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Installing a home security system used to mean signing a contract with an alarm company, a big installation nightmare and paying monthly fees. Canary is aiming to disrupt the security industry with its sleek, all-in-one device. This makes Canary a great stepping stone to a top home security system.
Can the equipment really perform well? We’ll dig deeper to find how the Canary alarm systems perform and whether you can depend on it solely as your main form of home security in our Canary security review.
Article Overview
- Pros & Cons
- Key Features
- Pricing (With Coupon Code)
- Customer Reviews
- How Does Flex Work?
- Is Canary A Good Solution For You?
Canary
Pros
- Canary Cloud offers access to events from the past 24 hours for free, and you can bookmark up to 5 videos
- Great customer service, according to online reviews we’ve read
- Ability to add emergency contacts
- Air quality, temperature and humidity sensor (Canary All-In-One only)
- Android and iOS app
- 60-day money back guarantee and 1-year product warranty
- Canary Flex can be used indoors and outdoors
Cons
- Can only connect up to 4 devices on the free membership plan
- Some users report lag
- Flex and View do not monitor air quality and have no siren
Key Features
Canary All-In-One
- 1080p HD
- 147° wide-angle lens
- Night vision
- High-quality audio
- 90+ dB siren
- Motion-activated recording
- Auto-arm/disarm
- Monitor air quality, temperature, and humidity
- Optional: video storage (additional cost)
- Available in black and white
- 1-year warranty
Canary Flex
- 1080p HD
- 116° wide-angle lens
- Night vision
- Weatherproof to use indoors or outdoors
- Wire-free or plug in
- Available in black and white
- 1-year warranty
Canary View
- 1080p HD
- 147° wide-angle lens
- Night vision
- High-quality audio
- Motion-activated recording
- Auto-arm/disarm
- Optional: video storage (additional cost)
- Available in silver
- 1-year warranty
Pricing
- Canary All-In-One: $102.65
- Canary All-In-One (two pack): $286.11
- Canary Flex: $142.99
- Canary View: $72.45
- Free Shipping
- Canary Cloud
- Free Access: 1-day storage of 10-second video previews for up to 4 devices
- Premium Service: 30-day storage of full-length videos for $9.99/month or $99/year for unlimited devices
Coupon Code
Customers’ Reviews
We’re not quite sure how we feel about Canary. We’ve found many reviews of customers being displeased with its performance, but as of recently more and more are happy with Canary. It seems like Canary is making the updates that users want to see. Read below to get the good and the bad.
Positive Reviews
Also used Nest, Arlo and other platforms. This is the best. By far. Best quality. It’s like the ring video doorbell if cameras. Has a siren and you can two way talk. Geofencing so if you leave home it’ll turn on and turn off when home. When setting up it populated all the local emergency numbers that I didn’t even know in case it reported any issues. Also checks air quality. Push messages never fails! – AriK, Best Buy 5/23/2018
I have a very sick dog at home, and I hate not being able to check on her while I’m at work. With this i can watch and hear my dogs from my phone any time I want to. I can also talk to them through my phone and they can hear me through the camera. It’s also got night vision so nighttime is no problem, and ita motion detective so it starts recording and sends you notifications if motion is detected. I LOVE this thing. – Stacia, Best Buy 5/20/2018
Negative Reviews
Delayed response on arrival and departure. Sometimes over 15 minutes. If someone broke into my home I won’t know till they are gone. I got home for lunch. Made a sandwich, ate it, used the restroom and left all before the dang thing registered I was home. I was 15 minutes away when it said I was gone. I can stand right next to the unit and it will tell me I am not home. The camera is great as is the wide angle. Night vision is excellent also. Their help support is terrible and unresponsive as well. Buy a Nest system instead. – Bubbakraut, Best Buy 6/14/2018
Company not completely upfront and honest about the required monthly cost of owning. Otherwise just an average hd camera. Keep looking around there are better options. – Bird, Best Buy 6/13/2018
How Does Canary Flex Work?
See how the Canary Flex works and if it’s a good option for your home.
Should You Buy Canary?
Honestly, we can’t say either way. It appears that the Canary security system is improving daily, but we see that there are still some quirks that need to be worked out. The device does have a 1-year warranty and 60-day money back guarantee, so if you are unsure about it you could purchase it and test it out yourself. If you find that you’re happy — great! If not, you can always return it within those 60 days. If you are curious about the leading Canary competitors, read our review of the DIY security systems.
What are your thoughts on Canary?
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Does the Canary security system detect pets? I have a 52lb yellow lab mix and am wondering if she will inadvertently set off the alarm.
Yes, the Canary system detects pets, so your dog would trigger the motion sensor.
How many megapixesl is the camera? At what distance with it activate the motion sensor and does it works with sim card or wi-fi?
Canary is 3.1 megapixels and is connected via WiFi. We can’t find any information regarding motion detection distance. However, I have a Canary and it detects motion from at least 25 feet away.
Canary, has one of the most beautifully designed cameras and packaging in circulation today for DIY Smart Home Security Cameras. What leaves me feeling uneasy about Canary is how the camera works. The camera only alerts you of a situation once it is already taking place inside of your home. =/
In my personal opinion there are much better solutions out there like iSmartAlarm or Arlo that will alert you of a security threat before it reaches the interior of your home. Since this is detailing an indoor solution I would recommend iSmartAlarm instead of Canary since their Cameras connect with the same CubeOne Hub that their door and window sensors connect to. This way if someone tries to come through a front door or window you are alerted the moment it takes place and your cameras (recording upon event — once the contact sensor(s) is triggered) record the whole thing on tape. So cool!
Canary has a beautiful design but just leaves me feeling a little uneasy that it only begins working and capturing footage once someone is already inside of my home. I tend to lean towards wanting to know the moment someone is breaching my home to give me a little more time to react and call the authorities. I just got iSmartAlarm’s iCamera KEEP and really like that it has a pan & tilt motorized base & digital zoom so I can see what’s going on at home while I am away with the HD streaming quality picture on my smartphone. I can even see what is going on at night with the night vision when the cats seem to take on a different personality. I strongly encourage the readers to look at both Canary and iSmartAlarm when it comes to an indoor camera solution. I am a definite believer in iSmartAlarm’s iCamera KEEP and feel like for all the features it has it is really a steal of a deal at $150.
I love Canary, sleek design and great quality video too! Only downside is it’s indoor only but hopefully they’ll come out with an outdoor version soon!