IMOU Knight 4K Ultra review

Made by IMOU, a relatively new and well-thought-of smart home brand, it's easy to set up - it comes with a mounting bracket, which my handyman secured to my garden fence using two wood screws. The Knight can easily be attached and detached to this bracket. You download the app, scan the QR code for the device and connect it to Wi-Fi. I was worried the camera wouldn't stay connected as it was mounted around 15 metres from the router, but I was pleasantly surprised. The app is simple to navigate and gives you a clear view of whatever the camera is directed at, though it's a fixed view so that's all you'll see. But it was reassuring to know that no one was trying to break into the back of my house.

Specification

Price

If the cable wasn't so easy to remove from the device by either intruders or pets, £89.99 would be a fair price for peace of mind. Really, you're paying for the 4K, as similar 2K and 1080p cameras are available for less than half the price.

Build and handling

In terms of tactility, the Knight feels heavy and solid, has a shape and size that is easy to hold, and is wonderfully glossy at the front – though I think the shiny finish may have encouraged the cat hairs to stick to it.

The Knight feels robust and looks perfectly sleek and futuristic. I wouldn't say it necessarily enhances the appearance of my garden fence but then I'm not sure any camera really would. Due to its black and white colourway, it's very noticeable in the outdoors, so any burglar will definitely know it's there.

Performance

The Knight's 4K images are sharp of course, while the IMOU Life app is simple and intuitive. It takes just one click to arm or disarm the camera, turn its spotlight and siren on and off, and put it to sleep. The 110dB siren is quite startling and will definitely alarm intruders as well as wildlife. It's also weather resistant with an IP66 rating – it's been raining this week and it's still working fine. The camera also boasts two-way audio, presumably in case you want to chat to the gardener or burglar.

Its AI detection lets you know when a person is spotted in the area it's monitoring - 'Person Detected', it warns you - and it can distinguish people from cats or foxes. However, my handyman's presence occasionally didn't trigger this alert. I'd hypothesise that it's because he's a vampire, but in reality, it might be because he was only present for a second on screen.

The camera includes three night vision modes: smart, infra-red, and colour – enabling you to capture a full-colour image of anyone who isn't supposed to be there (or, indeed, anyone who is). Cloud storage of images and video is available with IMOU Protect, which costs $2.99 / £2.59 a month or $44.99 / £25.99 a year (prices vary, as the plans are sometimes sold by resellers). It is a cheap price for peace of mind.

Unfortunately, the camera can easily be deactivated accidentally – or deliberately. In my case, it was the doing of a curious neighbourhood cat who decided the trailing lead was his play toy, but a burglar could disable it just as easily. They'd simply need to duck under the camera to avoid detection, then pull the lead out to ensure no one was aware of their presence. This fix isn't foolproof, but I'd advise using cable grips along the length of the lead to try and prevent this.

Overall Verdict

The IMOU Knight is a great piece of kit which offers so many above-average features: pin-sharp 4K images, two-way audio so you can shout obscenities at intruders, a spotlight to blind them, AI which detects humans (but not vampires), a weatherproof lens, night vision, PoE capability, and a siren which could wake the undead. Sadly it doesn’t have a wireless option, so factor that into your purchasing decision, along with the fact that it’s a fixed-view cam. And make sure to use the PoE injector to connect it rather than the standard power cable supplied (or use cable grips with the latter), otherwise a mischievous cat could simply send it offline with a swipe of its furry paw.

Alternatives

The Arlo Essential range of outdoor cameras also offer a floodlight option and options including subscription AI and home hubs, but the batteries prevent running a cable.

The EufyCam S330 system is 4K and battery powered (no cable) plus the solar panel tops up the charge if you happen to have any sunlight. Even better, if you pay for the hub, you won't need a subscription (but the initial cost isn't low).