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All reviews, by what the thing does

9 products compared, grouped by what they are for rather than by brand or by price.

  • Codnida YM-COD-Q30S-E

    2K 3MP · 350° pan, 90° tilt · colour night vision · siren · 2.4 GHz only

    A 2K pan-and-tilt outdoor camera with a floodlight and a siren that trigger together on motion. Codnida states auto-tracking, a PIR sensor and custom detection zones, and the camera runs on mains power rather than a battery.

    Best for: A driveway or side passage where the point is to make an approach visible and audible, not just recorded.

    ≈ 30 €

  • Imou S21FEP

    2K 3MP · 355° pan, 90° tilt · full-colour night vision · 110 dB siren · IP66

    Imou states a 3 MP sensor, four night-vision modes including full colour, AI person and vehicle detection and a 110 dB siren, in a dual-antenna housing rated IP66. It sits between the budget cameras and the tracking models in price and in capability.

    Best for: A garden or driveway where false alarms from foliage and insects have already made a cheaper camera unusable.

    ≈ 34 €

  • Reolink RLC-510WA-B

    5MP · dual-band 2.4/5 GHz · 30 m IR · microSD to 512 GB, NVR or FTP · IP66

    A fixed 5 MP bullet camera rather than a pan-and-tilt, and the only camera in this hub that will record to an FTP server or a Reolink NVR as well as to a card. Reolink states dual-band Wi-Fi, person, vehicle and animal detection, and 30 m night vision.

    Best for: Someone who wants a fixed camera pointed at one thing permanently, recorded somewhere other than the camera itself.

    ≈ 70 €

  • Tapo C500

    1080p · 360° pan, 130° tilt · 30 m IR · microSD to 512 GB · IP65

    The cheapest way into a pan-and-tilt outdoor camera that records to its own card. TP-Link states 1080p, a 360° horizontal sweep and night vision to 30 m, and the listing is unusually frank about what the model is not.

    Best for: A first outdoor camera on a wall that already has a socket nearby, where 1080p is enough and the card matters more than the picture.

    ≈ £33 / 31 €

  • Tapo C520WS

    2K 4MP · F1.6 Starlight · 360° pan · IP66 · Wi-Fi or Ethernet

    The model TP-Link points its own budget buyers towards. A 2560 × 1440 sensor behind an F1.6 lens gives colour at night without a spotlight, and unlike most cameras in this price band it can be wired to Ethernet instead of trusting Wi-Fi.

    Best for: An outdoor position where Wi-Fi is unreliable and a network cable can be run, or where colour at night matters more than an unlit image.

    ≈ £46 / 43 €

  • Aqara Smart Lock U200

    Matter over Thread · Apple Home Key · rechargeable Li-ion, 6 months stated · no drilling

    A retrofit lock with native Matter over Thread, so it joins Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa without a vendor bridge. Aqara states Apple Home Key support, a rechargeable battery quoted at up to six months, and a quiet unlocking mode.

    Best for: A household already running Matter or Apple Home, that wants the lock to be part of it rather than another app.

    ≈ £200 / 170 €

  • Nuki Smart Lock Pro (5th gen)

    Retrofit · built-in Wi-Fi, no bridge · Matter · charged at the door · months per charge

    Nuki's fifth-generation lock puts Wi-Fi inside the unit, so remote access needs no bridge or hub, and adds Matter alongside Bluetooth. The battery charges at the door with the supplied cable rather than coming off it.

    Best for: A household that wants remote access without adding another box to the hallway.

    ≈ £189 / 233 €

  • Signstek Smart Lock 128002

    Retrofit · fingerprint, app and Bluetooth · magnetic auto-lock · 6 cells · no drilling

    A retrofit lock that mounts over an existing cylinder with no drilling and no cylinder change. Signstek states fingerprint, app and Bluetooth access, magnetic auto-locking, and six batteries; the existing key still works from outside.

    Best for: A first smart lock, and particularly a rented flat where nothing may be altered.

    ≈ 130 €

  • SwitchBot Lock Ultra

    Retrofit · up to 18 unlock methods · full metal body, 50% slimmer · 9 months stated

    SwitchBot states a next-generation motor, a full metal housing half as thick as its predecessor, up to eighteen unlocking methods with the Matter hub and touchscreen keypad, and a rechargeable main battery quoted at up to nine months.

    Best for: A door where the indoor unit needs to be as unobtrusive as possible, on a household that likes options.

    ≈ 180 €