We’ve tested several other outdoor security cameras. These are our favorites, just missing one spot above.
Reolink Argus 3 Pro for $130 : This surveillance camera has a lot going for it, especially the affordable price. It offers 2K video, local or cloud storage, two-way audio, siren and person recognition. The live feed loads quickly, and it’s cheap to buy a solar panel accessory to power it. It misses one spot above because there’s no 2FA and the app is a bit confusing.
Eve Outdoor Cam is only $250 : This sleek floodlight camera has to be wired and is tricky to install( You may need an electrician). It can replace outdoor lights, giving you motion-activated light (up to 1,500 lumens), 1080p video (157-degree field of view), and two-way audio. But as a Homekit camera, you need an Apple Homekit hub (Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad) and an iCloud+ storage plan. Sadly, video and sound quality are mediocre, it only works with 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, and it doesn’t support Android.
Toucan Wireless Outdoor Camera $90: Toucan’s wireless camera is similar to our pick from Arlo with a smart magnetic mount and easy Installed wireless camera. 1080p video does well in ideal conditions, but not so well in mixed lighting (no HDR). Two-way audio is passable. The app works well and loads the live feed very quickly, but that’s cloud-only, which means if you want to flag events, record events older than the past 24 hours, or download more than five videos per month.
Wyze Cam V3 Outdoor Camera for $36 : The camera has an IP65 rating and is suitable for outdoor use. It’s close to the Wyze Cam Outdoor in video quality and features, but since it has to be plugged in, you could easily end up spending on the long cable instead of the camera itself. Local storage is also limited to the MicroSD card on the device.
Toucan Security Light Camera for $130: You just plug this camera into an outlet and it comes with an 8 meter waterproof line. It has a motion-activated light (1,200 lumens), records 1080p video, and supports two-way audio. I found this shot to be very detailed, but it struggled in direct sunlight. You can record locally on a microSD card (sold separately) and get 24 hours of free cloud storage, but it’s limited. Plans start at $3 per month. Even with motion detection set to the lowest sensitivity, the camera triggered too often during testing and couldn’t filter out people, so I often got false positives (blowing leaves, moths, and birds all triggered the alarm).
Ezviz C3X for $107 : Like the C8C above, the C3X gets the basics right to deliver crisp Graphics and reliable alerts. It features a dual-lens camera for better night vision and full-color video without spotlights. It’s also easy to set up, requires a MicroSD card, and supports handy two-factor authentication using your fingerprint. Unfortunately, you have to use a power cord (there’s also optional Ethernet), and cloud subscriptions are too expensive.
Blurams Outdoor Lite 3 is only $65 : This is a feature-rich security camera that supports pan, tilt and Zoom function, spotlight, 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. The video quality is ok, but the app is very choppy, loading the live feed inconsistently (sometimes it just buffers indefinitely).
SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Security Camera $175 : A solid set of features, crisp 1080p video, and support for HDR Listen It’s tempting to look at, but you’ll need a Simplisafe security system (9/10, WIRED recommends) and surveillance plan to make this camera worth the money, too expensive for what you get. (The Arlo Pro 4 offers better quality video and more features.) Still, it might be a useful add-on for existing SimpliSafe customers.
