5 Best Hidden Cameras of 2024 [Hands-On Tested]

Do you have a situation in your life that requires some surveillance? We can help with that.

James Bond’s famous Q Branch would have marveled to see how far espionage technology has come. On top of that, it’s widely available and no longer so expensive it needs a state sponsor.

Cameras are pretty easy to hide these days. They can be plugged in and look like everyday normal items, or they can run off batteries.

Many have MicroSD card slots and can store information as well as compatibility with apps that open up even more features.

We got our hands on a few hidden spy cams to test them out in a home defense set-up to see if they live up to the hype. Keep reading as we run through what we liked and didn’t about each product.

Warning: Be sure you know the laws in your area before using any of this equipment, as it may constitute criminal conduct.

THE QUICK LIST

1. Best for Bedrooms

   SpyWfi iPhone Dock Charger Camera

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2. Best for Living Areas

   SpyWfi Wax Warmer Hidden Motion Detection Spy Camera

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3. Best for On-the-Go

   SpyWfi Ballpoint Pen Hidden Spy Camera

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4. Best for the Office

   Mini Gadgets CamStickNV USB Flash Drive with Covert Camera

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5. Best for Home

   SpyWfi USB Wall Charger Motion Detection Hidden Camera

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How We Chose the Best Hidden Spy Cameras

Sean Curtis has been shooting since childhood but really began to delve into guns more during his law enforcement career of over two decades. He received continued training for his roles in SWAT and as a POST-certified handgun instructor.

He began writing in 2014 for Police1.com, covering many topics, including firearms reviews. From there, his works spread to Guns.com, American Survival Guide, Gun World Magazine, the Glock Annual, and Pew Pew Tactical.

For this article, Sean tested out a variety of cameras around his home, putting them through their paces and evaluating them based on ease of use/setup, features, and recording capabilities.

Best Hidden Cameras

1. iPhone Dock Charger Camera

This phone charging dock (yes, it actually charges) also has a camera hidden in the front. Tucked in behind a piece of glass, the lens is difficult to see.

The camera can film in the dark and is capable of up to 2K quality. It also enjoys added features through an app, such as streaming viewing, motion notifications, and playback.

In addition, the unit has a slot that can support up to a 128GB microSD card (not included). It also loops over old footage when the card gets full.

2. Wax Warmer with Hidden Camera

The Wax Warmer provides some nice aesthetic functions and a motion-sensing Wi-Fi-capable camera. These further aid its camouflage in a room as it has some other purpose for being present.

The unit has a bowl-shaped lid that sits over a lightbulb inside. When the switch is activated, the light comes on and heats the base of the lid, melting the wax and creating your chosen aroma.

Light shines through holes in the exterior cover in a nice pattern depicting trees and possibly stars. The wax warmer is a decorative touch that looks and smells nice in any room.

A tiny pinhole-sized camera faces out in the base of the unit. It produces crisp video (up to 4K) though the width of the image is somewhat narrow.

Because of this and the heat it produces, you’ll want to position the camera strategically to maximize your field of view and eliminate any potential accidents.

Directions for setup were pretty straightforward and I was able to connect the unit to an app on my phone and also my Wi-Fi. This allowed me to live to view through the camera and receive motion-related notifications, the sensitivity of which was adjustable.

The Wax Warmer comes with a removable micro-SD card and a USB card reader, too. If Wi-Fi isn’t available, you set the camera to record to the card, and then review the footage at a later time.

3. Ballpoint Pen Camera

This pen (really writes) has a tiny camera onboard at the top of the clip. This way, it’s always facing out when worn in a shirt pocket.

Using an included MicroSD card, the device can store videos and photos taken by the camera. Chargeable via USB, the camera can record for 2.5 hours.

As you might imagine, this small camera provides a pretty narrow field of view, but I was impressed with the quality of the video. Simply push the button on top to activate recording and twist the tip to deploy the pen for writing.

4. Thumb Drive Camera

This seemingly innocent thumb drive has a camera facing out from the end. Plugged into a computer or USB charger, the unit can be used to record video at 1080p resolution or take photos.

It saves media to an included 4GB MicroSD card and you can access the files on this by simply plugging the unit into the USB on your computer, like a flash drive. Photos and videos are saved sequentially in the folder.

I first thought this unit had to be plugged into work, but no, it has a battery (1.5-hour run time) that allows it to be placed nearly anywhere. This is a good thing, too, because the USB orientation on my computer forced the camera to be upside down.

Finally, the camera also has night vision mode, which I tested. While it provided a somewhat narrow field of view, the quality of the night vision was decent.

One of the biggest challenges with cameras of this size is setting them up because you can’t see what they’re recording like you can with cameras that have remote viewing through an app.

5. USB Wall Charger Camera

The little squares plugged into outlets are something we’ve just gotten used to these days. This one actually charges anything plugged into it, but it has a motion-activated camera too.

Setting up this unit was pretty easy. I downloaded an app and connected it to my WiFi, where I was able to enjoy features like remote viewing and an option to change the playback orientation if someone inverted the plug in the outlet.

Video quality was good at 1080p, and the viewing angle was 90 degrees. This unit can also store recordings if you install a MicroSD card (not included).

Final Thoughts

It’s pretty clear after testing there is as much art as there is science in the use of this type of equipment.

With practice and understanding, you can set up cameras to learn who ate the last Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Ready to jump in and use some spy gear? Check your local laws then let us know in the comments below. And for other accessories, check out Spy Guns Through History: Armory of Real Life 007s.