THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO... Security cameras

Install one of these smart security cameras around your home and you've got yourself an extra eye that never sleeps - keeping your property and your loved ones safe

- David Nield

There's now a plethora of devices in the smart home category, with more seemingly arriving every week - but the security camera remains hard to beat as one of the most useful and valuable in terms of bang for your buck. These compact devices act as all-seeing eyes guarding your home, making sure that if someone is there who shouldn't be, you're going to know about it straight away.

If you don't already have a security camera system set up at home, it's the perfect time to invest in one: the days are getting darker earlier, giving would-be intruders more time under the cover of darkness. We're also getting to that period of the year where it's traditional to spend time away from home visiting friends and family, and these devices give you peace of mind when you can't be at home yourself.

Whatever the extras and bonus features, every security camera has one key feature, which is watching out for any signs of motion and then sending a notification to your phone when something is detected. That core functionality can then be augmented in all kinds of ways, whether it's 24/7 video recording, integration with your other smart home devices, or whatever else.

The good news is that you no longer need to spend huge amounts of money or get a professional installation team in to set up a surveillance system at home. These cameras attach themselves to your local Wi-Fi network and largely configure themselves - through an accompanying app on your phone, you can be up and running in just a few minutes. Adding a second or third camera is even more straightforward.

We're also seeing security cameras improve year on year, offering higher resolution video footage and still images, smarter integration with the rest of the devices in your home, improved abilities in terms of being able to identify what's happening in front of them, and so on. The smart home cameras that you can pick up today are the best we've seen yet.