Pet cube has provided us with a review unit that one of our authors can test. Read the full review.
Pet cube has only developed fun products for pets, but Pet cube Cam is designed for people, or at least their wallets. Cam is affordable and discreet enough as a home security camera. They may lack the interactive features that people associate with pet cameras, but there are some benefits to being part of the Pet cube ecosystem. I tested it for a few weeks with the help of two furry companions.
Design: Minimalist design for animal lovers
It can sit on a flat surface, but its light weight makes the dog’s tail a real danger. Another option is to mount it with a metal plate. The camera can be rotated in its plastic housing so that it can be mounted in any direction, even upside down
The USB cable is 2 meters long, which limits the positioning of the Cam a bit. Installing a video camera is the best option if it’s for security, even if I’m watching a sitter, but I’ve decided to test it on a table so I can enjoy close-ups of my pets’ noses.
Installation process: ready to use in less than a minute
To use the cam, I first had to download the Pet cube app. Previous Pet cube products didn’t take long to deploy, but Pet cube Cam was even faster. Cam was instantly detected by my phone and connecting it was as easy as showing Cam the QR code generated by the app.
When I entered my WIFI password, I was set. The process took less than a minute. The firmware update that followed lasted a few minutes, but not long enough for my pets to miss.
Performance: no frills camera
The Pet cube Cam records in 1080p resolution and has a 110-degree field of view that spans the entire room. In the dark, the infrared sensor activates the automatic night vision mode. The Cam only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, so recording quality suffered from occasional buffering and instability.
Image quality was clear and detailed when my pets were laying. Because Cam doesn’t have the interactive features that other Pet cube products have, my pets rarely did anything on camera that I would have liked to share anyway.
Cam has two-way audio that can be set for push-to-talk within the app. The speaker is a bit too weak so my voice was tense and lacked depth. The volume is enough to cover the whole house.
No matter what room my dog was in, he would run every time I yelled at him for the camera. Being a casual pet sitter myself, I feel comfortable knowing that pet parents can check in regularly and that I can answer any questions that aren’t worth a phone call.
Support & Software: Forward Orders
Pet cube has partnered with Fuzzy Pet Health to record live pet chat via the Pet cube app. Fuzzy Pet Health costs $5 a month to run. Some people whose pets have health problems that need to be checked regularly can benefit from this. Personally, however, I do not recommend it for people with relatively young and healthy pets. I think it’s a lot to spend $60 a year to talk to the vet every time my cat eats something she finds on the floor.
However, talking to a vet can be helpful in managing symptoms, investigating an emergency, or directing first aid. My vet can do all these things and they answer the phone for free.
Pet cube Care subscription is different. Starting at $4 per month, this subscription is required to save your video history to Pet cube’s cloud storage. Subscribers can also receive notifications when the camera detects people instead of pets.
Since the Cam doesn’t throw treats or tease pets with lasers, it’s unlikely I’ll get a video of my pets doing something cute or fun to share. That’s why I’d skip the order if Cam was my only Pet cube product. Otherwise it would be nice to have the clips and video history.
Pet cube Cam vs. Pet cube Bites 2
Due to its small size and magnetic attachment, the Pet cube Cam fits almost anywhere and no longer attracts the attention of a home surveillance camera. Performance is also comparable to other budget surveillance cameras. People who already own other Pet cube products and subscribe to Pet cube Care will find the Cam a nice addition, but nothing about it Screams “pet cam”. It is clearly designed to bridge the gap between affordable security and expensive pet devices.
As a pet camera, Pet cube Bites 2 is much more fun. Unlike the Play 2, which has a built-in laser to entice cats to play, the Bites 2 is suitable for both dog and cat owners. Bites 2 distributes – or rather throws – treats around the room to great effect: once pets learn that the doorbell means they’re likely to eat a snack, they no longer need to be called in front of the camera. Bites 2 is designed with pets in mind.
Final judgment
Pet cube Cam covers the fun antics of home security cameras and pet-obsessed people. It’s an affordable pet camera, even if it lacks the bells and whistles of more expensive models.