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Have you ever wondered what your dog gets up to when they're home alone ?
A pet camera can offer you peace of mind that your dog is settled and relaxed when you're not there. In fact you don't even need to leave the house to make use of a pet camera.
For dog's suffering from anxiety, pet cameras can be invaluable as you can check in on them from a different room whilst you slowly build up the time away from them.
If you have a new puppy, it also lets you ensure that they are not chewing your furniture or getting into dangerous situations whilst you're not in the room.
If you dog has health issues that requires close monitoring such as diabetes or seizures, a pet camera can let you keep a watchful eye on them.
There are so many pet cameras on the market which one should you choose ?
SpotCam offer a selection of security cameras including baby monitors, home monitoring cameras, video doorbells and weatherproof external security cameras. So clearly they know a thing or two about cameras !
We took a look at their new Mibo pet camera to see what it offers you and your four-legged friend.
In this review I’ll cover everything you need to know about SpotCam's shiny new pet camera from its features, to the design, setup and performance.
Bottom Line |
The SpotCam Mibo is a great pet camera with excellent video quality. It will appeal to dog lovers who want to check in with their four-legged friends but aren’t looking for treat dispensers. |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is a Pet Camera ?
A pet camera is a device that allows you to monitor your dog remotely. It typically consists of a camera that is designed to be placed in your home, and can be connected to your home Wi-Fi network.
With a pet camera, you can view live video of your dog from anywhere using a smartphone app or a web browser.
There are a few crucial differences between regular indoor security cameras and those marketed for pets and dog lovers.
Firstly, not only can you see your dog, but you can hear, and talk to your four-legged friend.
Using motion detection, you can receive alerts to your phone when your dog is moving around and pet-specific cameras can even tell you when they're making a noise.
Ideally you should look for technical features including a good resolution camera, 360°pan and tilt camera to follow your dog and reduce blind spots, motion activated alerts and a two way voice... so you can talk to your dog from afar. |
We recently tested the top-end Furbo 360° pet camera, which also has a premium pricetag!
We were very interested to see what the new Mibo from SpotCam had to offer at a much more affordable price.
SpotCam Mibo Pet Camera Review
1. SpotCam Mibo Review : Design & Build
Of course, the first thing to say about the Mibo is that it looks super cute with optional adorable ears. I for one do like my tech to look aesthetically pleasing in my home, so as far as styling goes, the Mibo definitely ticked that box.
Compared to the much larger Furbo, the Mibo has a much smaller footprint, at only 10.4cm high and 7cm wide. Clearly without the treat dispenser feature, the camera itself is particularly compact so offers more positioning options.
Easy to set up, the Mibo comes with a Quick Start Guide, so once I'd found the English instructions (always a key step), I was off and running.
You simply plug it in and download the app to your phone. In testing, the device connected first time - very quick and painless!
It's worth mentioning that I tested the camera and app on an iPhone so can't comment on an Android device connection.
Camera Specification
Starting with the important stuff first. It features a 2k super high resolution camera. Why is this important? Well a lot of indoor security cameras on the market use 1080p resolution (Full HD) so 1920 pixels by 1080 pixels.
The Mibo features 2k resolution (Quad HD) so 2304 x 1296. Generally the higher the pixels the clearer the image quality and video recording.
Essentially it offers excellent image quality in addition to black and white night vision.
The Mibo can pan a full 360° and tilt through 90° so reduces potential blind spots and allows it to follow you dog fairly smoothly around the space so you don't miss a thing. Or in our case simply watch my dog sleep on his bed - for hours.
The two way audio enables you to talk to your dog through your phone. I can't tell you how much fun we had with this feature.
Phone App
Best of all, everything is controlled via the SpotCam app! We put the app through it's paces and found it very intuitive and incredibly easy to use.
You have a choice of watching your dog on a part screen or enlarging the video to full screen.
Although the camera automatically follows your dog's movements, there are additional controls to tilt and pan the camera manually.
There are also options to talk to your dog or take a photo when they're doing something totally adorable.
Through the app, you can go back in time to see the past 24 hours of recordings. As movement detection is shown in coloured bars on the timeline, it's easy to see where footage has been recorded.
Just like all SpotCam monitoring cameras, Mibo is equipped with a free 24-hour full-time cloud recording plan. So you can replay video recorded in the last 24-hours to your heart's content. I particularly loved that I could export and share footage with friends and family.
It's worth mentioning that if you want to go further back than 24 hours you’ll need to pay extra for SpotCam's cloud services.
Lastly, you can opt to receive notifications when sound or motion is detected, ensuring that you know when you're needed most. As well as emails, you can receive notifications on your Apple Watch.
I found this all a little invasive, but admittedly Freddie is a very settled dog. If I had an anxious dog or puppy, this feature would probably be very useful.
Mounting Options
Which brings me neatly on to positioning.
It can be tricky to know where to mount your pet camera to get the best view, so the Mibo comes with a range of mounting options. You can then choose which option is best for the design and decor of your home.
The camera stand adapter includes a magnetic base, flexible stand or screws for a more permanent positioning.
If you chose to position the camera upside down under a shelf, cleverly the app setting allow you to rotate the video 180° so you can view the video the right way up!
We loved the flexible stand as it gives you a huge range of options to secure the camera out of reach of your dog rather than sitting the camera on a table or windowsill where it's less secure.
One important point to make is that the Mibo needs mains power to operate, but the cable is reasonably long ( 2 metres) so you shouldn’t find it difficult to place the camera in a good position.
Cloud Plans
In addition to the 24-hour full-time cloud recording plan, SpotCam offers optional cloud recording plans for up to 365 days, you can subscribe to it based on your need.
If you're prepared to fork out a little more, you can opt for a Pet Care Bundle which includes three services -
⭐️ Pet Sound Detection
⭐️ Pet Video Diary
⭐️ Virtual Fence
I felt that the upgraded Pet Care Bundle wasn't worth the additional cost as Freddie is a very settled and contented dog and prefers to sleep when we're not around.
However, if you wanted to try out the additional features, SpotCam offer a 7 day free trial.
2. SpotCam Mibo Review : Performance
Ease of Use
As I mentioned earlier, in testing, I found the app incredibly easy to operate.
Viewing live or recorded video is simple and you can alternate between partial or full screen by simply tilting your phone sideways.
I love an app that's not overly complicated. The 2k video was clear and the panning/tilt of the camera was fairly smooth.
Better still, the app features numerous customisation options. For example, you can turn alerts off completely or decide which level of alerts you would like to be notified about - motion event, audio event, and even adjust the motion sensitivity.
You can set a camera schedule, which would work well if you just wanted to use the camera for certain hours, such as overnight. You can also alter the volume of the microphone and speaker.
Essentially you are able to personalise the Mibo camera and app to suit you and your dog.
So was there anything I didn't like ?
One irritation was the constant adverts to upgrade on several screens. The app repeatedly prompted me to upgrade my cloud recording but these adverts did disappear when viewing video full screen.
I found the black & white night vision less clear, the footage was slightly more difficult to watch and objects harder to identify.
But I think these are flaws as opposed to deal breakers and ultimately the good outweighed the bad.
Specification
Camera : 2k (2304 x 1296) at 30 frame/sec
Field of View : 360° pan & 90° tilt
Night Vision : 6 High power IR LEDs
Dimensions : 7cm × 10.4cm
Weight : 183g
Power : Micro-USB - must be plugged in
Audio : Built in two-way
Capacity : Cloud-based storage
Includes : SpotCam Mibo, wall mounting kit, flexible cable stand, magnetic base, 2m power cable, Quick Start Guide
Our Verdict
For the price, the Mibo is a budget-friendly indoor pet camera equipped with the type of high-end features you typically find on more expensive models, including 360° pan and 90° tilt, high-resolution video, automatic motion tracking, and intelligent motion and sound detection.
Overall I prefer the Mibo over the Furbo 360° because I happen to prefer the look and it is smaller and lighter so is more versatile and has impressive video quality. Admittedly the trade-off is the treat tossing capabilities of the Furbo 360° but you are paying considerably less for a Mibo.
The camera is incredibly easy to install, and all of the features included worked exceptionally well in testing. I particularly loved the mounting options which come as standard including the flexible cable stand, magnetic base and the more permanent screw option.
Admittedly, there are cheaper pet camera options available but they will not offer the same level of features. If you are looking for a pet camera then the Mibo deserves a place on your shortlist.
Reasons to Buy
+ Good value
+ Swivel camera
+ Small footprint
+ Mounting options
+ Excellent 2K video
+ Night vision
+ Two-way audio
+ Motion-based notifications
Reasons to Avoid
- Needs mains power
- No treat tossing feature
- Black & white night vision
The Rivals
There's some stiff competition in the pet camera market. We picked out some of the key rivals -
Petcube Pet Camera
Petcube offer a range of high-spec pet cameras, and the cheapest is the Petcube Cam.
An affordable option if you're looking for a basic, but qood quality pet camera.
This sleek mini-cube design looks super stylish and the unique magnetic mounting snaps onto any surface.
It features a 1080p full HD resolution camera with a 110° wide-angle view. It's worth noting that the camera doesn't rotate to follow any motion.
It does however come with two-way audio so you can hear and talk to your dog andalong with night vision.
Ultimately, the Petcube Cam is significantly cheaper than the SpotCam Mibo, but be aware that it comes with considerably less functionality.
Specification:
Width : 6.1 x 5.4 cm
Height 8.2 cm
Reasons to Buy
- Good camera
- Two-way audio
- Night vision
- Slightly cheaper option
Reasons to Avoid
- Lack of pet-specific features
- Camera doesn't follow motion
Furbo 360°
If you’re prepared to fork out a little more on a pet camera the Furbo 360°
Ultimately the Furbo 360° is an impressive dog camera with an amazing feature set. It's nicely designed and well built, performing exceptionally well in testing.
Additional features include -
⭐️ Remote treat tossing
⭐️ Colour night vision
⭐️ Barking alerts
The main downside is that like all high-quality devices, the Furbo 360° is quite expensive but whilst there are cheaper, more traditional security cameras on the market, they won't offer the same level of pet-specific features.
We fully tested the Furbo 360°, so if you're interested read our review -
Thanks for stopping by and reading our review of the SpotCam Mibo Pet Camera