The Sengled Smart LED with Security Camera PAR38 Bulb G2 (whew, what a mouthful) is better known as the Sengled Snap 2. (Even though that’s not the name you’ll see listed online anymore.) This single device combines a motion sensor security camera with a floodlight, and it screws right into your existing lightbulb socket for a (somewhat) hidden camera. Easy peasy, right? You don’t really get digital zoom with this camera, but it does have a basic AI feature: person detection. You can set the camera to notify you only when there’s a human in its view—rather than, say, a dog, or a deer, or a plastic bag blowing in the wind. You also get some basics with this camera that we’ve come to expect from any worthy security cam, including night vision, motion zones, and two-way audio. Motion zones are especially important if you want to know about someone standing on your porch but you don’t care to see every car that drives down your street. Sengled Snap 2 features:
1080p resolution Night vision Motion sensor Custom motion zones Person detection Two-way audio Cloud storage
The footage we’ve seen from the Sengled Smart LED with Security Camera looks pretty good—crisp and clear. Just keep in mind that (as with every Wi-Fi camera) the quality you get might depend on your internet connection. Despite the Snap 2’s large body, the floodlight itself is relatively small. That makes it feel more like a spotlight than a floodlight. It still does a good job illuminating the area, and it should be more than enough for your basic porch light needs. The device also doesn’t rely on the light alone for its camera function. No, the Sengled Smart LED with Security Camera has automatic night vision, so the camera can always get clear images even when the light itself is off. There’s also an annoying little caveat to this light: while the camera has a motion sensor, the light itself does not. So this is not one of those things where someone walks by, and the light detects motion and automatically turns on. No, only the camera has a motion sensor function. Sengled Smart LED with Security Camera, 2nd gen light features:
850 lumens (equivalent to 60 watts) 25,000 hours of life Standard E26 socket type 3000 K color temperature Dimmable 36º beam angle
That said, we do think the combo package this device gives you is worth it if you want an innocuous outdoor camera that you don’t have to drill holes or run wires for. Just know that you’ll probably also want to sign up for a cloud storage subscription service. We think a subscription plan is worth it if you want to go with the Sengled Smart LED with Security Camera. Just know that, compared to similar service plans from brands like Nest and Arlo, Sengled’s plans are pricey. That’s pretty nice considering Sengled doesn’t make much smart home stuff outside the realm of lightbulbs, so you’ll definitely want to include other brands in your ecosystem. Sengled home automation integrations: Another nice little automation feature Sengled offers is scheduling for the smart LED bulb itself. Some light/camera combos don’t let you control when the light turns on and off without shutting down the entire power supply to the device, which means your camera will be turned off as well. Sengled lets you set a schedule, so even though the device has constant power, the lightbulb itself only comes on when you want it to, but the camera can stay on all the time. Everything you need for the installation comes with the device itself, namely an Ethernet cable so you can plug the device into your router for initial set-up, and a power cord with a light fixture so you can configure everything before you have to stand on a ladder and screw the Sengled into your actual light socket. Remember, this device operates on Wi-Fi, so make sure wherever you want to put it receives a strong signal. You’ll need 2 Mbps (megabits per second) of upload speed and another 2 Mbps or download speed at the location where the device will be. If you don’t have fast enough Wi-Fi, your camera quality and mobile control won’t go very well. Sengled features: The Sengled security camera has excellent features like 1080p resolution and person detection. We’d just like to see digital zoom as an option as well as for the light itself to work with the motion sensor. Sengled pricing: The Sengled device isn’t the most expensive we’ve seen, but its cloud storage subscription plans are a bit pricey compared to competitors. Sengled installation: Sengled installation is pretty easy, and the package comes with everything you need to set up the device. Still not sure if this is the camera for you? Check out our Best Outdoor Security Cameras review for other options. You can also compare full home security systems in our Best Home Security Systems review.
