If you want to see who is outside your door before you open it, a peephole camera can help.
It’s a tiny camera designed to fit in your door’s peephole. You can then view a live feed on the camera’s screen or on a connected monitor.
In this in-depth buying guide, we review the best peephole cameras you can buy online. We’ve picked different sizes, styles and prices to ensure you find the best one for your needs and budget.
But before we get to the reviews, here are the important factors to consider when shopping for a peephole camera.
What to Consider when Buying a Peephole Camera
a) Size
Peephole cameras have two size specifications:
- Door thickness: Check that your door is within the thickness range recommended by the manufacturer.
- Peephole diameter: Make sure your existing peephole is compatible with the camera. If it’s small, use an electric drill to widen it.
b) Integrated Display and SD Card
There are two types of peephole cameras: the simple ones that consist only of a camera lens and standalone cameras that have everything integrated into one system.
The first types are the cheapest. On the downside, you have to connect the camera to your TV or DVR to view and record videos and images.
Standalone cameras are pricier but more convenient to use.
In addition to the camera lens, they also have a display screen to view images and an SD card for recording. Most also use replaceable batteries, saving you the trouble of having to plug in the camera.
c) Viewing Angle
Viewing angle determines how well you can see someone outside the door. A wide angle is important if there are two or three people.
Get a peephole camera with an angle of at least 70 degrees. For a clear image, look for one with a field of view of at least 100 degrees.
d) Video Quality
Generally, peephole cameras have a poorer image/video quality compared to full-fledged security cameras.
Just make sure the quality is not so bad that you cannot make out someone standing outside the door.
Also check the camera’s nighttime capabilities. Most suck in low light but there are some with night vision.
e) Extra Features
Some of the extra features to look out for include:
- Motion detection: The camera starts recording automatically when it detects motion.
- Two-way audio: This allows you to talk to someone outside the door. It’s provides a safe way to ask a stranger what they need without opening the door.
- Nighttime vision: If you are particularly concerned about your safety at night, get a peephole camera with IR capability for nighttime viewing.
- Wireless capability: If you don’t want to have to walk up to the door to see who’s there get a wireless peephole camera. It will transmit the live feed straight to an app on your phone or tablet, allowing you to know who is at the door even when you are at the office.
The Best Peephole Camera Reviews
1. Brinno shc500 Peephole Camera
This is a standalone peephole camera meaning you don’t need any external device to view the camera’s feed.
It includes a 2.7” internal monitor that displays what’s happening outside the door and can also record images and videos for playback later (requires SD card, max 32GB).
This makes installation easy and fast. You don’t have to connect extra cables running to a separate monitor or DVR.
The integrated screen may be tiny but it displays high quality images.
The camera lens itself is tiny and hard to notice from the outside.
It provides a wide view angle of 90 degrees, making it easy to see taller individuals or a group of people. If you want a close-up look, you can zoom in to a 40-degree angle.
Installation is super easy. You don’t need any tools and there are no cables or wires. The camera works with most doors ranging between 1.69” to 3.14” in thickness.
For power, it uses 4 AA batteries. For recording, you’ll need to get an SD card separately. The company recommends a 32GB Class 10 SD card.
What we like about it:
- Standalone design – makes installation easy.
- Wide viewing angle with zoom option.
- Comes with record and playback capabilities.
- Decent image/video quality.
2. prsTECH® DoorCAM DC1 Digital Door Viewer Peephole
The Brinno peephole camera is cool but pricey. If you want a simpler cheaper door cam, get this one by prsTECH.
It’s nothing fancy but it will do.
It looks like one of those tiny cable cameras used in movies by police or spies.
The 1m cable with a tiny peephole camera on its end connects to a 3.5” screen that displays a live feed from outside your door.
The image quality is fairly good even in low light. It’s of course not as good as that from a security camera but it’s clear enough to identify faces at a glance.
With a viewing angle of 120-degrees, the camera can easily show if there’s more than one person. The wide angle is also handy for recognizing taller guests.
The camera is super easy to install. It works on any door with a thickness between 38mm and 110mm. Just make sure that the existing peephole is 14mm wide.
If it’s smaller, you’ll have to drill it wider.
The cam is self-contained.
For power, it uses 4 AA batteries. For recording, it uses an SD card. So there’s no need to run cables from the camera to a DVR or an outlet.
Note that neither the batteries nor the SD card are included.
What we like about it:
- Cheaper but good quality.
- Easy to install – it is self-contained.
- Extra-wide viewing angle.
- Suitable for most doors.
3. ePathChina® PAL3.6mm Focus Lens
If you are looking for a cheap peephole camera with motion detection, we recommend this one.
The picture quality is low especially in the dark but it’s good enough for up close views.
Unlike some of the other cameras, this setup consists only of a camera lens and a cable. There’s no integrated recorder.
Instead, you connect the camera with an external device such as such as a DVR or TV monitor. Every time you want to see who is at the front door, you have to switch your TV to AV mode.
The camera’s 70-degree viewing angle is not the widest but it’s adequate for most people’s needs. It can capture 2-3 people standing outside your door.
What we like about it:
- Easy to install.
- Motion detection.
- Inexpensive.
4. Yale Digital Door Viewer
This is a cheaper alternative to the Brinno shc500.
The design is roughly the same as the Brinno camera: a standalone system with the camera lens on the outside and a display screen on the inside.
Yale’s screen is wider – 3.5” – making it easier to quickly recognize someone standing outside the door.
The Yale camera also has a wider angle – 105 degrees – that covers a wider area. If you have a couple or more guests outside, you can see them all.
Video quality is not nearly as good but it’s better compared to other peephole cameras in the same price range.
At night however, you are better off just shouting to ask who is at the door. Unless you have a bright light just outside the door, image quality is very poor.
The camera uses 2 AAA batteries so you don’t have to plug it in.
Note that this is just a door viewer. It does not have internal memory or an SD card slot. You also cannot connect it to a DVR.
That means it does not record images or video.
That’s not a big deal if you only want something that will show you who is outside the door. But if you want to record images and play back videos from earlier in the day, get one of the other cameras with an SD card slot.
What we like about it:
- Complete system – easier and faster to install.
- Large display screen.
- Wide viewing angle.
- 10-second auto switch off increases battery life.
5. Shrxy Security Camera
If you are looking for a peephole camera with an ultra-wide viewing angle, we recommend the Shrxy security camera with its 170-degree field of view.
The relatively poor image quality does water down the benefits of the wide-angle lens a bit but most people will find the close up view to be good enough.
Just don’t expect to get anything close to clear image at night.
The Shrxy camera consists of just the lens and a cable. If you want to view images, you have to connect it to an external monitor or DVR.
As for power, it requires a 12V power source. Unless you already have a compatible 12V adaptor around your home, make sure you buy the version that comes with the adaptor.
There’s a slightly cheaper version that comes without it.
What we like about it:
- Wide field of view.
- Easy to install.
- Decent image quality.
