Want to ensure the absolute security of your belongings? Looking for a solution boasting of a high feature and integration map? Then it is time for you to read a review of Canary Flex (formerly known as Bright House). In this post, we will cover all the main features, functionalities, and integration capabilities of the safety solution.
Overall Score: 8.2
- Price – 8.0
- Equipment/Devices – 8.5
- Customer Service – 8.5
- Features & Technology – 8.5
- Ease to Use – 7.5
Let’s go into detail.
- Price: 130 USD plus the Premium Membership fee if you want a Premium Membership subscription.
- Equipment/Devices: indoor/outdoor cameras, Bright House security systems.
- Customer Service: excellent, available via a live chat, phone, email.
- Features & Technology: 4k sensor, two-way audio, seamless smart platform integration, person recognition.
- Ease to use: easy to use.
Pros/Cons
Canary Flex camera is used widely for Bright House and comes with its pros and cons.
Pros:
- The Bright House device can be used wire-free or plugged in. The battery serves for from 3 to 5 months, considering that the camera works 24/7. The power adaptor is weatherproof. You can use it confidently outdoors. Its magnetic connection makes it easy to charge the camera.
- HD allows creating very clear footage.
- Two-way audio (the Bright House system consists of a highly sensitive microphone and a highly efficient speaker) allows speaking with the person calling at your door.
- The Bright House device differentiates people from other moving objects. You will not get alarms because of a moving car or a dog passing by.
- The item is equipped with integrated infrared LED lights for night vision. From any Canary Flex home automation review, you can learn that your Bright House system item switches automatically. You don’t need to worry about manual switching from day vision to night vision.
- One-touch emergency services. When you detect a thief, you can alarm the police with one touch. This function is helpful because in case if you are at home, you don’t need to call 911 and explain the emergency. With this one-touch emergency notification, a thief will never discover your calling. It saves valuable time, too.
- The camera can be integrated into Alexa and Google Assistant. You can choose the smart platform you like. Now, if you aren’t sure whether you haven’t forgotten to plug in your camera, ask Alexa or Google Assistant.
- Cloud storage of 24 hours of video is offered for free, and if you want to store more, the option is available with the Premium Membership. It is a useful option considering that videos stored on physical devices can be damaged or stolen. In a cloud, you have access to your videos at any time and from any location. This function is important if your home has been broken in, and you are trying to recover the events from a video taken by your camera. All the information sent to a cloud or stored there is encrypted for additional Canary Flex Camera security system package.
Cons:
- No facial recognition function. It means that even though the camera distinguishes people from other moving objects, but it doesn’t recognize people. It will not send you notifications if a car is passing by or a dog is running around. It will alarm you though if somebody comes, it doesn’t matter whether this somebody is your friend or a thief. It is reasonable to admit, though, that facial recognition is still rare in the cameras of such price levels.
- Check any Canary alarm system review to find out if any Bright House device or system can be integrated with Apple smart home, and you will not find a single one. It is not a big matter, though, because most cameras and security systems are not.
The Bottom Line
Canary Flex for Bright House is one of the best cameras in the market. It offers an entire bunch of the most requested security services, including AI. Facial recognition is not available, but the Bright House device distinguishes people from non-human moving objects. It can be integrated with the most popular smart platforms: Alexa and Google Assistant.
Any Canary Flex review will tell you that the device can be used both indoors and outdoors. The item is weatherproof and can work in the rain, snow, heat, cold, dusty environment. The device works within the temperature range between -4 and 120 Fahrenheit, so it might be a proper item if you live even in a very cold or humid area.
Pricing
The price is 130 USD on Amazon. With this price, you get a comprehensive security solution indeed. Comparing with other solutions, you get a nice functionality at an affordable price.
For 9.99 USD per month, you can get the Premium Membership. The price becomes significantly lower if you buy a one-year membership (119 USD) or a two-year membership. It is needed if you want to store your videos and use audio-function. Twenty-four hours of video storage is offered for free, but it might not be sufficient for all your needs.
Live streaming is unlimited. No membership is needed.
Equipment/ Devices/ Features
The Bright House item body top is made from very durable plastic. It can resist unfavorable weather conditions, physical impact, UV rays. However, it is not waterproof. It will not work if you direct on it strong water jets or submerge it in water. The faceplate is made from IR-transparent plastic. It allows infrared lights to pass when the night vision is activated. When the night vision is not needed, IR lights are hidden.
The steel cup of the device base adds sturdiness and weight. You will feel the camera as a decent piece even though the size is small, indeed. It also snaps on the magnetic base of the camera. It allows you to move your camera in a way to make it look where you need it.
The magnetic base allows mounting the Bright House device easily in combination with your doorbell camera or as a single unit. The power cord is weatherproof, too. Its magnetic connection allows charging effortlessly, but you can always opt for wire-free experience.
Lithium-ion batteries belong to the most energy-dense batteries that exist nowadays. They provide up to 5 months of continuous functioning of the camera by enabling you to use it in the wire-free mode.
A highly sensitive microphone allows reproducing top-quality audio. And motion sensors can detect any movement. Advanced algorithms determine whether the movement is produced by a human or not, and depending on the conclusion, send you a notification. A powerful speaker allows you to communicate with the person calling at the door.
There are some accessories that allow customizing your Bright House camera. Instead of the magnetic base, you can use a secure mount. It has a rotating ball instead of a common magnet base. It allows you to rotate the Bright House device and change its viewing angle in a way it looks in the place you need. The stake mount allows mounting your camera anywhere, for example, among the plants. It looks natural, and it is difficult to notice it.
Control (App)
In all the Canary Flex security reviews, you will find very positive feedback about its integration with Bright House control apps. If you are thinking “what camera should I get to use it with my iOS or Android device”, this is an option for you. It has apps for both iOS and Android. You don’t need to use it within a system or a hub to make it work.
The wireless security system allows turning the Bright House device on and off, and allows you to choose from 2 modes:
- Away – when you are not at home;
- Night – when you are sleeping.
During the time when you are at home, and active, the camera doesn’t record.
Canary Flex home security reviews tell that the Canary app isn’t integrated with any hub; it is on its own and easy-to-setup and use. If you want to add your Canary Flex your system of other Canary devices, it will work, too. To do so, you need to add your Canary device to the devices list in your Canary app. It will integrate automatically.
Canary Flex even offers an advanced encryption software, secured cloud storage, and even an inbuilt (SSL/TLS) web transfer.
Emergency calling is embedded. But this option is available with a subscription for a monthly fee. The camera alarms the needed authorities in the case of an emergency.
Customer Service
Judging from Canary Flex security system reviews, customer support is very professional and responsive. You can contact a representative of Bright House during the working time (8 AM to 5 PM Eastern time) via an SMS in a live chat, or you can select to open a ticket via email.
For those who want to eliminate the issue on their own or for general requests, a comprehensive Help Center is available.
How to Order
You can buy Canary Flex in any online store or an e-commerce platform where they offer home security equipment for sale, such as Amazon.
FAQ
Does Canary Flex Require the Internet?
Yes, the internet connection is needed to communicate with your Canary Flex. From the Bright House Canary Flex security system review, we can see that it supports 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, and it works both with 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies.
How Much Is Canary Flex per Month?
You can get Canary Flex for 130 USD on Amazon, and a service fee is 9.99 USD per month. You can save significantly if you purchase a one-year plan for 119 USD. You don’t need to purchase any Bright House plan to have your Canary Flex function. Each device is supplied with a Free Access plan. Here are included bookmarks, 24 hours of video, access to mobile apps, 30-second clips.
How to Cancel a Canary Flex Account?
When you have purchased a Premium Membership, you got your account. Log in to your account. There, find the option Manage Business Plan. There, find the option to Cancel Premium Membership and click on it. Remove the timeline of 30 days by clicking on the needed option. Select the reason for cancellation and confirm your intentions by clicking on Got it. That’s it, and your account is canceled. You can activate it again by purchasing a Premium Membership plan.
How Long Has Canary Been in Business?
Canary has been in business for around 16 years for now. The company was founded in 2014 with the aim of providing Bright House security equipment options that are easy-to-use. Is Canary a good company? From Canary Flex smart home reviews, we can see that Canary has already become one of the top companies that work in this field. The company pricing range is varied. It means that you can get a Bright House camera or a Bright House monitoring system according to your budget, at the most suitable Canary home security price.
Does Canary Offer Free Installation?
Free Bright House installation services are not offered. The company offers Bright House cameras that require the installation by a specialist and Bright House devices that are ready to be installed, just place them when you have planned. From Canary home security systems reviews, you can learn which Bright House options offered by Canary security company are suitable for you.
The Bright house device doesn’t require professional installation. You need to place it in the needed location. For that, use the magnetic base, the twist mount, or the stake mount. Download the app for Canary Flex. Plugin or turn on your Bright House camera. Connect the item to the internet. With it, the installation procedure is over. Your Bright House device is working. If you want, you can integrate it to Alexa or Google Assistant.
Does Canary Flex Work with Alexa?
From Bright House security cameras reviews available on the internet, you can learn that Canary Flex works with Alexa. If you integrate your Canary Flex to Alexa, Alexa will be able to stream videos from your camera.
To integrate Canary Flex with Alexa, perform the following steps:
- You need to download the Alexa app;
- Move to Skills;
- Look for Canary option;
- Click Enable;
- Now, login with your credentials that you use for Canary account;
- Tap Agree to agree on data sharing with Alexa;
- Finally, select Discover to find the device.
Optionally, you can ask Alexa to find all the Canary devices that are associated with your account. The same procedure is performed to disconnect your Bright House device from Alexa. Simply do it from the Alexa app.
Does Canary Flex Work with Google Assistant?
Canary Smart Home from Google is available now. You can connect your Canary Flex camera or Bright House cameras if you have several of them to Google Assistant and ask Google, for example, about the temperature in a particular place where a particular device is installed. For that, perform the following steps:
- Start with the Google Assistant app. Open it;
- Talk with it or type in “Talk to Canary”;
- Click on Link;
- Sign-in into your Canary account by using your credentials;
- There, agree on data sharing with Google.
Now, your Canary Flex is connected with Google Assistant. You can talk to any of your Bright House devices via Google Assistant.
Even though Bright House was a well-established company, they were bought by Spectrum, which, in turn, had to turn down their business due to the fact that their key suppliers stopped their business activities. Even though it is impossible to purchase any Bright House plan/device, Canary seems a decent replacement.