30 Jun Honest Piper Home Security System Review

Piper Home Security System is currently one of the most popular home automation and home security hubs on the market. It is an all-in-one solution that’s simple, compact, and makes home automation both affordable and achievable.

There are two primary products available in the Piper Home Security System — Piper Classic and Piper NV.

In this article, we’ll give you an overview of both Piper products. We’ll also compare them and give you a general overview of Piper Home Security System so that you have all the necessary information to make an informed decision.

Piper Home Security System Reviews

1. Piper Classic

Piper Classic is an all-in-one WiFi-enabled home security system. It’s essentially a camera that can also double as motion sensors, entry sensors, and a lot more. Each Piper Classic kit comes with a camera, a 105-dB siren, a motion detector, environmental sensors, and a Z-Wave home automation integration kit. As such, it offers you everything you possibly need in a single attractive bundle.

The Piper Camera can record videos in 1080p quality and it has an impressive 180-degree wide angle lens. The camera is also equipped with motion sensors that can detect all movements within a 30-foot radius, a two-way intercom, and an extremely loud 105-dB siren. The environmental sensors can track the humidity, temperature, and ambient light and sound.

You can communicate with the Piper Camera via the smartphone app through your WiFi network. The app is user-friendly and efficient, and it’s equipped with the ability to send you push notifications. You can also set up extremely specific commands. For example, you can set it up so that if motion is detected during ‘Away’ mode, you get notified via a call and a video clip is recorded.

You can also go to the ‘Vitals’ tab in the smartphone app to get statistics on the ambient light, sound, temperature, weather conditions, and humidity. All of these features are tracked in a graph so you can see a daily or weekly graph.

You can view live feed and record videos for free from the smartphone app. Piper automatically uploads a 25-second clip to the cloud every time the motion sensors are triggered. You can store up to 1000 such clips in the cloud. However, you can also download the clips to your own hard drive from the cloud or upload them elsewhere. The biggest issue with the Piper Camera, however, is that it doesn’t support Night Vision. This is a pretty big drawback because most burglaries happen at night, and this camera is pretty useless at night.

Another common security system feature that Piper lacks is remote monitoring. Most other home security systems charge a monthly fee because they enlist an actual surveillance agency to monitor the footage and contact the police or a remote dispatch team if there’s an emergency. With the Piper Home Security System, you’re on your own.

Piper Home Security System also doesn’t offer any door or window entry sensors. However, you can purchase other Z-Wave compatible entry sensors and then connect them to your Piper Home Security System. As such, even though Piper itself doesn’t offer entry sensors, you can still combine them with others because of its Z-Wave compatibility.

One of the best aspects of using Piper classic is that it’s extremely easy to install. You can mount the 6.5” x 3.5” device on a wall or rest it on a table. You have to then connect it to a power outlet and press the ‘On’ button at the back. Following that, you simply download the Piper smartphone app and connect it to the device over the WiFi. The whole process can be completed within 10 minutes and no professional help is necessary.

If you want to additional entry sensors or accessories like smart lights and other devices, you can go to Settings > Z-Wave Accessories > Add. And with that, you can connect any additional accessories you want and make them a part of your Piper Home Security network.

All things considered, Piper Classic is one of the best DIY home security and automation hubs you can buy at such a reasonable price. It has motion sensors, intercom, a 1080p camera, environmental sensors, and a siren, all at an extremely reasonable rate. Furthermore, you also have the ability to expand by adding entry sensors, lights, and other smart Z-Wave appliances.

The only major issues are the lack of Night Vision, the absence of SD Card slots, and the lack of a dedicated dispatch monitoring team. If someone breaks in at night, the camera won’t be able to capture them clearly. You can’t store videos in local SD storage and have to rely on cloud storage. And since there’s no monthly fee, there’s no remote monitoring team that will automatically contact the authorities in case there’s a break in.

Pros

• It’s an extremely inclusive home security solution.
• The camera can record Full HD videos and has a wide angle lens.
• Motion Detection.
• Environmental Sensors that can monitor ambient light and sound, temperature, and humidity.
• Installation is extremely easy.
• No monthly subscription fees.
• The siren is extremely loud.
• Free cloud storage.
• Compatible with all Z-Wave devices.
• Can set up complex “If This, Then That” commands.
• User-friendly and comprehensive smartphone app.

Cons

• No Night Vision.
• Can’t store videos in an SD card.
• No remote monitoring team to contact authorities in case of emergencies.

2. Piper NV

Piper NV is an upgraded version of the aforementioned Piper Classic. The ‘NV’ here stands for Night Vision because it resolves the biggest issue with Piper Classic, i.e., the lack of a night vision feature, which is a pretty basic feature that all security camera should have.

Piper NV is one of the best all inclusive home security cameras for people living in areas with lots of neighbors. It has an extremely loud 105-dB siren — about the loudness of a live rock concert in a stadium — that can easily inform all neighbors if there’s a break in. However, like the Piper Classic, it doesn’t come with remote monitoring so the authorities won’t get automatically informed if there’s an emergency. That’s primarily why it’s not suitable for people who live in homes that are remote and detached from society.

The Piper NV Home Security System has three primary components — the Camera, which also serves as a motion and temperature sensor; a door/window entry sensor; and a smart outlet that can be connected to a series of lights that you can want to trigger when the motion sensor is triggered. The motion sensor camera can record videos in 1080p with a 180-degree lens. It is also surrounded by infrared LEDs that allow it to capture videos at night as well.

Similar to the Piper Classic, this camera can also be installed easily without professional assistance. You have to simply mount the camera on a wall or set it up on a table. Following that, you connect it to a power source and place the entry sensors on your windows or doors. Finally, you install the smartphone app and connect it to the device over your WiFi network. The whole process should take less than 20 minutes.

The Piper App is the same as the one you get for Piper Classic. It is user-friendly and easy to use. There are no additional features for Piper NV. You can view live footage, pan, tilt, or zoom the camera, and you can record whenever you want. You also receive notifications whenever the motion sensors are triggered. Furthermore, you can go to the ‘Vitals’ tab to monitor all of the environmental statistics such as temperature, humidity, etc. Most importantly, you can use the IFTTT protocol to set up complex commands such as “if the motion sensor is triggered in Away Mode, set off the 105-dB siren and send me a notification.”

While you can monitor the camera from your smartphone app or your tablet app, you cannot do so from your computer. There’s no web monitoring option available.

Piper NV shares some of the same drawbacks as the Piper Classic. There’s no SD storage slot in the camera. As such, all the recorded videos are directly uploaded to the cloud. Luckily, you can access cloud storage for free and even download the clips that you want to retain.

Since there’s no monthly subscription fee, you also don’t get access to remote monitoring. As such, if there’s some emergency — such as an intrusion — you’ll have to handle it yourself. The siren will go off so your neighbors will be warned. And you’ll have to call the authorities yourself. There’s no remote monitoring team that can automatically send a dispatch team. However, most people are fine without that since it means you don’t have to pay any subscription fees.

Pros

• Piper app is extremely comprehensive and user-friendly.
• Camera has night vision.
• Camera records 1080p videos with a 180-degree lens angle.
• You also get one entry sensor with this camera.
• You get environmental sensors.
• Motion detection is effective.
• 105-dB siren is extremely loud.
• Installation is easy.
• IFTTT protocol makes it easy to set up complex commands.
• Free cloud storage.
• No monthly subscription fees.

Cons

• No professional monitoring available.
• Lacks SD card slot.

Piper Classic vs. Piper NV

From the reviews, you can probably see what the main differences are between the Piper Classic and Piper NV, However, the following is a brief summary of the main differences between the two Piper cameras.

Camera Quality

Piper Classic

• Piper Classic has a 2MP CMOS camera.
• It has a 1.3MP streaming lens.
• It has a resolution of 1280 x 1088 pixel.

Piper NV

• Piper NV has a 3.4MP CMOS camera.
• It has a 1.57MP streaming lens.
• It has a resolution of 1536 x 1088 pixels.

Night Vision

Piper Classic

• No night vision.

Piper NV

• Infrared night vision available.

Technology

Piper Classic

• Piper Classic uses Z-Wave Technology.

Piper NV

• Piper NV uses both Z-Wave and Z-Wave Plus technology. The latter offers better battery life, is faster, and has greater RF coverage.

	Piper Classic	Piper NV
Resolution	1280×1088	1536×1088
CMOS Sensor	2MP	3.4MP
Streaming	1.3MP	1.57MP
Night Vision	No	Yes
Technology	Z-Wave	Z-Wave and Z-Wave Plus

As you can see, both Piper Classic and Piper NV are similar in most ways. In terms of camera quality, their differences are negligible. The most important difference is the presence of Night Vision in Piper NV. So you just have to determine if that feature matters enough to you to incur the additional cost.

General Information About Piper Home Security System

Now that you know all about the two Piper products, this section is all about giving you some general information about Piper Home Security System.

Overview of Piper Home Security System

Piper Home Security System is a portable and wireless home security system that can be installed by anyone without professional help. It allows you to see and hear anything that’s happening all around your home or office. Furthermore, unlike many home security systems that include a monthly subscription fee, this security system has no additional monthly charges.

The Piper Home Security System comprises a powerful HD camera, a two-way audio system, motion and sound sensors, a loud siren, and a Z-Wave home automation system. The users have the ability to customize automation as they like.

What really sets Piper Home Security System apart is its compact nature. It can be installed in small and temporary spaces because of its portability. It can be used as a nanny cam, personal security system, office security system, etc. You can also have it interact with other smart home devices seamlessly.

Basic Specifications and Features of Piper Home Security System

The following are some of the basic specifications and features available in Piper Home Security System.

105-dB Siren

A 105-dB siren is the loudest siren available in any home security system. To put it into perspective, this is the same level of loudness as a turbo-fan aircraft taking off or the sound of live rock music in a stadium. As such, when the siren goes off, the entire neighborhood will be able to hear it and potential robbers are certainly going to get scared off.

180-Degree Viewing Angle

The value of a wide angle lens cannot be underestimated. Most security cameras have certain blind spots that can be manipulated by robbers who know what they’re doing. They can get around the edges of the camera’s vision. However, a 180-degree camera essentially eliminates all blindspots in the area. As such, if anyone is approaching your property or in your property, you’ll know for sure.

Pan, Tilt, and Zoom Features

Most security cameras don’t have the ability to pan, tilt, and zoom. They can record videos, but that’s it. However, with Piper Home Security System, you can view live feed and then also pan, tilt, or zoom the camera. This allows you to look around possible blind spots and zoom in on specific details. If you want to capture someone’s facial details or catch a license plate number, the zoom feature proves to be extremely useful.

Intercom

The Piper camera is equipped with an intercom. As such, you can talk to people on the other end of the camera. If you are using it as a nanny cam, you can easily communicate with the nanny or your baby through the camera. You simply have to speak into the smartphone and they have to speak into the camera. This feature also proves useful if someone is breaking into your house. You can then speak to them directly and let them know that you’re calling the authorities. This can scare them away.

Piper App

The Piper App is extremely efficient and user-friendly. It comes with three security modes — home, away, and vacation. These modes allow you to set up functions for these situations. It also sends you push notifications when the siren goes off or when some motion is detected. You can also view live footage, record them, and basically control every aspect of the Piper cameras.

Appliances

Using Smart Home Functionality, you can connect various other smart devices and appliances to your Piper Home Security System. For example, you can connect smart lights to the system and set up warning signs. For example, if motion is detected, instead of triggering the alarm, you can choose to blink the lights or dim them to get your attention.

Environmental Data Tracking

Piper Home Security System also includes sensors that can detect environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. You can use these sensors to gauge your home’s conditions. If you find that your kids or pets are at home and the temperature has dropped significantly, you can take necessary actions.

Sensors

Piper Home Security System comes with various door and window sensors. You can buy as many additional sensors as you want and set them around all your home’s entry points such as doors and windows on the ground floor. Whenever someone tries to break in, the sensors will get triggered and you’ll receive a notification in your phone immediately.

Cloud Storage

Piper Home Security System gives you access to enough free cloud storage to store up to 100 video snippets. This is a lot more than what most home security systems offer for free. However, if you want to store more videos, you’ll have to get additional storage.

Z-Wave Compatible

Z-Wave is one of the most popular standards of home automation. It can wirelessly connect all your devices in a web so that they can interact with each other. If your home security system is compatible with Z-Wave, it’s also compatible with all other Z-Wave associated devices. This ensures complete home automation.

IFTTT Compatible

IFTTT (If This, Then That) is the most efficient method by which to connect all your smart apps and home automation devices in the network so that they can be controlled from a single source. With this tool, you can set up specific commands for all your smart devices. For example, you can set up a command so that the lights automatically turn off when your camera’s motion detectors are triggered.

Customer Service

You can contact Piper Home Security System’s Customer Service through phone or email. You also have access to a wide database of frequently asked questions and user guides. Furthermore, since there are only two products, you don’t have to sift through a lot of unnecessary guides to get the information you need.

Additional Costs

The best aspect of Piper Home Security System is that you only have to pay the upfront cost of the entire setup. After you purchase the product, you can access the smartphone app and all of its features — including recording and cloud storage — for free. You don’t have to pay any additional costs or subscription fees. You have full functionality for life.

Final Words

As you can see, Piper Home Security System is one of the most compact and simple home security and automation hubs on the market. It might not have as many advanced features as some of the other high-end home automation and security products on the market. But it can handle all the essential functions brilliantly and doesn’t come with any monthly charges.

If you want a simple all-in-one home security and home automation device at a reasonable cost, then Piper Home Security System is perfect for you.