This is the under $26 security camera I used to monitor my cats while on vacation

The holidays in Europe are approaching and the things to plan before leaving home are piling up: packing your suitcases, watering the plants, unplugging some appliances so that they do not consume energy… The list is long, but it multiplies in case you I have a cat, which in my case is two and with a certain tendency to fight for whatever reason, in addition to the fact that one of them suffers from sporadic epileptic seizures. Fortunately, Xiaomi’s automatic feeders and drinkers already exist, and there are even litter boxes that clean themselves and are controlled from your mobile phone, but it never hurts. be able to consult them whenever you want to make sure everything is in order and they didn’t turn your house into a big cat clan.

The best thing to do in these cases is to contact a neighbor or family member who regularly visits the house. indoor security cameraswhich have advanced considerably in recent years and are available in much more compact sizes, have better resolution and features such as automatic motion detection. The Amazon Rings are one of the best options, but at EL ESPAÑOL – El Androide Libre we wanted to try one of their cheap alternatives, The A1 2K from the Chinese brand Imouand check how good value for money it is.

Among its most notable features, the A1 2K offers truly remarkable image quality, with a maximum QHD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels360 degree rotation controlled via app, infrared sensor to record activity also at night and the possibility of using an SD card to not depend on a paid service on the cloud. On Amazon, it is available for 54.90 dollars, but at Leroy Merlin it is on sale for only 25.99 dollars.

Compact and versatile

Indoor cameras, designed more for monitoring babies or pets than possible intrusions from other people’s friends, are essential to be small and discreet. In this case, the Imou A1 2K meets perfection, with a one-piece design and integrated support with measurements of 108.1 × 77.4 × 77.4 mm.

The black and white plastic set weighs just 210 grams and can be easily placed on any surface or upside down on the ceilingthanks to the mounting plate, screws and dowels needed for its fixing included in the box. After trying several places in the room to get the best possible angle, this did not go unnoticed by my cats, with a stubborn fixation to knock over any element located high up from the ground.

For this reason, but also for its form, for its fisheye lens and possibility of 355° rotation in pan and between -5 and 80° tiltthe best option is undoubtedly to install it on the ceiling. The problem, and this is one of the important points to take into account, is that it requires a constant connection to the electrical network via a 5V charger, which implies a slightly more complex installation and limits the places where it can be installed. position yourself.

The USB-A input for the power cable is located on the back, alongside an Ethernet connection, although it is also It has wireless connection via Wi-Fi. On the front, moving the lens upwards, you discover a reset button and the slot for the SD card (not included), with a capacity of up to 256 GB to review the videos for free and avoid the “obligation” to pay for the cloud service offered by Imou himself.

Easy to set up

To start the whole process, you need to download the Imou Life app, available on Google Play and the Apple Store. By following the instructions in the app, you just need to read the QR located at the bottom of the camera and enter the Wi-Fi network password to start receiving the signal from the device and manage all available options.

In the main view, the one that offers live video, The camera can be oriented using a joystick-type buttonalthough it is much more advisable to use the directional arrows, as they are very sensitive to each press and can be a bit frustrating to get the desired frame. In any case, the ability to move the camera remotely from the app is a great advantage, compared to other models that do not offer this option.

Smart tracking function supports Automatically move the camera lens when motion is detectedbut in the case of cats it didn’t always work properly. As for people, which it identifies quite accurately, it had no problems and you can program it to send you a notification in those cases.

From the app you can also manage the resolution (it usually asks to lower it due to “bad network connection”, even if the Wi-Fi works perfectly), access playback of recorded clipsadjust storage management or privacy mode, which closes the camera shutter when you’re home.

Two very interesting features, especially for those of us who want the camera to monitor pets, are the two-way audio transmission. The A1 2K has microphones to hear what’s going on in the room, as well as a small speaker to be able to speak and attract attention or calm cats if they are in trouble.

As for the images, they are received and recorded in color during the day, while at night or in periods of low light they turn into black and white, since the camera lacks integrated LEDs. In any case, the quality is more than sufficient for everyday use, superior to that offered by other more expensive models, and it also has 8x digital zoom that is activated by enlarging the display screen.

As for storage, the most convenient option is to subscribe to the cloud service offered by Imou Protect. After the 7-day trial, they offer you a monthly plan at 2.89 dollars per month (one camera only) and 28.99 dollars per year. The plan includes up to one month of video history in the cloud, improved AI detection, and device sharing with up to 20 users, among other benefits. However, The SD card option up to 256GB is not to be sneezed atbecause at this maximum capacity it offers recordings of up to 24 days in FullHD quality.

Should I buy it?

In the competitive sector of security devices, most focus on protection against unwanted intrusions. However, there are users like me who only need to be able to control one or more rooms of the house when we are away, mainly to make sure that our pets are okay. There is a wide disparity in price and quality, but I checked that cheap alternatives like the Imou A1 2K can be a good solution.

This small indoor camera offers excellent image quality 24 hours a daythe ability to choose the angle and tilt in a simple and intuitive way and has interesting functions such as motion detection (even if it is not infallible) or the possibility of two-way communication thanks to the integrated microphone and speaker. Its main drawback is the need to always connect it to the electrical network, which limits the possible places where it can be installed.

After testing it for about 15 days, this camera available for sale at Leroy Merlín for only 25.99 dollars meets almost all the requirements to be a good purchase, especially for its excellent quality/price ratio. The possibility of using an SD card instead of the platform’s cloud service is one of its great assets, and I’m already thinking about filling the house with them to organize a Big Brother chat..