Keep an eye on your home with our favorite outdoor security cameras

Compare these security cameras

Best MicroSD Cards

Some security cameras support local storage, allowing you to record video on the camera or a linked hub. A few hubs have built-in storage and some provide hard drive slots, but most rely on microSD cards. This is a quick guide on what to look for (plus some recommendations).

The microSD card you choose should have fast read and write speeds so you can record high-quality videos and play them without delay. I recommend opting for class 10 microSD cards rated U1 or U3. You can delve deeper into what this means in our SD Card Explained. Before purchasing, check the card type, format and maximum card size supported for your security camera. Consider how many hours of video each card capacity can store. For example, you might get a few days of HD video out of a 32GB card. If you want to record continuously, you’ll probably want a higher capacity card.

I recommend formatting the card as soon as you insert it into the camera. You’ll usually be prompted to do this, but otherwise there’s usually an option in the settings. Remember that formatting will erase everything on the microSD card, so back up the contents first.

Some security camera manufacturers offer their own branded microSD cards. They work great, but for maximum reliability I suggest one of the following options. Remember to always check the specifications. Even different sized cards in the same range often have different capacities.

• Samsung Pro Endurance MicroSDXC Card (128GB) for $27
• SanDisk High Endurance Video MicroSDXC Card (256GB) for $39
• PNY Elite-X MicroSDXC Card (256GB, 2-pack) for $73

Other Good Outdoor Security Cameras

I have tested several other outdoor security cameras. These are the ones I like, but they just missed a spot above. Some of our choice of indoor cameras can also be used outdoors.

Eufy S4 Max for $1,300: Eufy’s high-end NVR (network video recorder) package is an incredibly versatile home security system that keeps everything local, but it’s overkill for the average home (it puts Tony Montana’s setup to shame). This pricey kit includes an NVR with 2TB of storage (expandable to 16TB and 16 channels) and four of its new triple-lens pan/tilt S4 smart cameras that connect via Ethernet cable (each requires two channels). As an 8-port PoE system, a single cable transfers data and provides power, but you must run separate cables to each camera. The camera is an upgraded version of our pan/tilt pick above, adding a fixed 4K camera with a 122-degree field of view on top of two 2K ​​pan/tilt lenses that can track subjects and zoom up to 8X. The built-in AI is solid, providing accurate subject detection and tracking on your cameras, even if facial recognition sometimes gets it wrong. Practically, you can search for sequences with keywords, and everything is handled locally. You can reduce the price by mixing and matching different types of cameras, and additional cameras are available.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Security Camera for $60: Surprisingly affordable, this camera is easy to recommend to anyone with an Arlo system. It can pan 360 degrees and tilt almost 180 degrees, offers clear 2K images, and benefits from Arlo’s intelligent detection and reliable alerts, although you’ll need a subscription to make it worth buying. At $10 per month for a single camera, it’s very expensive, although it makes more sense if you have multiple cameras since $20 per month covers an unlimited number of devices (you can bring these prices down to $8 per month and $18 per month if you pay annually). Motion tracking is good, but I’m a little worried about longevity, and this camera doesn’t have an IP rating (it’s just described as weatherproof).

Wyze Solar Camera Stove for $80: This is a very affordable package, considering that it includes a 2K pan and tilt camera (360 degree pan and 70 degree tilt) and a solar panel to supplement the battery. 2K footage is decent, and you can record locally with a microSD card (up to 512GB), but you need at least the Cam Plus subscription ($3 per month or $20 per year) to benefit from AI detection, rich alerts, and back-to-back recordings (otherwise, there’s a five-minute delay between videos). Advanced features like facial recognition and descriptive alerts require Cam Unlimited ($10 per month) or Cam Unlimited Pro ($20 per month). Unfortunately, I had some configuration issues (Wi-Fi range seems limited), and the automatic subject tracking was sometimes a little slow. If you want continuous recording, you also need to plug it into an outlet.

Blink Mini Arc for $100: THE Blink Arc is a smart innovation in the form of a plastic stand that holds two Blink Mini 2K+ or Mini 2 cameras and stitches the images together in software to give you a 180-degree view perfect for covering a full side of your home. On the downside, you have to plug in the cameras, which means running a power cable, and you have to subscribe to Blink Plus ($12 per month or $120 per year) to get the stitched-together panoramic view. If you already own the Mini 2K+ cameras, you can simply purchase the mount ($20). Either way, you will need the Blink Weatherproof Power Adapter ($10) to use it outdoors. If you’ve already invested in Blink, it might be worth it, but if you just want a 180-degree camera, the Reolink Argus 4 Pro recommended above is a better choice for most people.

Eufy C35 2-camera kit for $200: For people with modest needs, this is a very affordable kit that sets you up with two cameras and a local hub with 8GB of storage (expandable to 1TB). The cameras are compact, with a nice magnetic mount that makes installation easy, but the resolution is only 1080p, the frame rate is 15, and there’s no HDR, so images can sometimes be a little blurry or overexposed. Eufy’s app is robust and feature-rich without the need for a subscription. Watch out for the frequent reductions which make this kit a real bargain.

Google Nest Cam (battery, outdoor) for $180: If you can’t use a power cable, this battery-powered camera is easy enough for renters to install, with an exclusive magnetic mount to customize the angle. The 130-degree field of view encompassed my driveway, front door and most of my front yard. It captures crisp 1080p video with HDR and night vision, and has a clear speaker and microphone. The alerts are transparent, and the motion detector was accurate and sensitive enough to tell that the slight whip of a passing ponytail was a person. You should also consider the Nest Cam with projector. WIRED Editor Julien Chokkattu I have been using it for over two years without problem. Although it is the same battery powered camera, it must be wired to power the lights (and keep the battery running). Just like the Nest Cam above, you need a Google Home Premium subscription, starting at $10 per month, to unlock smart features and cloud storage (you only get three hours of video history without a subscription).

TP-Link Tapo C660 for $160: I was excited to try TP-Link’s Tapo camera line, and the C660 immediately stood out with compelling features. Offering 4K images, 360-degree pan and 90-degree tilt, a 10,000 mAh battery, a large solar panel, and local storage on a microSD card, the C660 is a solid choice for hard-to-reach areas. To sweeten the deal, it has on-device AI detection and dual-band Wi-Fi support, and it can record continuously u at 1 fps (you can increase the capture interval to every 5, 10, 20, 30 or 60 seconds). Unfortunately, I found tracking to be spotty, moving subjects at night often seemed blurry (frame rate is 15-20fps), and audio was tinny and echoey. The camera needs to be mounted quite high, as it is tilted downward, and I’m concerned about continuous recording and battery life in winter. It handled a router change without issue, staying connected, and despite a few false positives, the AI ​​detection works well and the app loads quickly. For some people, this may be a better option than our pan/tilt recommendations above.

TP-Link Tapo HybridCam Duo C246D for $70: Undeniably excellent value for money, this dual-lens pan and tilt camera from TP-Link is worth a look. The versatile design allows for indoor or outdoor use, and you can set the camera on a table or shelf or mount it the other way around using the included bracket. The only complication for outdoor use is the need to run the USB-C power cable to an outlet. There is a 2K fixed lens with a 130-degree field of view and a second 2K telephoto lens capable of 360-degree pan and 135-degree tilt. You can insert a microSD card if you want to record locally, and there’s AI detection on the device that works pretty well (I had a few false positives). Auto tracking is pretty good but not perfect, especially at night. Fast-moving subjects may appear blurry and the frame rate maxes out at 15.

TP-Link Tapo C325WB for $78: Our long-time choice of wired camera, the C325WB features a large aperture and an image sensor that allows for color nighttime images without a spotlight, making it ideal for dark hallways and side passages. It also has a motion-triggered spotlight. You can filter people, animals or vehicles and set up private zones in the Tapo app. This camera is weatherproof with a IP66 rating and can take up to 512GB microSD cards for local recordings. By default, the camera records mostly at 720p, so you have to dig into the settings to push the resolution to 2K and enable HDR, otherwise you can expect choppy, overexposed video. I also had to reduce the motion-d detection sensitivity to avoid false positives, and the onboard AI is flaky, frequently identifying my cat as a person. While the feed was generally fast loading in the Tapo app, it was sometimes slow or failed to load on my Nest Hub. There’s also an Ethernet port here, but unfortunately, no PoE (Power over Ethernet) support. Cloud storage is an option with Tapo Care (starting at $3.50 per month for a single camera).

Swann MaxRanger 4K 2-camera kit for $400: This kit was very easy to install because the cameras are paired to the hub, so all you need to do is plug the hub into your router. 4K video is crisp and clear with vibrant colors, and the cameras performed well day or night. The main selling point is range, and I was able to install a camera at the bottom of my garden, which is too far away for most security cameras to work properly. I also like that you can view multiple streams simultaneously in the app and that the hub has a battery backup, just in case the power goes out. But the solar panels on top of these cameras don’t seem to be working properly, and one of the cameras drained pretty quickly, even with lots of sunlight. I also had to power down and reconnect the system after changing routers, even though I had the same network name and details. Although it was generally fast, the stream sometimes took a while and, on one occasion, completely refused to load, so I have concerns about consistency.

Imilab EC6 Panorama for $170: This interesting camera combines a 180-degree view created by stitching two lenses together, like the Reolink Argus 4 Pro above, with pan (344 degrees) and tilt (90 degrees) functionality to give an expansive view that may typically require multiple cameras. It’s large and designed to fit under your eaves, but you’ll also need to run a power cable, as there’s no battery. You get decent 3.5K quality images and infrared night vision. It works with Xiaomi’s Home app and you can save locally to a microSD card. There is on-device AI detection for people and vehicles, and the camera can automatically track subjects, although this doesn’t always work well, especially at night. Daytime images also look much better than nighttime images, even with projectors to help capture colors.

Eufy Security Cam S120 Solar Wall Light for $100: In the right place, this weatherproof, motion-activated light security camera from Eufy is a great set-it-and-forget-it device. It records 2K video on 8GB of built-in storage, has a 300-lumen motion-activated light, and a solar panel to keep it charged (it needs two hours of sunlight a day to stay charged). The camera isn’t Eufy’s best, as it’s limited to a 120-degree field of view, it doesn’t have HDR, and the frame rate is only 15fps. Images are reasonably sharp when you set the resolution to 2K, and alerts are delivered reliably and quickly. You can also set privacy and activity zones in the app, set detection to human only, and change how the light works. The S120 has a built-in alarm, offers reasonable two-way audio (but only one way at a time), and has night vision. The S120 is a little slower to load than the other Eufy cameras I recommend here, and it sometimes misses the beginning, starting the video with subjects already halfway through the frame. But as a one-off purchase, without a subscription, it will suit some.

Philips Hue Security Camera for $130: Houses equipped with Philips Hue smart lights may find the company’s line of security cameras interesting. THE Philips Hue Secure Wired Camera (7/10, WIRED recommends) and the Philips Hue Secure Battery Camera ($160) are quick and easy to add to the Hue app, deliver crisp 1080p video, and are both weatherproof, with an IP65 rating. They offer a fairly wide 140-degree field of view, two-way audio and a siren, and send motion alerts quickly. The live stream loads quickly in the Hue app. You now get 24 hours of video history included, but you need to subscribe for $4 per month ($40/year) for a single camera to get 30 days of cloud storage and unlock smart detection features. You can configure privacy and activity zones, and filter by person, pet, vehicle and package. The AI ​​worked well for me and all videos are end-to-end encrypted (there is no local storage option). If you have a Hue Bridge, you can ask the cameras to trigger your indoor or outdoor lighting. The camera’s battery only drained 12% in the first two weeks (over a span of three to four months), but then seemed to die overnight. I have since recharged (which took over eight hours) and it seems to be working normally. Ultimately, the wired camera works better, but both are unreliable when it comes to alerts, sometimes missing events captured by other cameras, so they’re only worth considering for Hue fans. Philips Hue also announced a new 2K range, but we haven’t tested them yet.

Baseus Security S1 Pro for $300: This camera kit from Baseus includes two outdoor security cameras with solar panels on top and a 16GB local storage hub for indoors (expandable via SSD up to 16TB). Each camera has two lenses (a classic wide-angle and a telephoto lens for close-ups), which is an interesting idea but requires careful placement. Images are good up to 3K but only 15fps, and there’s no color night vision without a spotlight. The cameras can’t move, but the solar panels on top can rotate to capture more rays. Even though mine stayed charged, it seems a bit gimmicky. There is human and vehicle detection, but I had several false positives (cats reported as human), and it sometimes alerted me, but failed to record video clips. Two-way audio is good. Although this system doesn’t match the EufyCam S3 Pro above, it is cheaper. I also tested the standalone Baseus S2 4K ($130)which records locally to a microSD card (up to 512 GB). It offers the same bag of tricks with a slightly higher resolution, but the same low frame rate of 15fps.

Reolink Duo 3 PoE for $190 Or Duo 3 Wi-Fi for $200: Most people looking for a dual-lens camera assembled for a 180-degree view should opt for the Reolink Argus 4 Pro listed above, but if you can use an Ethernet or power cable, you could save money with the Duo 3. It also offers higher resolution than the Argus, but it only has color night vision with a spotlight. The Wi-Fi version only needs a power cable, but the annoying thing is that you have to connect via Ethernet during initial setup. Both versions work well and use the same app as the Reolink cameras above.

Annke NightChroma NCD800 for $250: Probably best suited to a small business, this dual-lens PoE camera offers clear 4K images and color night vision. It stitches the two images together to give you a full 180-degree view. There’s built-in AI detection of humans and vehicles, and Annke says it can learn to ignore waving branches, raindrops, and other false positives. There’s a spotlight that can flash with the siren to scare away intruders, decent two-way audio, and local recording via NVR, NAS, or microSD card. Setup is tricky and you have to connect an Ethernet cable to the camera because there’s no battery or Wi-Fi.

Logitech Circle View for $160: There are some big caveats to this camera, including the permanently attached 10-foot power cord that is not weatherproof, the need for a HomeKit hub, such as HomePod Mini Or Apple TVand no compatibility with Android. If none of that bothers you, then this is a solid outdoor camera for the privacy-conscious. It has no separate application; you add it directly to Apple’s Home app by scanning a QR code. It captures Full HD videos and offers an extremely wide 180-degree field of view, although there is a little fish-eye effect here. (The lack of HDR also means areas are sometimes too dark or exaggerated.) There’s motion detection, two-way audio, and decent night vision, and you can ask Siri to bring up the live feed, which loads quickly.

Annke C800 for $86: This is a solid PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) camera that supports real-time streaming protocol (RTSP) and Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF), making it a good choice for people with a network video recorder (NVR), although it also has a microSD card slot (up to 512 GB) for local recording. Images are sharp up to 4K with a 123-degree field of view, and there’s color night vision, with black and white and a spotlight as backups. Installation can be tricky because you have to use an Ethernet cable, but that means no power concerns or Wi-Fi issues. I tested the turret version, but this camera also comes in a dome or bullet shape. Motion detection is quite good, with minimal false positives, and the camera recognizes humans and vehicles with reasonable accuracy. Annke’s software is a bit clunky, however.

Safemo Set P1 (2-pack) for $250: I love the idea of ​​a simple kit like this, where you just plug in the hub, connect it to your router, and install the pre-paired cameras. Each has an optional solar panel to keep the battery charged. The Safemo app is well designed, video goes up to 4K, and this fully local system has 32GB of storage (expandable up to 4TB). It even allows local detection of people, vehicles, pets and packages. Person detection was generally accurate (it sometimes flagged my cat) and vehicle detection flagged my robotic lawnmower (fairly close) and an inflatable donut blowing in the yard, but false positives were rare. What stops me from wholeheartedly recommending this impressive debut is the lack of 2FA (Safemo says it’s coming) and connectivity issues, where one of the cameras would sometimes disconnect from the hub and be inaccessible in the app. It has always straightened out without me moving anything, but the worrying thing is that this has happened several times. If you plan to increase the resolution to 4K from the default SD, you’ll need a fast internet connection, especially for viewing the live feed, which I found choppy and pixelated in 4K, although recorded videos were sharp and detailed.

Imilab EC6 Dual 2K WiFi Plug-in Spotlight Camera for $140: With two 2K ​​lenses, this security camera can cover a fixed point and track a subject simultaneously. The bottom camera offers pan/tilt controls. It works through the Xiaomi Home app, making it an easy sell if you already own a Xiaomi phone or other gadgets from the Chinese brand. You can insert a microSD card for local storage or subscribe to cloud storage. People detection and tracking worked well in my testing. Video was generally sharp, but motion was a bit choppy at times and fast-moving subjects can become blurry. It has WDR, but could use HDR to prevent bright areas from fading out.

Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera for $70: This is the most affordable way to try Arlo products, and it’s a solid security camera. Setup is a breeze, 1080p images are clear, and rich notifications are the best, but you need an Arlo Secure subscription ($10 per month or $96 per year for a single camera, $20 per month or $216 per year for unlimited cameras). Compared to our top pick, the Essential has a narrower field of view and lacks HDR, so it loses detail in bright and dark areas. I also tried the Essential XL ($100)which is the same camera with a much larger battery (4x longer battery life).

Reolink Go PT Ultra for $230: If you need a wireless security camera that can connect to 3G or 4G LTE cellular networks, you could do worse than this deal from Reolink. It’s a pan-and-tilt camera that can record up to 4K video to a local microSD card (sold separately), or you can subscribe to cloud storage. It has a small spotlight and decent color night vision, and it comes with a solar panel to keep the battery charged. The detection is reliable, but it does not always categorize subjects correctly. Loading time and lag will depend on signal strength. Just be sure to check carrier compatibility and obtain a SIM card before purchasing.

Swann AllSecure650 4 Camera Kit for $700: This kit includes four battery-powered wireless cameras as well as a network video recorder (NVR) that can plug into a TV or monitor via HDMI. The cameras can record up to 2K and images are sharp and detailed enough to zoom in, although there is a slight fish-eye effect. Night vision is reasonably good, but two-way audio lags and sounds distorted. I like the ability to view all camera feeds simultaneously, the NVR’s battery backup makes it easy to swap batteries when a camera is low, and everything is local without the need for a subscription. Unfortunately, the mobile app is poor, camera feeds sometimes take several seconds to load, and there doesn’t seem to be any 2FA. The NVR’s interface is also difficult to navigate with the supplied mouse.

Wyze Outdoor Cam V2 for $90: This was our budget camera choice, offering 1080p with a 110-degree field of view. It comes with a base station that accepts a microSD card (not included) for local video recording. If you prefer the cloud, you can pay $24 per year for unlimited video time and no cooldowns, plus other benefits like person detection. The battery’s listed life is between three and six months, but mine needed a charge before reaching three. This camera model was not one of the people affected by the security flaw that Wyze failed to fix or report to customers for three years, but repeated Wyze security breaches, expose thousands of camera feeds to other clientscan still make you think. We started testing Wyze cameras again after the company strengthened its security policies.

I also tested the Wyze Cam OG ($30) And Wyze Cam AND telephoto lens ($40)an interesting pair of affordable cameras that work well together. The OG gives you a 120-degree wide view and sports a spotlight, and the OG telephoto lens has 3X optical zoom. For example, you can have the OG cover your yard and use the telephoto lens to focus on the door area, and you can set up a picture-in-picture view in the Wyze app. Both are IP65 rated, but if you want to use an outdoor socket you need to purchase the Wyze Outdoor Power Adapter ($16).

Don’t buy these security cameras

I haven’t liked every camera I’ve tested. These are the ones to avoid.

Night Owl Wi-Fi Battery Solar Camera: Offering decent 2K video, a built-in solar panel to keep the battery charged, and local storage on a microSD card or Night Owl hub (sold separately), it seems compelling for the price. Unfortunately, the app is a mess and I immediately ran into a weird issue creating the account, where I got stuck in a loop of “Account doesn’t exist”, but it wouldn’t let me sign up with another email because my phone number had been used. I got around it with new details, but then the camera disconnected when I changed routers (same details) without any warning and refused to reconnect until I reset it.

Vosker VKX: Sometimes you need a security camera in a place without Wi-Fi, so something like the Vosker VKX with 4G LTE connectivity could be handy. With a durable design, including an integrated solar panel, my first impression was good. The camera regularly provided snapshots of the test area I had chosen, at the end of my garden. You can program the camera and it has a built-in deterrent light, but there’s no subject recognition, so any movement will trigger it (you can change the sensitivity). Still images looked okay, but video was choppy, with bright areas completely obscured. Unfortunately, you have to switch modes to record video, and my video tests failed without explanation about half the time. You can’t stream live video from this camera and it requires an expensive plan (starting at $10 per month). The basic plan limits you to 500 alerts and only 10 downloads. You need to upgrade to Elite at $20 per month for unlimited alerts and 40 downloads. It seems like a terrible deal when any movement can trigger an alert.

Baseus N1 2K HD 2-camera kit: This kit from Baseus includes two security cameras and a base station with 16 GB of storage (expandable to 16 TB) for local recordings (no cloud option). The camera was easy to set up and sent alerts for most motion events, but human detection was inaccurate, sometimes falsely suggesting a human and sometimes ignoring real people. The app is relatively simple and there is no 2FA. Although it records up to 2K, the relatively low frame rate (15fps) and lack of HDR can result in blurry and broken videos. Annoyingly tapping notifications doesn’t load the video clip or live view, making it slow to use. Baseus is new to security cameras, and it shows.

Noorio B210 Floodlight Camera: This orb-shaped wireless security camera comes with a magnetic mount for easy positioning. The 2K video is reasonably sharp, but I found that the bright sun completely blew out some areas of the footage. The 16GB of onboard storage is welcome, but I had a few connection issues where the camera would disconnect without warning me, and recorded clips would sometimes refuse to play. I also tried the similar one, cheaper 200 B ($70)which maxes out at 1080p and has 8GB of storage, and the most expensive Noorio B310 Spotlight Camera ($110)which adds a 600-lumen spotlight, but both cameras had the same connectivity issues.

L1 wines: This is an affordable outdoor security camera live reated with a solar panel, capable of recording videos up to 2K and having 8 GB of built-in storage. There’s no need for a subscription and it’s a pretty complete package. You even get onboard detection of humans, animals, and vehicles, although I found it a bit blurry. Unfortunately, this camera was often slow to start recording, so clips started with the subject halfway through the frame. The AiDot app you use with this camera is also quite confusing, as it’s designed to control a multitude of smart home devices.

Encalife Outdoor Wi-Fi Security Camera: This affordable connected camera needs to be plugged into an outlet. It connects via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable, delivers reasonably clear 1080p images, and has pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities. You can save locally to a microSD card (sold separately) or sign up for cloud storage, but the iCSee app is fragile and lacks 2FA, so I have concerns about its security. I also tested the most expensive Encalife smart surveillance camerawhich adds two-way audio but relies on the same flawed app, and the Encalife 4G security camerawhich uses the worst CamHi Pro app.

Switchbot Outdoor Floodlight Camera: Simple to install, this orb-shaped camera offers fairly good quality 1080p images, but it really struggles with mixed lighting, heavily overexposing bright areas. There’s decent night vision, a built-in spotlight, and two-way audio. You can also insert a microSD card up to 256GB for local recording, which is even better since the cloud subscription is way too expensive. Unfortunately, the busy app is unstable and sometimes drops or refuses to load the live stream. I liked the 5W solar panel option to keep the battery charged, but you can get the same thing with better cameras than this.

Canary Flex: I love the curved diamond design of the Canary Flex, but it’s by far the least reliable security camera I’ve tested. He often missed passersby or started recording when they were almost out of frame. Night vision and low-light video quality are poor, and the app is very slow to load.

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