When you think of a spy pen, your first inclination might be to think of James Bond. And, to be fair, there are plenty of “espionage” jobs that may require a spy pen. A good private eye, or even a police detective, might want to wear one. But there are also a number of more mundane reasons why you might want a spy pen. Let’s say you are a student. You want to record conferences, but you are embarrassed to use a visible recorder.

A spy pen is a great solution to your problem! The same also applies in the business world, where you may want to record a seminar or presentation. Spy pens can also be used to record interviews. Job interviews can make any candidate nervous, and a visible recorder can add to their anxiety. A discreet spy pen can help you keep interviews on track without intimidating your candidates.

Spy pens, or something similar like spy camera glasses, can even be used for your own protection. If you’re a rideshare or delivery driver, you don’t usually work near a surveillance camera. If a customer complains about your service or there is a dispute, it may be their word against yours. Having video evidence can be the difference between keeping an impeccable record and stopping driving for that company.

What is the right option for you? Let’s see how these spy pens compare!

How to choose the right spy pen

So what makes one spy pen better than another? There are a handful of features to consider, and none are necessarily the most important. For example, some people need crisp, clear audio. Others couldn’t care less about audio and want the longest battery life.

However, there is one thing that all good spy pen cameras have in common: they are discreet. If your spy pen looks like a hidden camera, it’s not doing its job. At the same time, there is only so little that you can make a good camera. If nothing else, you need a lens, and that lens needs to be fully exposed. For this reason, you won’t find many spy pens that are slim, plain, or cheap looking. Instead, they tend to be thicker and have at least a few decorative touches to help the lens blend in. That said, carefully consider how well you need to hide your camera. Some spy pens are more discreet than others.

Video quality

Video quality is the area where spy pens have made the most progress in recent years. Just a few years ago, cameras this size were grainy, like security camera footage from an old true crime show. 480p was considered a luxury. As recently as last year, several respectable spy pens came out in 720p. But time passes and you should no longer accept anything less than 1080p. If you really need 2K or 4K, you can find it. But it’s still expensive, and the technology isn’t “mature” yet. For most purposes, 1080p spy pens will be the best.

Audio quality

When it comes to audio quality, even the best spy pens are a bit confusing. The microphone, if there is one, will be an afterthought. Don’t expect to use one of these to record your next jam session. That said, a decent spy pen microphone should at least be able to pick up intelligible audio. If you can’t understand what people are saying, there’s no point in even having a microphone.

Battery duration

Because of its small size, a spy pen’s battery won’t last as long as a full-size smartphone or camera. That said, battery technology has come a long way in recent years. In the past, 30 minutes of battery life would be impressive. Now, spy pen batteries typically last two hours. However, there is a lot of variation, so be sure to pay attention while shopping.

Data storage and transfer

Different USB spy pens store and transfer data in different ways. Some have internal flash storage, but most use Micro SD cards so you can archive your recordings if needed. All the pens we are reviewing today use Micro SD storage. Please note that spy pens do not have any kind of monitor. To sir Gawain camera review your videos, you’ll need to transfer them to your PC or Mac. For this purpose, some require you to remove the card, while others will connect to your computer.

How good is the pen?

At first, it may seem silly to consider how well the ballpoint part of your spy pen works. But these are not cheap Bic pens. He wants to hold on to them and be able to use them. For example, if you’re using your pen to record a lecture, you might want to take notes too! In that case, why not use the spy pen you already carry? A good spy pen will either come with replacement ink cartridges or a refillable one. At a minimum, the pen should be able to accept some type of aftermarket replacement

However, at the same time, not everyone wants to use a spy pen. Maybe you prefer a slimmer pen for writing. Or maybe you need to keep the camera steady in your front pocket. In that case, the actual function of the pen will be a moot point.

Peachtron Spy Pen Camera

The Peachtron Spy Pen Camera is a sleek black pen with a mostly shiny aluminum casing. The top is made from a matching plastic and houses the actual camera. This part has a clip, which can be easily placed in a shirt pocket or briefcase. Inside the clip, you will notice the lens itself. There is a small slide built into the front, which can be used to cover the lens when needed. To activate the camera, simply open the cover and press the button on the top. Pressing the button twice will take a photo.

The bottom of the pen rotates to extend and retract the tip. This rubber grip is separated from the main housing by a stainless steel ring and can be unscrewed. When removed, you can easily replace the ink cartridge. The pack includes five refills, so you’ll have enough ink to write thousands of pages by hand.

Meanwhile, removing the bottom of the pen will expose the SD card slot and Micro USB port. The kit includes a 32 GB card, which can be installed and used immediately. The Micro USB port is used for both charging and data transfer, and a cable is included. Plug it into any PC or Mac and you’ll be up and running in no time. When fully charged, the battery will last about 2 ½ hours. That’s about as high as it gets for any spy pen, and we definitely appreciate the long lifespan.

The Peachtron spy pen records video in full 1080p. This is in line with modern standards and is sufficient for most purposes. It can not only recognize faces, but also easily take legible photos of documents. For the purposes of a spy pen camera, that’s all you’ll really need. In terms of audio quality, it was better than we expected. We’re not talking about studio-quality sound here, but vocals do sound good. If you are trying to record a conference, you will be able to understand it later.

SIRGAWAIN spy camera

The SIRGAWAIN Spy Pen camera is similar in design to the Peachtron in many ways. Instead of a rubber grip, however, the grip section is black aluminum like the top. Likewise, there’s not as much plastic in the design, for an overall sturdier build. As with all three of our current camera pens, the lens is built into a clip on the front.

SIRGAWAIN’s clip is stainless steel, so the lens glare does not stand out. That said, there is a bright green indicator light on the back of the pen. This light comes on when the camera is on and cannot be turned off. It’s an odd choice for a device designed to be hidden.

One thing we like about the design is that it has a simple one-click control scheme. A single button lets you take videos or photos without opening the owner’s manual. The camera records in 1080p and the brightness and color clarity are excellent. Unfortunately, you cannot record any audio. As a result, this spy pen is useless for recording conferences or interviews. It does come with five ink cartridges though, so you’ll get plenty of use out of the pen.

Without audio, we expected the SIRGAWAIN camera to last longer than the Peachtron. However, it only lasts for 70 minutes per charge, which was a bit of a disappointment. On the plus side, the Micro SD slot will support cards with a capacity of up to 128GB. But no card is included in the kit, so you will need to purchase your own. Data is transferred to your computer via a Micro USB cable, which comes with the pen.