The 7 Best Infrared Security Camera For 2024

What’s your take on a good CCTV system? Regardless of the budget at hand, a good surveillance system should allow you to keep an eye on your property throughout the whole day. And this is why choosing the best infrared security camera is vital, be it for home or business monitoring.

The kind of infrared security cameras we’re referring to here are not those for thermal imaging (will talk about these types next week). We’re specifically referring to the infrared night vision cameras that bring you the old-school ‘black & white” footage.

Of course, many manufacturers have now gone for the Spotlight security cameras that bring you full-color recording at night. But most of the products still support infrared night vision, either in 940nm or 850nm mode.

Visible vs Invisible Infrared Security Camera

First, a spotlight/ floodlight security camera is still a much better option than the infrared. In colored night vision, the CCTV system gets to pick important details like the color of the clothes the intruder wore, tattoos, and the color of the get-away car. You can even identify people’s faces if the camera has a superior sensor.

Nonetheless, an infrared night vision security camera is still great, and in some cases better than the spotlight/ floodlight camera. A perfect example is when you want to monitor inside your house or outdoors covertly without giving out the location of your system.

Even so, a 940nm infrared (IR) night vision security camera will be the best for covert surveillance. The type of IR LED lights are usually invisible to the human eye- hence the reason they’re also common on baby monitors.

One thing to point out is that the IR LED lights at 940nm wavelength don’t illuminate as far as the regular 850nm LEDs. The 850nm IR LED lights can illuminate as far as 1000ft, which is more than ten times farther than most 940nm systems would.

Conversely, the 850nm IR lights have a visible red light when active at night. As per the camera at hand, the red glow can be either bright or dull. But in either case, the truth is that the camera won’t be as good for discreet monitoring.

Features, Pros, & Cons of the Best Infrared Security Camera in 2024

Best Overall: Blink Outdoor WiFi infrared security Camera

No products found.

The Blink Outdoor is my first recommendation if looking for a good infrared security camera. It has a perfect balance of price and features, starting with a versatile design you can efficiently use indoors or outdoors.

Part of the cool design is a compact size that you will find easy to hide in/ with things either indoors or outdoors. Then the 850nm infrared LED light on the face of the camera can be easily turned on/ off from the mobile app. Thus, making it usable in baby nurseries without being intrusive.

As for the footage quality, Blink innovated the WiFi security camera with a 2MP that records in 1080p Full HD. The videos aren’t the sharpest, for sure, especially when you zoom in on a distant object. However, they’re clear enough to identify faces for near objects- colors are easy to identify for objects up to 40+ft.

Pros:

• It has a reasonable pricing
• Has a sturdy, weatherproof build
• Supports Alexa for hands-free control
• Works well in areas with no wired power
• Includes audio recording & two-way talk
• It’s straightforward to set up & operate

Cons:

• It has no continuous video recording
• Lacks its own built-in local storage
• It has no intelligent motion detection

Best of Design: SV3C PT Dome Infrared Security Camera

The SV3C (C22) is the overall best infrared security camera if you’ve got a large property to monitor. We’re not happy the manufacturer tends to advertise the system as a PTZ camera while there’s no optical zoom.

However, you do get up to 355° pan (the head rotates horizontally) and 90° tilt (vertical rotation). This makes sure you get to keep an eye on your area with no blind spots for the intruder to hide. Then there’s also an intelligent auto-tracking feature where the camera eye can lock into an object and follow it around.

The camera eye comprises a 5MP sensor that records footage in 2K Super-HD quality, which is twice sharper than the standard 1080p resolution. You can even zoom the objects that are slightly farther away without pixelation.

Pros:

• It has a sleek, rugged design
• Has 8 powerful 850nm IR LED lights
• Supports audio recording & two-way talk
• Includes (24/7) continuous video recording
• Has ONVIF compliance for third-party systems
• You can record footage for free on a MicroSD card

Cons:

• The instructions are a bit vague
• You cannot turn off the infrared LED lights
• It can only record for 15 seconds in motion-activated mode

Best of DVR: Swann Add-On Infrared Security Camera

If you have an analog Swann DVR system, this camera can be an excellent replacement for a damaged one. It can also work as an add-on camera, whereby you can add it to a vacant port of your recorder. And since the product comes with the necessary accessories, you should be able to put it up immediately with no issues.

At 2.1MP, the image sensor of the camera records in 1080p Full HD quality. It also has a dozen powerful 850nm IR LED lights, which improve nighttime visibility at up to 100 – 130 feet.

Moreover, Swann innovated the bullet camera with a 90-degree field of view. It also comes with the brand’s proprietary True Detect™ (PIR) sensor. And for that, you get to receive fewer false alerts, as the sensor trigger from only large warm bodies like humans, animals, or cars.

Pros:

• It has a reasonable pricing
• Delivers decent night vision
• Has a sturdy polycarbonate housing
• Comes with everything needed to install
•  It can work either outdoors or indoors

Cons:

• It has no audio function
• You can’t use it without a recorder
• Its mounting brackets lack directional control

Best of Covert: Interwebz Mini Dome Camera Hybrid Infrared Security Camera

Do you need an analog camera you can efficiently use for covert surveillance? As the name advertises, the Interwebz Mini Dome Camera assumes a small design (golf ball-size) that’s so easy to hide with things outside. It also has a dome design that you can use indoors without being intrusive.

As an analog tech, the camera works as an add-on or replacement for a digital video recorder (DVR). It’s ONVIF compliant, meaning you can use it with Amcrest, Lorex, and other brands of recorders (with ONVIF compliance).

In addition, the security camera has a 2MP image sensor, which isn’t the sharpest, for sure. But it does deliver the standard 1080p video resolution that’s pretty enough for most applications.

Pros:

• It’s so cheap to purchase
• Has a rugged, metal housing
• Offers decent infrared night vision
• Features an excellent field of view (78°)
• You can mount outdoors without water/ dust damage

Cons:

• It’s tricky to work as a standalone
• Doesn’t support any audio functions
• It has limited physical adjustment

Best of Budget: GMK Wireless infrared security camera

At fifty bucks, the GMK CG6 is the best infrared security camera if on a tight budget. It also supports dual night vision modes, including in color (from a built-in spotlight) and black & white.

The security camera has a 2MP image sensor that records footage in 1080p Full HD resolution. Then it has a wide lens that covers a large scene of your property with minimal blind spots.

Thanks to its built-in rechargeable battery and WiFi capability, the security camera assumes a 100% wire-free design. And this makes it easy to use in locations inaccessible to wired power.

Even better, the GMK team designed the wireless camera with a slot to insert a MicroSD card. So, it can continue to record during WiFi outages or areas with no internet connection.

Pros:

• It’s so cheap to afford
• Delivers decent video quality
• So easy to set up & operate
• Has no renewable monthly fees
• You can share access with multiple devices
• It supports audio recording & two-way talk

Cons:

• It can only work with 2.4GHz WiFi
• Has no continuous video recording
• It sends rather many false alerts

Best of Value: DEKCO Soloar Infrared Security Cameras 360°

First, we’re not too pleased DEKCO describes the security as PTZ while there’s no optical zoom feature. But once installed, it’s a pretty decent system, starting with video recording in 2K Full HD.

At night, the security camera gives you the option to record in color, courtesy of the two integrated spotlights. It also has infrared LED lights that can illuminate objects up to 60+ feet away.

As a 360-degree security camera, you’ll also have complete coverage of your area. Then the integrated solar panel makes sure it has a constant power supply throughout the year.

Pros:

• It delivers excellent video quality
• Has multiple deterrence features
• Supports audio recording & two-way talk
• Includes a built-in slot to put a microSD card
• You can set it for only humanoid/ person detection
• It can work in areas inaccessible/ with no wired power

Cons:

• It doesn’t work with 5G WiFi
• Has no continuous video recording
• It has a rather flimsy (plastic) mounting bracket

Best Alternative: Night Owl Replacement Infrared Security Camera

Do you have a Night Owl THD 3.0 DVR system? The bullet camera here could be an excellent replacement for your damaged or missing one. It has a 3MP image sensor that delivers video footage in 2K Full HD resolution.

Other features you may like on the Night Owl analog camera include:

• It has a rugged, IP66-rated build
• Has a wide, 80-degree field of view
• Easy to adjust the direction of the camera
• It includes superior night vision of up to 130ft

Drawbacks:

• It can’t work as a standalone
• Has no audio functions
• It sends rather many false alerts

Common Related Questions:

Final Thoughts:

A color night vision security camera is still the best option to record footage with more details at night. However, an infrared camera is still great in the darkness. Some people actually prefer it, especially for the inconspicuousness.

Furthermore, infrared night vision can be handy when you have a large property and would like to see even objects farther away. Then for indoor surveillance, you can’t have the lights of the room or those built into your camera on, anyways.

As for the question of the best infrared security camera, the Blink Outdoor is still my first recommendation. But if looking for something contemporary, the SV3C (C22) has a Pan-Tilt design that also includes object lock and auto Tracking. Then the Interwebz Mini Dome Camera will be great addition or replacement for your ONVIF-supported analog digital video recorder.