Choosing the right security camera for your home can be a bit tricky. With tons of choices that offer similar looking features, it’s hard to tell what could set them apart.

Wireless cameras offer a lot of benefits. Aside from portability, they are flexible and easy to install. Blink, Arlo and Homeboy are all great options when it comes to cordless home monitoring. To help you pick the best one, here’s a comparison of the essential features you should be looking out for.

Overview

Blink is a Do It Yourself surveillance system that includes a cordless camera, the Sync and its app. It also has an optional Blink Alarm that can scream a 105dB siren for added security. The camera is cordless but the system is not entirely wireless. The Sync, which links together all your Blink units, needs to be connected to a power outlet. The device has been successfully funded on Kickstarter and is now currently in its shipping phase.

Arlo, meanwhile, is also a wireless camera that you stick on a surface using its magnetic base. It comes as a successor to Netgear’s earlier Vuezone. Similar to Blink, this camera also relies on its base station, a router-like looking device, to communicate information to you.

Homeboy is cordless and spherical in shape. It works completely on batteries. It has free 30-day cloud storage and its own IFTTT channel. These features enable you to connect the camera to your existing smart devices at home by creating your own recipes. It’s the only one among the three devices that can work on its own.

Video Quality

Blink	Arlo	Homeboy
1280 x 1080	1280 x 720	640 x 480

Blink ranks on top with the highest video resolution. Aside from this, similar with Arlo, it can also support live streaming. Homeboy, on the other hand, is at a low 640×480. While live streaming isn’t possible with this device, it can give you short video clips on demand. Its range goes between 5 and seconds.

In terms of field of vision, Arlo offers the widest view at 130 degrees. Blink is marked at 110 degrees while Homeboy is at 82 degrees. As for night vision, all three cameras can monitor well during the night. Blink relies on its LED Illuminator to enable you to see color even if it’s dark.

Mounting and Range

Blink	Arlo	Homeboy
100 feet	Maximum: 300 feet	NA

Blink  includes a mounting bracket which you can attach to your walls either by its screw or an adhesive tape. You can rotate the bracket to any orientation you want or open or close its hinges for better coverage. Keep in mind that your Blink camera needs to be within a 100 feet from the Sync.

Homeboy, meanwhile, includes an adhesive strip at the back of its base. You simply need to peel off the protective cover and press the base to your wall for half a minute. To ensure a stronger attachment, you may need to wait for a full hour before attaching your camera to its base.

Arlo is a bit different from the two in that it can be used both indoors and outdoors. It has a mounting base which you can use to set the camera wherever you want. It has a minimum of 6 ½ feet and maximum of 300 feet range from the base.

Battery

Blink	Arlo	Homeboy
1 year	3-6 months	2-3 months

Since these cameras are wireless, battery life becomes one of their distinguishing features. Because any downtime in your camera can weaken your security, you’d want to find a camera that wouldn’t require frequent charging.

Blink offers the longest battery life that can last up to a year. This was made possible through Immedia Semi’s own proprietary chip. Keep in mind that this battery life should be expected with the camera’s standard use. This means 4,000 5-second video clips in a year.

Homeboy is also reliable in terms of its battery life. A single charge can last up to 2 to 3 months. Although Arlo markets their camera with a 3 to 6 months battery life, there are factors that can lengthen or shorten this span. One of these factors includes the camera settings.

Functionality

	Blink	Arlo	Homeboy
Storage	Free 7,200 seconds Cloud storage and USB port	Free 7 days Cloud storage	Free 30 days Cloud Storage
Audio	(+) One-way	(-)	(+)
Motion Sensor	(+)	(+)	(+)

Blink is capable of detecting motions. There’s the option to set how you want each camera to respond to suspicious movements such as your notifications and the length of the clips. It also includes both online and offline storages. It offers a free Cloud storage for 7,200 seconds of clips. You can share these clips with your friends by downloading them to a flash drive through the USB slot in the Sync module. As for audio, Blink only has a built-in microphone for one-way communication. Aside from these features, it can also detect and alert you of your home’s temperature.

Arlo, meanwhile, lacks audio but can send you alerts once there’s a suspicious movement at home. It can notify you either by sending you an email or by push notifications to your phone. All recordings can be stored in the free Cloud storage you get when you buy the device. If you want to improve your security, there’s the option to add Arlo Q, an indoor camera that boasts a two-way talk feature, night vision capability and the ability to work on its own.

Homeboy, because of its IFTTT channel, can do a lot of things for you. Other than motion detection, there’s also the option to connect this camera to your smart lights, thermostats or your existing security system at home. It includes free 30 day Cloud storage.

THE CHECKLIST:

Homeboy is the only cordless camera that has its own IFTTT channel.
Arlo doesn’t have an audio feature.
Homeboy doesn’t offer live streaming.
Blink has the longest battery life at one year.
Homeboy doesn’t require a base station to work.