How We Research
Every guide on EarnestEave starts with one question: will this product work for the person who is shopping for it? For our thermal camera guides, that means your phone, your house and the jobs you want the camera to do.
Here is how we answer it.
1. We start with the phone and the job
A phone attachment, a handheld camera and a night vision monocular suit different jobs. Finding drafts, tracing a damp wall and checking for hot spots each need different things.
We check the resolution, the temperature range and the phone type the maker lists. When your phone or your job limits the choice, we say what to check first.
2. We compare specs and features
We look at the sensor resolution, the refresh rate, the temperature range, the field of view and the screen or app. For night vision, we look at range, zoom and recording.
We also note the warranty terms the maker lists. When a detail comes from the maker, we say so.
3. We look at buyer feedback
We read through what buyers report after using a camera. We look for patterns, like blurry images, slow apps, short battery life, phones that won't connect or readings that seem a few degrees off.
We also note what buyers say the camera helped them find.
4. We score each product
Our score weighs specs, features and buyer feedback against what you're shopping for. A product that's great for one home may score lower in a guide written for another.
Scores spread out on purpose. A 10 is rare.
5. We keep pages up to date
Products change, and some disappear from stores.
TOPDON, FLIR, Thermal Master and Bushnell each sell several cameras with similar names, so we check each model name before we write about it. We also check that a camera comes from a maker we can name, and we check the maker's page for current apps and specs.
When we update a guide, the "Updated on" date at the top changes with it.
What our picks are not
Our picks are research, not lab tests. We don't claim to have used every camera we cover.
A thermal camera shows surface heat. It can't see through walls, and it doesn't replace a home inspector or a licensed electrician.
We don't cover hunting, and we make no promise about what a camera will find. When a maker makes a claim, we label it as the maker's claim.