9 Home Security Devices For When You're On Vacation

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When you're away on vacation, you should fully enjoy your trip. If you find yourself constantly worrying that something bad may have happened in your house or that you forgot to unplug some devices, you won't be able to focus on relaxing and having fun. Fortunately, there are gadgets that can give you some peace of mind that your home is safe and sound even when you're far away.

In this roundup, we feature nine home security devices for when you're on vacation. These include security cameras that let you look through their lens, gadgets that allow you to control your appliances remotely, and sensors that will trigger notifications if there's something wrong.

The products we selected for this article are all available on Amazon, where they have solid average scores after at least 1,000 customer ratings. They've also received a recommendation from a trustworthy website or channel, and we've combined helpful insights from these reviews with the unique features of each device to support our decisions to include them in this list.

An internet-connected security camera is an easy way to do a quick check on your home, and the Wyze Cam Pan V3 is an affordable but well-reviewed option on Amazon. It sells for $44.97, and after more than 33,000 buyer reviews, it has an average score of 4.3 stars (out of five). If you're not an expert with smart home gadgets, don't worry because the retailer's customers and PCMag both say that this device is quick to set up and easy to use through the Wyze app.

Using the Wyze app, you'll also be able to view a livestream through this security camera, and you'll be able to pan 360 degrees and tilt 180 degrees for a complete look around your home. These pan and tilt controls are smooth and responsive, according to PCMag. The gadget also has color night vision, two-way talk through its built-in microphone and speaker, support for up to a 512-gigabyte (GB) microSD card for local video storage, and an IP65 weatherproof rating so you can also install it outdoors. Amazon's shoppers appreciate that most of the device's main functions are accessible without a subscription, though you're free to sign up for one if you want your videos saved to cloud storage.

If you want an outdoor security camera with features that can deter potential intruders, you can consider the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera. Available for $249.99 on Amazon, where it has an average score of 4.2 stars following more than 5,100 reviews, this gadget takes videos at 2K HDR resolution and with a 160-degree field of view for a clear and wide look at your home's surroundings through the Arlo app. The camera is battery-powered, so you can install it anywhere, but you also have the option of buying a power cord or solar panels for it. 

As you can guess by its name, this Arlo camera features a powerful floodlight that Amazon's customers say is extremely bright, and if set to activate when motion is detected, it instantly illuminates the area. This is customizable through the Arlo app, where you can also adjust its brightness to up to 3,000 lumens, as well as how long it will stay on, according to CNET. You'll also be able to sound its siren or access two-way audio, even when you're miles away, and you can select the kinds of notifications that you'll receive on your phone.

The Ring Alarm security system offers reliable protection for critical points of your home, and Amazon's customers appear to be impressed, as the device has an average score of 4.7 stars after more than 18,000 reviews. The eight-piece kit, which includes a base station, a keypad, four door/window contact sensors, a motion detector, and a range extender, sells for $249.99, but there are other bundles with fewer or more components to match the number of areas in your home where you want to install the system.

The base station of the Ring Alarm sounds an alarm when any of the system's contact sensors or the motion detector is tripped, and you can arm or disarm it using the keypad. Despite the numerous components, installation is simple, with the app walking you through the whole process and everything pairing quickly, according to Amazon shoppers. They add that the notifications you receive on your phone when the alarm is triggered are instant, but SafeHome recommends signing up for the Ring Protect Pro plan for $19.99 per month to access 24/7 professional monitoring. This premium feature alerts you — and even the police — when there are potential intruders. You can activate the plan for the month when you'll be on vacation, so you won't have to be glued to your phone the whole time for possible alerts.

Video doorbells add surveillance to your front door and are helpful in case visitors and couriers drop by while you're on vacation. The Tapo D210, with an average score of 4.4 stars on Amazon after almost 3,600 reviews, is a feature-packed option for $54, and according to customers, it's durable enough to survive the winter season. They add that the device is very easy to install because there's no need for wiring, with the battery lasting a long time before requiring a recharge. You can insert a microSD card (up to 512 gigabytes) to save the captured footage, or you can sign up for a Tapo Care subscription that starts at $3.49 per month to access cloud storage.

With 2K resolution and a head-to-toe field of view, this Tapo video doorbell shows who's outside your door when they press its button, and with its two-way audio, you can speak to the person through the app. You'll receive notifications when the home security device detects someone, and LifeHackster showed how quickly these alerts show up on your phone. The review also demonstrated the ease of using the app to adjust the video doorbell's settings, as well as its solid video and audio quality, even at night. 

Smart plugs are small smart home gadgets with plenty of uses, and they'll be very helpful if you're going away on vacation. The Govee H5086, which you can buy on Amazon at $36.99 for a pack of four, is an affordable option that's highly rated, with an average score of 4.6 stars on the platform after more than 1,100 reviews. Setting up the smart plug with the Govee app is very easy, as demonstrated by Just A Dad Tips, and once that's done, you can switch it on and off any time through your phone. This means that, even if you're on vacation, you're sure that the appliances on these smart plugs aren't drawing power, and you can even turn them on every once in a while to make it appear as if there's someone home to discourage potential thieves.

This Govee smart plug comes with the extra function of energy monitoring, which both Amazon's customers and Just A Dad Tips found to be useful for checking to see if your devices are working properly or using up too much electricity. Shoppers also appreciate the quick pairing with Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant so that you can control the smart plug with voice commands.

Smart locks will help secure your doors while you're on vacation, but they can also provide entry for people that you trust. You can get these benefits from the Schlage Encode, which sells for $229 on Amazon, where it has an average score of 4.3 stars after more than 16,500 reviews. According to the retailer's customers, the device is easy to install and set up with your home's Wi-Fi network, after which you'll be able to lock or unlock it from anywhere using the Schlage Home app on your phone. You can also have the gadget automatically lock after a certain time, just in case you forget to do so after entering or leaving the house.

One of the most helpful features of this Schlage smart lock, as pointed out by TechGearLab, is that the app allows you to create and share unique codes that can be used to unlock your door, and you can set them to only work on specific days or times. The app can also tell you exactly when these codes are used, such as when a relative comes to drop off something, or your cleaner arrives to ensure everything is in order. 

The smart lock is powered by four AA batteries that can last up to six months before you need to replace them, and there's a low-battery indicator on the touchscreen and the app to alert you. If you fail to change batteries before they run out, you can still open the lock using the backup physical key.

Even the smallest of leaks can eventually lead to expensive water damage in your home, so it's important to monitor areas where these can happen. Even if you're away on vacation, you'll be able to detect them with the YoLink Water Leak Sensor. The bundle, which includes the YoLink Hub and four sensor units, costs $69.99 on Amazon, where the gadget has more than 6,800 ratings and an average score of 4.6 stars. The retailer's customers appreciate the system's ease of setup, and as shown by TechGuru Andrew, it will take only minutes to complete installing the system using the YoLink app.

The YoLink sensors should be placed where water leaks can happen, such as underneath sinks and water heaters, behind the toilet, or in the laundry room. The gadgets have detectors at their top and bottom, and once those get wet, you'll get a notification on your phone that there's a water leak. TechGuru Andrew also showed the sensitivity of these detectors and how fast you get the notification when a problem arises. Once you do, you should check the situation immediately, or if you're away, ask someone back home to take a look. At the very least, you'll know about small water leaks that might develop at your home while you're on vacation.

Smoke alarms are mandatory for a reason: They allow you to react quickly before a fire breaks out, protecting your home from damage and keeping your family members away from harm. If you're on vacation, a dependable and loud smoke alarm can alert your neighbors and give them time to call for help. The First Alert SMI100, which lists for $16.99 on Amazon, is one such gadget, with shoppers showing their trust by giving it an average score of 4.6 stars after more than 5,100 reviews. 

This First Alert smoke alarm is powered by a 9-volt battery, so it will still work even if there's a power outage, and the front-loading battery compartment makes it easy to replace when needed, according to Amazon shoppers. They also like its ease of installation, particularly if you already have existing mounts from older models.

First Alert SMI100 is among the best smoke and carbon monoxide detectors of 2026, according to Consumer Reports, partly because of its perfect scores in quickly detecting both flaming and smoldering fires. The device also has a silence button for false alarms and a test button to make sure that it's working properly.

No matter how many home security devices you have installed, it's always a good idea to provide additional safeguards for your valuables and important documents. If you think you need one, the Amazon Basics 25EI is a 0.5-cubic-foot steel security safe that retails for $57.74 on the retailer's site, and it has a solid average score of 4.6 stars after nearly 47,900 reviews. YouTuber YTBOSSBAE walks you through the setup of the safe, from unboxing to entering your passcode, and the entire process is quick and easy. For extra security, you can also mount the safe to your wall, floor, or shelf using the included expansion bolts.

Amazon's customers are impressed by the durability of this Amazon Basics safe, with one shopper claiming that they were still able to open it using the keypad after a fire. In addition to the passcode, you can also open this safe using its backup keys, in case the four AA batteries run down before you have the chance to replace them. Shoppers say that it's a great gadget for storing valuables, especially if you have people entering your home while you're on vacation.

We've selected home security devices that any family can buy ahead of any planned vacations. They're all available on Amazon, which means they're widely available, often at discounts on their retail prices.

The gadgets that we've recommended for this roundup have all received a minimum of 1,000 ratings from Amazon shoppers, with an average score of at least 4.2 stars out of five. They've also received a positive professional review from a reliable source. We gathered comments from the customers and reviewers, as well as showcased the special features of each device, to build our case as to why they deserve to be on this list ... and your home.