Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera review: Style over substance

If you’re in the market for an indoor security camera, you’ll know just how crowded that market actually is. But if you’re looking for an indoor security camera that doesn’t look… well, creepy, you’ll notice the market is a whole lot smaller. However, in the case of the (admittedly gorgeous) Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera, I found that the pendulum swings a little too far towards form rather than function.

Security cameras aren’t exactly known for being aesthetically pleasing. After all, they’re designed to be at least somewhat intimidating-looking, as often their presence can be enough to deter would-be intruders. The Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera is a breath of fresh air in that it’s been intentionally designed to blend into your decor instead of sticking out like a creepy eye that’s always watching.

The camera’s gold-coloured anodized aluminium body looks beautiful and feels expensive, with a rubber grip at the base to ensure it doesn’t slide around on whatever surface you choose to place it.

Unfortunately, the Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera is, as the name suggests, designed for indoor use only and requires a power point, which can be limiting in terms of placement. I bent the rules a teeny, tiny bit by setting the camera up in my covered patio area so I could keep an eye on the back gate (not to mention my four-legged mischief-maker, Hazel). Installation was nice and easy–simply plug the camera in, download and open the Netatmo Security app, and then follow the prompts to pair your device with the app and, optionally, to HomeKit.

Considering its price point, I had high hopes for the Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera’s video quality. However, looking at the specs, I was disappointed to see that it only recorded in 1080p resolution–decent enough, of course, but when the likes of Eufy and Reolink are offering 2K resolution for less than $130, it’s a shame Netatmo can’t do better. The video it does produce, both during the day and using infrared night vision, is good–it’s just not as good as I expected from a camera with a $300+ price tag.

It’s also worth noting that the Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera only offers one-way audio, meaning you can hear what’s going on, but you can’t talk through the camera. The device is also static, so if you were hoping to cover a bit more ground, be aware that there’s no pan-and-tilt functionality. That said, its 130-degree field of view is still solid and allowed me to view the majority of the area that I wanted, without any fish-eye distortion.

Specs letdowns aside, there’s one thing I can’t fault Netatmo on, and that’s the suite of smart features on offer. Not only is it compatible with all three major smart home systems (HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Home), but it also offers intruder alerts, facial recognition, and can even detect when an alarm (be it a smoke, carbon monoxide, security or other alarm) goes off, and send you a notification. You can also set up familiar faces, allowing you to program the camera to disable recording when family or friends come into the picture.

All of these features are controlled via the Netatmo Security app, which took a little getting used to. It does all the more specific things (those smart features we just talked about, for example) very well, but one small thing really bothered me. When viewing the live feed, clicking fullscreen does not actually make the video full screen. You have to turn your phone sideways and ensure portrait orientation lock is turned off in order to get a bigger picture. Yes, it sounds incredibly petty, but for those who plan on watching the live feed regularly to check on family members or pets, it is truly annoying.

Additionally, there’s no way to quickly capture a still image while watching the live feed, which is something most home security camera apps I’ve used generally allow.

The Netatmo Smart Indoor Camera has the looks and the smarts, but when it comes to some important basic features, I was left disappointed–especially taking into account its high asking price. The simple fact is that there are other cameras that do what the Netatmo camera does for a lower cost. Sure, they may not look as good doing it, but for most people, looks aren’t everything–at least, not when it comes to security cameras.

We put security cameras to the test in several areas. Key points of focus include pricing, video quality, ease of setup and use, reliability, features, any connected apps, and smart home compatibility. For each camera we review, we spend at least two weeks using it as a primary security device in our homes.

Find out more about how we rank and review products in our full methodology.