Best Smart Home Camera for Dogs: TP-Link Tapo vs. Furbo
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Which Smart Camera is Top Dog? Furbo vs TP-Link Tapo Compared
Alright hoomans, gather round. If you’ve ever left your doggo at home and secretly wondered if we spend the day napping, plotting snack heists, or barking at the wind (spoiler: it’s all three), you’ve probably thought about getting a smart pet camera. Let me, Thor the Rottweiler, give you the lowdown—with a wag and a wink—on two top contenders: the Furbo 360° Dog Camera and the TP-Link Tapo C200 Security Camera.
The Furbo 360° – Fancy Features with a Side of Treat Tossing
Let’s start with the one made just for doggos—the Furbo. This thing gets us. I mean, it tosses treats with a button tap. That’s right. You go off to earn kibble, and we still get a mid-morning snack. Treat logic at its finest. 🐾
But Furbo ain't just about snacks. It’s like having a mini hooman watching over us—quietly judging our couch-sleeping habits with 360-degree vision, 4X HD zoom, and full-on motion tracking. It even sends bark alerts—so if I go full undercover barking mode at suspicious birds, you’ll know.
The Furbo also comes with a bunch of tech wizardry. Think cloud recording, selfie alerts, doggie diaries and even emergency alerts like smoke or CO. That’s like Level 10 pup security.
Of course, all this requires a subscription plan. And yes, hoomans always groan at this part, but it’s how Furbo keeps the fetchy stuff running. Plans start at $9.99/mo with a three-month minimum. If you want the full Furbo experience, there’s no way around that.
TP-Link Tapo C200 – The Budget-Friendly Snoop Cam
Now if your budget’s tight (we get it, dog food’s expensive), the TP-Link Tapo C200 is an overachiever in the watchful department. No treat-tossing magic here, but it still keeps an eye—or should I say, lens—on your furry superstar.
This sleek little gadget gives you 1080p video, full 360-degree horizontal and 114-degree vertical pan and tilt (fancy talk for watching me snoop into the cat’s food bowl), and up to 30 feet of night vision. It also comes armed with motion detection alerts, and you can trigger light or sound to chase off intruders—or squirrels pretending to be intruders.
No extra subscription needed. Set it up with Wi-Fi, connect it to the app, and boom—you’re wirelessly spying on your dog's weirdest naps in seconds.
Side-by-Side Paw-spective
- Treat Tossing: Furbo - Yes please / Tapo - Nope
- 360° View: Both go full circle. Literally.
- Zoom & Tracking: Furbo follows like a loyal tail / Tapo's basic but sharp
- Night Vision: Tapo flexes with 30 feet of clarity
- Barking Alerts: Furbo sends them to your phone / Tapo doesn’t even listen 😆
- Subscription Needed: Furbo - Yep / Tapo - Nah
Which One Gets the Tail Wag?
If you’re the type of hooman who treats your pup like dog royalty (as you should), the Furbo wins by a tail. It’s packed with dog-first features that feel like you never left the house. From treat tossing to personalised alerts, it’s a pup’s dream. Downside? You do have to subscribe. But hey, we’re worth it.
On the flip side, if you're looking to keep an eye on us without treating like it’s a TV show, the TP-Link Tapo offers paw-some surveillance with zero extra cost. It’s reliable, crisp, and gives you peace of mind—minus the barking selfies.
Final Verdict from Thor’s crate: For full adventure-rewind, snack-launching goodness, go Furbo. For wallet-friendly peeking, Tapo’s no underdog.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a nap scheduled right between “bark at the window” and “pretend I didn’t hear the treat jar.”
Stay waggy, stay watchful.
High Paws,
Thor 🐾
