Smile! You’re on... the Reolink Keen wire-free wi-fi security camera

Did you see the hilarious video of the two toddlers from New York and their night-time antics that went viral? It was captured by a wi-fi-connected security camera in the twins’ bedroom, which was set to film every moment when there was some movement in the room.

For parents, these cameras are a comfort blanket. For homeowners who install them at the front door or inside the living room, they are a (relatively) cheap and cheerful security solution. Most of these cams alert you instantly when they detect movement, and they usually send a recording of the video, or at least a few still images, to the cloud, to look at later.

But many of these cameras have two problems. Firstly, most cloud-based “look again later” options depend on a subscription service; so what looks like a cheap camera quickly turns into a costly experience. Secondly, these cameras usually have a wireless connection to your home wi-fi, but that does not do away with the cabling: they typically depend on a USB cable plugged into the mains.

The Reolink Keen security camera promises to overcome both these problems. For starters, there are no wires. Instead, the camera is powered by four (rather unusual) CR123A lithium batteries, which are promised to last four to six months. And video is not stored in the costly cloud but on a Micro SD card like those found in a smartphone (which is not included in the pack). A separate movement sensor automatically connects to the camera.

Set-up is relatively easy. Download the Reolink app to your smartphone, use it to scan the QR code at the back of the Keen, type in your wi-fi password, and you’re ready to go. At least that’s the theory. 

In real life, it took quite some time before the Reolink and I became friends. It took four or five attempts to get the wi-fi connection going, and, for the first day, the Keen refused to accept any changes in its settings, which meant – among other things – that the Keen’s alarm started to wail every time somebody stepped into the hallway and triggered the movement sensor. 

The next day, miraculously, the attempts to turn off the alarms finally worked. Similarly, it took two Micro SD cards and numerous attempts at set-up until the video playback function worked. 

The Reolink app has an option to send you an email alert every time the alarm is triggered, but this simply won’t work if you have two-factor authentication on your email account; after many attempts, I finally managed to persuade the app to store a device-specific email password, except it sent out only the test email, and instantly stopped working after that. 

But still, I do like the Keen. Without cabling, it can be tucked away discreetly. With the app, you can easily change where the camera is pointing. Picture quality is pretty decent – especially at night, when infrared LEDs on the camera automatically illuminate the scene. Once you’ve got the hang of the app, it’s easy to play back what happened, scene by scene. 

Still, this is not a security solution in the true sense of the word. Any self-respecting burglar will be on the lookout for a security camera, and, unless you dangle the Keen from the ceiling, it will be easy to steal – and, as the videos are stored directly on the SD card inside the camera, all evidence will be gone with it. 

But then, the Reolink Keen is significantly cheaper than rivals such as Google’s Nest camera. Once you’ve got to grips with the quirks of the app and coaxed it into accepting your preferred settings, it definitely provides a nice comfort blanket, a start at a home security solution, and an opportunity to see what your children are getting up to at night.

Promotional content: You can buy your camera here: https://reolink.com/product/keen/ and the company is currently offering a discount coupon code (10% off) to readers, “reolink keen-professional engineer".