We have tested several other outdoor security cameras. These are the ones we liked and just missed out on above.
Arlo Essential wireless security camera for $50: This is the cheapest way to check out Arlo’s goods, and it’s a solid security camera. Setup is a breeze, the 1080p footage is clear, and the extensive notifications are the best, but you’ll need an Arlo Secure subscription ($8 per month for one camera, $13 for unlimited). Compared to our top pick, the Essential has a narrower field of view and no HDR, so it loses detail in bright and dark areas. I also tried the Essential XL ($100), the same camera with a much larger battery (4x longer life).
AlfredCam Plus for $50: The AlfredCamera app lets you turn your old smartphones into security cameras, but the company also has its own line of affordable cameras. The AlfredCam Plus has an IP65 rating, can record videos at up to 2K and comes with a 64GB microSD card. You get a 9.8-foot cable, but you will need a power adapter. The ad-supported free version offers seven days of cloud storage for video clips. Unfortunately, you’ll need a $6 per month or $30 per year subscription to unlock 14 days of cloud storage, smart features (including people detection, scheduling, and zones), and better video quality for live feeds and recordings.
Ezviz H3C for $70: I had trouble setting up this wired camera as it can only connect to 2.4GHz WiFi, but once up and running it proved to be a decent performer. The Ezviz app has 2FA and allows fingerprint unlocking, which is convenient. There’s also built-in AI for people detection, a headlight, black and white night vision and two-way audio, although with lag and poor quality. The video quality is decent at up to 2K and the live feed loads quickly. All in all, it’s not bad for the money. I also tested the Ezviz EB8 4G (£300), which is pretty similar to the H8 Pro recommended above, except that it can connect to 4G mobile networks – meaning it doesn’t require Wi-Fi, although you do have a SIM card require map and cell service plan.
Imou Knight Spotlight Camera for $160 or £100: An intelligent design and a solid range of functions make this camera an attractive surveillance camera for the right location. It can record in up to 4K with HDR, has a 600 lumen spotlight around the lens, and can use microSD cards of up to 256GB (sold separately) for local recording. The app offers a wide range of features, including detection zones, line crossing alerts, and human or pet detection, although the AI sometimes gets things wrong. Unfortunately, the low frame rate (15 fps) too often results in blurry footage, but this image came close to the top.
Reolink Go PT Ultra for $250: If you need a wireless security camera that can connect to 3G or 4G LTE cellular networks, you could do worse than this offering from Reolink. It’s a pan and tilt camera that can record up to 4K videos to a local microSD card (sold separately), or you can subscribe to cloud storage. It has a small headlight and good color night vision and is equipped with a solar panel to charge the battery. The recognition is reliable, but does not always categorize the subjects correctly. Loading time and delay depend on the strength of the signal. Before purchasing, make sure you check your carrier’s compatibility and get a SIM card.
Annke NC800 for $350: The NC800 is capable of recording high-resolution footage up to 4K and offers headlight-free color night vision. This is an IP camera designed for local use with an NVR (Network Video Recorder). However, you can also use a microSD card for local recording. There’s PoE (Power over Ethernet), or you can connect it to your router via Ethernet with a separate power port, but in either case you’ll need to run cables. I had some issues with my phone’s frame rate at higher resolutions, but it delivers good image quality with no lag. I also like that the app supports 2FA with fingerprint unlocking. However, configuration is difficult and far from intuitive.
Defender Guard Pro for $134: The Defender Guard Pro (7/10, WIRED recommendations) has been our top tethered choice so far and ticks most of the boxes. It’s affordable and delivers 2K video, two-way audio and local storage via an included microSD card. There is also a spotlight and a siren. The setup was flawed and you have to put a power cord in it, which makes installation tedious. The price has also increased since we first recommended it, and supplies appear to be limited.
Swann AllSecure650 4 camera kit for $700: This kit includes four wireless, battery-powered cameras and a network video recorder (NVR) that can be connected to a TV or monitor via HDMI. The cameras can record up to 2K and the footage is sharp and detailed enough to zoom in, although there is a slight fisheye effect. Night vision is reasonably good, but the two-way audio lags and the sound is distorted. I like the option to view all camera feeds at once, the backup battery in the NVR makes it a breeze to swap batteries when the camera runs low, and everything is local with no subscription required. Unfortunately, the mobile app is poor, camera feeds sometimes take several seconds to load, and there doesn’t appear to be 2FA. Navigating the NVR interface is also cumbersome with the included mouse.
Arlo Pro 4 for $140: This camera was our top choice, and it’s still an excellent buy that’s available everywhere. Its successor, the Pro 5, has slightly longer battery life and improved color night vision, but there’s not much of a difference. This camera delivers crisp, clear footage; reacts quickly; and has an excellent detection and notification system, but you also need to factor in the cost of an Arlo subscription, starting at $8 per month for a single camera.
Reolink Argus 3 Pro for $100: This surveillance camera has many advantages, not least its affordable price. It offers 2K video, local or cloud storage, two-way audio, a siren and people detection. The live feed loads quickly and it is cheap to buy a solar panel accessory for power. The app is a bit confusing, but Reolink recently added 2FA. I tested that too Reolink Argus PT with Solar Panel ($160), a solid pan and tilt camera with otherwise similar functionality. Both Reolink cameras also support dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz).
Eve Outdoor Cam for $250: This elegant floodlight camera requires wiring and installation is difficult (you may need an electrician). It can replace an outdoor light and gives you motion-activated light (up to 1,500 lumens), 1080p video (157-degree field of view), and two-way audio. However, as a HomeKit camera, you need an Apple HomeKit hub (Apple TV, HomePod or iPad) and an iCloud+ storage plan. Unfortunately, the video and sound quality are average; It only works with 2.4GHz WiFi and there is no Android support.
Toucan Wireless Outdoor Camera for $50: The Toucan wireless camera is similar to our top pick from Arlo with a smart magnetic mount and easy installation. The 1080p video is good under ideal conditions, but struggles with mixed lighting (no HDR). The two-way audio is passable. The app works well and loads the live feed fairly quickly, but this is only available in the cloud, meaning you’ll need to take out a subscription (starting at $3 per month) if you want tagged events, more than the last 24 hours want to record or download more than five videos per month.
Toucan security light camera for $100: You can easily plug this camera into a power outlet and it comes with an 8 meter long waterproof cable. It has a motion-activated light (1,200 lumens), records 1080p video, and supports two-way audio. I found the shots to be fairly detailed, but had issues with the direct sunlight. You can record locally to a microSD card (sold separately) and get 24 hours of free cloud storage, although there are limitations. Plans start at $3 per month. Even with motion detection set to the lowest sensitivity, this camera triggered too often during testing and there is no way to filter by people, so I often got false alarms (blowing leaves, moths, and birds all triggered alarms).
Bluram’s Outdoor Lite 3 for $50: This is a feature-packed security camera for this price that supports pan, tilt, and zoom functions. headlights; Siren; movement tracking; continuous recording; and two-way audio. You can store footage locally on a microSD card (sold separately) or subscribe to a cloud plan. Video quality is adequate, but the app is very buggy and loading of the live feed was inconsistent (sometimes the live feed would simply cache indefinitely).
SimpliSafe wireless outdoor security camera for $160: A solid feature set, crisp 1080p video, and support for HDR sound tempting, but you’ll need a Simplisafe security system (9/10, WIRED recommends) and a surveillance plan to make this camera worth it for what you get , makes it too expensive. (The Arlo Pro 4 offers better video quality and more features.) However, it can be a useful addition for existing SimpliSafe customers.