Since the introduction of the Ring Security Camera, consumer home surveillance has become a significant addition to manysmart homes. Whether finding out who stole your Amazon package or seeing what your kitty Muffins is up to during the day, the home security camera has proven its worth in most people’s lives.
The Tapo C100 is made by TP-Link, known for its excellent Wi-Fi routers, which lends some credibility to the product. With its great video quality, software features, and app compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant, the C100 would be a high-quality addition to your smart home security setup for a price that won’t break the bank.
At $25, the TP-Link Tapo C100 offers a quality home security solution that won’t break the bank. In addition, it features a great app that is fully functional without needing a subscription.
Price and Availability
The Tapo C100 is available from several retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy. The C100 retails for $25 but can routinely be found on Amazon for $20. For $25, the Tapo camera provides a cost-effective solution to cover more areas of your home, allowing you to add more cameras for less of a hit in the wallet.
Design, hardware, and what’s in the box
Taking a look inside the Tapo C100’s box, you will find the device, a three-meter power cord, and two screws with wall plugs to greet you. Also included is a handy sticker that gives the exact spacing you need for the screws. The sticker saves you from measuring the distance, making the installation a breeze.
The camera is 2.7 inches wide and 2.1 inches deep, making for a compact and light package. With the stand, the entire assembly is 3.9 inches tall. Above the LED status light, you can find the primary 1080p camera. The front of the device also houses the IR sensors for night vision and the microphone for two-way communication.
The microSD card slot and reset button reside on the left side of the camera housing. You will find the power port on the bottom of the camera unit with the mounting points and rubber feet on the bottom of the stand. The rubber feet work well to hold the camera in place. you’re able to confidently place this on several surfaces without worrying about slippage.
While setup might not seem complicated, I’ve seen companies turn this process into one of pure pain. Connection and pairing issues often plague the configuration of other cameras, making the prospect of a burglary less of a hassle by comparison.
Software, features, video quality
The Tapo C100 takes advantage of the pre-existing Tapo smart home ecosystem. Because of the app’s quality, the camera features are even easier to use and function smoothly. Once you give your camera a name and location, you can dive into the device’s various functions.
In addition to security, pet and baby monitoring allows you to view and hear your children (both with fur and without) from different parts of your home.
While I’ve used two-way communication on smart cameras before, I really enjoyed the voice call feature on the Tapo. It allows for a continuous conversation instead of the walkie-talkie style communication that is standard on other cameras (it’s still fun to add in the occasional “10-4” or “Over” when talking to your cat, though).
The camera’s speakers do an adequate job, but I recommend testing to get the right audio level of both the microphone and speaker. You can adjust the audio levels from the Tapo app; a lower level prevents sound distortion.
Privacy mode will stop recording on a selected camera, which allows for discretion during costume changes. If you have people over for a party or a holiday, switching off areas of the home you don’t want to be monitored is easy. A couple of clicks in the Tapo app, and it’s done.
Night mode works well. The IR sensors capture sharp details while not blowing out the image if there are stray light sources. If you want the camera to be less detectable at night, you can turn off the LED status light in the app.
If someone does try to test your home security, you can activate the alarm. If paired with your Alexa or Google Assistant devices, you can turn on lights, and the camera emits a sound. So not only are you alerted to a potential problem, but any intruders may be startled and deterred by the commotion.
Another great feature of the Tapo C100 is its AI detection settings. you may specify person detection without a subscription and even turn on baby crying detection. In addition, you can crop the camera’s view to omit zones of high traffic.
For example, if part of your camera catches a view of the kitchen, you can remove that section from movement notifications so no one will know about your midnight snacking.
you’re able to also record videos on-demand and have them saved to your phone or tablet storage without the need for a subscription. The Tapo app provides smooth playback and arranges the files using the same calendar-style setup.
Video quality is crisp and clear on the C100. The camera quality is set to 720p by default in order to save recording space, but I recommend turning that up to the full 1080p resolution. Although competitors and even Tapo offer 2K video quality cameras, it’s hard to argue with the result for the price. The field of view of the C100 is 105 degrees, less than the 110 or even 116 offered by more expensive units such as the Blink Mini andWyze Cam v3 Pro.
Connectivity: Do I have to worry?
Thankfully, some TP-Link Wi-Fi router DNA seems to have reached the Tapo C100. I simulated a power outage by pulling the cord on both my Wi-Fi and the camera. After restoring power to both devices, the C100 reconnected to my Wi-Fi, and within a couple of minutes, I could access the camera through the app. The Tapo can only use 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, but it’s plenty fast enough to handle the 1080p video feed.
Competition: What else is out there?
The Blink Mini and Wyze Cam v3 compete with the C100. The Blink Mini sells for $32 and offers a 110-degree field of view for more coverage. However, it is still limited to 1080p in resolution. The Wyze Cam v3 is $35 but capable of color-night vision and IP65 rated for outdoor use.
The difference maker for the C100 is the price and the app experience without a subscription. For $25, you get a full-functioning home security solution that doesn’t put features behind a paywall.
Should you buy it?
If you are looking for cost-effective home security, the Tapo C100 should be at the top of your list. While 2K resolution is preferred, the extra cameras you can cover your home with due to the lower price outweigh any negatives of the 1080p limitation. As a result of spending $25 per C100, adding multiple cameras to your system doesn’t get exorbitantly expensive. In addition, I like that the subscription service is available but not needed for a great experience.
With a first-rate app experience, reliable connectivity, and a decent-quality image, your home will be kept safe, and your cat will be able to ignore you virtually.
