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#1 Google Nest Cam (Battery) 2nd Gen
The indoor/outdoor wireless Nest Cam (battery) is Google’s wireless home security camera, now in its second generation; we tested the first.
The Nest Cam includes free features such as intelligent alerts and a 3-hour video history. The rich, smart notifications include alerts that can detect people, motion, vehicles, and animals. It also has an IP54 waterproof rating, so you don’t have to worry about its integrity in a rainstorm. At night or in the dark, it can detect motion, in color, for up to 20 feet.
The Nest Cam runs through the Google Home app, not the Nest app like previous Google cameras. The app lets you view your event history, filter by event type, and create custom motion zones. You can view the camera’s 1080p live stream in the app, too, and pull it up on any Nest smart display.
There are a few downsides. The battery isn’t removable, so you must pull down the entire camera to recharge it. The seven-month battery life is on par with other cameras, but it could be higher or lower depending on how many motion events it captures.
Despite its sturdy magnetic base, it’s easy to reach and pull the camera down, so mount it up high. If your camera is stolen, Google will replace it at no cost.
This camera, which works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, is reliable, accurate, versatile, and secure. It offers a fantastic range of smart features for free, multiple installation options, and a competitive price tag, making it our best overall pick for outdoor home security cameras.
#2 Tapo MagCam 4K
The only thing better than a wire-free surveillance camera is when you don’t ever need to charge it up.
Thanks to its small solar panel, 45 minutes of sunlight powers the Tapo C460 for a full day, while its 10,000-milliamp battery can last up to 200 days on a single charge (tested with about 4.5 minutes of use per day, between both recording and watching live views).
After you mount the camera in an optimal spot and install the Tapo app, you can see crisp 4K video (and surprisingly good color vision at night), whether you opt for local storage (requiring a microSD card, which is not included) or pay for the Tapo Care cloud service ($3.49/month or $34.99/year, for one camera).
But you don’t need to pay for AI detection, which is refreshing, a feature that identifies people, pets, and vehicles in the app, so you can see at a glance who or what the camera is detecting. In fact, you can also customize “activity zones” for very specific motion detection and phone alerts.
It seamlessly integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant (not Apple HomeKit) for voice-enabled control and check-ins, such as asking your smart display to show you the outside of your home (e.g., “Alexa, show me the backyard”).
As with other Tapo-branded products from TP-Link, you really do get a lot of bang for the buck with this easy-to-mount and 4K-quality Tapo C460 camera with solar panel.
Reolink Elite Floodlight Wi-Fi
On paper, this Reolink Elite Floodlight Wi-Fi camera seems to have it all: 4K resolution, twin cameras that yield a 180-degree field of view, color night vision, and no cloud subscription needed. So, does it live up to the hype?
Yes, and at just over $200 it’s a great deal, too. So long as you can hardwire this camera—often required for models with floodlights as they require a lot of power—there’s so much to like about the Reolink Elite Floodlight Wi-Fi.
To get going, install the app, snap in a microSD card (up to 512GB, not included) into the camera’s back, or use a compatible Reolink NVR or Reolink Home Hub (both sold separately). Then, connect the camera to your Wi-Fi and mount it over a driveway or facing the backyard. Within seconds, you can tap into the 4K resolution and take advantage of the ultra-wide panoramic view with no blind spots (which stitches the two cameras together).
By default, the cameras are motion-activated, which shines the bright 3000-lumen floodlights (one above each camera lens) up to 40 feet away. In fact, you can customize the brightness, switching between 3000K warm light (for ambiance) and 6000K cooler light (for better illumination). You can also opt to have a 105-decibel siren blare when motion is activated (via the Reolink app) or a custom 5-second voice warning. With the floodlights on, the camera provides color night vision; without them, the nighttime image is more pixelated and in black-and-white.
As for AI detection, it supports person, vehicle, and animal detection, along with advanced alerts such as Line Crossing, Zone Intrusion, and Zone Loitering.
Speaking of AI, the option to do “smart video search” on your captured footage is currently in beta: type in details like “delivery person” or “red car,” and it will scan through your footage to find what you’re looking for. There is no charge for this.
On a related note, we love that there are no monthly fees for cloud storage (unlike Ring and Blink cameras). You can also create time-lapse videos and photos saved to the memory card, if you like.
#4 eufyCam S4 2-Cam Kit
Those who need a more robust camera surveillance solution should consider the solar-powered eufyCam S4 2-Cam Kit.
As the name suggests, the box contains two separate camera systems: a fixed 4K bullet cam (with a 130-degree field of view) and, just underneath it, a 2K dual-lens camera with full 360-degree pan-tilt-zoom support (up to 30-degree tilt).
Unlike the other outdoor cameras tested in this round-up, the eufyCam S4 has smart automatic tracking: the upper camera detects a subject, and the PTZ cam locks on, zooms in (8x hybrid optical/digital), and tracks up to 164 feet away.
Rather than hardwiring these cameras to your home’s power or requiring you to remove and charge up a battery (which may not be convenient if mounted high up), the eufyCam S4 includes an integrated 5.5-watt solar panel on top of each unit (supported by a 10,000mAh battery to store excess power). An hour of direct sunlight a day keeps the camera running. But, if you require continuous power for 24/7 surveillance, you can enable Direct Power Mode, a wired option, to connect to a 5V/2A power adapter via the included USB-C cable.
The camera includes color night vision, but the footage was slightly noisier (grainier) than that from other cameras. It’s not bad, but not the best we’ve seen.
The cameras take microSD cards in the back (up to 256GB) but in the box you’ll also find eufy’s HomeBase S380 (usually sold for about $150 on its own), a consumer-grade Network Video Recorder (NVR) that has 16GB (gigabytes) of internal storage, and is expandable to up to 16TB (terabytes), not included for potentially months of footage.
Also part of HomeBase, which works with up to 16 compatible eufy cameras, is the ability to differentiate between family and strangers using eufy’s BionicMind AI. Actually, it can also handle human, vehicle, and pet detection, in addition to facial recognition.
Optional, but this model works with eufy’s long-range Fusion Link module (sold separately) for video transmission as far away as 1.25 miles.
The eufy app is intuitive and feature-rich.
#5 Blink Arc 2K+ (3rd gen)
You don’t need to break the bank for a 2-camera outdoor solution. Amazon’s Blink Arc ($99) houses two adjacent Blink Mini 2K+ cameras, together delivering a 180-degree panoramic live view, so long as you have a Blink Subscription Plus Plan (more below).
For indoor or outdoor use, these IP65-rated weather-resistant cameras require power via one cable, but for outdoor use, you’ll also need the Blink Weather Resistant Power Adapter (sold separately for about $20). The mount is included, though, to hold the two 2K cameras (2560 x 1440 pixels each).
While we love the price, know that if you don’t have a Blink Subscription plan, each camera operates independently with individual notifications and settings, and standard motion detection and alerts.
With a Blink Subscription Plan, you’ll get the 180° panoramic live view that stitches both cameras together, cloud video storage for up to 60 days, and advanced features like smart detection (person and vehicle).
For $4 a month or $40 for the year, the Basic Plan covers a single device, while the Plus plan, which covers unlimited devices, costs $12 per month or $120 for the year.
Smart home fans should know this is an Amazon product that only works with Alexa-enabled devices, like an Echo Show smart display, for control and viewing. There is no love for Google or Apple ecosystems here.
If the price is right and you want a dual-camera system, the sub-$100 Blink Arc, available in either black or white, is a heck of a deal.