Bosma Ex Pro security camera review: This auto-tracking outdoor cam is a great value

Bosma is known for producing stylish, well-built smart home devices, and the EX Pro outdoor security camera underscores that reputation. This winner of the the 2021 IF Design Award is sturdily built to weather the elements, and it offers advanced features including person, facial, and package detection; pan-and-tilt; auto-tracking; and an anti-theft alert. Crowdfunded on Indiegogo, the camera has had impressive backing and is set to ship in September. Bosma sent us this sample as a finished and reviewable product, which is the only way we cover crowd-funded products.

The cylinderical Ex Pro has a simple, sleek black finish, and the overall design conveys an air of understated elegance. Nonetheless, the casing has a weatherization rating of IP66, meaning it’s dustproof and can withstand being sprayed with jets of water from a distance. (You can read more about IP codes at the preceding link. The camera body is attached to a mountable base, on which it can rotate 180 degrees and tilt 45 degrees.

This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best home security cameras, where you’ll find reviews of the competition’s offerings, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping for this type of product.

The camera itself has a 128-degree field of view with a 4X digital zoom, and it streams video in up to 2K resolution. In low light, it automatically switches to color night vision, allowing you to capture more forensic details—think clothing and car paint colors—than the more typical black-and-white night vision. An integrated mic and speaker let users communicate with delivery people or warn off intruders.

Bosma

Setting up the camera requires a bit of handyman prowess. First, you’ll want to download the Bosma app on your phone, create an account, and add the camera. The app prompts you through a few quick steps to connect the Ex Pro to your Wi-Fi network. This only took me a couple of minutes to complete. Once the camera is connected, the app will display the current wireless signal strength; you’ll want to take the camera to your desired installation spot and use this tool to make sure you get a strong enough signal there. If you do, you’re ready to mount the camera.

All the mounting hardware you’ll need is included in the box, but you’ll need to supply your own drill, hammer, and a screwdriver. Bosma provides a detailed instruction booklet with pictures illustrating each step, with various options for mounting the camera and routing its power cable to an outdoor or indoor power outlet. I was able to install the camera overlooking my driveway in less than 30 minutes.

Michael Ansaldo/IDG

The Ex Pro performed well during my testing period. Video streaming was smooth and crisp in both day and night mode. Motion and sound detection worked reliably well, and notifications were timely and accurate. Auto-tracking, which uses person detection to recognize and follow human movement, also worked consistently.

The Bosma app is well designed and makes operating the Ex Pro fairly intuitive. From the main screen, you can select the camera’s live feed, access a library of recorded events, choose from any other Bosma smart devices you have on your network, and set and activate different arming modes for the camera.

The live-stream screen includes standard controls for manually recording video and taking screenshots of the video feed, muting the camera’s speaker, and using the two-way talk feature. Directional buttons below these controls let you pan and tilt the camera.

The app also includes many customization options, all of which are centrally located in the settings menu. These are grouped by type. Event Detection is where you can enable and adjust sound and motion detection, as well enable a 110dB siren to sound off if someone unplugs or tampers with the camera. Recording settings let you enable, disable, and schedule automatic recording of detected events. AI Services are those that manage AI recognition and auto tracking.

The Ex Pro comes with free rolling 12 hours of cloud storage for your video clips. You can upgrade that to 7- or 30 days of cloud storage via a Bosma Assist subscription for $1.99 a month/$19.99 annually, or $2.99 a month/$29.99 annually respectively. To activate the AI features, you’ll need a Bosma Assist Pro subscription, which runs $5.99 a month/$59.99 annually for the 7-day-history plan, or $6.99 a month/$69.99 annually for the 30-day history plan.

Bosma has shipped the first batch of Bosma Ex Pro pre-orders to backers. There were a handful of cameras still available at the pre-order price of $99 each; after those are gone, the price goes up to $149. Even with the added subscription costs, that’s good value for such an advanced outdoor security camera. If you’re looking for an easy way to monitor the goings-on around your homestead, the Bosma Ex Pro is a solid solution.