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The best outdoor security cameras are the first line of defense in protecting your home and property from intruders. These cameras not only alert you to people and animals approaching your home, but also allow you to take proactive measures, such as sounding an alarm. This guide is divided into two sections Outdoor cameras without built-in lights and outdoor cameras with floodlights or spotlights. The former tend to be more compact, while the latter are ideal for replacing existing floodlights or spotlights.
Both have been tested in real-world conditions, including resistance to wind and rain, illumination in the dark, and the ability to capture images of people and animals. Now is a particularly good time to shop for security cameras. There are a number of deals on some of our favorite models in the coming weeks, so don’t forget to check our Black Friday deals page and our live blog for all the latest discounts. Below, we have mentioned Best Outdoor Security Cameras.
Here is the list of Best Outdoor Security Cameras
Lorex 4K Spotlight Outdoor Security Camera
Easily one of the best Outdoor Security Cameras available on the market, The Lorex 4K Spotlight Camera is quite expensive, but you can get a lot of bang for your buck. It uses an 8MP sensor to provide high-resolution 4K video and offers intelligent motion and sound detection alerts. It also comes with a 32GB microSD card for storing event-triggered video locally, meaning you don’t have to pay for cloud storage. Color night vision capabilities, built-in warning lights, and a rather large siren round out this package.
If you need a super high-resolution camera to monitor your property, this one is a solid bet. It’s easy to install, connects to your network via dual-band Wi-Fi, and can even stream video to Amazon Echo Show and Google Hub displays using Alex and Google Assistant voice commands. However, there is not much third-party integration. If you need a high-resolution camera that works with more smart devices, the Arlo Spotlight Pro 4 is likely a better choice.
Eufy Security S330 Security Camera
Easily one of the best Soundbars under $1000 available on the market, the eufyCam system takes a different approach than many on this list, one that avoids subscriptions by offering an in-home base station; not only does it come with a 16GB card, but it also has space for a 2.5-inch hard drive, allowing for several terabytes of bytes of additional storage. The unit must be placed near a router and connected to the camera via Wi-Fi.
The new eufyCam 3 features a 4K battery-powered camera with a built-in solar panel to keep it charged indefinitely. This means positioning for maximum time in the sun – Eufy says two hours a day should do the trick. The 4K (3840×2160) resolution is the best many people can do. Since you own the base and the camera, the AI can function simply to distinguish between humans, cars and pets, as well as facial recognition, like most non-subscription cameras.
Blink Outdoor Camera
For those looking for a genuinely wireless solution for under $100, the Blink Outdoor is the finest outdoor wireless security camera. Contrary to Arlo cameras, the Blink does not have a solar panel option to recharge its batteries. Instead, the camera runs on two AA batteries and wirelessly connects to a small base station connected to a Wi-Fi network. The Blink Outdoor has a handy mounting bracket and is waterproof.
Although not the best, the 1080p video it records is respectable for the price; unlike the Blink XT2, there is no free cloud storage, but you may store videos locally on a USB stick. Cloud storage costs $3 per month or $30 annually to get started. Although it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, Blink’s app is fairly feature-rich.
Defender Guard Pro 2K WiFi Camera
Easily one of the best Soundbars under $1000 available on the market, the Defender Guard Pro meets most requirements. It is affordable, offers 2K video, two-way audio, local storage via an included microSD card, and comes with a spotlight and siren. Video is clear and detailed, and there is 16x digital zoom. The main weakness is that bright lighting can blow out areas of the image (especially when using color night vision), but image quality is generally impressive for the price.
During our tests, the app always loaded swiftly and the alerts came in a timely manner. The ability to recognise people is one advantage this camera has over competitors with comparable prices. On most security cameras, you can configure motion zones and change the sensitivity, but you still get a lot of false positives. Defender Guard Pro’s human detecting feature keeps notifications to humans only and restricts their frequency. If you want to store footage locally (nothing on the cloud) and without a subscription, this camera is also a good option.
Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera
Sharp 2K video, wireless installation, and a rich feature set make the battery-powered Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight one of our top picks, with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit integration, plus many via IFTTT third-party devices. In testing, it delivered sharp, colorful video both day and night and provided accurate motion alerts as well.
This is a smart choice for those who want a wire-free outdoor camera that does it all. It works with lots of other smart devices, is very easy to install, and has a built-in spot light and siren that help keep unwanted visitors at bay. You also get some clever features such as motion tracking, auto-zoom, and intelligent alerts. Thus, this product is one of the best Outdoor Security Cameras available right now.
Google Nest Cam (battery)
The well-designed Nest Cam (Battery) has a simple shape, and its magnetic base makes it one of the easiest best Outdoor Security Cameras to install. Weather-resistant, it can be mounted almost anywhere outdoors, and its 1080p camera captures clear images day or night, and its microphone and speaker make for smooth conversations. Thus, this product is one of the best Soundbars under $1000 available right now.
The Nest Cam (battery-powered) also offers three hours of free rolling video storage and can detect people, cars, and animals; sign up for a Nest Aware subscription (starting at $6/month) and you can also get the familiar face detection and store up to a month’s worth of video. However, while the battery life is good, Nest does not make accessories to extend the battery life, such as removable batteries or solar panels.
Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight Camera
Netgear’s Arlo system stands out among best Outdoor Security Cameras thanks to the system’s support for all major smart home systems, including Apple HomeKit. For that, however, it is best to buy it in a package, since it works through the Arlo Smart Hub; for video clips only, the camera can be picked up alone. Given the price of the Arlo, it’s worth asking if 4K is a must for you. However, the brand’s AI is a nice feature – detecting the difference between a delivery person, person, pet or car means your phone alerts are much less likely to cry wolf.
External mounting is easy thanks to the magnetic mount. The camera works well near the front door, thanks to dual noise-canceling microphones that reduce street and weather noise with two-way chat. There is also a siren and bright LEDs. The charging cable is reminiscent of Apple’s MagSafe, so the promised six-month battery life seems optimistic, but you can easily put the camera down or reach in and connect the cable on the spot.
Wyze Cam Outdoor V2, Battery Camera
The Wyze brand is a great value, and the Wyze Cam Outdoor is no exception: it records full HD video with a 110-degree field of view and comes with a base station that connects to your router for setup, but can then be connected wirelessly. This base station uses a MicroSD card (not included) for local video recording, which we strongly recommend taking advantage of.
Otherwise, video clips have a 12-second limit and require a 5-minute cooldown between motion events if you want to store everything in the cloud (accessible for 14 days). If you prefer the cloud, you can pay $24 per year for unlimited video length and no cooldown, along with other perks like person detection. The battery life is listed as 3 to 6 months, but in my case I needed to recharge before the 3 months was up.
Final Words
There used to be many factors to consider when choosing a type of security camera, but with outdoor security cameras, the factors just got bigger. To make our list of the best Outdoor Security Cameras for 2022, we started with our necessary feature test. All of these cameras were weatherproof and worked for different climates throughout the seasons. Whether we were looking for wired or wireless, we were sure we didn’t want a camera that would hurt our wallet too much.