Nest Cam Security Camera Review

Nest Cam product overview

The Nest Cam allows you to monitor anywhere in your home – this is a plug and play system which is incredible easy to install – all it needs is a plug socket and a WiFi connection.

You can view a live feed from the camera directly on your smartphone, tablet or PC from anywhere in the world. You are able to receive notifications when sound or movement is detected, making NEST Cam the ideal security device when you’re on holiday or away from the property.

The camera itself records and streams in full 1080p HD, 130 degree wide angle view and zoom, so you always get a detailed view of what’s happening. The unit has built-in night vision means you can see everything clearly at any time of the day. Along with keeping an eye on your home while it’s empty, the Nest Cam also has a number of other uses.  For example it is the perfect baby monitor. Point it at the crib or bed and receive notifications of any noise or movement, so you can relax downstairs while your little one sleeps.

Along with clear audio from the camera, you can speak into your phone or tablet’s microphone to communicate with anyone in the room – ideal for checking up on the dog when you’re out or a family member when they arrive home.

Product detail – what’s included in a Nest Cam

Inside the nest box you will find – 1x Nest Cam Smart Camera, 1x Nest Stand, 1x Wall mounting plate, 1x 3m USB cable, 1x Nest Screws, 1x Nest power adapter.

Nest offer a 2 year manufactures guarantee on the camera itself.

Inside the box you will also find a free trial for Nest aware which gives your more intelligent alerts and 24/7 cloud recording. After the initial trial period, the monthly fee starts at £8 per month.

The camera itself is plug and play so you won’t be spending hours wiring and installing the system.

Positives

• Easy to install – Download the app, connect it to your Wi-Fi network and your camera is connected and ready to live stream and record.
• Good quality camera – 1080p HD camera with night vision IR.
• Professional application on mobiles and desktops.
• Integration with other nest products (thermostat)
• Reliable motion detection

Negatives

• Need to pay monthly subscription fee in order to use the device to its fully potential.
• Only Wi-Fi connection, no Ethernet.
• Unable to save/store footage to a pc or device, have to use the NEST cloud.
• Need a decent internet connection in order to view properly.

Pricing

A single Nest camera system is £159.00 inc VAT.

They do offer a subscription service which starts at £8 a month, Nest Aware gives you more intelligent alerts and 24/7 cloud recording. And you’ll automatically get a free trial. With Nest aware you get person alerts, video history and the create clips feature.

What other reviews are saying

CNET review

“Nest Cam Outdoor is up there with Netgear’s Arlo as a highly recommendable DIY outdoor camera — you’ll just have to decide if you’d rather deal with Nest’s power cord or Arlo’s batteries.”

https://www.cnet.com/uk/products/nest-cam-outdoor/review/

PC Advisor

“The Nest Cam is a well-made piece of hardware that delivers great video, even in the dark. However, the apps and website need a better interface for navigating the timeline and the iOS app needs more features, such as the ability to view your marked video clips, and a way to save videos locally or share them online. In order to be a proper security camera, alerts need to be addressed too. Given that other brands will save a seven-day video history for free, the Nest Cam is fairly poor value. And we’d like to see the option to use your own local storage – perhaps a NAS – to record footage if you don’t want to subscribe.”

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/review/security-cameras/nest-cam-review-uk-3622945/

Examples of what people are saying / reviews of the Nest Cam

The following is a sample of what different customers are saying about the Nest Cam on Amazon.com

“Would be a 5* if nest aware was better value as without nest aware the camera is lacking a few really useful features but £8 or £24 per month is a bit too high cost for those features.”

“The camera is good, quality is excellent but what I do not like and it is what all manufactures are starting to do, that after you purchase a product you need to pay a subscription fee. In the case of the Nest Cam you need to pay 80 – 240 pounds a year depending on the subscription. This cost is per camera and it allows you to record for 10 or 30 days, plus it adds several features as well. Considering the cost of the camera i would expect that should be no cost after the purchase. I simply do not like having to purchase a product then needing to pay a yearly subscription i do not believe this is right.”

“Returning it. The camera was plugged in yet repeatedly failed to show the video. the app failed to connect loads of time. Any activity on the home network such as browsing a movie on netflix killed it. I had to disconnect from wifi then wait over 4g. A robber could have walked in pulled out the camera and left the building by the time the app connected.”

“After a while the device became eerily hot on the back. Too hot to touch for extended period. So much so that I couldn’t possibly feel safe leaving it plugged in unattended while I left the house. For such poor quality the subscription fee was far from worth the price. A poor UX overall.”