Best Smoke Detector Camera

Smoke Detector Camera1

The MEAUOTOU Wi-Fi Hidden is our pick for the best smoke detector camera, which has a wide viewing angle of up to 78 degrees. It uses Wifi at 2.4G wireless and it is compatible with most operating systems. It can support up to 64GB of storage and it can be easily mounted onto the ceiling.

Our step-up pick is the Heymoko 1080P Wireless and it is at full HD resolution at 1080p and it can store up to 128 GB of SD card memory. It is a non-invasive design that can be installed anywhere and can be monitored from anywhere due to the wireless connection. It has a wider angle of up to 110 degrees.

The budget pick is the Littleadd Hidden 1080P and it is also at full HD and can be easily charged when connected to your computer. It can store up to 10 hours of continuous recording and it also uses motion detection so that it will only record when there is movement that is detected.

A Little Background

A smoke detector camera is a kind of device that lets you detect if there is smoke or a possible source of fire within an area, such as an apartment or building. This monitoring device for fire hazards can be handy in saving a person's life, as well as the properties that are involved, because it can help detect the earliest signs of fire in a visual way.

Fire hazards on any building can be dangerous for all. They can come from many sources, such as smoking indoors, burnt cooking, a burning oven, a candle left overnight and many others. Either way, the problem is that were are not perfect as humans, when it comes down to checking for fire hazards, and this is why we can count on a monitoring device for fire hazards to help keep us safe and sound.

Not all smoke detectors can work 100% all the time, so you will need a camera to do the added job. This is when a monitoring device for fire hazards can do the work for you. What it does is it visually isolates any detected smoke from the background, characterized by its gray color and appearance, and will alarm or alert the authorities of the building or said area for safety.

One possible fire hazard is smoking. The problem with this is that if the cigarette ends up in flammable material then there is a big chance that it could be a fire hazard that can cause a fire. Detecting something from a cigarette source, especially for places like bars, is something in which you can get benefits from a monitoring device for fire hazards.

Another fire hazard is burnt cooking. If you left your cooking burning then it will produce smoke, which can be a fire hazard. It will also potentially spread onto the rest of the house or area and will possibly start a fire that can damage properties and the like. You will also definitely need a monitoring device for fire hazards for this.

A monitoring device is important for any kind of establishment. This is because it can set peace and order within the area and not let anyone or anything get out of hand. One such example would be the closed circuit cameras or CCTV, which are installed in most public and private areas to keep watch of crime and other things that can possibly go wrong.

If you want to ensure safety and order in an area, having a monitoring device is not enough. You have to give a job or task to someone that they should watch over the footage at all times, so that when something does go wrong at that moment in time, you can easily respond to that kind of trouble, such as a robbery or a fire. It can also help people to save them from accidents.

Among the many places where you can install or set up this kind of monitoring device are apartments, condo units, business establishments, offices and even large homes. You can also install them in public places like hospitals, sports centers, gyms, schools, event centers, malls, shopping centers, places of worship and much more. These places will greatly benefit from it because of the fact that it can help protect these places from direct harm.

How we Picked

In choosing the best smoke detector camera, you should consider the following:

Detection range: it should have an easy detection range, so that you can be able to detect the smoke even in low light conditions. Part of what makes a monitoring device for fire hazards effective is the fact that it can detect for farther distances.

Quality of footage taken: you should consider a monitoring device for fire hazards that presents a higher quality of footage, so that it will be able to detect the smoke much easily than with low quality devices out there. You have to consider a monitoring device for fire hazards that is of high definition.

Ease of installation: you should also consider a monitoring device for fire hazards that is easy to install and that comes with all of the hardware and connections that you need, such as wires and the like.

Technology used: most of these kinds of monitoring device for fire hazards are made with Wi-Fi technology, so that you can monitor your home or establishment in real time, just like how you would monitor any kind of establishment with a CCTV camera system. This is important so that you don’t have to be on the site or control room all the time in order to watch over your place or area.

Runtime: most of these monitoring device for fire hazards can run for up to 36 hours but it also depends on the type of power that is used for it, whether it is a battery powered one or if it is an AC powered unit. Either way, you have to consider a monitoring device for fire hazards that is very handy when it comes down to its longer runtime so that it will last longer.

Capacity of footages: you also have to consider a monitoring device for fire hazards that can also come with an SD card for ease of saving and storing your digital files or videos, so that you can review them later or even use them as supplementary evidence in court when it comes down to legal cases.

Our Pick

As our top pick, we chose the MEAUOTOU Wi-Fi Hidden, which can be supported by many operating systems out there and uses wireless technology for its connection and monitoring. It is at full HD at 1080p so it is at high definition for you to record and monitor your home or area. It can support up to 64GB of storage and it can easily do an overriding function, just like other hidden monitors.

It has an angle of 78 degrees for recording so it is just right for most people. There are no flashing lights so that you will find it very discreet and unobtrusive and people will definitely think that it is a smoke detector. It can support any kind of micro SD for ease of saving your videos. It can also have a zoom feature so that you can get the close-up view of something or someone who is suspicious.

Flaws but Not Dealbrakers

While not a deal breaker, the MEAUOTOU Wi-Fi Hidden can be hard to hide with its cord, but with a few DIY tricks, it is doable.

Step-up Pick

The Heymoko 1080P Wireless is our step-up pick, which can store up to 128 GB in its SD card storage. It can also act as a baby monitor and as a pet monitor and can be a great indoor unit to consider. It runs and captures on full HD at 1080p and has a wide angle of up to 110 degrees. It can have up to 24 hours recording straight so it is great for all day monitoring.

It can charge and record at the same time as well and it can easily play back your video history whenever you wish. It uses wireless technology and it can help you to monitor anytime and anywhere with real time detection. It also has a night mode and a motion detection feature that can save battery life and only record whenever it needs to record motion. The real time footage can be easily viewed on your phone whenever possible.

Budget Pick

The Littleadd Hidden 1080P is our budget pick, which can record up to 8 hours (HD videos only) continuously and can support up to 32 GB. It can easily transfer files using the included USB cable to your computer and it can also function for Skype calling as a webcam when you don’t have one. It can be remote controlled up to a distance of 15 meters and it has a wide lens view of up to 78 degrees.

It is a must-have for surveillance purposes and security, as well as for monitoring babies, children and the elderly. It has great motion detection features so it saves battery life. It can have up to 10 hours of recording for non-HD footage. It is easy to install onto any wall or ceiling because it includes all of the screws needed for it to be installed.

Best Smoke Detector Camera with Noise Reduction

The Wiseup 700TVL Indoor is a great unit that has noise reduction so that it can help you distinguish things in the dark much easier than before. It has an Effio CCD sensor in which the technology can greatly help with the light detection and the low light noise elimination due to the DNR technology. It has both PAL and NTSC modes at 976 x 494 for NTSC and 976 x 582 for PAL.

It can be used as a great indoor unit that will be very discreet and hidden in its design. It also has SBLC or Super Back Light Compensation technology so that it can produce clearer images. It has an audio ratio of than 52dB and it has a working voltage of 12V DC. It has many options for picture adjustment, such as sharpness, mirror, tone, enhance contrast ratio and others.

Best Smoke Detector Camera with Low Light Sensitivity

The Owlguard 4 MP has great light sensitivity and has a low lux due to the fact that it has a super DWDR technology. It has a high resolution of up to 4 megapixels and it has a CMOS that works for a very long time. It uses HDR or high dynamic range at 1/3 inch with its lens (3.6 mm) and it also has an external POE for its viewing angles.

The videos run at 1080p H.265 or full HD and it can go as far as 30 fps with its compression profile. It has a bit 32 KB  up to 16 Mbps and it can support up to 16 users due to its settings. The external POE has an 802.3af profile and it supports many network protocols. Its effective pixels are 2592 x 1520 and its S/N ratio is at 50 dB.

Best Smoke Detector Camera for Wide Angle Viewing

The MaceView Covert 550TVL is a great choice for those who want something with a wide angle viewing. It uses 12 volts of DC power to power itself up and has a fixed lens at 3.7 mm in its width. It has a low light feature, which is characterized by 0.3 lux and f/2.0 feature. It can produce really super sharp images so you can detect any kind of activity inside the vicinity.

It can be easily mounted onto any ceiling and it can be used on both residential or commercial places. The good thing about its included pinhole focus-free lens is that it can view a wide angle so that you can reach many places at once without having to compromise on safety and security.

Best Smoke Detector Camera in Full HD

The icemoon Hidden Security is a full HD recording device that also has a remote controller so that you can control it from a distance. It has the ability to save to any micro SD card so you can review the footages later. There is also a motion detection feature so that it can save battery and space in the long run. It can take up to 8 GB of SD card footage.

The continuous recording can take up to 10 hours and it can be easily recharged whenever needed. There is a loop video recorder feature available so that it will just overwrite everything if the storage gets full. It also has video time stamping so that you don’t have to guess which clip was taken from and when it was taken.

Best Smoke Detector Camera with Remote Controller

The Novelt'y Hidden Spy comes with a remote controller so that you can easily control it from a distance. The video format when recorded is AVI so you can easily play it back onto any operating system or computer. It has a built-in microphone so that it can record all of the sounds from the footage. It comes with a motion detector so that it will save space in its memory.

You can load up to 32 GB in its memory card capacity for storage. It has a video resolution of 720 x 480 so it is great for those with minimal needs of storage and video size. It has a viewing angle of 72 degrees so it is fairly wide. It comes with a user’s manual, a USB cable, a remote controller and everything that you need to operate it. The distance for the remote control’s effectiveness is at 15m.

Best Smoke Detector Camera for Commercial Establishments

If you have a business then the wanlilei HD 1080P can be a great choice for you. It can detect motion for up to 7 meters away and it also supports up to 16 hours of continuous recording. It can record anything onto your microSD card up to 32GB of size. The good thing is that you don’t have to buy an SD card because it already includes a micro SD card in the package, with the option to upgrade.

For those with business places like shops, warehouses, convenience stores, mall stalls and the like, you can definitely make use of this hidden monitoring device. It works at 1080p resolution in recording and it also has a time display on its files and it has a 1 year warranty and technical support to backup the product.

Best Smoke Detector Camera with Wi-Fi Access

The SCS Enterprises WF-402HAC can be accessed through Wifi because of its IP camera technology. It has a high resolution of up to 1.3 megapixels and it can be easily monitored through any device capable of connecting to the internet. There are no monthly fees for this kind of product when it comes down to the IP access for the address of the monitoring device.

It uses an easy to setup P2P automatic set-up technology so that you can get started on the go when it comes down to recording what’s happening in your place or area. Those with iPhone or Android smart phones can easily view the footage through live streaming and it can record for up to 36 hours of video using any SD card for up to 8 GB. WPA is supported by the login so that your security won’t be compromised.

The Competition

There were others that were not that great in detecting smoke because they are of low quality and they are also hard to set up, so we did not include them in this list. Also, the technology is still relatively new, so there weren't as many smoke detector cameras out there yet as you think.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a CCTV?

A: A closed circuit television monitoring device or CCTV monitoring device is a kind of monitoring device or monitoring device that is installed in any establishment or area so that you can monitor what is happening around the place without having to station too much rounding guards in the place. It also gives you visual feedback rather than just radio transmission from guards.

The purpose of a CCTV monitoring device is to help reduce crime rates and prevent unwanted things such as accidents from happening, such as fires and fire hazards. It is a very important thing in business establishments today to keep a closer eye to their business and areas so that they will not lose their investments in the long run.

Q: What is fire hazard detection device?

A: A fire hazard detection device is a kind of device that enables you to know which parts of a building or area requires attention due to a possible sign of fire hazard, which can result in fire later on. It is important to have this in your area because it can help protect your investments later on because you were able to detect a fire hazard.

Q: What are the important uses of a CCTV monitoring device?

A: The CCTV monitoring device has far too many uses in the world today, and this is why they become more of a necessity than a luxury if you have a business or if you just want to keep yourself safe in the long run, such as with the following reasons:

Monitoring visitors

One thing that makes this kind of monitoring device very important today is that it can allow you to keep track of who visits in your home, so that you will know who will be kept in and who will be kept out. This is important if you are in a business or factory and you are prone to having really rude visitors or swindlers around your neighborhood or vicinity. You can use the monitoring device to track them wisely.

Preventing vandalism

You can definitely use the monitoring device so that you can keep track of what is happening indoors and outdoors, such as in the streets. Police and homeowners can see when groups are causing trouble and committing vandalism in their area or a designated area by the use of this kind of monitoring device. This is why you should definitely invest in a monitoring device to help keep track of vandalism threats.

General protection of the public from crime and danger

You can install this kind of monitoring device in your neighborhood or business firm so that you keep your folks safe and sound from the likelihood of crime and other wrongdoings. People who are doing evil acts will think twice before they go and do something that is unplanned. Having a watchful eye from the monitoring device makes it easier to track crime and respond to it right on.

Anti-theft

If your area often gets threats of theft, swindling and the like, especially if it is a high market business establishment, you should definitely get a monitoring device for your place so that you will not be fooled by others. By having a monitoring device, you can easily monitor when something goes wrong or when a suspicious looking person is lurking around your area of operations, trying to do something bad to the public.

Monitor bad behaviors

If you have that really annoying neighbor and you want the police to see without the neighbor knowing, a good way to spy on them is to use a monitoring device like this. In this way, you can easily make complaints to the police or authorities and they can take immediate actions if the rude behaviors are already alarming scandals to the public.

Serve as supplementary evidence in courts

You can also, in some cases, use the footage that has been taken from a monitoring device to serve as a supplementary evidence in courts, especially if it has something to do with a crime, such as theft, murder and many other heinous crimes. Traffic accidents may also be supplemented with the footage that comes from a monitoring device, so make sure you have one if you are more prone to motor accidents in your area.

Evidence for accidents and injuries

There are also great ways that you can use this kind of monitoring device to monitor someone if they ever get into an accident such as in traffic accidents, fire accidents, explosion accidents and the like. These important footages from the monitoring device can help with solving crimes, calculating the damage and knowing which people are involved and which properties are involved in the accident, incident or injury.

Q: Why should you install a CCTV monitoring device at home or in your business?

A: Aside from its many uses, here are reasons why these monitoring devices are becoming more of a necessity rather than a form of luxury nowadays:

1. It can act as a crime deterrent in most societies.

2. Home insurance rates can actually improve with a CCTV monitoring device.

3. You can feel assured because you will have more security with this kind of monitoring device.

Q: How do you know if your CCTV monitoring device has good specs?

A: The specifications of your CCTV monitoring device should be any of the following or higher:

Resolution: at least 640x480 or higher

Frame rate: at least 30 fps or higher

Video format: AVI, at least MJPEG & MPEG4 format

Lens: at least F2.0

Ethernet: at least 802.3af compliant

Image sensor: at least CCD image sensor

Q: What are the benefits of a fire hazard alarm?

A: A fire hazard alarm or a fire hazard detection is a kind of device that identifies if your area is filled with fire hazard. Here are the benefits of which can convince you to install one for your home or area:

Safety from fire risks

Fire hazard alarms and fire hazard detections can know when there is a risk of fire in your home. There are many ways that your home can catch fire, and that is by any kind of flammable source and any fire hazard. After all, where there is fire hazard, there is fire. You should consider installing this in your area or home if you are more prone to having fire hazards in your vicinity, such as with cigarette smoking, burnt cooking and the like.

Not all fire hazard smells like fire hazard

There are some materials that, when burning, do not produce a fire hazard that smells like fire hazard from charcoal or burning wood. Hence, if you are asleep and there is already fire burning due to the fire hazard, you may not be able to smell the fire hazard because it might not smell like charcoal at all, unless there is an alarm.

Most of them are very cheap

Just because you think they are expensive doesn’t mean that you don’t have to buy them. Compared to CCTV monitoring devices, most of these fire hazard alarms or detectors can be super cheap and they can save a life, or many lives. They may also be able to save your important documents, your college diploma, your hard-earned money, or if you’re a musician, your gold record awards.

Q: What are the common mistakes with home security?

A: Most people make mistakes when it comes down to keeping their home security intact, such as with the following:

1. Turning the lights off – actually, turning the lights on is much better so that the burglar will feel like there is someone awake in the house.

2. Posting your location – if you are going somewhere and you are leaving an empty house behind, don’t publicly share your locations and whereabouts because burglars can follow you.

3. Hiding keys in secret locations – don’t think about it, because most burglars already know this kind of style, and will look for them. Instead, entrust them to close friends and family.

Q: Should you rely on man’s best friend in order to deter thieves?

A: While they are good at chasing down burglars, they don’t always work 100%. This is because some thieves can actually get away with dogs, leave unscratched with the loot, and maybe even hurt your dog. What you should do is to combine an alarm system with your dog so that there’s two guarding systems at the same time.

Q: What are the different kinds of fire hazard detections out there?

A: Each type of fire hazard detection has its own properties and here are some of them:

1. Heat detections – they are the ones that can easily detect whether there is a fire when there is some sort of really hot source of energy. There is a detecting element inside the whole thing so that it will work to function and alert you when it has detected an increase in temperature in its surroundings.

2. Fire hazard alarms – they are generally better than heat detections because they can detect fire hazards much easier and much quicker. There are three kinds of fire hazard alarms:

Ionization

Some bits of radioactive material are in this kind of fire hazard detection and electrodes work on its ionization chamber so that it can set the alarm through the ionization process. They are the fastest to respond of all of the fire hazard alarm types out there.

Photoelectric

When the ionization type uses ions, this one is using a light source to set off the alarm. It activates when some source of light is already being scattered by the fire hazard particles.

Combination

If you want something that can easily respond faster to high fires and alarming ones, as well as the low energy fires out there, get one that features photoelectric and ionization in just one unit so that you can get the best of both worlds.

Q: What are some common fire hazards?

A: In order to understand what makes establishments and homes be set on fire, here are some things that are considered fire hazards when they are not managed carefully:

1. Alcohol and alcoholic drinks

2. Candles

3. Burnt cooking and ovens

4. Electrical appliances

5. Gas ranges

6. Smoking

7. Matches and lighters

8. Vehicles

9. Firecrackers

10. Lightning

Q: Which places need a fire hazard detection?

A: If you don’t know yet where to place your fire hazard detection at home or in your business establishment, here are good locations to go do so:

Bedroom

A bedroom is a great place to put your fire hazard detection in, so that it will detect the earliest signs of fire hazards so that you won’t get easily trapped in your own bedroom if you are sleeping at night.

Kitchens

You can place a fire hazard detection in your kitchen, provided that it is kept away from the stoves to avoid false alarms.

Basement

You should also install a fire hazard detection in the basement because there can be some flammable things that are in that area of your house.

Sun room

You should consider getting a fire hazard detection in the sun room as well so that you won’t have problems when it comes down to putting out fires there.

Swimming pool

There are some houses in which the pool area can also be a hazard for fire due to guests probably smoking cigarettes and the like.

Spa areas

If you own a spa and wellness center or if you have your own spa area in the house, you should also put a fire hazard detection there just to be sure.

Living room

The living room is where the family and the guests will most likely spend their time on, so you should definitely put up a fire hazard detection to avoid hazards with the appliances that might cause fire.

Stairway tops

Just like any part of the house, putting a fire hazard detection on the stairway top can help reduce the risks of fire.

Garage

If you keep a vehicle, and an old one at that, you should consider a fire hazard detection on that area of your house to avoid getting fire from any hazard from your vehicle or garage tools.

Q: Should you install a CCTV monitoring device right after a crime or theft that has happened in your area?

A: You should, but you should also take it slower. Just because you don’t have a CCTV system yet doesn’t mean you should get the highest quality possible because you were really mad about the recent breakout. Take time to survey what CCTV type you actually need and how many to put up into your area of business or operations.

Q: How much can a fire hazard detection detect?

A: It depends on the kind of fire hazard detection that you have, but some of them can detect as much as a cigarette smoker in the area. This is for when you have a highly advanced unit that is proven to be much more sensitive to cigarette fire hazard than other units out there. It really depends on the sensitivity of the detection so you can ask the manufacturer or have it tested in your area.

Q: What are the different kinds of CCTV monitoring devices out there?

A: There are many kinds of CCTV monitoring devices out there that you can use, such as the following:

Type of CCTV monitoring device

What it looks like

Benefits of this type of monitoring device

Dome shaped

It is simply a dome shaped one that is of low profile, and is usually used indoors.

It is very easy to install and it is also capable of infrared features. It cannot be easily taken by force or vandalized by people.

Bullet shaped

It looks more elongated like a cylinder shaped monitoring device, and is mostly used for outdoor use. It has a protective top.

It can be used for both indoors and outdoors and it provides high quality resolution. It is mostly easy to install.

C-mount type

The c-mount type is usually rectangular and it is made with quality lenses that can reach as far as up to 40 feet.

You can use them for indoor use and they are usually heavier and bulky, so they can’t be easily taken by force, unlike other smaller sized monitoring devices. They can also adapt to the changing needs in technology today.

Day/night

The day/night monitoring device works like the bullet shaped one but is more suited for both daytime and nighttime operations, hence they are great for outdoor use.

They have infrared capability and can record in both black and white and in full color. They come in many sizes and they are also great for low visibility moments.

PTZ

Also known as the pan tilt zoom, it is usually egg shaped and has special lenses that can be zoomed, tilted and panned.

It has a pan and tilt rotation that makes it very wide angle in its operation. You can use the zoom and autofocus features for specifically targeting a suspect. It also has smart tracking capabilities.

Q: What things can you add to your home security system?

A: If you want an enhanced home security system then you should definitely get the following:

1. Smart locks – these devices can lock your rooms and doors and let people log in and out through their smartphones, making them a safe security system option.

2. Control panel – the control panel can help you control every single aspect of your home security system with great ease.

3. Keypads – these things can help deter crimes such as theft and housebreaking, so that you and your family (and/or business establishment) can stay safe.

4. Sensors – they can detect motion and send an alarm to a certain device to keep you informed of a certain event that has been triggered in your home.

5. Motion sensors – they can detect motion so that you can know when someone is outside of the house and going to try to enter your home.

6. Proximity sensor – these types of sensors can help disarm any existing system that can be used against you.

7. Fire hazard detections – they can detect nearly all kinds of fire hazard and some can also detect levels of carbon monoxide in your home. They can have an audible alarm.

8. Wireless security monitoring device or CCTV monitoring device – these ones are important so that you can monitor all of the rooms and areas of your house for unwanted or suspicious activity.

Q: How do you keep your home security system safe and sound?

A: If you want to keep your existing home security system safe, sound and up to date, here are things you can do:

1. Consider strengthening your exterior locks.

2. Get a solid door that can’t be easily broken down.

3. Get a dog to guard your surroundings at night.

4. Use motion detection lights.

5. Install or upgrade your CCTV monitoring devices.

6. Lock up your important documents in a safe.

7. Consider strengthening your interior locks.

8. Use alarm systems or upgrade them.

9. Add obstructions such as bushes and similar plants.

10. Invest in a smart home system that can be controlled simultaneously in a tablet.

Q: What should you consider when posting in social media when leaving the house?

A: While it can be tempting to post about your recent adventures in Europe when you leave your house, you should take into consideration the following:

1. Be considerate about posting about your location if you have many followers or are a high-profile person, and don’t post successively.

2. If possible, consider posting on a delayed basis or late posting, so that burglars will not know that you have left the house.

3. Consider putting the posts in private rather than publicly if you don’t want many people to find out that you are out of your house.

Q: What should I know about megapixels and CCTV monitoring devices?

A: Most people don’t know what to get when it comes down to the specs and the “megapixels” of a CCTV monitoring device. This is why you should remember these key points:

1. Higher megapixel monitoring devices provide high resolution, but they may not be that good in low light.

2. Megapixels don’t define image quality – your horizontal resolution does.

Q: Are security systems an invasion of privacy for some people?

A: It depends on how they are used. If they are used for deterring crime, then they are definitely not invading any privacy, unless they are used for unjust spying purposes in which to unlawfully put a person to shame without consent.

Q: How do you protect your CCTV monitoring device from lightning threats?

A: Lightning threats can happen, and here’s how to protect your CCTV:

a. Get a surge protector

b. Do proper grounding on your CCTV

c. Don’t mount it to metal areas

d. Go for a UPS for your CCTV

Wrapping It Up

In the long run, we think that the MEAUOTOU Wi-Fi Hidden is our pick for the best smoke detector camera due to the ease of attachment or mounting to any ceiling, the good amount of storage for up to 64GB of support and its fairy wide angle of up to 78 degrees.