Having an added layer of home security is always a big plus, giving you greater peace of mind when you are away from home. Being able to look in time-to-time, or receive alerts about activity around your home on your mobile device is a feature no smart home should be without. I have gotten over a month of hands-on time with the Swann’s Wired Floodlight Security Camera and come away thoroughly impressed. Let’s take a look at the device’s extensive features and how they can help keep your home or business safe even when you aren’t around.
Swann Floodlight Camera install
Out of the package the unit comes with everything needed to install it on a standard outdoor wiring junction box. If you have some basic electrical skills, there is nothing too onerous around the setup. Swann makes it easy, thoroughly explaining the steps with the provided instructions and online videos for extra support.
I must warn, before attempting any installation, ensure the electrical breaker is off during the install to avoid electrical shock.
Once you have your personal safety covered, there isn’t much else to worry about with mounting the hardware. You’ll only need a Philips head screwdriver outside of what’s included in the box to get up and running.
Wi-Fi range and cloud storage
The only other caveat is the device must be in range of your Wi-Fi signal or it will be unable to send you notifications and upload videos to the cloud. Based on testing the camera’s performance, it has been extremely reliable even with a midrange Wi-Fi signal available.
The unit does feature a 7-day onboard data storage solution, but the device really shines while connected to the Internet. An online connection provides you with 2 days free cloud storage provided by Swann. Additionally, you can subscribe to a 30-day cloud storage plan, but I found the free option more than ample for my needs. The fact that I could download any captures or videos I needed right to my phone gave me plenty of space for logging.
Safe by SWANN App
Once mounted and connected to power, the unit will need to sync to your home Wi-Fi network. In order to access all the camera’s lighting and recording features, you will need to download the SAFE by Swann App. It is available on the App or Google Play Stores via iOS or Android enabled devices.
Setup was a breeze via the app, taking less than 5 minutes to get up and running on my iPhone. The software is easy to navigate, and the onscreen step-by-step instructions really streamlined setup to get me up and running in no time.
The app acts as a command hub for all of the device’s controls and features. You can toggle the floodlight’s brightness, watch a live feed, activate the alarm, or use the two-way microphone. I love having all these features at my fingertips, and the user interface is well organized for quick access. You can also use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to access voice commands to stream video to a screen—a nice touch for quick access to the camera.
I set up the device to face an alleyway along the side of my home—a previous blind spot that is now well lit and fully monitored 24/7 thanks to the floodlight camera. It’s been intriguing to see what goes on around my property in my absence. It’s mostly mischievous raccoons and frolicking squirrels, but the extra peace of mind is great. Even when I’m not watching the video feed, the camera pushes a notification to my devices. The device tracks movement and automatically records a minute of the activity.
Far from home
I was recently vacationing in Florida, and it allowed me to really put the system to the test. I’m happy to report that it passed with flying colours. There was no lag or delay with notifications, adjusting lighting, or live video with the device in Toronto.
While we were away, we had home renovations happening, and it was great to see who was coming and going. The camera and app always worked, never crashing or requiring a reset; it was seamless even thousands of miles away from home.
Wide range of light and camera options
The Swann Floodlight Camera comes with a bevy of features to help bolster your home monitoring. The first is a 1080p HD camera that gives you a crystal-clear 125° viewing angle of your surroundings. I was surprised with the amount of area I could see down a narrow alley. The lens has great wide-angle capability, giving a greater viewing area. With the wide-angle I could see all the way to the top of my driveway roughly 30 feet away.
If your Internet speed can handle it, you can really ramp up the detail of the video feed; the picture is so sharp I can count the leaves on the ground if I want to. The camera lets you easily make out license plate numbers and facial details day or night. Based on the device’s stellar performance, it’s the next best thing to actually patrolling your own property.
Powerful security lighting
The floodlights are very bright, shining at a maximum of 2500 lumens and leaving no dark corners to hide in. The night vision is also very clear, giving the option to forgo the floods after the sun sets. Even in the dark, the camera provides colour night vision up to 100ft.
You can adjust the settings to light up areas for a set amount of time if motion is detected in the dark. The dual flood lights do not disappoint as they are able to provide excellent coverage where I need it most around my property.
Heat sensing technology
The Swann Floodlight Camera also packs some powerful heat detection sensors, which pick up people, animals, and any heated objects within a few seconds. Swann’s True Detect technology works quite well, as within 1-2 seconds of movement in the camera’s field of vision I get pinged with an activity notification. These nearly real-time alerts help you to respond quickly to any unfolding situations on your property. Thankfully, around my house, it’s mostly just been raccoons trolling me!
Eyes and ears in the sky
The floodlight camera also allows you to listen in and 2-way talk to visitors, or ward off intruders. The audio quality is quite good and can easily pick up a conversation within 10 feet of the camera. In my test runs with the camera, I was able to have full, lag-free discussions with my family. This type of audio interaction is a powerful deterrent to potential intruders. If worse came to worse, you could always sound the floodlight’s alarm and notify the authorities.
A versatile option for smart home security
After testing out Swann’s Floodlight Camera, I couldn’t imagine my smart home security ecosystem without it. If you are looking for a device that has a variety of features to help keep your home secure, Swann has you covered.
The hardware features a sharp 1080p HD picture, True Detect heat-sensing, 2-way audio, and night vision, making it a great choice in securing your home or business. I highly recommend the floodlight camera, so much so that I will be picking up a second one for my back yard.
Check out Best Buy Canada’s full range of security camera options!
