Best home security products to deter burglars

Whether you live in a city or a quiet country village, it pays to protect your home against opportunistic thieves. Here are five home security products that will help deter burglars and give you a little peace of mind.

See also: Beware Britain's burgalry hotspots

1. Netatmo NSC01-EU Wi-Fi Home Camera with Face Recognition: £152.89

Home security cameras have been around for some time, but few can beat Netatmo's wi-fi home camera with face recognition technology. In addition to constantly monitoring your home, it alerts you when someone passes in front of the camera – so you can check that your teenage child or elderly parent is home safe – and then sends their names to your smartphone. (When it recognises a new face, you create a profile and tell the app which face belongs to whom). Importantly, it also alerts you when it sees a stranger.

You can watch a live stream or recorded videos from anywhere in the world via your smartphone, tablet or computer. Even better, there's no subscription – pay the one-off fee and you're good to go.

2. Yale wirefree Premium Alarm Kit HSA6400: £165.02

Bells-only alarms make a noise to ward off intruders, but don't notify the homeowner. While useful if you live in an active neighbourhood-watch area, a system that contacts you - and other nominated friends and family when triggered – offers greater peace of mind.

Yale's wirefree alarm kit can store up to three telephone numbers and will call them in sequence when triggered, and can be armed/disarmed using either a landline or mobile touch-tone telephone. You can also set the length of entry/exit you require, to prevent mishaps.

Burglars are known to look for an easy target. If you can't afford the real thing, you could always buy a dummy box to make them think twice about targeting your property.

3. Mpow® 3-in-1 Wireless Waterproof Security Light: £10.99

Outdoor lights, either ones that are switched on and off manually or triggered by movement, are a good way to ensure a thief is more visible, which will help to deter them. Be sure to direct the light downwards so as not to annoy neighbours or shine in drivers' eyes if your home is close to a road.
This solar light from Mpow is triggered by motion, comes with three different operational settings, and promises to detect people as far away as 26 feet.

4. FakeTV Visual Burglar and Intruder Deterrent: £15.99

If you plan to go on holiday, it's a good idea to invest in indoor lighting before leaving the premises unattended. Timers can be used to turn lights on and off around the home, as well as TVs and/or radios, and cost as little as £5. If you invest in several, take care to ensure they are in sync around the house, such as turning the light off ten minutes after the TV goes off.

This fake TV produces exactly the same sort of light a real television makes, simulating scene changes, light fades, light flickering, on-screen motion and colour changes, to make it seem like someone is at home.

5. BG Outdoor Indoor Fake Dummy Imitation CCTV Security Camera: £5.49

If you have business premises or a large house, it may be worth investing in CCTV. If you can't afford the real thing, this dummy CCTV security camera may be enough to deter opportunists. Made from an actual surveillance camera that has been modified into a dummy, the fake security camera features an authentic video cable and a fully adjustable mounting bracket. The camera requires 2 AA batteries (not included) to power the red light.