A wireless peephole camera might be a good option for some people who want to see who is at the the door and record images or video, but don't want to permanently mount a security camera outside.
These nifty devices simply install in your door in place of a normal peephole, and most installations don't take much more than a few minutes unless you need to drill a hole in a door that doesn't already have a peephole.
On the outside of the door is the camera lens, a speaker and microphone for two-way audio, a doorbell button, and infrared lights to see in the dark if equipped.
On the inside is a display so you can see outside with the camera, and other features depending on the model. They all use rechargeable batteries so a periodic recharging schedule is necessary to keep them working.
They each have their own apps for iOS and Android, and the cameras wireless connectivity lets you see who's at the door from anywhere, and also do other things like receive alerts that someone is there, and even talk to them with the two-way audio intercom functionality.
I got excited when I started reading about these but then found some red flags that would make me avoid a couple of them of them for sure. Keep reading to see what's good and what to watch out for.
Eques VEIU Mini
- VGA resolution camera
- 120° camera angle
- Infrared LED to see in the dark
- 2.8" LCD color display
- Two-way audio intercom
- Motion detection
- microSD card up to 32 GB
- 2.4 GHz WiFi connectivity
- Rechargeable lithium battery
- Free iOS and Android apps
- Doorbell button
- Mostly positive reviews
- Full of features
- VGA resolution is rather low
- Manual could be improved
This model seems to be the most popular and also gets the most positive reviews. Eques Home has several different types of door cameras in their product line.
Even though the VGA camera resolution on this one is very low by today's standards, I feel it should be adequate since it's just designed for viewing the area directly in front of the door and not a wide area or distant objects.
Yale Look
- 720p resolution camera
- 105° camera angle
- Infrared LED to see in the dark
- LCD color display
- Two-way audio intercom
- Motion detection
- microSD card up to 32 GB
- 2.4 GHz WiFi connectivity
- Rechargeable battery
- Free iOS and Android apps
- Doorbell button
- Small unobtrusive outside section
- Easily scrollable timeline of images
- No live video to app on demand
- Mixed reviews and complaints
The Yale Look has almost as many features as the others except for one important feature that many people request. You cannot use the app to view live video from the camera on demand. The only time that the camera activates is when motion is detected or when someone presses the doorbell button.
Reviews are all over the board with this unit. It appears that Yale is working out a few bugs by doing some firmware updates, so we'll see if the reviews start getting better as time goes on.
TIVDIO T-12D
- 720p resolution camera
- 120° camera angle
- Infrared LED to see in the dark
- 2.8" LCD color display
- Two-way audio intercom
- PIR Motion detection
- microSD card up to 32 GB
- 2.4 GHz WiFi connectivity
- Rechargeable battery
- Free iOS and Android apps
- Doorbell button
- Full of features
- Low price
- Company website is embarassing
- No positive reviews to be found
At first glance this seems to have all of the desirable features in a package that costs much less than comparable models. Unfortunately though, I am unable to find much about it other than on Amazon, where there is only one review and it is unfavorable.
This appears to be a newer product, at least to the US market. I went to tivdio.com to try to find out more but this product isn't listed there, though it does appear to be the correct website. The website is incomplete and has sample theme content, some in Chinese. Based on the website alone I would never buy a product from this company.
Funxwe DC04
- 1080p resolution camera
- 130° camera angle
- Infrared LED to see in the dark
- 7" TFT color touch display
- Two-way audio intercom
- PIR Motion detection
- microSD card up to 32 GB
- 2.4 GHz WiFi and optional GSM connectivity
- Rechargeable battery
- Free iOS and Android apps
- Doorbell button
- Full of features
- Optional GSM connectivity
- Not found on company website
- Limited information found online
This seems to be a newer model from Funxwe that is replacing their older models of peephole cameras, though I couldn't find any of them at funxwe.com. They have quite a few models of cameras that they sell but I've never heard of them before this.
Even though this camera has the highest resolution of them all, I'm not sure enough about anything else with it to be able to recommend it.
The optional GSM connectivity is rather interesting. Simply insert your own SIM card to activate it if you have that available in your area.
Final Thoughts
There are many inexpensive peephole cameras with viewers available, but the ones that I listed here are the only ones currently available that I could find with WiFi connectivity and apps so you can get alerts from and interact with the camera and visitors at your door by using your smartphone from anywhere.
These are all powered by rechargeable batteries since most people don't want wires hanging from their door all of the time. I believe all of them can be charged with a cable to a nearby power outlet while they're still mounted on the door.
These are not for everyone but they do fill a unique spot in the market for some people like renters and others who can't install permanent cameras outside, but want the security of seeing who's out there, capturing images and video, and getting alerts when someone is there.