Best Young Webcam

Best Young Webcam
Zoom into peoples’ offices and living rooms with the best version of your on-camera self.
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Matt Jancer is a staff writer for WIRED who focuses on reviewing outdoor gear. Previously, he spent a decade as a freelance writer covering automobiles, motorcycles, and lifestyle stories for magazines. Some of his longest gigs were at Car and Driver , Outside , Esquire , Playboy , and Popular Mechanics .
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Early on during the pandemic, I held off on buying a webcam. “Maybe this whole Zoom fad will be over by September when we're back in the office,” I optimistically thought as I sat alone in my isolation chamber apartment. By summer, it was obvious that it was a pipe dream. Even after we'd get out from under Covid's thumb and relearn the routes to our offices, work would always retain a significant amount of videoconferencing. Whether you like it or not, Zooming is here to stay, and for that you really ought to get a better webcam than the fuzzy, blurry one built into your laptop. We may all actually be pale trolls emerging from years of isolation, but on camera it's best not to look like one.
Check out our guide to all the best webcams on the market, plus a few that didn't make the cut. Webcams are still in high demand and go in and out of stock, so if the one you like isn't available, check out our guides on how to use your smartphone or a professional camera (if you have one) as a webcam. When macOS Ventura is released this fall, you'll be able to use your iPhone wirelessly as a webcam through your Mac. We'll update this post with information on how to do it once Ventura is released.
Updated July 2022: We've added the Obsbot Tiny 4K AI, Anker B600, Logitech C922x, and Logitech C930e. We've also expanded our section on accessories to help round out your overall webcam experience.
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The Kiyo X does away with the integrated ring light of the original Kiyo, but its automatic white balance and color saturation is so good, you likely won't miss it. The original Kiyo's forward-facing ring light—like all forward-facing lights—can throw harsh shadows on the person being filmed, especially without a diffuser.
Given the choice between an integrated ring light and the Kiyo X's better image software, I'd take the software. Video picture settings can be tweaked in the Razer Synapse app, but unlike the more expensive Kiyo Pro that requires Synapse-tweaking to look good, the Kiyo X looks great out of the box. The Kiyo X autofocuses more quickly than the Kiyo, and when it has to refocus it tends to do so less noticeably. Like the original, it shoots 1080p-resolution video at 30 frames per second or 720p resolution at 60 frames per second. Also like the original, its field of vision is a slightly wide 82 degrees. For only $10 more, the Kiyo X occupies the same part of the webcam market as the Kiyo.
The C920 has been the standard for high-quality USB webcams for years. Before I switched over to the Razer Kiyo, it was my default camera for videoconferencing. You get great image quality at 1080p resolution (and 30 frames per second), and white balance performance is on par with the Razer webcam. The narrower 78-degree field of view means you may need to adjust its position so your face doesn't take up the whole frame, but the autofocus is subtler and quicker than the Kiyo's. We also like that there's a comparably priced version that comes with a physical shutter for privacy.
The Brio was one of the earliest mainstream webcams to offer 4K resolution at 30 frames per second. Even as the rest of the market has introduced premium webcams to compete with it, the Brio maintains its position as my favorite 4K webcam. The white balance is accurate, and my skin color always looks normal, whether I'm in a sunny room, in limited light, or using artificial light.
The autofocus is fast and subtle when refocusing, and the image is razor-sharp. Plus, you can choose from 65, 78, and a super-wide 90 degrees for your field of view, giving you lots of framing options. If you're using a Windows machine, you can set it up to work with Windows Hello for face authentication to log in. It's expensive, but this is the best quality you'll get short of using a DSLR or mirrorless camera . When I recommended the Brio back in 2020, it was often out of stock and sold for $200. Now it's easy to find and almost always on sale for $150. That makes it the most compelling option for a premium, 4K-capable webcam.
The UltraSharp Webcam feels incredibly substantial in my hand. Everything from the webcam body to the stand to the included tripod adapter is made of brushed aluminum. The stand and tripod adapter connect to the webcam body with a magnetic post that makes for a very secure mount. The privacy cap, too, connects magnetically and stays put with a satisfyingly strong hold, but it isn't hard to remove. The inside of the cap is padded with a soft-touch fabric to keep from scratching the lens. Even the forward-facing part of the stand is covered in soft-touch rubber to keep you from scratching the back of your laptop lid if you get a little reckless when setting up for a Zoom call.
You can adjust the viewing angle between 65, 78, and 90 degrees and record in 4K resolution in 24 or 30 frames per second, as well as in 720p or 1080p resolutions at 24, 30, or 60 frames per second. However, the picture quality of the Dell wasn't any better than the Logitech Brio, and it's hard to find in stock anywhere other than Dell's online store.
Razer Kiyo for $72 : Our previous best-of pick, the original Kiyo still offers 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second (or 720p at 60 frames per second) and built-in lighting that's controlled by turning the illuminated ring to brighten, dim, or shut it off entirely. Picture quality is good, with nice colors, and the camera quickly adjusts white balance when the room's ambient lighting changes. It autofocuses well, but you'll see it noticeably adjust as you move around the frame. The field of view is slightly wider than that of typical webcams, coming in at around 82 degrees. After a month, the hinge on my Kiyo broke, which gave me pause. But my second one is going strong, and WIRED writer Parker Hall has had no issues with his Kiyo, so we're still confident in our recommendation.
Anker B600 Video Bar 2K Webcam for $220 : Reviews editor Julian Chokkattu calls the B600's video quality excellent. If your computer can power it, the B600 can stream at up to 2K resolution. It's very expensive, though, and too big to hang from a laptop screen like the other webcams in this guide. In low light, the image quality is very dim even with the built-in light source, so it's best paired with an external light.
Obsbot Tiny 4K AI Webcam for $269 : Chokkattu has made the Obsbot his main webcam for more than six months, and as someone who videoconferences with him several times a week, I can say its 4K-capable picture looks great. What makes it stand out is that it'll automatically track your face if you move around, making it look like you have a private camera crew. You can turn this feature on and off with the wave of a palm, as it responds to hand gestures.
Logitech C922x for $99 : The C922X is a capable webcam with solid specifications. It can stream 1080p video at 30 frames per second or 720p at 60 frames per second, which makes the Razer Kiyo and Kiyo X its prime competition. But it's more expensive than either and has a slightly narrower 78-degree field of vision. It's a good webcam, but you can get a comparable Kiyo X for less money.
Logitech C615 for $29 : The specs were great (for the original price)—1080p resolution at 30 frames per second with a 78-degree field of view—and the image quality is fine in anything but low light. You can also swivel the camera 360 degrees, which reviews editor Julian Chokkattu says he does when he's not using it, since there's no privacy shutter. On the downside, the microphone records in mono, not stereo, and the short cord could make it annoying to use with a desktop, though it works fine with a laptop. If retail inventories thin out and this is all you can find, it's not a bad option, though for a few extra bucks your choices get much better.
Logitech C930e for $73 : This is the business-oriented alternative to Logitech's C920 with a 90-degree field of view that's better for capturing large groups of participants than the C920's 78-degree field of view. For a single user at home, 90 degrees can be an interesting and welcome option (I liked that optional setting on the Brio). Unlike the Brio, you're locked into using 90 degrees only, which might not work for everyone. This webcam has not historically been as cheap as it's been lately. At it's past, typical prices over $100-plus, it's not worth the extra cost. Below $100, it's an acceptable webcam with
Ever wonder why you look like a haggard extra from Goodfellas on Zoom? It's because your lighting is bad and the camera is positioned so that it's looking up your nose. Get the right camera angle and the right lighting, and find your voice with these accessories to improve your overall videoconferencing experience.
Blue Snowball Ice for $40 : Audiophiles may prefer a much fancier (and much more expensive) microphone using an XLR connection, but for the vast majority of us who aren't recording professionally or interviewing people for a podcast, this USB-A microphone will provide a significant upgrade over a laptop's built-in mic for not much money, although you may need a hub adapter if your laptop has only USB-C ports.
Lume Cube Mini LED Panel for $60 : Webcams need lots of light to prevent grainy video. You can adjust the brightness and the color temperature to match your room's lighting. It works off of battery power or you can leave it plugged in via the USB-C cable to run for however long you want. The two ¼-inch threads mean you can use any tripod , small or large, to mount it on your desk. It also comes with a diffuser to soften the light when it illuminates your face, but a professional lighting trick is to point the light backward and bounce it off a white wall or piece of white card stock for buttery-soft lighting.
Rain Design iLevel2 Adjustable Laptop Stand for $59 : We've tried a lot of laptop stands, and although at first I brushed off the idea of needing adjustable height, I came back around to the iLevel2 after concluding that the majority of fixed-level stands were too low for me. Besides, sometimes on long calls I like to lean back, and it's nice to be able to change the height to match. The iLevel2 is built very solidly, and I have little concern about its long-term durability.
Tarion Desktop Light Stand for $18 : Reviews editor Julian Chokkattu uses this Tarion stand as part of his work-from-home setup . You can use it to mount your LED panel for more control over angling the light or mount your webcam so that it's not looking up at you from under your chin, if you'd prefer not to use a laptop stand.
Lume Cube Suction Cup Mount for $23 : I recommend this as a way to attach an LED panel—with reservations. I've been using it with the Lume Cube Mini LED Panel for months, and while it's an easy, non-permanent way to place a light at face level, where it's best positioned, you have to keep the back of your laptop and the suction cup itself clean and dust-free. Otherwise, it'll tumble off and possibly dent your desk.
Not every webcam is an upgrade over the built-in one on your laptop. These are the models I tested that ranged from merely unimpressive to ones that made me look like the subject of a second-grade art project.
Microsoft LifeCam Studio for $65 : It says it's a 1080p webcam, but there's a catch—that's only for recording video. Using it for video calls restricts you to 720p. My coworkers commented on how out-of-focus I constantly was. The white balance was so off that I looked more orange than an Oompa Loompa. And the exposure was so blown out that I never stopped looking like I was living through the last scenes of The Lighthouse . There was also a lot of lag in my movements and bad motion blur.
Razer Kiyo Pro for $140 : Although it looks similar to its cheaper, non-pro sibling, the Pro ditches the light ring and instead relies on software to compensate for low-light conditions. I resented having to download the Razer Synapse app to get a decent image out of the Kiyo Pro. Yes, fine-tuning settings is a very WIRED thing to do, but most people just want to plug their webcam in. Once you fiddle with the app settings, the picture image is sharp and beautiful. However, it has the same overly obvious autofocusing as the regular Kiyo, and it's also a little overpriced. It's not a bad pick, but again, the Logitech Brio can do 4K/30 fps, as opposed to this camera, which tops out at 1080p/60 fps.
Logitech StreamCam for $150 : The StreamCam did weird things with its white balance, constantly auto-adjusting from one extreme to the other. It was a very nouveau art house vibe having everything on the screen to go from blinding, brilliant blue to toasty, volcanic orange and back. And back, and back again. It swivels left and right, but the swivel is unstable, so the StreamCam wobbles around a lot, especially if it's mounted on a laptop. On one of our many Zoom meetings, a coworker asked if I was on the deck of a boat. The only great thing about it is that it uses a USB-C cable, while most other webcams use USB-A.
Anker PowerConf C300 for $130 : It's not a bad webcam, but when I checked the price my eyes bugged out a little, Daffy Duck-style. The picture image on the Anker just didn't look as sharp. While its white balance and auto-focusing were … fine, it just isn't worth the triple-digit price, not when the sharper Logitech C920 and Razer Kiyo exist.
Aukey FHD for $35 : WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu did not like the FHD. Its picture quality isn't that sharp, its white balance is just OK, the colors are muted, and the video output is excessively grainy when there's not enough ambient light. It used to be relatively easy to find, but since Amazon kicked Aukey off for posting fake reviews, it doesn't even have that going for it anymore.
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