the plate. Place your camera on the magnetic mount.
You’ll need to remove and recharge your camera frequently, ideally once a day. As video doorbells go, it’s not the smartest model we’ve seen. (We gotta give that honor to the Nest Hello.) And there are doorbell cams with better smart features that come at a similar price, like the Arlo Video Doorbell or the Ring Video Doorbell. For $169, SimpliSafe’s Video Doorbell Pro is decent but not amazing. SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro features:
1080p HD resolution with HDR 162º field of view Night vision Two-way audio Motion detection Person detection Built-in chime Adjustable activity zones Free motion alerts
Like the SimpliCam, the best thing about the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro is that it works with your SimpliSafe security system. If you don’t have a SimpliSafe system and just want a standalone doorbell camera, then we’d skip this one. SimpliSafe doesn’t have the best adjustable activity zones we’ve seen. A lot of doorbell cameras let you draw which areas you want the camera to watch. SimpliSafe gives you a grid view and lets you block out tiles over areas you don’t want the camera to pay attention to. It’s not quite as fancy as the alternative, but it gets the job done. Person-only alerts are great if you’re tired of getting notified every time a cat walks through your yard or a tree branch waves in the wind. SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro installation steps:
Turn off the breaker to your doorbell’s electrical wiring. (This step is very important unless electrocution sounds like a good time to you.) Take off your current doorbell. You should be able to pry it off with just a screwdriver. You’ll need to carefully remove the wires from the back as you pull the old doorbell away from the wall. Thread the wires through the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro’s mounting bracket and screw the mounting bracket into the wall. You’ll want to break out the drill for this bit. (Get it? Bit? Nevermind.) Wrap the wires around the screws on the front side of the mounting bracket. Slide the Video Doorbell Pro onto the mounting bracket until you hear it click. Screw the little lock screw into the bottom of the doorbell camera to secure it to the bracket. Flip the breaker back on and make sure the doorbell chimes when you press the button. Download the SimpliSafe app and log in with the email and password you used when you bought the doorbell cam. Choose the Install a Camera option and follow the instructions to connect your doorbell cam to your Wi-Fi network and adjust the settings.
If the camera works but your doorbell’s not chiming (or it’s chiming when it shouldn’t), then you might need to get a chime connector from SimpliSafe. We think they should just include it in the package, but they don’t seem to think enough people need it. (To be fair, you probably won’t.) If you already have (or want to get) a SimpliSafe security system, then both these cameras are nice because they work directly with your security sensors. They also let SimpliSafe use video verification to see what’s going on when your alarm goes off. SimpliCam indoor camera: The SimpliCam has HD resolution and person detection, but the angle isn’t easy to adjust, and it doesn’t have any smart alerts beyond telling you when it spots a person. We do like the privacy shutter, though. SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Security Camera: This outdoor camera offers color night vision and a motion-activated spotlight, making it more suited to its outdoor duties. It’s still not the smartest camera out there, but with these additional features plus digital zoom, it’s a step above the other SimpliSafe cameras. SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Camera Pro: The SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Camera Pro uses your existing doorbell connection, and it has a lot of the same features as the SimpliCam. We like that it has adjustable activity zones, but it’s also lacking smart features beyond basic person detection. Want to learn more about SimpliSafe? Check out some of our other articles:
SimpliCam Indoor Camera Review How Does SimpliSafe Work? Which SimpliSafe Monitoring Plan Should You Choose? How Much Does SimpliSafe Cost?
You can also buy a silicone cover that lets you use SimpliSafe’s indoor camera, the SimpliCam, outdoors. It makes the camera reasonably water resistant, and, with the silicone case, the SimpliSafe camera’s operating temperature is -4º to 114º Fahrenheit. (That’s -20º to 45º Celsius.) In short, if you don’t want to spend the $70 extra on the outdoor camera, the SimpliCam can do the job. But don’t try to use it outdoors without the silicone case—it wouldn’t survive the next rainstorm. You don’t need a monitoring subscription to sign up for a camera storage plan. SimpliSafe lets you sign on to a self-monitoring plan with no monthly fee. The plan gives you 7 days’ worth of cloud storage and will send alerts when the camera detects motion. If you want more than one camera, you can pay $9.99 per month for a storage plan that covers up to 5 cameras. We think 10 is more than enough cameras for the average person, but if you really need more, then you can technically use as many as you want. You won’t be able to view past recordings or get alerts, but you can view the livefeeds of additional cameras for free. Keep in mind that cameras can strain your internet connection. The more cameras you have, the more bandwidth they’ll take up. That kind of recording uses up a lot of internet data, and it’s better to get a model that has local storage if you want your security cameras to record all the time. None of SimpliSafe’s cameras offer local storage, only cloud storage. You should know that SimpliSafe’s two-way audio works like a walkie talkie. You have to press the microphone button in the SimpliSafe mobile app to talk, and you won’t be able to hear what the other person says until you stop touching the mic button. Most visitors don’t know that that’s how doorbell cameras work, so sometimes conversations are a little awkward. But if you want to use the SimpliCam to talk to your kids or pets while you’re away, it’s a great way to keep an eye (and an ear) on things. You can also watch past recordings in the SimpliSafe app. If you subscribe to a camera storage plan, or to SimpliSafe’s Interactive monitoring plan, then you have access to 30 days’ worth of cloud storage in the mobile app. But Ring security cameras won’t work with your SimpliSafe security system, and it’s nice to be able to use one mobile app for both. If you use Ring cameras but have a SimpliSafe alarm system, then you’re going to be stuck using two apps to monitor your house.
