When we're away from home, we want to know what is happening. Is the dog getting into things he shouldn't? Is the babysitter being mean to our children? Did we leave the stove or the lights on? The Amazon Cloud Cam is the solution. Instead of worrying, we now have access to DIY home security.
In the past, large companies like ADT would monitor from afar, and this usually just included doors and windows. There was a high installation cost, and monthly charges were usually under contract for a certain period with termination fees if you decided you want to cancel. However, with smartphones and other devices, our options are no longer limited. So, for the purpose of DIY home monitoring, we will review the Amazon Cloud Cam indoor security camera.
Product Name | Image | Ratings | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Amazon Cloud Cam is a small, standalone, indoor WiFi security camera for home monitoring that works with an assortment of Alexa devices including Echo Show and Echo Spot. It is easy to set up and can stream 1080p HD video to your phone, tablet, or computer. | ||
| The Arlo Q Plus has excellent 1080p video quality with 30 frames per second, superb software and programmable scheduling with motion and sound detection. | ||
| The Oco Pro Dome v2 is a plug and play WiFi Full HD Dome camera with Micro SD card and Cloud storage. Maximum resolution is 1080p with 3MPx. | ||
| EZVIZ Mini O 720p has real-time viewing and 2-way audio. It has instant motion alerts so when the EZVIZ Mini O sees something move it immediately takes a picture and sends it to your phone. |
What Is the Amazon Cloud Cam?
The Amazon Cloud Cam is a small, standalone, indoor WiFi security camera for home monitoring that works with an assortment of Alexa devices including Echo Show and Echo Spot. It is easy to set up and can stream 1080p HD video to your phone, tablet, or computer. With an Amazon subscription, it can send you notifications when motion and/or loud noises are detected. Its always-ready motion-detection feature helps to capture activities right from the beginning. We can view live streams, replay motion alert clips, and know when Cloud Cam detects activity.
The Cloud Cam allows you to watch, download, and share the last 24 hours of clips for free. The Amazon Cloud Cam will detect changes in light and switch to night mode automatically. We can also turn off the night vision LEDs manually via the Cloud Cam app. Cloud Cam’s motion detection technology provides customizable notifications.
Product Specs
The Amazon Cloud Cam has a resolution of 1080p HD video with live streaming at 30 frames per second, and a 120-degree field of view. The Amazon Cloud Cam also offers free 24-hour clip storage with optional Cloud Cam storage for a small fee. It works with both iPhone and Android mobile apps. It also offers night vision and two-way audio. Motion alerts and activity zones are available with a Cloud Cam subscription. Its dimensions are 4.1 by 1.7 by 2.4 inches.
It is very easy to set up. Place it on a flat surface or mount it on a wall with the included mounting kit, then plug it in and connect to the WiFi using the Cloud app. The Live View can be rotated 180 degrees in the Cloud Cam App to support ceiling mounting. You can see your Amazon Cloud Cam Live View on supported Fire TV, Fire tablet, Echo Show, and Echo Spot devices. You can also enable Alexa notifications with the Amazon Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Show, Echo Dot, and Echo Spot and use Amazon Cloud Cam's two-way audio on supported Alexa-enabled devices.
To know if you have an Alexa-enabled device that supports the two-way audio, look for a microphone icon on your screen while watching the Live View. The Cloud Cam App is compatible with Fire OS, Android, and iOS devices.
Pricing
The Amazon Cloud Cam can be purchased for around $120 and can be found at retailers such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Amazon, Ebay, and other online marketplaces.
How It Compares
We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
- Arlo Q Plus by Netgear Security Camera
- Oco Pro Dome v2 WiFi Security Camera
- EZVIZ Mini O 720p HD Security Camera
Price | The Amazon Cloud Cam can be purchased for around $120.00 with the option of purchasing a Cloud Cam subscription starting as low as around $7 a month for the basic subscription. We gave the product 4 out of 5 stars. | |
Ease of use | The Amazon Cloud Cam is a plug and use home Security Camera. It's small enough to fit on a shelf, and instructions are easy to follow. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars. | |
Set up Time | Configuring the Amazon Cloud Cam took less than five minutes. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars | |
Design Quality | The Amazon Cloud Cam has dimensions of 4.1 by 1.7 by 2.4 inches and is made of plastic. It does not have a magnetic base. Also, achieving the perfect angle isn't easy due to a less nimble swivel arm. However, it does come with mounting hardware. We gave the product 3 out of 5 stars. | |
Warranty | The Amazon Cloud Cam comes with a limited one-year warranty which is average for Amazon devices. We also had the option of purchasing a 2 or 3 year extended warranty. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars. |
PROS
CONS
The Arlo Q Plus has excellent 1080p video quality with 30 frames per second, superb software and programmable scheduling with motion and sound detection. It also offers a free seven-day cloud-storage plan for up to five cameras. The Arlo Q Plus detects motion up to 50 feet away or 25 feet in night mode and can monitor three specific areas. Built-in microphone and speaker let you hear what happens around the camera and talk back through your phone. The Arlo Q Plus camera also has an SD card slot for local recording. The Arlo Q Plus feature, Arlo Smart adds intelligence to your camera to give you a more personal home security experience. It allows you to customize alerts to detect people, configure specific zones, and contact emergency personnel right from your phone's lock screen.
Price | The price of Netgear Arlo Q Plus is around $220.00. We gave the product 4 out of 5 stars. | |
Ease of use | The Arlo app is simple and direct and is a single interface. We gave the product 4 out of 5 stars. | |
Set up Time | The Arlo Q Plus printed quick start guide was easy to follow, however, the same instructions were given when setting up using a mobile device. We gave the product 5 of 5 stars. | |
Design Quality | The Arlo Q Plus has a 3 x 3 x 1.5-inch diamond-shape which pivots and rotates freely on a ballhead. It has a magnetic base and comes with hardware to attach to a wall. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars. | |
Warranty | The Arlo Q Plus has a one-year warranty. We gave product 5 out of 5 stars. |
PROS
CONS
The Oco Pro Dome v2 is a plug and play WiFi Full HD Dome camera with Micro SD card and Cloud storage. Maximum resolution is 1080p with 3MPx. You get notifications if a motion is detected or other actions are triggered. Oco Pro Dome v2 can be installed outdoors and sustain extreme cold and heat. It requires no monthly fees to access all features like smart motion detection or night vision. It also can zoom in digitally up to 8x. For cloud storage, they have both free and paid plans. For the free plan, you can store motion-based clips in the cloud for 24 hours. The camera is easy to integrate with other video surveillance platforms.
Price | The Oco Pro Dome v2 is around $170.00. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars. | |
Ease of use | The Oco Pro Dome v2 is plug and play with easy installation in under 2 minutes. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars. | |
Set up Time | The Oco Pro Dome v2 sets up in minutes. All you need is internet and a power source. We gave product 5 out of 5 stars. | |
Design Quality | The Oco Pro Dome v2 design has dimensions of 9 x 6 x 5.5 inches and has a unique dome shape. This gives it protection against vandals and most weather conditions. The operating conditions are between negative 14 degrees Fahrenheit to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars. | |
Warranty | The Oco Pro Dome v2 has a one-year warranty. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars. |
PROS
CONS
EZVIZ Mini O 720p has real-time viewing and 2-way audio. It has instant motion alerts so when the EZVIZ Mini O sees something move it immediately takes a picture and sends it to your phone. With the built-in speaker/microphone we could easily listen/talk through the phone. The EZVIZ website allows you to share pictures online. It also has 111 degrees of viewing and audio field. Your video is protected by end-to-end, multilayer protection and the EZVIZ Mini O has three storage options. You can store up to 128GB of video directly on the camera, a dedicated Vault hard drive, or directly to the EZVIZ’s CloudPlay. The EZVIZ Mini O can record to all three options at the same time for added backup just in case the camera is damaged or if your network goes down. Also, there is an optional one-month free cloud storage trial with a seven-day playback included.
Price | The EZVIZ Mini O is around $40.00. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars. | |
Ease of use | Installation was easy. It works with Alexa and it has 2-way audio. We gave the product 4 out of 5 stars. | |
Set up Time | All you need to do is plug in the EZVIZ Mini O and connect to WiFi using the EZVIZ app. We gave product 5 out of 5 stars. | |
Design Quality | The EZVIZ Mini O has dimensions 1.5 x 2.28 x 5 inches, so it is very lightweight. It is shaped like an upside town teardrop, therefore it does not take up a lot of space. It has a magnetic base that makes it easy to place on walls or ceilings. We gave the product 4 out of 5 stars | |
Warranty | EZVIZ Mini O includes lifetime technical support and a 1-year limited warranty. We gave the product 5 out of 5 stars. |
PROS
CONS
Conclusion
In conclusion, the final verdict of the Amazon Cloud Cam is 4 out of 5 stars. We liked the Amazon Cloud Cam because of its crisp 1080p HD live feed, prompt motion notifications, and free 24-hour clip storage. It is also affordable, reliable, and easy to use. The Amazon Cloud Cam app even supports a home/away setting so you can program your camera to turn off when your phone (and probably you) are at home. Amazon Cloud Cam customers also get a free 30-day trial to the camera's advanced subscription features, including setting detection zones and receiving person alerts. Detection zones let you hide motion in certain areas so the camera can focus on another area such as a door, but not the hallway where the door is located. The only qualms we had was that only Amazon subscribers could set motion zones and receive person alerts, and the product was not as well made as others in this review. Also, the storage capacity is only available via Cloud storage, not local storage. Local storage gives you more control, and Cloud storage offers you more convenience. Choosing local or Cloud is a choice depending on your needs. We would recommend this product for DIY home security simply because it works well with nominal effort and expense.
