We’ve tested a few other outdoor security cameras that we liked, even if they fell just short of our top rankings.
Safemo Set P1 (2 pack) $350: I like the idea of such a simple kit. Just plug in the hub, connect it to your router, and install the paired cameras. Each camera has an optional solar panel to charge the battery. The Safemo app is well designed, the video is up to 4K, and this fully local system boasts 32GB of storage (expandable up to 4TB). There’s also person, vehicle, pet, and package detection, which is processed locally. Person detection was mostly accurate (it flagged the occasional cat), and vehicle detection flagged a robotic lawnmower (close enough) and an inflated doughnut that flew across the backyard, with very few false positives. What keeps me from wholeheartedly recommending this impressive debut are the lack of 2FA (Safemo says it’s coming) and a connectivity issue where one of the cameras would occasionally disconnect from the hub and become inaccessible in the app. This always comes back on without me having to move anything, but worryingly, it did happen a few times. If you plan on increasing the resolution from the default SD to 4K, you’ll need high-speed internet, especially to watch the live feed. Recorded video was crisp and detailed, but at 4K it looked choppy and pixelated.
X-Sense Smart Security Camera $50: This affordable camera comes with a solar panel to keep the battery topped off, a slot for a microSD card (up to 128GB), and records 1080p video. There’s also a spotlight and two-way audio, but as the price suggests, the quality is limited. A subscription starting at $5/month is required for 60 days of cloud storage, AI recognition, smart notifications, and activity zones. The live feed loaded quickly, but some alerts were slow to arrive, and I sometimes missed movement captured by other cameras. That said, at this price and in the right place, this camera may be worth a look.
Imilab EC6 Dual 2K WiFi Plug-in Spotlight Camera on sale for $180: With dual 2K lenses, this security camera can cover a fixed spot while tracking a subject at the same time. The bottom camera offers pan/tilt control. It works via the Xiaomi Home app, making it an easy purchase if you already have a Xiaomi smartphone or other gadgets from the Chinese brand. You can insert a microSD card for local storage or subscribe to cloud storage. In my tests, person detection and tracking worked well. Video was mostly clear, but movement can be a bit jerky and fast-moving subjects can be blurred. There is WDR, but HDR can be used to prevent bright areas from being blown out.
Arlo Essential wireless security camera on sale for $70: This is the most affordable way to try out Arlo’s products, and it’s a solid security camera. It’s easy to set up, the 1080p footage is sharp, and the generous notifications are awesome, but it does require 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 you lose detail in bright and dark areas. I also tried the Essential XL ($100), which is the same camera but with a much bigger battery (that lasts four times longer).
AlfredCam Plus $50The AlfredCamera app lets you turn any old smartphone into a security camera, but the company also has a line of lower-cost cameras. The AlfredCam Plus is IP65-rated, can record video at up to 2K, and comes with a 64GB microSD card. It comes with a 9.8-foot cable, but requires a power adapter. The free version with ads offers seven days of cloud storage for video clips. Unfortunately, you’ll need a $6 monthly or $30 annual subscription to get 14 days of cloud storage, smart features (people detection, schedules, zones, etc.), and higher-quality video for live feeds and recordings.
Ezviz H3C $60: I had some issues setting this wired camera up as it can only connect to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, but once up and running it performed well enough. The Ezviz app has two-factor authentication and even fingerprint unlock, which is handy. It also has on-board AI for person detection, a spotlight, black and white night vision and two-way audio, but it’s laggy and of poor quality. Video quality is good up to 2K and live feeds load quickly. Overall, it’s not bad for the price. I also tested the Ezviz EB8 4G (£299), which is very similar to the H8 Pro I recommended above, except that it can connect to 4G mobile networks. This means you don’t need Wi-Fi, but you’ll need a SIM card and a mobile service plan.
Imou Knight Spotlight Camera $180: A sleek design and solid feature set make this an attractive security camera for any location. It has HDR recording in up to 4K, a 600-lumen spotlight around the lens, and local recording with up to a 256GB microSD card (sold separately). The app offers a variety of features, including detection zones, cross-line alerts, and human or pet detection, but the AI can get it wrong sometimes. Unfortunately, the low frame rate (15 fps) often results in blurry footage, but this camera would have ranked higher.
Reolink Go PT Ultra $220: If you want a wireless security camera that can connect to your cellular 3G or 4G LTE network, this product from Reolink is a great choice. It’s a pan-and-tilt camera that can record up to 4K video to a local microSD card (sold separately), and you can also subscribe to cloud storage. It has a small spotlight and good color night vision, and it comes with a solar panel to charge the battery. Detection is reliable, but it doesn’t always classify targets correctly. Load times and latency vary depending on signal strength. Check carrier compatibility and get a SIM card before purchasing.
Swann AllSecure650 4 Camera Kit, $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 at up to 2K, and the footage is clear and detailed, even when zoomed in, but there is a mild fisheye effect. Night vision is decent, but two-way audio lags and sounds distorted. I like the option to view all camera feeds simultaneously. The NVR’s backup battery makes it easy to swap out the batteries when a camera runs low. Everything is local, no subscription required. Unfortunately, the mobile app is poor, camera feeds can take several seconds to load, and there doesn’t appear to be 2FA. The NVR interface is clunky to navigate with the included mouse.
Arlo Pro 4 $140: This camera is our top recommendation and is still a great, widely available product. Its successor, the Pro 5, has slightly longer battery life and improved color night vision, but not much different. This camera provides crisp, clear footage, is responsive, and has a great detection and notification system, but you also need to consider the cost of an Arlo subscription, which starts at $8 per month for a single camera.
Reolink Argus 3 Pro $70: There’s a lot to like about this security camera, apart from its affordable price. It has 2K video, local or cloud storage, two-way audio, a siren, and person recognition. The live feeds load quickly, and the solar panel accessory for power is cheap to buy. The app is a bit confusing, but Reolink recently added 2FA. Reolink Argus PT with Solar Panel ($104)is a robust pan/tilt camera with a similar feature set. Both Reolink cameras also support dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz).
Eve Outdoor Cam $242: This stylish floodlight camera requires wiring and is difficult to install (you may want to hire an electrician). Use it in place of outdoor lighting to get motion-activated lighting (up to 1,500 lumens), 1080p video (157-degree field of view), and two-way audio. But it’s a HomeKit camera, so you’ll need an Apple HomeKit hub (Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad) and an iCloud+ storage plan. Unfortunately, video and sound quality are average, it only works over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and there’s no Android support.
Toucan Wireless Outdoor Camera, $100: Toucan’s wire-free camera is similar to Arlo’s top pick, with a smart magnetic mount and easy installation. 1080p video is good in ideal conditions but struggles in mixed lighting (no HDR). Two-way audio is decent. The app works well and loads live feeds very quickly, but it’s cloud-only, so you’ll need a subscription (starting at $3 per month) if you want to download tagged events, recordings more than the past 24 hours, or more than five videos per month.
Toucan Security Light Camera, $120: This camera plugs into any outlet and comes with an 8-meter waterproof cable. It has a motion-activated light (1,200 lumens), records 1080p video, and supports two-way audio. Footage was fairly detailed, but struggled in direct sunlight. It can record locally to a microSD card (sold separately), and you get 24 hours of free cloud storage, but it’s limited. Plans start at $3 per month. Even with the motion detection sensitivity set to its lowest, this camera tripped frequently during testing, and with no way to filter out people, false positives were frequent (blowing leaves, moths, and birds all triggered alerts).
Blurams Outdoor Lite 3 for $50: A feature-packed security camera at this price point. It supports pan, tilt, and zoom functionality, a spotlight, a siren, motion 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 decent, but the app was glitchy and live feeds would load erratically (sometimes buffering indefinitely).
SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Security Camera, $150: The full feature set, crisp 1080p video, and HDR support are appealing, but you’ll need a Simplisafe security system (WIRED Recommended 9/10) and monitoring plan to make this camera worthwhile, making it too expensive for what you get (the Arlo Pro 4 offers higher quality video and more features), though it could be a useful add-on for existing SimpliSafe customers.
