Home security this time of year has never been more important with Christmas coming up the risk of a break-in could not be higher. The brand Swann is an Australian brand that is instantly recognisable in the UK. Just like brands like D-Link & Ring they also have a wide range of security products such as security doorbells, sensors and security cameras.
In this review, we are looking at the Swann Xtreem security camera that can be used both indoors and outside. The Xtreem is the latest model from Swann that costs £269 And is available from Amazon.
The Xtreem is a wireless security camera that comes with Full HD footage and has a 110-degree viewing angle when recording. It’s not the widest on the market so just consider that before you buy. When recording footage you either have the option to use a MicroSD card or you can sign up to Swann Secure+ offering that is an additional £4.95 per month. That uses the cloud to record the footage.
Additional features include:
- True Detect heat and motion-sensing technology.
- Siren
- Two-Way Audio
- Smart home compatible via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa
- IP56 Rated
- Wireless Design
- Magnetic base for mounting
Design
First impressions the Swann Xtreem is built to last it’s a bulky unit that weighs 350g but you can see it very well made. A reason for the weight could also be the rechargeable battery that is built-in that will provide you with 6 months of charge.
The front of the camera you guest it has the Full HD Lens that also has that motion sensor we will talk more about later in the review. Also on the front is an LED that flashes red & blue when in pairing mode.
The camera also comes with a waterproof cover that protects a reset button and a MicroSD card slot for storage. You will also see a speaker for allowing that two-way audio to speak to a delivery driver or warn someone snooping around the outside of your house.
With the two-way audio, you could also use this in a nursery to keep an eye on your little one and comfort them when they start to cry they will hear your voice. This camera can also be used indoors as well as outside.
Installation
If installing the Swann Xtreem you get a screw mount that you can attach to a tripod ideal for setting up outdoors. You are also provided two screws and two raw plugs to drill the mounting bracket to the wall.
They also provide double-sided tape but I avoided using such especially as I was drilling the mount to the wall.
The camera also comes with a magnetic mount that will ensure the camera is freestanding and positioned to cover different angles.
Swann also provides you with security stickers that inform people your house is protected. Again something I did not use in this review but am sure they will be handy for four others.
Battery Life
The battery life on a wireless camera like this did at first instance concern me but after testing this as well as reading what Swann said about the Xtreem model those concerns disappeared.
In terms of battery life, you will get up to 6 months of use before charging but consider how often live view & motion alerts are used as this will impact the battery life. ( I have only had this camera in operation for a few weeks now but will update after a few months with my findings)
In terms of when it’s time to recharge the battery as it’s built-in this will mean disconnecting for 4 hours to fully charge. I advise doing this when you are home as you won’t be able to use the camera for the charging period of time.
Performance
As mentioned the Swann Xtreem works both indoors and outdoors, When using indoors I found the picture quality was good and the motion sensor proved to be effective. When you use this camera outside you may incur a few issues.
First up you need to keep the camera close to your router otherwise this may impact the camera. With this said I decided to keep the camera at the front of the house not too far from the router. I did test it at the rear of the property but the camera would not set up properly instead we got an authenticating message. As the signal quality just dropped off at the rear of the property a way around this is to use a Wi-Fi booster at the rear of the property and this may allow setup at the back of the house.
As long as the camera is at a max of 10m away from the router you should find no issues with the signal and set up can be done with ease. Once set up you only get a 110-degree viewing angle which is less than others on the market that offers a 180-degree angle but it did not cause too many issues you just need to consider its positioning. The images were very detailed which is ideal for this kind of device.
Another benefit is the ability to adjust the sensitivity to capture movement either close up or at distance. The only downfall is you don’t get the chance to record motion in certain areas it will just record that whole area.
The Swann Security App
As with most security cameras we have tested over the years they now all come with an app for you to get the best out of that camera as well as the main controls are within the app.
In this case, we are given the Swann Security App downloading is simple on the base of the camera is a QR code scan with your camera and bingo your download the app in no time. The benefit of the QR code is it already has the details of the device so all you need to do is connect to Wi-Fi and you are ready to use it. You get handy voice commands along the way to help guide you through the setup.
The app allows you to set up motion detection for when you are at home also at night time and also when you are away. This is extra useful as in our area we have had a few occurrences of people checking houses out at night. SO with this camera, you can increase the motion sensor levels.
The app also offers a do not disturb option which won’t send you a notification and you can also set up the siren as well.
When it comes to checking recordings this is very easy to do as you have a calendar format that allows you to select the date you want. You also have the live view button to see what is happening at your property at any one moment in time. Ideal if you are on holiday and want to check that your castle is safe. If like me you have an additional Swann security camera the app allows you to view them as well.
Verdict
The Swann Xtreem is a well-built security camera that allows you to use it both indoors and outdoors. Personally, I found the camera works better indoors than outdoors. As if outdoors it needs to be close to your Wi-Fi router which does limit where you can position the camera. On the bright side, the Swann Xtreem does come with an IP56 rating so it can handle all that mother nature can provide.
Other benefits include the fact it has a built-in battery that will last about 6 months to the only downside is when you need to recharge you will have to disconnect the camera for a few hours. The Swann Xtreem also comes with a microSD card if you did not want to pay for the cloud recording but considering the cost and overall benefit, I would go for the cloud recording.
In terms of negatives if you are not wise in the skills of DIY you might want to ask someone to set this up as you will need to use a drill when putting the mount up outside. Also, another issue in terms of using the camera outside is the fact if you set it up away from the Wi-Fi router you may incur some set-up issues. The Swann Xtreem performs at its best when under 10m away from the router.
Putting the negatives to one side once I had this setup and got using it over the last few weeks I found the True Detect heat and motion sensor did help with reducing the number of false alarms.
I also found the versatility of this camera a positive aspect as it comes with a rechargeable battery you can set it up and not need to do anything with it well at least for 6 months. The fact it’s well built and is IP56 rated means I won’t have any concerns about it being outside.
In terms of the camera recording, you can have 24 hours recording storage but if you want more you need to look into Swann Secure+ which means you will have to make a regular payment of £4.95 per month which does provide some additional features but it really depends if you want that cloud recording or you are happy with the microSD option.
Finally, the camera can also be incorporated into your smart home set up using either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa if you want to use the voice control element of the camera. In terms of cost at £269 it’s not massively expensive but the fact there are a few issues in regards to Wi-Fi connection and the positioning of said problem and the fact you are also limited to a 110-degree angle I might consider other options in the market.
Product Rating:
- Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
- Features: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
- Performance: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
- Value for Money : 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Overall Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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