The Best Motion Detectors To Prevent Any Threats From Slipping By You

A motion detector is an integral part of any home security system and an excellent standalone peripheral for adding peace-of-mind to your property. To look at one, you may think it’s just another surveillance sensor with an extremely basic appearance and not much in the way of features, but most motion sensors typically offer far more than meets the eye.

Motion detectors paired with floodlights are ideal for providing added security and safety to the outside of a home. They tend to have longer ranges, with the two light options on our list varying between 30 and 70 feet. Light-up motion detectors provide safety for homeowners who want to be able to see their driveway, steps, and front porch when arriving home at night. They also provide a security feature. Motion sensors will turn on lights when an intruder is lurking around your home, with the light not only scaring off the unwanted guest but also alerting you that someone is near your home, giving you the opportunity to call the police if necessary.

Indoor motion sensors that use chimes can also alert home or business owners when an intruder has entered the home, but that’s not all they’re good for. If you have a small business, audio motion sensors can provide an alert when a person enters the building. Audio motion sensors are also a helpful aid in keeping elderly relatives and children safe.

The loud chime can alert users that their loved one is up in the middle of the night when you otherwise aren’t watching them. The chimes can also tell users if a child is near a door they shouldn’t be accessing, or in a room that could be dangerous, like a home gym with heavy weights. Oddly enough, we’ve even used a motion detector to act as the perfect cat deterrent.

Motion sensors are one of the first steps in a home security system and a must-have for homeowners who want to keep their property and their loved ones safe.

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What the Experts Have to Say

Motion detection is an integral part of any home security system, to the point where you’ll often find motion-sensing tech built into other common surveillance peripherals like smart security cameras, video doorbells and spotlights. Vivint, a renowned security brand offering products and services for homes and businesses, is a foremost authority on all things peace-of-mind for your property, and we had the opportunity to discuss motion detection with the company. 

When asked what features of motion detectors most property owners may not know about, a Vivint spokesperson was able to shed some light on some of the cutting-edge analyzation that occurs when a subject enters your Vivint device’s field of view.

“Security systems can do more than sense simple movement and detect intruders. For example, Vivint’s Doorbell Camera Pro uses computer vision and AI to intelligently detect packages and actively help protect them. Simply set up a detection zone via your Vivint camera settings and when a delivery person approaches the front door, Doorbell Camera Pro will notify you of the package delivery…”

One of Vivint’s core motion detection tools is a feature called Smart Deter that is built into several of the company’s surveillance products. 

“Once enabled, Smart Deter will warn individuals with a red LED ring and warning tone if they attempt to remove your package. This feature not only captures movement within your set detection zones, it’s also smart enough to differentiate between people and passing cars or animals so you won’t receive notifications on your phone every time an animal crosses your yard or a car drives by your house.”

So as you can see, motion detection-tech is far more advanced than just an alarm going off whenever a subject crosses your sensor or camera’s focus areas. 

Read More: Ring vs. Simplisafe

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SimpliSafe is one of the most recognizable names in DIY home security, and the SimpliSafe Motion Sensor is another excellent product from the reputable brand.

A quick peel-and-stick operation for indoor settings, the battery-powered motion module can detect activity up to 30 feet away, encompassing a 90-degree field of vision. We also love the inclusion of a heat signature scanner that will only send you an alert when the thermal emission of a human being is detected, meaning no more unnecessary pings when your cat or dog crosses the sensor field. 

Full Review: Wyze Cam V3 Review

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An excellent add-on to the Wyze Home Security System Core Kit, this stick-and-peel motion sensor can detect motion up to 25 feet away and within a 120-degree field of view. 

Once added to your Wyze companion app, you’ll be able to adjust motion sensitivity settings in a pinch. And similar to the SimpliSafe sensor, the Wyze Home Security System Motion Sensor won’t ping you when your pet crosses the sensor’s detection zone.

Wyze Motion Sensors can also be purchased individually (as in the case of this entry) or as a three-pack. Much like the other smart home gadgets in its portfolio, we love the minimal cost and extraordinary value it offers.

Read More: Ring Alarm Pro Is A Truly Ridiculous Amount of Home Security for Just $300

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The Ring Alarm Motion Detector is the most reliable motion sensor we’ve tested, partly because of the ability to adjust its sensitivity and pairing with Ring’s vast home security ecosystem. Automations really helped us to get the most use out of it, by automatically setting all outdoor Ring cameras to record the moment it sensed motion.

We were also surprised that it ignored motion from critters outside when we set it to the lowest sensitivity level, while still detecting people and cars pulling up to our driveways. While it did a great job monitoring the outside, we also found it useful indoors in places we wouldn’t typically install cameras — like the bathroom. The only downside is that you’ll need to invest into buying a Ring Alarm Base Station in order to use it.

Oddly enough, SPY’s own tech editor, John Velasco, found a unique way of repurposing the Ring Alarm Motion Detector to act as a cat deterrent. You’d expect motion detectors to thwart would-be intruders, but he used it to train his cat to stop drinking dirty water from the kitchen sink.

“It drove me nuts when I found my cat in the sink drinking the dirty water that was there,” said Velasco. “So, I ended up installing a motion sensor on a nearby cabinet to play a tone whenever it was triggered by the cat and I would come running down to catch him. With some training, he eventually associated the sound of the motion detector with my actions, so he stopped getting into the kitchen sink.”

Read More: The Best Home Security Cameras of 2023

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Designed specifically for integration into existing Z-Wave security systems, this indoor motion detector by Ecolink sets up in just minutes, ignores pets up to 55 pounds, and can be operated in two distinct modes — automation (for triggering things like smart lights) and security (for sending you alerts when motion is detected). 

The batteries have a life expectancy for up to five years — thanks in part to Ecolink’s 20 years of research and development of low-powered sensors. 

Read More: The Best Outdoor Home Security Cameras

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This all-seasons outdoor kit from 1 by One includes two motion sensors and a receiving unit that you keep inside your home. The receiver allows each sensor to operate up to 1,000 feet away, and each sensor can detect people, vehicles, and bigger animals up to 24 feet away. When a subject of note is detected, the sensor communicates with the receiver, issuing an audible chime that you’ll hear inside your home.

You can choose between three different alert types (sound, LED flashing, sound/LED flashing), select from up to 36 different chime sounds, and adjust the volume of each chime. While this is a self-contained system that doesn’t feature a companion app or integration with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, the long-range reliability of the 1 by One Home Security Alert System is a great way to get motion detection outdoors.

And speaking of the outdoors, it’s good to know that motion detection isn’t confined to the areas inside your home or business. In fact, you’ll be able to find a number of surveillance products that are designed to monitor and protect the world outside your doors and windows. Here’s what our Vivint contact had to say about two of the company’s surveillance devices that are designed for outdoor-specific detection:

“Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro and Spotlight Pro work together to provide even more protection – when Outdoor Camera Pro is in deter mode and senses someone lurking in your yard, Spotlight Pro is activated and shines a spotlight on them and will follow them around your property until they leave your set detection zone… Moreover, Smart Deter on these devices, enhanced by a computer vision chip, keeps a vigilant eye on the specified detection zone, alerting potential intruders with an audible sound and an illuminated LED ring if they stay too long on your property.”

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Need an extra bit of light when you stumble out of bed at night? The GE Enbrighten Motion Sensor is the perfect midnight companion for your hallway, bathroom or bedroom. 

A flick of the switch lets you choose between Motion-Activated and Motion-Boost modes. For the former, the nightlight detects motions up to 25 feet away and turns off after 90 seconds of motionless activity. With Motion-Boost, the nightlight drops to three lumens at dusk but brightens whenever motion is detected during the night. When the sun rises, the Enbrighten automatically shuts off.

Read More: eufy vs. Wyze

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When it comes to locking down your property, the eufy Security Floodlight Cam 2 Pro offers a number of intuitive features for keeping things safe. Capable of 360-degree pan and tilt coverage, the onboard camera captures all subjects in crystal-clear 2K resolution. 

If most of your troubles occur at night, the attached 3,000-lumen floodlighting array is automatically cued when motion is detected, allowing for full-color recordings even at the midnight hour. Once you add in AI-tracking, which automatically locks onto a subject and tracks them, it becomes clear why this formidable security product costs such a pretty penny.

Read More: The Best Video Doorbells

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Delivering 1080p recordings and live views, along with a 130-degree viewing angle, the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera can be easily integrated with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit (requires Arlo Base Station), and Samsung SmartThings for instant security alerts when you need them most. Plus, with wire-free installation (battery is rated for up to six months of usage before a recharge), you’ll have the Spotlight ready to use in no time.

This security camera can be installed quickly, is completely weatherproof, and even comes with a motion-triggered siren and two-way talk for deterring would-be intruders. SPY’s own tech editor, John Velasco, loves the value and reliability of the Arlo Essential Camera. “The motion detection has been spot on, but I like how Arlo Secure adds a higher degree of intelligence with those motions,” said Velasco. Arlo Secure is the company’s paid subscription service for cloud storage, 24/7 professional monitoring, and more for $5 per month on a single camera. “Now, the camera is able to discern packages left at my front door or whenever a car pulls up to my drive away.”

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How We Chose the Best Motion Detectors

While motion detectors are primarily built to tackle one job (tracking motion, of course), that doesn’t mean that all sensors are created equal. In fact, there are plenty of lackluster offerings out there, and at SPY.com, the last thing we want any of our readers to end up with is something that’s hard to use or simply doesn’t work. That being said, when selecting the motion detectors that entered this roundup, here are some of the essential criteria we adhered to in our vetting and testing process:

Maximum distance and field of view

Probably the most important feature of any motion detector is its maximum motion-tracking distance and field of view. Scanning our entries, you really won’t find any hardware that clocks in at less than 20 feet for proximity monitoring, or anything less than 80 degrees for field of view. While they’re not security cameras, it’s crucial that a motion detector can keep tabs on as much acreage as possible.

We also did our very best to highlight motion detectors that use onboard lighting and other tools to successfully track motion during both daylight and nighttime hours.

Customization

While motion detectors are somewhat limited when it comes to features, you should still be able to customize various features of the device. Now whether that’s adjusting motion sensitivity or toggling floodlights on and off, we think it’s important that users can have a say in just how effectively their motion detector performs.

And here’s the best part: If your motion detector allows for in-app customizations, chances are you’re working with a company that puts out firmware updates for its products. So if you ever end up running into a weird glitch down the line, chances are a quick patch will eradicate the bug.

Integration

Most motion detectors you purchase are going to require some kind of subscription from an umbrella security company (think Simplisafe or Ring) in order to function in the first place. But after you’re all signed up, we think it’s important that you get to connect and pair your motion detector to other networked ecosystems in your home. We’re talking about Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and other web-connected platforms.

After you’ve added your motion detector to these assistants, you’ll be able to receive alerts from smart speakers and displays, as well as whatever companion app your assistant uses.

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