What’s with all the Lorex hate lately?

I bought a Lorex system for about $400 from Best Buy a few years back. It was a wired system with 4 cameras, and I never had any issues with it, except that I didn’t realize the cameras didn’t have audio. I set it up myself without any trouble, even though I’d never installed cameras before. I used a monitor to view the footage and only used the app when I got motion alerts. I also liked that there wasn’t a subscription fee. Now, I’m looking to upgrade to a more expensive system for my new home, but after seeing all the bad reviews, I’m wondering if I just got lucky with my first system or if the negative reviews are drowning out the good ones. Is the quality of Lorex systems really going downhill, or are people just more vocal about their bad experiences?

TLDR: Had a great experience with a Lorex system before and looking to upgrade. Is the quality still there or has it gone downhill?

In 2021, there was a review by TechCrunch about surveillance systems used by the US government. As a result, in 2022, the FCC banned devices from companies that might pose a national security threat, including Dahua, which owns Lorex. Lorex responded that their systems are for consumers, not government facilities. Here are some sources if you want to check it out:
FCC: FCC Bans Authorizations for Devices That Pose National Security Threat | Federal Communications Commission
Lorex: FCC-compliance
TechCrunch: US government agencies bought Chinese surveillance tech despite federal ban | TechCrunch

EdwardGenesis said:
In 2021, there was a review by TechCrunch about surveillance systems used by the US government. As a result, in 2022, the FCC banned devices from companies that might pose a national security threat, including Dahua, which owns Lorex. Lorex responded that their systems are for consumers, not government facilities. Here are some sources if you want to check it out:
FCC: FCC Bans Authorizations for Devices That Pose National Security Threat | Federal Communications Commission
Lorex: FCC-compliance
TechCrunch: US government agencies bought Chinese surveillance tech despite federal ban | TechCrunch

Just a heads-up, Dahua sold off its stake in Lorex, so that chapter is over now.

Dexter said:

EdwardGenesis said:
In 2021, there was a review by TechCrunch about surveillance systems used by the US government. As a result, in 2022, the FCC banned devices from companies that might pose a national security threat, including Dahua, which owns Lorex. Lorex responded that their systems are for consumers, not government facilities. Here are some sources if you want to check it out:
FCC: FCC Bans Authorizations for Devices That Pose National Security Threat | Federal Communications Commission
Lorex: FCC-compliance
TechCrunch: US government agencies bought Chinese surveillance tech despite federal ban | TechCrunch

Just a heads-up, Dahua sold off its stake in Lorex, so that chapter is over now.

Lorex is now owned by a Taiwanese company.

First off, Dahua no longer owns Lorex. As for their systems, the mid- to high-end models are actually pretty solid. The ones sold in big-box stores, though, tend to have issues, like faulty IR filters and dead cameras. Still, for the price, Lorex is hard to beat. Of course, if you ask camera enthusiasts, they’ll tell you otherwise!

I’ve been installing cameras for years, mainly residential, and I’ve used Lorex, Hikvision, Amcrest, and others. Lately, I’ve been sticking with Lorex because of the extended warranty and easy app setup. Out of all the installs, I’ve only had one camera fail within the first 60 days, and Lorex replaced it without any hassle. Honestly, I think some folks expect super high-end quality for $300. It’s best to check reviews on multiple brands before making a decision.

When Dahua bought Lorex, their product quality improved a lot. But keep in mind that the lower-end Lorex systems don’t use traditional PoE but instead passive PoE, which can cause issues if moisture gets into the connections. It could end up damaging your cameras. So, be cautious with that.

Flippa said:
When Dahua bought Lorex, their product quality improved a lot. But keep in mind that the lower-end Lorex systems don’t use traditional PoE but instead passive PoE, which can cause issues if moisture gets into the connections. It could end up damaging your cameras. So, be cautious with that.

I bought a Lorex 4K system for my cottage a couple of years ago. Now, two cameras get water inside when it rains, and Lorex says they can’t do anything because it’s been over two years. Meanwhile, my Reolink cameras at home have been going strong for five years with no issues. Disappointing.

I bought a Lorex system for around $2,000 last year. The cameras are great, but the Lorex Cloud app is terrible, and the motion detection is inconsistent. Sometimes, I can walk right under a camera and it won’t catch me. I’m looking to replace the whole system soon, but finding one with a better app and reliable motion detection is a must for me.

SecureSentrySam said:
I bought a Lorex system for around $2,000 last year. The cameras are great, but the Lorex Cloud app is terrible, and the motion detection is inconsistent. Sometimes, I can walk right under a camera and it won’t catch me. I’m looking to replace the whole system soon, but finding one with a better app and reliable motion detection is a must for me.

Same here. The Lorex cameras are okay if you just want to watch, but their detection system is awful. I turned off the notifications because I kept getting alerts for nothing. Adjusting the settings didn’t help. My Arlo system, on the other hand, works perfectly.

Rebecca said:
I bought a Lorex system for about $400 from Best Buy a few years back. It was a wired system with 4 cameras, and I never had any issues with it, except that I didn’t realize the cameras didn’t have audio. I set it up myself without any trouble, even though I’d never installed cameras before. I used a monitor to view the footage and only used the app when I got motion alerts. I also liked that there wasn’t a subscription fee. Now, I’m looking to upgrade to a more expensive system for my new home, but after seeing all the bad reviews, I’m wondering if I just got lucky with my first system or if the negative reviews are drowning out the good ones. Is the quality of Lorex systems really going downhill, or are people just more vocal about their bad experiences?

TLDR: Had a great experience with a Lorex system before and looking to upgrade. Is the quality still there or has it gone downhill?

Lorex’s customer service is really frustrating. I had a camera break just two weeks after the warranty expired. It was heating up and wouldn’t work. When I contacted support, they kept making me repeat the same info. They finally offered me a small discount on a new camera, but I told them that wasn’t acceptable for a year-old system. After going back and forth, they promised to get back to me within 24 hours. A week later, I still hadn’t heard anything, so I called again, and they said there was nothing they could do. I’m now switching to a different company.

Rebecca said:
I bought a Lorex system for about $400 from Best Buy a few years back. It was a wired system with 4 cameras, and I never had any issues with it, except that I didn’t realize the cameras didn’t have audio. I set it up myself without any trouble, even though I’d never installed cameras before. I used a monitor to view the footage and only used the app when I got motion alerts. I also liked that there wasn’t a subscription fee. Now, I’m looking to upgrade to a more expensive system for my new home, but after seeing all the bad reviews, I’m wondering if I just got lucky with my first system or if the negative reviews are drowning out the good ones. Is the quality of Lorex systems really going downhill, or are people just more vocal about their bad experiences?

TLDR: Had a great experience with a Lorex system before and looking to upgrade. Is the quality still there or has it gone downhill?

Lorex used to be decent. I set up a system for my mom a few years ago, and it was fine until one day, the PoE ports on the NVR just stopped working. I double-checked all the wiring, and everything seemed fine, but after two years, the system just died for no reason.

Rebecca said:
I bought a Lorex system for about $400 from Best Buy a few years back. It was a wired system with 4 cameras, and I never had any issues with it, except that I didn’t realize the cameras didn’t have audio. I set it up myself without any trouble, even though I’d never installed cameras before. I used a monitor to view the footage and only used the app when I got motion alerts. I also liked that there wasn’t a subscription fee. Now, I’m looking to upgrade to a more expensive system for my new home, but after seeing all the bad reviews, I’m wondering if I just got lucky with my first system or if the negative reviews are drowning out the good ones. Is the quality of Lorex systems really going downhill, or are people just more vocal about their bad experiences?

TLDR: Had a great experience with a Lorex system before and looking to upgrade. Is the quality still there or has it gone downhill?

Lorex does sell some good cameras, but the ones bundled with their systems at Best Buy, Costco, and Home Depot aren’t the best. If you want quality, you have to buy the higher-end models.