A great webcam can help you look your best by offering extras that most built-in webcams lack, like autofocus, light correction, full HD video, and the ability to frame yourself just right. After researching 13 top webcams and testing five, we recommend the Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam. It has all the features you need for great video, whether you’re using it for video conferencing, streaming, or checking in with distant friends and family.
Our pick
Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam
With the C920S, you’ll get full HD video with the most natural-looking colors and clear details—at a price lower than similar cameras that are designed more for conference rooms. Plus, the C920S has a physical lens cover, so you’re never on camera when you don’t want to be.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $50.
The Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam is succeeding our top webcam pick, the C920, which has held that spot for the past three years. Like its predecessor, the C920S captures sharp, high-definition (1080p) video with excellent auto white balance and speedy autofocus. It’s easy to set up and use, plus the new webcam cover protects your privacy and will make you feel more comfortable having it always attached to your computer or monitor.
Budget pick
Logitech HD Webcam C615
This is Logitech’s least-expensive 1080p webcam. It’s also the best cheap option we’ve found that will capture better video quality than the built-in cameras on many computers.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $32.
If you need a less-expensive option, we recommend the Logitech HD Webcam C615. Its video quality doesn’t match the C920S’s—the picture isn’t as sharp, autofocus is slower, and auto white balance isn’t as accurate—but the C615 is just as easy to set up, provides 1080p resolution, and has the best quality of any webcam we tested under $50. Its mount also folds around the camera to protect the lens, making the C615 a solid portable option.
Also great
Razer Kiyo Streaming Webcam
With its unique light ring and 720p resolution at a faster-than-common 60 fps, the Kiyo can provide a flattering image as you stream video games.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $87.
If you regularly use your webcam to stream to sites like YouTube or Twitch and want to be able to put smooth 60 fps video of yourself on top of your 60 fps game footage, the Razer’s Kiyo Streaming Webcam is for you. The adjustable ring light can help you get clear video in low light situations—our panel of testers noticed that video samples from this camera were more flattering for faces than the other cameras we tested. But the brightness of the light, even at its lowest setting, can be jarring the first few times you use the webcam and would be more distracting than helpful if you’re mostly in professional video conferences.