If you don’t have a 1080p webcam for your next Teams or Zoom call, you’re missing out. Spending money on hair, makeup, and skincare only to use a poor 720p webcam in front of friends and colleagues doesn’t make sense. Our picks for the best webcams mean that you can look your best, for less. Thanks to the work-from-home trend, webcam makers have recognized that 1080p resolution and improved audio are now basic requirements. Most laptops still ship with a 720p webcam, making a standalone webcam a valuable upgrade. Premium options include 4K resolution, ring lights, and more. We haven’t tested every one of these webcams, just most of them. You can also refer to our separate story on the best Windows Hello webcams to buy a webcam for videoconferencing and to log you into your PC. Anker PowerConf C200 – Best overall webcam Pros 2K (1440p) resolution Adjustable field of view Solid low-light performance 18-month warranty Cons Lacks 60fps support Anker software is necessary for full control Color balance is middling We’ve replaced the Logitech C920e as our best webcam pick if only because Anker simply offers so much more for less. First off, Anker’s PowerConf C200 provides an upgraded 1440p resolution, better than 1080p to make you look clearer and more professional. Second, this webcam offers an adjustable field of view (65, 78, and 95 degrees) meaning that you can manually crop out portions of the background you don’t want to be visible. Anker provides Windows drivers, so you don’t need to worry about that. However, you will need Anker’s software to take full advantage of all the webcam’s features—e.g, though the USB-A cable makes this a plug-and-play device, the software is necessary to adjust the field-of-view function. The PowerConf C200 includes noise-cancelling mics and an integrated privacy shutter, which turns off the whole device—a plus, if you’re concerned about a bad guy somehow hacking your mic and listening to your conversations with your family, boss, and pets. Logitech C920e Business Webcam – Best overall webcam runner-up Pros Three-year warranty Exposure and color controls 78.5-degree viewing angle 1080p The 1080p Logitech C920e webcam is the most recent version of the venerable Logitech C920, probably the most iconic webcam of the last few years. Confused about whether you should buy the C920e or the C920s? Logitech describes the C920e as a business camera, and the C920s as the consumer version—they’re otherwise identical, save that the C920e has a three-year warranty versus a two-year warranty, while costing the same. The C920e reportedly offers lighting and color controls that the C920s does not, as well. Both cameras use a narrower 78.5-degree viewing angle, which focuses on your face better than webcams that use a 90-degree viewing angle. It’s also an autofocus camera, which helps justify its higher price. The C920e connects to your laptop using a USB-A cable measuring 5 feet. Reviewers have some concerns about the color accuracy, but the low-light performance makes up for it—you shouldn’t need a ring light. Creative Live! Cam Sync 4k – Best budget webcam Pros 4K resolution for cheap! Backlight adjustment isn’t bad Cons Poor color balance Adjustable focus is of iffy value Cheats a bit in frame rate The Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K webcam is proof that the prices of premium webcams are plunging — or is it that budget webcams are getting really good? This 4K webcam offers competitive value, though it does have its own set of issues like poor color balance and a focus that can be a bit tricky. Despite this, it’s still a good value. Monoprice 2K USB Webcam – Best budget webcam runner-up Pros Fantastic price 2K resolution, with autofocus Works well as a laptop webcam Bonus ring light Cons Review unit broke after a fall Tends to overexpose the user Lousy mic quality DIY privacy shutter Monoprice has discounted this webcam to $34.99, and for that price it’s hard to pass up. Our review of this webcam, below, points out its flaws: It tends to overexpose the user, even without the integrated ring light, and the mic quality is poor. The DIY privacy shutter is a little goofy but works fine. Anker B600 Video Bar – Best premium webcam Pros 65, 78, and 95 degree viewing angles Built-in speaker, microphone, and light bar Adjustable settings for brightness, contrast, and more Privacy shutter Swivel mount Cons 30fps Too heavy for use with a laptop screen Price The price tag on Anker’s premium B600 video bar may cause double-takes. But this webcam packs in the features. Inside is a 2K resolution camera, four-microphone array, speaker, and built-in light that also serves as a privacy guard—and you get a high level of control over all the hardware. Choosing between viewing angles of 65, 78, and 95 degrees is fast, as is downscaling the default resolution from 2K to 1080p, 720p, or 360p. You can also tune the brightness, sharpness, saturation, and contrast of your video feed, alter the light bar’s color temperature, and set the light’s brightness to auto adjust based on ambient conditions. This webcam is an extremely nice all-in-one solution, so long as you’re parked at a desk. (This video bar and its swiveling mount require a monitor for proper support.) The camera is clear and crisp, the speaker gets plenty loud, the mic holds its own against many laptops and earbuds, and the light is handy in dark rooms or for balancing out harsh backlighting. You can use the B600 as a speakerphone, too, eliminating the need for a separate speakerphone for group calls. However, the webcam has limitations that may not make it ideal for use with a laptop. Overall, the Anker PowerConf C200 is our top pick for the best webcam, offering great value for its price with its 2K resolution, adjustable field of view, and solid low-light performance. The Logitech C920e Business Webcam is also a strong choice, with its three-year warranty, exposure and color controls, and 78.5-degree viewing angle. And for those on a budget, the Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K and Monoprice 2K USB Webcam offer excellent value for their prices, despite their imperfections.
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