IMOU Rex 3D review: a versatile, inexpensive security camera

IMOU Rex 3D: two-minute review

Chinese manufacturer IMOU offers a wide range of consumer IoT products, including home security cameras. The Rex 3D is slightly unusual in that, unlike most indoor models, it has a camera that can move either manually or automatically from side to side as well as up and down.

As with most home security cameras, setup is relatively straightforward. Simply plug the camera into the mains (a relatively long power lead is provided) and download the IMOU Life app online before syncing the device to your home’s Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only, not 5GHz) and setting a strong password (essential for these devices). Alternatively, there is an ethernet connection for hooking up the camera directly to a broadband router if you prefer. 

Where the IMOU really comes into its own is its dizzying array of features. I’ve been testing the Rex 3D in my kitchen for a couple of weeks now and I’m only just getting to grips with everything it can do. That said, you will need to pay for the IMOU subscription to be able to store footage in the cloud, share the device with up to 20 users, and access some of the AI-based features beyond an initial two-week free trial. 

Prices start at around £2 (about $2.50/AU$4) a month for the basic plan if you commit to a one-year subscription, but you can pay up to £6 (about $8/AU$12) a month for the comprehensive plan (IMOU Protect Plus – see below). Alternatively, footage can be stored on a MicroSD card (not supplied). The slot is discreetly located within the camera housing underneath the lens. 

Given the name Rex (a common dog’s name), I’d naively assumed the device was intended purely for pet monitoring. But actually, it can be used for human or pet detection. Footage is captured as soon as the camera senses movement, whether it’s human or animal. Clips are displayed within the app, either by going into the calendar view and clicking on the thumbnails within the live image or scrolling through a timeline. You can also set up the device to sound an alarm when motion is detected, though this is incredibly annoying if it’s an area of the house where there’s a lot of movement, such as the kitchen. 

Captured video can be downloaded to your phone or a screenshot from the footage can be taken by pressing the camera icon. Up to 8x zoom is provided so you can close in on a particular part of a recording or live footage, while ‘smart tracking’ will automatically move the camera to follow, say, a baby crawling across the floor or a dog playing with a ball. 

Other features include an ‘activity zone’ for excluding motion being captured in certain parts of the frame (for example, a road where it might capture moving cars) and a ‘detection schedule’ for selecting which hours you want the camera to be in operation – such as only at night if you want to monitor a child’s bedroom or external door. 

The IMOU Rex 3D also works with Amazon Alexa, so you can say ‘Alexa, show me the nursery’ and footage from that camera will be displayed. When the device is put in privacy mode, it will place the lens down to deactivate some of the functionality, such as live view. 

IMOU Rex 3D: price and availability

• Prices start from $64.99/£36.99 (about AU$100)
• Available now in US and UK

Given everything the IMOU Rex 3D offers, it is quite simply astonishing value for money. It’s even possible to find the model on special offer for even less than the prices displayed above. That said, it’s so cheap because, like most security camera manufacturers, IMOU makes its money from getting people to sign up for its subscription plans.

These enable you to view recordings in the cloud (after the free trial ends) and access additional features, such as enhanced AI detection that can send you an alert if a person, pet, vehicle, or package is detected. Alternatively, for more basic functionality you can simply store recordings on a MicroSD card up to 256GB, which you will have to buy separately. This can be used for streaming up to 24 hours of constant footage (once storage is full it will be overwritten by new footage). 

Value for money score: 5/5

IMOU Rex 3D: subscription options

IMOU Protect Basic: Seven days of storage in the cloud, share devices with 10 users - £26 (about $30/AU$50) per year. 

IMOU Protect Plus: Enhanced AI detection, 30 days of storage in the cloud, share devices with 20 users - £5.99 (about $8/AU$10) per month or £60 (about $80/AU$120) per year.  

IMOU Rex 3D: design

• Easy DIY setup 
• Long power cable provided
• Can be mounted to ceiling  

Given the low price, you might expect the IMOU Rex 3D to feel a bit cheap, but actually, it’s pretty solid and sturdy. It’s also not overly large, about the size and shape of a softball. I’m not a massive fan of the piano black finish but it’s largely a matter of personal taste.

Running the long 3m cable from a power supply in the kitchen, I mounted the camera in the kitchen facing the back door. A bracket and screws are provided for installing the device on the ceiling if you prefer. This is a good way of optimizing the 360-degree camera as well as keeping the device out of reach of sticky-fingered children and thieves.

Design score: 4.5/5

IMOU Rex 3D: performance

• High quality 1080p image resolution 
• Extremely sensitive movement detection 
• Stable connection

It’s fair to say that the IMOU Rex 3D is one of the best security cameras I’ve looked at in terms of performance. Many are tricky to set up and don’t always offer a stable connection, especially if they are located some distance from the wireless broadband router. However, even though the router was on the other side of the house, the IMOU connected first time and has been working constantly during the two weeks of testing. 

If I have one complaint, it’s that the IMOU Rex 3D is a little too good in that it seems to record every little movement it detects. Indeed, it’s so sensitive I’ve had to turn detection sensitivity down to 2 out of 5 so it isn’t triggered every time a leaf blows across the lawn or a spider scurries across the floor! Also, while the AI detection is very good for detecting humans, it’s not always reliable for pets. On numerous occasions, it told me it had detected a pet even though my dog wasn’t in the room at the time!

Finally, the picture quality is excellent. As well as offering 1080p resolution for high-quality images during the day, it has a night vision setting which is very accurate for IR recording in low light. If you are mounting the camera on the ceiling, it’s possible to flip the image 180 degrees so it’s the right way round. There’s also an HDR (High Dynamic Range) setting for capturing high-contrast scenes – for example, if the camera is indoors facing a window. 

Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the IMOU Rex 3D?

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IMOU Rex 3D security camera: also consider

How I tested the IMOU Rex 3D security camera

• I used the camera every day for two weeks
• I set it up myself without any assistance
• The camera was set up to focus on the kitchen

To really put an indoor security camera through its paces you need to put it in a well-trafficked part of a property. That’s why I opted to locate mine in the kitchen. Plus, I made sure it was in motion tracking mode so it followed any movement around the room from either a person or a dog. 

While this may not be ideal in the longer term – it does feel a little intrusive with a camera whirring round the room – it meant that I could see just how good the camera is at capturing movement. Over the last two weeks, it must have recorded more than 1000 clips and while some of these were false positives, I don’t think it ever dropped the connection during the testing period.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2024