Reolink vs Lorex Security Cameras
Is One Better Than The Other?

According to a recent survey, surveillance cameras have failure rates of over 11%. Choose the wrong system, and your camera may fail when you need it most. We’ve compared two popular companies, Reolink and Lorex, to help you choose the more reliable surveillance camera manufacturer.

The main difference between Reolink and Lorex is warranty protection and software. Reolink offers a longer warranty out of the box and has a better-rated app. Both companies offer similar cameras for security in-home and at a similar price point.

Both Reolink and Lorex use industry-standard audio equipment. You can record audio to go with your video in the event you need it for evidence. You can also communicate with people through each company's respective app. Check laws in your state before recording. Some states require prior permission before recording someone.

Audio Winner: Tie (both use industry-standard equipment)

Image and video quality are good factors that describe the overall caliber of a camera system. Some of these factors include the image sensor, resolution, lens type, frame rate, compression algorithms, etc. After testing products from both Reolink and Lorex manufacturers, we found the best camera out of the two to be the Lorex 4K Nocturnal Motorized Varifocal Zoom Lens IP Camera.

Image Quality Winner: Lorex (better image sensors)

Frames per Second (FPS) measures the number of individual images a camera takes in a second. These images create the video you see when recording. The more images, the more details that will be captured, and the finer these details will appear. The higher the FPS, the less jumpy the video will seem. During testing, we found the Reolink RLK8-520d4 at 30FPS to be the better option.

FPS Winner: Reolink

Both Reolink and Lorex offer home security with cameras that have zoom capabilities. The important thing to look at is optical zoom vs digital zoom. Digital zoom uses image enhancement to reconstruct images while optical zoom uses variable lenses to zoom in. We found the Lorex 1080 PTZ with 25x optical zoom to have the better zoom.

Zoom Winner: Lorex (offers 25x optical zoom)

Image resolution dictates the clarity of details in an image. Resolution denotes the number of pixels in a row, usually noted as 1080, 4k, etc. Higher resolution means better clarity allowing you to see details like license plates. The best camera we tested was Reolink’s D800 4K Ultra HD Bullet Camera with NVR system.

Resolution Winner: Reolink (wider variety of UltraHD units)

Both companies have home security system cameras with color night vision. This differs from infrared night vision, which uses IR lighting. The color type uses ambient lighting to provide a clearer picture than the typical IR range night vision (2). Both brands have multiple camera options with color type night vision.

Color Type & Night Vision Winner: Tie

Both Reolink and Lorex manufacturers provide high caliber indoor/outdoor units. The primary differences between each company's camera systems come down to the NVR and hard drive capabilities and smart home features. We found Reolink has better indoor/outdoor cameras, and the Reolink 5mp RLC-410 was the best option.

Indoor/Outdoor Cameras Winner: Reolink

Both companies offer similar two-year warranties for their products. Reolink’s warranty protection plan is slightly better than Lorex’s, though. With the Lorex plan, you get two years only when buying directly from their website and 18 months for everywhere else. Reolink’s warranty is 2 years for all purchases from authorized dealers.

Warranty Protection Winner: Reolink (two-years)

Both Reolink and Lorex security camera brands have a wide range of security systems and CCTV cameras covering a wide range of prices. Some of these products are similarly priced, and some vary in terms of pricing. After extensive research, though, we found that Reolink’s cameras generally came in at a lower price point. Their IP cameras and NVR systems offered more features for a better price.

Price Winner: Reolink

The top Reolink security cameras we tested were:

1. 5MP PoE Indoor/Outdoor
2. 5MP PoE Turret Security Camera
3. 4MP 16 Channel PoE Surveillance System

The top Lorex security cameras we tested were:

1. 1080 PTZ With 25x Zoom
2. 4K Weatherproof Indoor/Outdoor HD Video Unit
3. C581DA 5MP HD Active Deterrence

Though both Lorex and Reolink have quality hardware, Lorex comes slightly ahead in this category. Their indoor and outdoor cameras can withstand almost any condition. Lorex outdoor cameras can operate at both higher and lower temperatures than Reolink’s and have more options such as floodlights. Lorex’s cameras are also more resistant to tampering.

Hardware Winner: Lorex (more durable build)

The ease of installation will come down to which system you choose. After testing dozens of surveillance systems, we’ve found Wi-Fi cameras with NVR and DVR storage to be the easiest. This is in comparison to wired units that require network cable installs for power and an internet connection. Both companies offer numerous wireless surveillance systems at a variety of prices.

Installation Winner: Tie (both companies have wireless systems)

Though both Lorex and Reolink provide good options for home surveillance, our testing showed Reolink to be slightly better in terms of video caliber and value. Reolink’s products offered better resolution when it came to a price to performance comparison.

Their app is also rated much better in both app stores and provides better features. We like the warranty they offer, which is 2 years out of the box, whether purchased from their website or other official distributors.