The 7 Best Pet Cameras of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Apr 29, 2024

The Eufy Pet Dog Camera came out on top

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PEOPLE / LETICIA ALMEIDA

One of the hardest parts about being a pet owner is seeing their little face in the door when you leave the house. Short of never leaving (tempting!), the cure to this heartbreak is being able to watch your pet from afar… via a pet camera. Even celebrities like JoJo Fletcher and Brittany Snow have been seen using the popular Furbo to keep an eye on their beloved dogs while they’re away.

“Pet cameras are an extremely valuable tool for monitoring your pet while you're away, or even just out of the room,” applied animal behaviorist Lillian Ciardelli, ACAAB, tells PEOPLE. Many of the latest models come with features so you can watch and speak to your dog throughout the day, throw dog treats, detect when they’re running around or barking, and so much more. “We use them often when working with pets who suffer from separation-related distress,” she says. “The voice and treat delivery features can be good for some dogs and contexts, but we don't recommend them for helping with separation training.”

We compiled 17 of the most popular pet cameras available and tested them to see how well they would work for the average pet parent. Some setups proved simple while others caused minor challenges when connecting to apps. At the end of the day, we came away with our favorite seven easy-to-use pet cameras.

Read on for the best pet cameras that PEOPLE Tested.

Amazon

Setup takes less than five minutes, including logging into the app

Has many extra features beyond camera, including a treat dispenser and two-way audio

The 270-degree swivel lets you scan a whole room to find your pet

The Dog Diary doesn’t require a subscription

It’s the second most expensive camera on our list

It cannot be mounted

The activity log doesn’t always store videos of your pet throughout the day

For a pet camera that lets you watch your fur baby from afar, while talking to them, dispensing their favorite treats, and keeping track of their movements for a one-time price, look to the Eufy Pet Dog Camera. Connected using an app, this pet camera was a hit during testing. Setup involves a quick scan of a QR code, and a few steps on your phone.

The camera, which comes with night vision and motion detection, proved effective and functional during our tests. The video was beautifully clear in both day mode and night mode. All of the controls (voice, treat, and motion) were highly responsive to commands from the app.

We appreciated the variety of features and noted how well each performed. The treat dispenser worked efficiently without spewing treats in every direction and the night vision went on automatically after the testing lab lights were turned off. With a 270-degree rotation, this camera provides a wide range of vision. Our team also appreciated how responsive the app was especially with screenshots and video recordings from the camera.

We also liked the design, especially the classic white shell and medium size. You can easily store it on the edge of a table or counter to keep eyes on your pet. The only downside we noted was the higher price and that the pet camera can’t be mounted, but despite its cost, it’s a good value. Considering all of the features, the high resolution camera, and the interactive and responsive app, the Eufy camera more than earned our top spot among the best pet cameras.

How it’s held up:

PEOPLE senior commerce writer Madison Yauger has had the Eufy Pet Dog camera for over six months. “I bought the camera to keep eyes on my newly adopted puppy and I have thoroughly appreciated all the features,” she says. “I like how it can swivel so you can scan a whole room if your dog is hiding in one corner or another, and the livestream keeps me at ease when I’m away — especially since it notifies you on your phone if your dog is moving or making noise.” She says the only con is that the activity log doesn’t always keep videos from throughout the day, which is frustrating if you want to go back and see what your pet was up to earlier.

Price at time of publish: $139.99

People / Leticia Almeida

Walmart

Instructions make for an easy setup of the device and the app

High resolution video camera with HD and SD options

360-degree view for full visibility

There’s no treat dispenser

The camera cannot be mounted

This simple and compact camera is an affordable and well-designed device to watch your pets when you’re not home. The manual contained every instruction you need for an easy setup, and we found it easy to plug in the device and set up the app. For being a budget option, this camera actually exceeded our expectations.

With features like 360-degree monitoring and night vision, this camera will have eyes on your pet all day. We liked that the camera had clear video quality as well as options like HD and SD. We also appreciated the microphone aspect and how it provided clear audio when speaking to your pet. The actual device is super compact and portable, and our team loved all of the camera features. The camera’s affordability, high quality, and performance make it an impressive option.

Price at time of publish: $33.99

People / Leticia Almeida

Amazon

Has a simple setup and interactive app

The night vision is clear

It has bark detection and motion sensors for dogs and people

You can go back and look at the activity time log throughout the day

The camera requires a subscription for Dog Diary

It cannot be mounted

It’s the most expensive camera on our list

As one of the most popular pet cameras, you might have heard of the Furbo. With a sophisticated design that blends into most spaces and features like motion- and bark-detection, night vision, treat dispensing, and two-way audio, this little camera has it all.

It takes very little time to connect to the internet, and the process to set up an account is just as simple. The model we tested had a 160-degree view, but has been replaced with a newer model with 360-degree mobility. We thought the video and audio quality were both great, including the night vision — and we appreciated the wide field of vision. The treat dispenser was a highlight, throwing two to four treats out with each swipe on the app, and there’s a guide to help you introduce this feature to your pet.

Overall, the Furbo is probably one of the best looking pet cameras we tried and felt very solid. However, our team noted that there’s no wall mounting support. If you opt in for the standalone camera without the Dog Nanny Subscription, it costs a $210 flat fee, the most expensive price on our list. However, you can also buy a bundle package with the base camera for $79 (with coupon) and the Dog Nanny Subscription (which lets you access videos of your dog throughout the day) for an additional $6.99 a month. Given all of the features and stunning design, we believe this is a great pet camera if you’re willing to invest.

How it’s held up:

Yauger’s family has had the Furbo camera to watch their dog for a little over two years and for the most part, it has held up well. All of the features work as advertised, and the camera quality is fantastic. “Since I moved to New York and our family’s dog lives in Florida, I’ll check the Furbo every now and then to catch a glimpse of her and see what she’s up to,” says Yauger. Overall, it works really well, but it does go offline sometimes and has to be restarted.

Price at time of publish: $79 (with coupon)–$210

People / Leticia Almeida

Amazon

It can be mounted

It’s weather-resistant, and can be used indoors and outdoors

Can record 24/7 with sound and motion detection

It doesn’t include extra features

Setup needed more clear instructions

While this security camera is basic in features, it offers resistance against inclement weather making it ideal as an outdoor pet camera. The setup is completely done within the app, so if you have a good Wi-Fi connection it shouldn’t take too long (though the instructions could have been clearer).

Though limited in quantity, there are several features that impressed our team during testing. We liked that it can record video and take photos that can be saved on your phone. The overall sound quality and other features like motion detection and night vision seemed to work well too.

Since this model is mountable, it’s very lightweight and compact, and could be adjusted to view different angles. Our team liked the intuitive app and small size of this camera. It could be beneficial for those with smaller apartments, or whose pets mostly stay in one room. It should be noted that if you do mount this camera outside, you’ll need to purchase the Wyze Outdoor Power Adapter (sold separately).

Price at time of publish: $32.25

People / Leticia Almeida

Amazon

Pre-set mobile patterns designed to entertain and interact with your pet

Multi-person access to app for check-ins throughout the day

Has a long-lasting battery

The cat stick is hard to attach

Movement might scare anxious pets

If you move the camera using the remote, there’s a lag time with the video

Using a remote control app, you can move this little robot camera around your home to see what your pet is up to. The controller has pre-programmed movements to make the owl turn in different directions, move in a wavy line, and other playful maneuvers to entertain your pet.

Compared to stationary cameras, this option can detect when your pet is near or even touching the camera. Our team appreciated the ease of setup: Just download the app, scan a QR code, and the device connects automatically. The performance of the rest of the features — 2-way audio, motion detection, and treat dispenser — also proved efficient. If you have a cat at home, there’s an option of attaching a cat stick to the front of the camera for added entertainment. While the video quality is great, if you move the owl camera around with the remote control, there’s a bit of a lag with the video timing.

Overall, this is a great pet camera that also entertains your companion, but as a word of caution — if your pet is anxious around devices, this might not be the right camera for them. We would suggest seeing how they react to it while you’re home before leaving your pet alone with it.

Price at time of publish: $169.99

People / Leticia Almeida

Amazon

Straightforward setup and quick connection to Wi-Fi

Includes extra features like night vision and two-way audio

Can be mounted or placed on level surface

There’s no treat dispenser

If you want a camera to keep tabs on your pet and your house, this Kasa security camera offers a superior view of all things happening in your home. With 360-degree views, you can control this camera through an app on your phone to tilt or angle in any direction. We appreciated how quickly it connected to the Wi-Fi and its ease of setup.

The design is sleek and compact, and the camera can either be set on a table or mounted. The extra features (such as night vision and two-way audio) performed well and the video quality held up to expectations. The night vision video quality was clear as day, and the microphone has adjustable sensitivity so you can modify it based on how noisy the area is.

Overall, our team thought this was a reliable and effective security camera. We liked the motion control feature on the app, and how easy the camera was to move around. The camera has all the basic features at a good price.

Price at time of publish: $29.99

People / Leticia Almeida

Amazon

User-friendly setup that took less than five minutes

Can view up to four cameras on app with premium video quality

It can be mounted or placed on a surface

There’s no treat dispenser

Our team collectively swooned over this simple and efficient security pet camera. It was quick and easy to set up after downloading the app. You just scan the QR code and it connects to Wi-Fi in less than five minutes. The app is also user-friendly and lets you change various settings with ease.

In terms of performance, all aspects of the camera met and exceeded expectations. We appreciated the clear quality of the video and audio features: We could even hear sounds of dogs barking nearby. We could easily see the dog moving around as well as their surroundings when using the night vision feature. The app would send notifications when motion was detected and follow the movement with the camera (as well as taking time-stamped stills).

We expected a higher price considering all of the features that come with this pet camera. The notifications were almost instantaneous — it would be a good camera for security reasons as well as watching your pet, since there’s an alarm feature. Plus, the detailed notes about movement and time-stamped log makes it easy to access all that info later. In addition, this device can connect to your smart devices so you can turn the lights on remotely — and other security measures — if the camera detects movement.

Price at time of publish: $36.99

People / Leticia Almeida

The type of camera you purchase will depend on your (and your pet's) needs. For instance, if you are primarily keeping an eye on your pet and house, then a security camera like the Wyze Cam V3 or Kasa Indoor Security Camera would be a good option because these cameras can function both as a pet and a home security camera.

However, if you want extra features like the ability to talk with your pets, throw treats, and more, you might want a more well-rounded camera like the Eufy Pet Dog Camera, Furbo Dog Camera, or even a mobile camera like the Skymee Owl Robot.

You might love the idea of being able to send your pet a little treat when you’re away, but this feature’s success depends on your dog. “The treat dispensers are a hit or miss,” says Ciardelli, who works with many animals at Behave Atlanta LLC. “Some pets can enjoy a treat or two while their owners are gone. However, highly food-driven pets may try to dismantle the camera to get the treats out or obsess and stay glued to the spot where treats come from.”

The other side of this coin is when the pet is afraid of digital devices so they run away when treats are dispensed. “If the pet is anxious about departures, it's unlikely to eat the treats anyway,” Ciardelli says. “Our goal is for pets to be relaxed while we are out of the house — not startled by a treat machine or vigilantly waiting for treats to be dispensed. The remote treat function can be a cool, creative training tool at other times (think dispensing treats to a dog behind a dog gate while the owner hosts a dinner party), it just shouldn't be relied on to help pets cope with being left alone.”

Not all pet cameras have video recording capabilities, but many of the options on our list do. This feature, whether as a dog diary recap or as security footage sent to the cloud, can be a fun way to keep track of the comings and goings of your pet. For instance, with a Furbo, you can use the dog diary feature when traveling to see a recap of what your dog is up to throughout the day, rather than watching the feed constantly.

Some cameras have a specific feature like this that creates a summarized video of the day’s events, and others allow you to look through footage and save certain videos to an SD card or the cloud. With the Furbo’s dog diary, it does require an additional subscription, but the other cameras on our list offer similar features for no additional cost.

Speaking of cost, pet cameras range a bit in that regard. The most budget-friendly option on our list is the YI Technologies Dome Pet Camera for just $27. (And the Blurams Security Camera 2K is temporarily on sale for $23.10.) That said, our best overall, the Eufy Pet Dog Camera will run you just shy of $200, in addition to the Furbo Dog Camera which sits at $210. Whatever your budget, there is a pet camera that will serve your needs without going above your monetary limit.

While two-way audio can be a fun way to engage with your pet, this voice feature is not ideal for all dogs. “The voice feature can be startling and potentially confusing/frustrating because the owner isn't physically there,” says Ciardelli. “It's possible that in an emergency situation one could intentionally startle their pet or stop them from doing something they're not supposed to. However, we prefer pet owners use other tools to prevent situations like that rather than rely on catching their pet in the act and shouting at them over the camera. It's best to use the camera to see what the pet gets up to when the owners are gone, and then create a better setup next time before they leave.”

Yes and no. Technically, they have the capacity to record 24/7, but most pet cameras are activated by motion-detection, meaning they won’t actively record unless you, someone else, or your pet are walking through the room. If you’re worried about privacy concerns — let’s say if multiple people in your family have access to your camera via the app — then you can always unplug the camera at certain times.

And like all smart home devices, you want to make sure your Wi-Fi is secure to prevent potential hacks. For added security, make sure your Wi-Fi router has an encrypted password system, and consider measures like two-factor authentication and strong passwords that aren’t easily guessed.

This really depends on the space you live in. Some cameras have mounting capabilities which could come in handy in a smaller apartment or a space that has blind spots from certain angles, but it depends on your pet, space, and the type of camera you get. “In terms of placement, place [the camera] where you have the best view of the areas your pet is likely to hang out (usually high up is best),” says Ciardelli. “The camera should be out of reach, especially if dispensing treats. Make sure the treats don't launch onto a counter or skid under a table, otherwise you might come home to some destruction.”

PEOPLE / LETICIA ALMEIDA

Taking 17 of the top-rated pet cameras and a very cute stuffed animal dog, we simulated watching your pet from afar to see how well each device worked. Our team considered the ease of setup, overall performance of the camera, functionality of each feature, design, and value to determine which products were the doggone best.

We used the included instructions to set each camera up, connect to Wi-Fi if applicable, and download the app to our phones. Then we tested the actual cameras looking at audio and video quality, and checking features like night vision by turning the lights off. Our team simulated barking using a sound audio clip and examined how well the camera picked up the noise and if it followed the movement of the “dog” and people in the space.

For cameras that have treat dispensers, we tried that feature 10 times per camera to see how the functionality was and tested each additional feature, like the mobility of the owl camera. After all testing, we considered the price and assigned a value to each pet camera, which led our team to choose our seven favorites.

Madison Yauger is a senior commerce writer for PEOPLE who’s tested hundreds of lifestyle products across all categories. With a background in news and lifestyle journalism, she has a wide network of expert sources and a penchant for accuracy. For this story, she interviewed applied animal behaviorist Lillian Ciardelli, ACAAB, to learn how pet behavior might be affected by the use of a pet camera. She also researched the pet camera market and used testing insights from our PEOPLE Tested lab to determine which pet cameras deserved a spot on our list. We looked at extra features, compared the video and audio quality, and evaluated how well each pet camera worked.

We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.

But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.

In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.

How it’s held up:Price at time of publish: $139.99View: Lens:Treat dispenser:2-way Audio:Dog Diary: Subscription:App: Special Features: Price at time of publish: $33.99View: Lens:Treat dispenser:2-way Audio:Dog Diary: Subscription:App: Special Features: How it’s held up:Price at time of publish: $79 (with coupon)–$210View: Lens:Treat dispenser:2-way Audio:Dog Diary: Subscription:App: Special Features: Price at time of publish: $32.25View: Lens:Treat dispenser:2-way Audio:Dog Diary: Subscription:App: Special Features: Price at time of publish: $169.99View: Lens:Treat dispenser:2-way Audio:Dog Diary: Subscription:App: Special Features: Price at time of publish: $29.99View: Lens:Treat dispenser:2-way Audio:Dog Diary: Subscription:App: Special Features: Price at time of publish: $36.99View: Lens:Treat dispenser:2-way Audio:Dog Diary: Subscription:App: Special Features:

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