Best Hidden Cameras – 2023 Recommendations

Picking a hidden camera is not easy, is it? There are a ton of brands and models to choose from and no easy way to tell them apart. So we created a quick and easy guide to help you choose the best hidden camera for your needs in 2023!

Please note that our hidden camera recommendations below are only for the purpose of complementing your existing CCTV camera setup, and not for illegal or unethical purposes.

While visible CCTV cameras are a great deterrent for the outside of your home, you may want discreet hidden cameras inside your home to capture the identities of burglars should the worst happen. Strategically placing hidden cameras outside your home to cover the visible security cameras is also a great idea in case burglars attack the more prominent cameras first.

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Best Hidden Wireless Cameras with PIR Motion Detection and Night Vision

These cameras are great multi-purpose hidden cameras and can also be used as nanny spy cameras or in nursing homes.

Wi-Fi Hidden Camera Clock

The hidden camera market is filled with hundreds of products from dubious sounding Chinese manufacturers. So its useful to look for something that has been sold for quite some time and has lots of good reviews.

This is one such device – a 1080p digital video camera hidden inside a functional desk clock. It tells the time in a blue font and does a very good job of looking like an ordinary desk clock. Very close inspection can reveal the lens located to the right of the display, but only if you know where to look.

This hidden camera has a ton of features. Load it up with a microSD card and it can record video clips onto it. If the card gets full, it will over-write the oldest clips. Clips can either be recorded 24/7 (loop recording) or whenever the camera detects motion. There is a PIR sensor, so motion detection is accurate and you won’t get lots of useless clips recorded where nothing’s happening.

Night vision is standard with the built-in Infrared LEDs. Since this spy camera has Wi-Fi, you can connect to this camera anytime from anywhere and live-stream or access recorded clips. The mobile app is called HD Live Cam app. You can also add multiple cameras to the app and view them simultaneously like with an NVR! Pretty neat. The app can also send push notifications in real-time using P2P.

Power is provided through a standard 5V USB port, but there is a generously sized 3000 mAh battery that can provide backup power for up to 8 hours. But I suggest keeping it plugged in as much as possible.

What are the down-sides of this camera? There is no RTSP or ONVIF support, so you wont be able to connect it to an NVR, Blue Iris, Synology or QNAP NAS Surveillance Station.

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4K Wi-Fi Mini Spy Camera

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• 1.6×1.6×1.6 inches
• 4K resolution
• Night vision with true IR-cut filter
• Upto 32GB SD card storage, loop recording
• PIR Motion Detection
• 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
• 3000 mAh rechargeable battery

This is a very small 4K digital video camera that makes no effort to hide its true nature. The camera is a cube type with a prominent lens on one side. This is a camera that you will need to well and truly hide!

But what you get in return is a stupendous 160° wide-angle lens and 16 feet of true night vision range.

There’s no wireless connection on offer here, so the only way you can record and view clips is using an SD card. It is designed for quick deployment as evidence by the two dedicated buttons for activation loop recording or motion detection.

This impressive camera packs in not just Infrared LEDs for night vision, but also a PIR sensor for true heat-based motion detection.

Power is as usual provided through a standard 5V USB port, but there is also a large 3000 mAh battery on board giving 18 hours of operation time.

Since there is no wireless connection or Ethernet port on this camera, there is no mobile app, RTSP, or ONVIF support here. This camera is purpose-built for hiding inside an object and then being left alone to do its thing.

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Best Tiny Hidden Camera

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• 1.3×1.5×0.4 inches
• 1080p resolution
• Night vision
• Audio recording
• Motion detection
• Loop recording

This hidden camera is the tiniest one we have found so far. The compact size doesn’t mean the camera compromises on quality as it sports a 1080p sensor and Wi-Fi! You also get motion detection or continuous recording that overwrites older clips when the microSD card gets full (loop recording).

Using the optional Wi-Fi connection, you can remote view this camera from anywhere in the world!

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Best Hidden Cameras with Wi-Fi Hotspot

If you want to avoid physically accessing your hidden camera once it has been installed and there is no Wi-Fi available at the installation point, get this camera with Wi-Fi hotspot function.

You can use the camera in three ways:

• Connect to the camera’s built-in hotspot to view recorded clips
• Connect the camera to your Wi-Fi router (if available)
• Record clips to an SD card

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Best Hidden Cameras with Bluetooth

Best Hidden Camera with Bluetooth Speaker, Clock and FM Radio

Its not easy to find a multi-purpose hidden camera that can also do double duty as your FM radio. This 3 inch cube is a mini marvel packing in an invisible camera, night vision, a Bluetooth speaker, digital clock and FM radio. It supports loop recording and motion detection. The camera is AC powered but includes a rechargeable battery for when the power goes down. You can disable the digital clock.

Want a Bluetooth speaker with a hidden camera? Throw in a digital alarm clock & FM radio too! It even has Wi-Fi support and a mobile app for live remote viewing. Great idea and great execution in this product which has a virtually invisible camera hidden inside a fully functioning Bluetooth speaker.

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Best Hidden Cameras with Long-life battery

Camera hidden as a Picture Frame

The camera in this picture frame is designed for remaining hidden for extended periods of time thanks to its massive 10,000 mAh battery and low power requirements. This camera has a 1 year standby period when fully charged and in PIR motion detection mode!

Unusually this camera has Wi-Fi capability and a mobile app. So whenever motion is detected, it immediately sends a push notification to the mobile app. You can then view a live-stream of what the camera sees, from anywhere in the world.

The camera also has infrared LEDs and true night vision with a range of 5-8 metres.

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Best Outdoor Hidden Security Cameras

Reolink Argus 3 Pro

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• 4MP / 2K resolution
• 2.4GHz/5GHz band Wi-Fi
• Up to 128 GB SD card storage
• PIR / Person / Vehicle motion detection
• 6000 mAh rechargeable battery
• 2-way audio with built-in speaker & mic
• Optional solar panel
• Google Assistant supported

We reviewed the original Argus outdoor camera and really liked its design, features and impressive performance. The successor Argus 2 swapped out the CR123A batteries for a rechargeable Samsung battery back with a humongous 5200 mAh capacity. Now the Argus 3 is here with an even bigger 6000 mAh battery, colour night vision with built-in white LED, and smart detection of persons and vehicles.

The camera has a very good 122 degree field of view and a 1/3″ CMOS sensor. These specs set the Argus 3 Pro on a different level compared to most other portable cameras on the market. PIR based motion detection is very good even at night-time, but you also have person and vehicle motion detection available. 2-way audio is supported with the built-in speaker and microphone. Of course, this is a outdoor camera and so is IP65 rated.

Setting up the camera is a doddle and Wi-Fi support means that you can live-stream as well as access recorded clips remotely through the mobile app.

Best 4G LTE Battery-powered Cellular Hidden Camera

Reolink Go Plus

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• 2MP / 4K resolution
• 3G and 4G LTE cellular support
• Up to 128 GB SD card storage
• PIR / Person / Vehicle motion detection
• 7800 mAh rechargeable battery
• 2-way audio with built-in speaker & mic
• Optional solar panel
• Google Assistant supported

What if you need to install a hidden camera that has to be 100% self-sufficient and cannot be connected to Wi-Fi? That’s where the new Reolink Go Plus is the best choice. This battery powered waterproof camera has a 4G LTE radio that lets it work anywhere there is an LTE signal. It also supports 3G and WCDMA across Europe, America and Australia.

It shares most of its hardware features with the Reolink Argus 2, but has a beefier 7800 mAh battery to power its cellular radios. The battery should last 2 months or 500 minutes of live-view or PIR motion recording.

What to look for in a hidden camera

Size of the camera

Perhaps the most important factor in choosing a hidden camera is its size. This depends on whether you want to hide the camera or leave it in plain sight because it is already disguised as an everyday object. The larger models tend to have more features.

Video resolution

You should look for 1080p or 2 Megapixel resolution but 720p may be acceptable if your target scene is not too far away from the camera.

SD Card recording

Virtually all hidden cameras have this feature. Just pop in a microSD card and the camera will record video and audio clips to it. Cameras usually let you choose between recording motion detection clips or continuous recording by overwriting old clips (called loop recording).

Motion-activated recording

This is a great feature which conserves both storage space on your SD card and battery life. PIR based motion detection is preferable because it leads to fewer false alerts/recordings than software based detection.

24/7 Recording

Also called loop recording, most hidden cameras can overwrite older clips when the SD card gets full. So the camera will never run out of storage space. The downside is you will have to access the camera frequently to copy off clips before they get overwritten.

Night vision

Infrared LEDs are used to provide true night vision. This is an essential feature that most hidden cameras have. What varies a lot is the range of the LEDs and how bright they get.

Audio support

Note that in some countries it is illegal to record audio without permission and so you may find cameras compliant with local law will not record audio. Make sure you do not break any local laws or regulations while using hidden cameras.

Battery life

Obviously, the larger the battery energy storage capacity expressed in mAh (milli Amp-hour), the longer it is going to last. Motion detection mode has lower power consumption than continuous recording. Disabling night vision will also lengthen battery life.

AC power support

However good the battery is, your hidden camera is not going to last forever. More so if you are placing it outside your home or in the garden where battery life will be negatively affected by low temperatures. That’s why its great if the camera can run on AC power and charge its battery while operating.

Wireless/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth

If you want to live-stream the camera video, you need to get a camera with Wi-Fi support. Bluetooth is usually used only for connecting a smartphone to a camera that has a bluetooth speaker, not to live stream or access recorded clips.

Live Streaming

This is a very useful feature whereby you can view the camera video feed in real time. While setting up the camera, its good to see what the camera is aimed at. If you want to remotely access the camera video feed, once again look for this feature.

Weather-proofing

If your camera is going to spend any time outside the home, make sure it is rated for weather and rain. IP65 is my preferred rating but anything better is great.

Conclusion

There is a hidden camera for every situation under the sun. We hope this guide has been useful in selecting your hidden camera. Let us know what you think – what or who have you caught using your hidden cameras?