A lot of people are now working from home, and hybrid work is becoming the new normal. You might still be working at home some days, and going to the office on other days. That means meetings on Skype, Zoom, and other teleconferencing software are probably part of your routine.
Along with new features like 5G as well as Thunderbolt, most laptop webcams can help get that part of your job done just fine. However, you’ll still want to look your greatest when meeting up with your colleagues virtually. Buying a new webcam is what can make you look even better.
We already collected some of the best webcams you can buy, but what if you’re on a budget and still want to boost your virtual meetings? Well, we have your back again. Here’s a look at some of the best cheap webcams, most for under $60, that you can buy in 2022 from a wide range of categories.
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- Best overall: NexiGo N60 1080p Web Camera
- Best webcam with ring light: Tecknet 1080P Webcam
- Best 4K webcam: XPCAM 4K Webcam
- Best Windows Hello webcam: Elecom Windows Hello webcam
- Best wide-angle webcam: Spedal Wide Angle webcam
- Best 2K webcam: Anker Power Conf C200
- Best stylish webcam: EMEET Store
- Best for Mac: Logitech C270
Best overall: NexiGo N60 1080p Web Camera
At the top of our list as the best overall webcam you can buy for under $50 for cheap is the NexiGo N60. This is a 1080p webcam, with a 2-megapixel sensor. It also has a 3.6mm glass lens, which is above the typical plastic lens you’ll find on most cheaper webcams. All of these specs mean that you can be from up to 19.6 inches to 13 feet away from this webcam and still look your best.
Keep in mind that a 2-megapixel sensor is still really great. Most other webcams in this price range have lower 1-megapixel sensors. The better the sensor, the better you end up looking on your calls. Of course, you won’t get a high 10-megapixel sensor for this price as with other products.
The other great part of this webcam? It has a built-in privacy shutter that you can snap over the lens when you don’t want to be seen. This is becoming much more common in webcams, and you’ll find it on a lot of our picks. Sometimes, it’s as simple as this one, where the lens has a cap that you can drop down. For added privacy, LED lights also indicate when the camera is in use. A Green LED shines when the webcam is on. A red LED is also there to show you when the microphone is in use.
Speaking of microphones, there is a built-in noise cancellation microphone that can help you sound your best and better than when using your laptop’s dedicated mics. These microphones on this webcam should be closer to your face, rather than depending on your laptop’s microphones which could sit on the keyboard deck or in another awkward position that could cause muffled end audio on your calls.
- The Nexigo N60 webcam is the best cheap webcam you can buy with a 2MP sensor, privacy shutter, and a built-in microphone
Best webcam with ring light: Tecknet 1080P Webcam
Sometimes the lighting in your room might not be the best for a webcam. It could be too dark, or you might not be facing a light or be close enough to a window. In these situations, a standard cheap webcam won’t do you any good, as your colleagues won’t see your face properly. But did you know there are specialized webcams that have an LED light built in that can help? These are known as ring light webcams.
A webcam with a ring light can fill your face with light and will help you look better. This way, there will be a better focus on your eyes as well as your face which is what is preferred by most people on web calls. Of course, you can buy a dedicated lamp or other hardware to help with this, but that means a mess of wires on a desk or taking up another USB port on your computer. Ring light webcams are an all-in-one solution.
The Tecknet 1080P Webcam is the perfect product for this. Around the main lens, it has a huge light, that you can control the brightness of. The light comes in at 3 levels at medium, high, and low so you can get the best lighting condition. Low conditions are best for when you might have just enough light in the room. And medium and higher settings can be used when you want to get the best possible lighting.
These ring light settings come in addition to the dual noise-canceling microphones and 2-megapixel sensor which already help you sound and look your best. As we mentioned before, the better the sensor, the better the image quality. This webcam has everything for all of that. Good lighting, good sensor, and all for a cheap price.
- This 1080p webcam has a ring light built in which can help you improve the visual quality of your webcalls
Best 4K webcam: XPCAM 4K Webcam
So far we’ve highlighted 1080p webcams but for truly the best quality for your calls for under $50, you’ll need a 4K webcam. This webcam from XPCAM has a better sensor than any other webcam on our list. It has an 8MP sensor, which can capture more light and more of the room around you to make you look sharp for the best possible video output.
The 8MP sensor is nearly triple the quality of other cheaper webcams that we’ve suggested so far. This means it’s ideal for looking your best on calls. It will help in picking up more details in the room around you, as well as more detail on your face like your facial expressions, and finer details like freckles and facial features. When it comes to these finer details, 2MP webcams just don’t hit it for that stuff.
And for when you don’t want to be seen, there’s even a privacy shutter built-in. Just pull the shutter down over the lens and snap it into place. Other than that, you’ll even get a free tripod with your purchase. What this means is that you can place the camera on your desk instead of on your monitor or laptop. The legs retract and you can raise them up to the right angle that fits your needs or set it up for streaming. To get started, just screw the webcam to the top of the mount using the included hardware. It doesn’t get any easier.
- This 4K webcam has a high-resolution sensor and comes with a tripod so you can look your best on your calls
Best Windows Hello webcam: Elecom Windows Hello webcam
Part of the problems of working from home and hybrid work is security. You’ll need to keep your work computer safe from those in your home or living situation. The best way to do that is by using a Windows Hello webcam. You’ll find that many premium Windows laptops come with Windows Hello webcams, but if your laptop doesn’t have one, then you can add one externally via a USB port with an external webcam like this.
These special types of webcams have an IR sensor built-in that can scan your face and log you into your PC. When set up, you, and only you, will be able to log into your computer. The sensor itself is standard, but the webcam is great for this, and it has an 80-degree wide lens, so it can capture a bit more of the room around you. It also has a mount so it can snap into your laptop or sit on your desk.
Once you buy this webcam, you can scan your face through Windows 11’s settings app. Just go to Account, Sign-in options, and choose Facial recognition (Windows Hello.) You can then scan your face. Windows Hello works in all kinds of conditions, so you need not worry about lighting. You can also keep your glasses on, too. The webcam ends up mapping your facial features and then storing them on your computer.
- This webcam has a Windows Hello IR sensor, letting you log into your PC with your face and keep your system safe from intruders
Best wide-angle webcam: Spedal Wide Angle webcam
Right now the best wide-angle webcam you can find on a budget is the Spedal Wide Angle webcam. This webcam has a 1080p sensor but is different from others for under $50 in that it has a 120-degree field of view. This is a much wider view than the typical webcam which hits 80 degrees. You’ll be able to fit more of the room in your call and focus less on your face. This often helps in communication when it comes to Zoom and Skype calls. As your colleagues will be able to see hand gestures, without pushing yourself too close to the webcam.
The webcam can even rotate 360 degrees on the included mount. That means that it’s great for things like virtual piano lessons. You’ll be able to move the webcam as you see fit to showcase what’s on screen without unplugging it or using an extension. The manual focus also means you can fine-tune the image as you see fit, similar to a traditional DSLR camera. The included software will also let you change things like exposure, brightness, resolution, saturation, contrast, sharpness, and white balance. We always love this type of software since it makes your webcam more personal. It is great for finer control when the lighting might not be right. Even premium webcams come with it. Dell has its own dedicated app, for example with premium webcams like the Dell 4K Webcam.
- This wide-angle webcam comes in at $43 and has a 120 degree field of view, so you can fit more people in your shot, or focus on the room around you, rather than just your face
Best 2K webcam: Anker Power Conf C200
The last pick on our list is a webcam that supports 1440p video. It can push our better image quality than 1080p webcam thanks to the bigger and better sensor. This webcam has a large aperture size, and you can even control the angle of the lens opening to 65, 79, or 95 degrees without sacrificing image quality. The adjustments happen automatically without you needing to touch the lens itself.
The camera has built-in microphones too, with either directional or omnidirectional vocal pickup so you can sound better in meetings. Software is included to help you manage a lot of this webcam’s settings, and there’s also a privacy cover. Slide the switch to the right to use the webcam, and then to the left to cover it. Some of the other features that we like on this webcam include the indicator light to let you know when it’s in use. There’s a fancy LED light at the bottom, right next to the microphones. That’s on top of the design, which is a lot more rectangular, rather than flat and square. Mount this webcam to your laptop, and you’ll end up looking fancy.
Do note that this is a webcam from Anker, which is quite a premium brand behind popular accessories for laptops and phones. It’s really hard to find a quality premium webcam from this brand for a famous brand like this one, and we think it will hit the sweet spot for most people. Even for streamers or professionals, this is our best pick for that reason.
- The Anker PowerCong C200 has a 2K sensor and various field of views
Best stylish webcam: EMEET 1080p webcam
As you can tell, a lot of the webcams on our list are square, boring objects. If you’re after a more stylish webcam, then we suggest the EMMETT 1080p webcam. It’s one that you’ll often find on sale for less than $18. And it’s a stylish device since it is rounded instead of square.
Some of the top features that we love about this webcam include the angles of adjustments, the lens, the software, as well as the microphones. The webcam uses a 1080p Full HD lens. With software, there are features like auto low-light correction, which can raise or lower the white balance, brightness, and contrast of the image while you’re on a call to make you look brighter. There are also noise-canceling microphones, too, which are standard for a lot of these devices. The maker of the webcam says that the microphones only focus on what matters, and can cancel out annoying noises like keyboard typing.
If you want a stylish webcam, you also don’t want to see annoying shutters on your lens. This webcam has auto-electric privacy protection. You can pull up or down on the lens to turn on the intelligent privacy mode. It’s all done automatically for you and the webcam can sense when you want to use it and when you don’t.
There’s one thing to note, though. The webcam doesn’t have a mounting hole. If you plan to use it on a tripod then it won’t work right. It is designed more for clipping onto a laptop or on top of a monitor. See the rest of our picks for mountable webcams.
- The EMEET 1080p webcam is one of the more stylish thanks to it's circular design, and shutter-free privacy controls
Best cheap for Mac: Logitech C270
A lot of webcams we talked about can work on Mac as well as Windows, but the last one on our list is specially designed for Mac, without going over budget. This webcam is the Logitech C270. It isn’t as fancy or featured pack as other choices on our list, but it will get the job done for FaceTime calls and beyond for devices like a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and even a Mac Mini.
Looking at the specs of this webcam, it has a 0.9 MP sensor. It’s also fixed focus and has a mono microphone for audio capture. The mic has a range of up to 3 feet, which is quite far, even if you end up standing away from your MacBook, or are using a Mac Mini that is tied to a monitor. The field of view is rated at 55 degrees, which isn’t too narrow, or too wide. It’s just about right. It’s also quite compact, as it’s under 2 inches in size, and weighs only 75 grams. You can carry it around or put it on a monitor without worry. Note that the webcam also has auto-correction features built-in. Similar to some of the others on our list, you’ll look more natural on your calls as a result. You don’t have to worry too much about adjusting lighting as the webcam can do the heavy lighting for you.
If you plan on buying note that this webcam is only 720p resolution, hence the 0.9 MP sensor. It’s closer to the quality of older MacBook models, so you might not look your best for longer calls. For short-term quick calls, though, this is great.
- The Logitech C270 webcam is great for Macs as it's compact and can fit atop a monitor with ease
There was our list of cheap webcams you can buy today. If you think we missed anything let us know. We also have some picks that might help boost your work-from-home setups like mice and keyboards.
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