Read more
Keep your home and property safe by installing a connected camera. The top smart outdoor security cams we've tested can withstand the elements and record clear footage any time of the day or night.
If anyone ever stole a package from your porch or broke into your car while it was in your driveway, the perpetrator likely disappeared long before you even knew you were a victim. You also likely never found out who committed the deed. If this sounds familiar, you should consider investing in an outdoor security camera.
These rugged smart home devices, which can withstand rain, snow, and extreme temperatures, typically connect to your home Wi-Fi network and allow you to view live video footage of activities occurring outside your home. They can also send an alert to your phone when someone or something is out there, record video of the event, and, depending on features, let you speak with whoever is on your property, all without requiring you to open your door (or even be inside your house).
Read on to find out what features to look for in an outdoor security camera, and check out our top picks. Note that several of the cameras on this list are suitable for use both indoors and outdoors. If you want a model specifically for keeping tabs on what goes on inside your home, head over to our list of the best indoor home security cameras.
Editors' Note: On Sept. 8, 2023 Wyze experienced a security breach that exposed some users' camera feeds via the company's web portal. At the time, Wyze failed to proactively notify all users about the breach. The company says the exposure was limited in scope, and has since outlined the steps it's taking to prevent a similar incident from reoccurring. After assessing this situation, we have decided to continue recommending Wyze cameras for their value and performance. As with any smart home technology, we urge you to consider all the available product and company information before deciding if it's right for you. If not, plenty of solid alternatives are available below.
Why We Picked It
Sharp 2K video, wireless installation, and a generous feature set make the battery-powered Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight one of our top picks. In addition to working with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit, the camera can interact with lots of third-party devices via IFTTT. In testing, it delivered sharp, colorful video during both day and night, as well as provided accurate motion alerts.
Who It’s For
This is a smart choice for anyone who wants a wire-free outdoor camera that does it all. It is very easy to install, works with lots of other smart devices, and has a built-in spotlight and siren that help keep unwanted visitors at bay. You also get some neat features such as motion tracking, auto-zoom, and intelligent alerts.
Why We Picked It
For under $50, the Wyze Cam V3 Pro comes with several features typically only available on more expensive cameras including 2K video capture, color night vision, voice control, sound and motion detection, and motion tagging. It can also intelligently distinguish between people, pets, vehicles, and package deliveries. The camera delivered crisp 2K video in testing, while motion detection alerts were timely.
Who It’s For
Budget-conscious buyers should appreciate this camera's affordable price, easy installation, and impressive feature set. You can use the camera indoors or outside, and if you supply a microSD card you can store video locally. It has a built-in spotlight that can illuminate your driveway or backyard when it detects motion, as well as an 89dB siren that can scare off intruders. You have to pay extra to access intelligent alert features, but the fee is nominal and gets you additional cloud storage.
Why We Picked It
Although it isn't cheap, the Arlo Go 2 earns our Editors’ Choice award for its easy wire-free installation, excellent 1080p video quality, and ability to connect from just about anywhere using either a cellular or Wi-Fi radio. A premium price means premium features including support for voice commands, lots of third-party integrations, intelligent alerts, a built-in spotlight, and color night vision.
Who It’s For
If you need to monitor a cabin, a boat, or a worksite where there is no electricity or Wi-Fi, this is the camera for you. It installs in minutes and uses a cellular radio to connect to your phone, thus allowing you to view live and recorded video or dial 911 if necessary. It can also use a Wi-Fi connection when one is available, provides long battery life with an option for charging via a solar panel, and can store recordings locally or in the cloud.
Why We Picked It
The Eufy Cam 3 S330 offers all of the features we expect from a high-end model including color night vision, face recognition, cloud and local storage, and an integrated spotlight. You don't get IFTTT or HomeKit support, but built-in solar charging panels make it seamless to maintain. Eufy also conveniently sells the camera in packs of two, three, or four, with an increasingly lower per-device cost the more you buy.
Who It’s For
If you need to record people, pets, and vehicles on or around your property in high resolution, the Eufy Cam 3 S330 is a top choice. And its solar charging panels ensure you won't have to worry about recharging the battery every few months.
Why We Picked It
The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is a battery-powered indoor and outdoor security camera that is easy to install and works with lots of third-party smart devices as well as other Ring products. We like its sharp 1080p video quality, accurate motion detection alerts, and long battery life, but would love for Ring to add a local storage option.
Who It’s For
A painless installation process makes this camera a solid choice if you don’t want to deal with wires or drilling. Simply charge it, pair it with the app, and place it anywhere you want, inside or outside. An optional solar panel extends the battery life indefinitely. You have to subscribe to a Ring Protect plan to access video recordings, but the $40-per-year fee is fairly reasonable considering you get 180 days of video history, person alerts, and rich notifications.
Why We Picked It
A rugged indoor and outdoor camera, the Google Nest Cam packs a useful selection of smart features to help you keep tabs on your home. In addition to sharp 1080p HDR video, it offers face recognition, dual-band Wi-Fi, and intelligent alerts that know the difference between people, animals, and vehicles. It also sends alerts when it hears the sound of a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector, or breaking glass.
Who It’s For
The battery-powered Google Nest Cam is a good fit for people who want a wire-free outdoor camera that installs quickly. It doesn’t work with many third-party devices, but it integrates seamlessly with other Google and Nest devices, responds to Google Assistant voice commands, and can stream video to a Google Nest display.
Tapo Smart Wire-Free Security 2-Camera System (C420S2)
Why We Picked It
The TP-Link Tapo C420S2 Smart Wire-Free Security Camera System includes two 2K cameras with features such as intelligent alerts, color night vision, local and cloud storage, and voice controls. Each weatherproof camera has a microphone, a siren, and two built-in spotlights as well. Just note that you pay a premium for the wire-free design of these devices and that a subscription is necessary to unlock rich notifications and 30 days of unlimited recording history.
Who It's For
If you want a wireless security setup with two cameras, the TP-Link Tapo C420S2 Smart Wire-Free Security Camera System is a dependable solution. But if you can deal with wires, the Wyze Cam v3 Pro is much more affordable and just as capable.
Wyze Battery Cam Pro
Why We Picked It
Its wire-free installation, high-res imagery, and good battery life are only a few of the reasons why the Wyze Battery Cam Pro makes our list. Priced at less than $100, it offers nearly every feature you could want, including dual-band Wi-Fi, color night vision, local video storage, and built-in spotlight and siren deterrents, while an optional Cam Plus subscription adds intelligent alerts and cloud video storage. Alexa and Google voice support and lots of third-party integration options are icing on the cake.
Who It's For
The Wyze Battery Cam Pro is a top budget-friendly choice for monitoring driveways, backyards, and other areas around the exterior of your home where you don't have a nearby GFCI outlet for power. Beyond a convenient wireless design, it offers sharp 2K video and many of the same features as competitors that cost twice as much. That said, it lacks HomeKit support, so if that's a must-have, look to the Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera.
Buying Guide: The Best Outdoor Home Security Cameras for 2023
How Do Outdoor Security Cameras Work?
Most smart outdoor security cameras use a Wi-Fi radio to connect to your home network, enabling you to access them from anywhere via a mobile app. Some models use Ethernet, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, or a proprietary wireless technology to connect to a mobile app or a dedicated hub.
Wi-Fi cameras are simpler to install than their wired counterparts because you don't have to place them near an Ethernet port or run any wiring. Battery-powered Wi-Fi cameras are the easiest to install because you can put them just about anywhere (as long as they can connect to your network) without having to snake a power cable around your home to plug into an outlet. These types of cameras typically use batteries that you can easily pop out and recharge with a USB cable, but they tend to drain quickly in colder weather. Bluetooth cameras are also simple to install, but you have to stay within 30 feet or so to connect to them via your phone.
Look for an outdoor Wi-Fi camera that can connect to either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz radio band to alleviate network congestion. If you have trouble getting a good signal outside, try boosting it with a wireless range extender.
What Type of Weather Can Outdoor Security Cameras Handle?
Any outdoor camera worth its salt must be able to withstand exposure to the elements and should carry an Ingress Protection (IP) rating. IP ratings contain two digits that tell you just how well the camera holds up under most weather conditions. The first digit following the IP prefix tells you how resistant the camera is to the ingress of solid objects such as wind-blown dust and ranges from 0 (no protection) to 6 (total protection against dust and dirt). The second describes how resistant the camera is to moisture and ranges from 0 (no protection) to 9 (protected against close-range, high-pressure sprays from all angles).
Most outdoor security cameras have at least an IP66 rating, which means they offer complete protection from dust ingress and can handle water jets from any direction. Although you shouldn't submerge them in water, they are typically safe from blowing rain, snow, and sleet.
What Resolution Should an Outdoor Security Camera Have?
An outdoor security camera isn't very useful if you can't recognize who or what the camera captures. A 1080p video camera offers more detail than a 720p camera and is the most popular resolution for these devices; 1080p recordings don't require a lot of storage and are viewable on nearly every phone, tablet, and PC.
Cameras that capture 4K (Ultra HD) or 2K video are also available, but you need a strong network connection to stream such high-res video without choppiness or lag, plus lots of room to store recordings; that last requirement may result in expensive cloud storage fees.
No matter the resolution, try to choose a camera with a relatively wide field of view and make sure it can capture clear night-vision video. Most cameras use IR (infrared) LEDs to deliver black-and-white night video, but a few use white light to deliver full-color night video. Look for a camera with a night vision range of at least 30 feet.
Can Outdoor Security Cameras Detect Motion and Sound?
Nearly all outdoor security cameras feature a sensor that triggers the camera to record video when it detects motion. Most can also send a push alert to your phone (or an email) when the activity occurs. For an extra layer of security, look for a camera that can detect sound; these cameras can alert you if somebody is out there even if they're out of range of the camera lens and the motion sensor. Fair warning: You probably have to tweak the sound sensitivity settings to avoid alerts from barking dogs, loud cars, and other random noises.
Some security cameras include a floodlight that can automatically light up driveways, pools, and other parts of your property when they detect motion. These devices are much brighter than so-called spotlight models. You can read about them in our separate roundup of the best floodlight cameras.
If the camera has a microphone for sound detection, it likely has a two-way audio system that lets you speak with (and listen to) whoever is outside. This is useful for dealing with annoying solicitors as well as scaring off porch pirates and other unwanted visitors. For more ways to see and communicate directly with the person at your door, check out our list of the best video doorbells.
How Do Security Cameras Store Video?
Cameras store video recordings in several ways. Many offer free cloud storage for a limited number of days (typically seven) before it is overwritten or deleted, while others are strictly subscription-based. If you require more than a week's worth of video storage, you can subscribe to a 30-day plan to avoid worrying about losing important footage before you get to review and download it.
If you're concerned about privacy and would rather not store your video in the cloud, look for a camera that offers a local storage option via a microSD card slot. A few cameras let you save video recordings to a portable USB or NAS drive, but these devices are rare.
And if you want the ability to go back and see everything, look for a camera that offers a CVR (Continuous Video Recording) plan. With this option, the camera records continuously and stores up to 30 days of 24/7 video in the cloud.
What Else Do Outdoor Security Cameras Work With?
Many outdoor cameras do more than just record video and send alerts; they also integrate with other smart devices. Many recent outdoor Wi-Fi cameras support IFTTT, an internet service that lets you create applets that link the camera with other IFTTT-enabled devices. For example, you can configure a smart plug to turn on a lamp indoors or activate an external siren when the camera detects motion.
Support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands is also increasingly common. These integrations allow you to, for example, display video from the camera on a compatible smart display. If you have a home automation hub, look for a camera that works with your existing setup. That way you can integrate your security camera with even more smart devices like door locks.
We haven't seen any that run on the Matter platform yet, but that's surely going to happen at some point.
How Much Should You Spend on an Outdoor Security Camera?
Outdoor security cameras are generally more expensive than their indoor counterparts. They can range in price from around $50 up to a few hundred dollars or more depending on features. Plenty of affordable cameras offer good video performance, but, as with just about any smart device, you typically pay more for features such as motion-tracking, facial recognition, cellular connectivity, time-lapse recording, pan and tilt controls, additional storage options, and rechargeable battery power.
Check out our Readers' Choice Awards to see which security cameras and brands other PCMag readers trust most. Once you find the camera for your home, check out our tips for setting it up.
For an even more advanced way to keep a set of eyes on your home, both indoors and out, explore our picks for the best smart home security systems. And if you prefer to go the DIY route, check out our tips for building your own home security system.
0 Reviews