Best Solar-Powered Home Security Cameras for 2024
Opting for a solar-powered security camera is a great way to protect your home while saving on power. Here are the best options we've seen.
Our Experts
What to consider
Our Picks
A reliable home security system can provide a level of ease and comfort, especially if you’re constantly on the move. And thanks to a huge variety of security cameras on the market right now, it's never been easier or more affordable to keep an eye on your home. These DIY cameras are easy to install and allow you to monitor both the interior and exterior of your home from anywhere. Some more advanced models even have floodlights, sirens, motion sensors and other helpful features. Our CNET experts have tested dozens of home security cameras over the years, comparing indoor versus outdoor, wired versus wireless and now even testing ones powered by the sun.
Unlike indoor cameras, the ideal spot to set up your outdoor camera won't always be near a power outlet. That's why wireless cameras are often better suited for outdoor use. They'll also keep you from having to run unsightly wires. But they're not totally without fault -- that battery will require charging at some point, most likely when it's least convenient and you're out of town. So, equipping your camera with a compatible solar panel is the best way to ensure your battery stays charged year-round. Solar-powered security cameras allow you to avoid tricky wiring and dead batteries while still delivering on all the other specs like their nonsolar counterparts.
What is the best overall solar-powered home security camera?
After hours of testing, we've determined our favorite solar-powered cam of 2024 is the Arlo Pro 4 along with the sold-separately Arlo Solar Panel Charger. It's a fantastic device that boasts 2K resolution, a 160-degree field of view, two-way talk, a loud siren, a reliable spotlight, night vision and a load of other smarts -- making it well worth the price tag.
Best solar-powered home security cameras of 2024
Arlo's Pro 4 camera is a little pricier than some of the competition, but it's a fantastic all-around device, boasting 2K resolution, a 160-degree field of view, two-way talk, a loud siren, a reliable spotlight, night vision and a load of other smarts. Unlike some other cameras, like the Arlo Pro 3 or Wyze's solar-powered outdoor cam, the Pro 4 can be used without a base station.
To use the camera with a solar panel, you'll have to
Best camera and solar panel bundle
Ring Stick Up Cam Solar
Ring sells a solid spotlight cam that is compatible with a separately sold
That's not a bad deal, especially given the camera's relatively solid specs: 1080p resolution, night vision, two-way talk, a 115-degree field of view, a built-in siren and other smarts. You can also find this package for even lower prices fairly frequently -- especially during parent company Amazon's Prime Day sale.
Solar-powered security cameras compared
| Our Picks | Arlo Pro 4 (w/ solar panel) | Ring Stick Up Cam Solar | Wyze Outdoor Cam v2 (w/ solar panel) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total price | $220 | $140 | $109 |
| Resolution | 2K | 1080p | 1080p |
| Field of View | 160-degrees | 115-degrees | 130-degrees |
| Setup | Wireless, indoor/outdoor | Plug-in and battery versions, camera itself can be indoor/outdoor | Wireless/outdoor |
| Extra Features | Live streaming, two-way talk, night vision, weather resistance | Live streaming, quick alerts, night vision, two-way talk, privacy zones and motion detection zones, integration with Amazon Alexa | Color night vision, built-in siren, free 14-day cloud storage and person detection alerts available |
Factors to consider when choosing a solar-powered camera
There are hundreds of home security cameras on the market, ranging drastically in price, functionality and quality, but only a few offer solar power. After CNET's years of testing home security cameras, we have some tips if you're on the hunt for a new solar-powered security camera. Here are a few parameters to consider.
Privacy
This is a big one. You don't want anyone peeping on your property or hacking into your camera. Wireless home security cameras can be more susceptible to hacking due to their connectivity to Wi-Fi networks and remote access. Wired home security cameras are more secure. (Read more about the pros and cons of wired versus wireless systems here.)
Video resolution
Video quality should be a major consideration when buying a home security camera -- whether solar-powered or not. In simplest terms, your camera won't be effective if the only footage being recorded is grainy and unreadable.
The higher the resolution, the better the video quality. Most home security cameras on the market now have 1080p resolution, but others even have 2K resolution (like the Arlo Pro 4) or 1,536x1,536 resolution (like the Arlo Video Doorbell). Just remember, the higher the video quality, the more bandwidth it takes up and the more likely your camera is to experience lag times or glitches.
Local vs. cloud storage
You have two main options: There's cloud storage, which sends your video footage to a remote server to be saved, and local storage, which relies on a separate accessory or piece of hardware, usually a microSD card, to hold any footage you'd like to save. Usually, cloud storage requires a monthly fee.
How we test solar-powered home security cameras
Home security cameras are tricky devices to test because how good they are doesn't just come down to how their numbers stack up against the competition. We do look for better resolution, wider field of view and the presence of features we consider must-haves in 2024, like two-way talk, night vision and options for cloud storage. Then we add in extra goodies, like smart notifications or a built-in siren or spotlight, and hold up that whole package against its retail price. If the features are really strong for the price, we'll recommend a camera more highly.
But we also test out cameras carefully, making sure all the features work well. Smart notifications aren't helpful if they arrive 20 seconds late; a siren isn't useful if it's barely audible. Some cameras disconnect too often, and some apps are difficult to understand or navigate. This experiential side of things is where our recommendations become more personal and in many ways more useful. Anyone can line up the specs of different products, but we're putting our hands on these cameras for a week or more to see how it actually feels to install and use them.
In the case of solar-powered home security cameras, we've tested each of these devices extensively -- but not necessarily with their solar panels. If you want to read more about our review process, check out our in-depth article on how we test home security cameras and video doorbells. You can also read about how CNET tests all devices and services.