Best CCTV Cameras for Home Security in 2026

I'm going to be straight with you: most "best CCTV camera" articles are written by people who've never installed a single system. They're just comparing spec sheets and Amazon reviews.

We've been installing CCTV across Horsham, Crawley, and the wider Sussex area for years. We've seen what lasts, what fails, and what actually captures usable footage when it matters. This is based on that experience.

The Quick Answer

If you want to skip the detail: Hikvision ColorVu cameras are what we install most. They're not the cheapest, but they deliver genuinely useful colour footage at night without the washed-out look of cheaper cameras. For most homes, a 4-camera ColorVu system with a decent NVR is the sweet spot.

That said, the "best" camera depends entirely on what you're trying to achieve. Let me break it down.

What Actually Matters in a CCTV Camera

Resolution: 4K vs 2K vs 1080p

Everyone asks about resolution first, but here's the thing: a 4K camera with a poor sensor will give you worse footage than a good 2K camera. Resolution is just one part of the picture.

That said, if you need to read number plates or identify faces from a distance, 4K (8MP) does make a real difference. For general coverage of a driveway or garden, 2K (4MP) is usually plenty—and uses less storage.

Night Vision: This Is Where Cheap Cameras Fall Apart

Most break-ins happen at night. Obvious, right? Yet most budget cameras give you grainy, black-and-white footage where you can't tell one person from another.

Colour night vision cameras (like Hikvision's ColorVu range) use larger sensors and supplementary warm lighting to capture full colour footage in near-darkness. The difference is massive. We've had customers go from "I think someone was there" to being able to describe exactly what the person was wearing.

Build Quality

A camera that fails after 18 months isn't a bargain. We've stopped installing certain brands entirely because we got tired of going back to replace them. The Sussex weather—rain, frost, summer heat—tests cameras properly. Cheap plastic housings crack. Seals fail. Connections corrode.

Cameras We Actually Install

Best Overall: Hikvision ColorVu Series

Price: £80-150 per camera
Why we like it: Genuine colour night vision, solid build quality, reliable app. We've installed hundreds of these with very few callbacks.

The DS-2CD2347G2-LU is our go-to turret camera. 4MP resolution, built-in mic, and it handles low light better than anything else in its price range. For bullet-style cameras, the DS-2CD2087G2-LU is excellent.

Best Budget Option: Hikvision Value Series

Price: £40-70 per camera
Why we like it: If ColorVu is outside your budget, Hikvision's standard 4MP cameras are still solid. You lose the colour night vision, but the image quality and reliability are there.

Best for Larger Properties: Dahua

Price: £60-120 per camera
Why we like it: Dahua's AI-powered cameras are excellent at distinguishing between people, vehicles, and animals. If you're covering a large area and don't want constant false alerts from foxes or cats, their IPC-HDW3849H-AS-PV is worth considering.

What We've Stopped Recommending

Ring and Arlo – I know they're popular, and they're fine for renters who can't install wired systems. But for a permanent installation, the subscription fees add up, the video quality doesn't match wired systems, and you're dependent on their cloud servers. We've had customers switch from Ring to proper CCTV and the difference in footage quality genuinely shocked them.

Ultra-cheap Amazon brands – Those £25 "4K" cameras? The sensors are tiny, the night vision is unusable, and the apps are often data-harvesting nightmares. Save your money.

Don't Forget the NVR

Your cameras are only as good as what's recording them. A decent NVR (Network Video Recorder) should have:

• Enough channels for future expansion (get 8-channel even if you only need 4 cameras now)
• At least a 2TB hard drive (4TB for 4K systems)
• PoE ports to power the cameras through the network cable
• A reliable remote viewing app

We typically pair Hikvision cameras with Hikvision NVRs—keeping everything in one ecosystem means fewer compatibility headaches.

Our Recommendation

For most homes in Sussex, we'd suggest:

• 3-4 bed house: 4x Hikvision ColorVu cameras + 8-channel NVR with 2TB. Budget around £800-1,200 installed.
• Larger property: 6-8 cameras with a mix of turret and bullet styles, 4TB storage. Budget £1,500-2,500 installed.

Yes, you can buy cheaper. But you'll either replace it in two years or regret the footage quality when you actually need it.