Best Outdoor Home Security Cameras

Thieves checking for unlocked car doors can be as much of an outdoor home security concern as porch pirates stealing packages off your doorstep. A good video doorbell can deter a porch pirate, but keeping opportunists off your driveway and out of your cars can present a different challenge.

A camera equipped with an automatic siren and spotlight, like the TP-Link Tapo C310 outdoor camera, can be one of your most effective tools for keeping trespassers at bay. You can position the camera to watch specific zones, like a driveway, at scheduled times and blare its siren and spotlight when anyone crosses the detection line.

The outdoor camera also features 2K resolution, night vision up to 98 feet away, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, and local storage via a microSD card slot (card not included). If you want cloud storage, Tapo Care plans start around $.50 per month per camera and include 30 days of event recording.

The only significant drawback to the camera I see is that it uses a wired power source, so you'll have to run a cord to plug it in. If you have an accessible power outlet (perhaps in your garage or an inconspicuous location on your home's exterior), the TP-Link Tapo C310 is worth checking out. It may help automatically drive away any unwanted guests.

If you need a camera to keep watch over a place where Wi-Fi doesn't reach, such as construction sites, adjacent workshops or camping trips), you may want to shop for a smart security camera that connects over cellular data. Your top two options are the Arlo Go 2 and the Eufy 4G Starlight Cam, each of which includes a SIM card slot for cellular connectivity along with similar features, including night vision and customizable motion alerts. They each cost about $250 too, although the Eufy 4G Starlight Cam is the slightly less expensive of the two.

Both performed well when we tested them out, and there are good reasons to go with either, but of the two models we lean toward the Go 2. For one, the Arlo Go 2 includes a microSD card slot for local storage whereas the Eufy camera doesn't and is instead equipped with a limiting 8GB of built-in storage. Also, the Arlo Go 2 can connect over both LTE and Wi-Fi while the Eufy 4G Starlight Cam doesn't support Wi-Fi. That makes the Go 2 the more flexible of the two cameras and can leverage your home's Wi-Fi signal to reduce LTE data usage. 

Keep in mind that you'll need an Arlo Secure plan starting at $8 per month to enable interactive notifications, the highest video resolution and cloud recordings. A microSD card slot is available for local storage (and to help keep from running into data caps or similar issues), but you'll be giving up those additional features.

A dedicated spotlight cam focuses a beam of light in a specific direction, helping you light up dark porches, walkways, patios and corners of your yard where visibility is lacking. Spotlights also greatly improve nighttime visibility, and when motion-activated like the 1080p Ring Spotlight Can Plus, they can theoretically scare away intruders.

The design and additional features put the Ring Spotlight Cam Plus over the top for us. Few spotlight cams have such a compact design with durable LED bars that make it easy to position and angle the camera (140-degree field of view) in many directions. When power is low, the pop-out battery is easy to recharge without messing with your perfect angle.

The 1080p cam comes with color night vision, two-way audio and a siren you can sound when necessary. There are also privacy zones and motion zones you can tweak to control where the motion detection focuses. It can also handle temperatures down to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, so it’s no slouch during winter.

Ring’s security camera is designed to work with a Ring Protect plan, which starts at $4 per month, and we consider it more or less mandatory for this cam. It enables valuable features, including the ability to record footage to the cloud, recognize people (and ignore other movement), switch to an away mode and more. There is a wired version of the camera, but we’re picking the battery option for its versatility.

Note that Ring recently updated its policy on providing footage to police without user consent. While law enforcement can still request footage in case of an emergency or warrant, Ring is no longer providing a form for more casual police requests, an upgrade in privacy for users.

Wireless security cams offer a lot to like for the modern homeowner. You can install them at nearly any awkward angle to cover blind spots or find the perfect vantage point, and there’s never any need to call an electrician. In return, you have to manage battery power, and that can be a tough sell when the best spot for a security camera is a hard-to-reach area. Blink’s fourth-generation outdoor cam addresses the issue head-on with a powerful battery rated for up to two years of use before you have to worry about recharging.

Battery isn’t the only thing the Outdoor 4 brings to the table. It offers a 1080p resolution, infrared night vision, two-way audio and dual-zone motion detection. Amazon’s security platform has full Alexa compatibility too, so you can look at a live view from an Echo Show, among other tricks.

Note that the Blink Outdoor 4 comes with a Sync Module 2 for local storage so you don’t have to worry about buying a hub, but you will need a USB drive to connect to it. A Blink subscription, which starts at $3 per month, adds cloud storage and person detection.

Floodlight cameras use large lights to illuminate a broad space, like an entire driveway or dark backyard. They’re usually larger than other security cameras, but the best option to keep a watch over large areas, especially if you’re concerned about nighttime dangers. This Lorex cam is our top pick for this kind of floodlight solution, a package of features that complement each other ways we really like.

For example, the 2K resolution is excellent for a floodlight cam, which tends to overlook a large space and benefits from as many pixels as possible. It pairs well with Lorex’s person-oriented motion detection, and the compatibility with Alexa and Google Home means you can use voice commands and smart displays for lots of added functionality. If the cam is close enough you can activate two-way audio, and the adjustable floodlights include not only four different light scheduling options but the ability to set brightness and color temperate, something traditional floodlights just can’t do.

Lorex avoids subscription fees, instead offering a pre-installed 32GB microSD chip, which cuts costs and helps secure privacy, but you may need to get the ladder out when that card fills up. Speaking of cam positioning, this is a wired camera, so you will need to do some wiring or possibly hire an electrician -- an existing junction box will make installation much, much easier. We’re choosing a wired version for a floodlight cam because those bright LEDs, while efficient, can still sap a lot of battery power, and the wired version will save you a lot of charging trips.

Google Nest's small, bobbly wireless cam has secrets: It’s surprisingly powerful, offers infrared LEDs for night vision and comes with IP54 weather resistance for outside use. While it doesn’t perform its best when temperatures drop below freezing, if you live in a mild or warm climate it can be an excellent, versatile outdoor cam. The 1080p model has a 130-degree field of view, and you can quickly adjust its focus thanks to the 6x digital zoom and easy-to-install base. Motion detection, two-way audio and compatibility with both Google Assistant and Alexa round this cam off nicely.

One of the things we most appreciate about Nest camera products is Google’s excellent free offerings. Without a subscription, you still get three free hours of cloud storage and customized alerts for spotting people, animals, and vehicles. Nest Aware plans add more features, but that’s a more-than-competitive deal if you want to avoid subscription fees. Plus, you can easily move it inside or outside depending on where you think you need security the most. Just be careful of temperatures that fall below freezing, as this cam isn't rated for especially cold conditions. In our experience, you'll at least get some warnings and reduced battery life, but other problems could occur if the weather gets especially chilly.

If the term “spare no expense” comes to mind when you think of home security, the Lorex Fusion 2K steps up to deliver. This powerful 2K  camera can handle the most demanding security and surveillance, making it ideal for homeowners who want to keep the best eye possible on their property and belongings or for someone who runs a business (such as a daycare) out of their home. And with PoE (power over ethernet), you won’t have to worry about dropped Wi-Fi connections, no matter where you put it.

The camera alone offers pan, tilt and zoom capabilities, a 12x optical zoom and 16x digital zoom to capture any detail and infrared night vision up to a very impressive 330 feet. With an IP66 resistance rating, you won’t have to worry. Smart extras are also available; notably, the ability to create "PTZ (pan, tilt and zoom) tours" or programmed paths for the cam to cycle through to cover multiple directions.

You do miss out on some smart features like two-way audio and person recognition: This camera is purely dedicated to top-notch video footage. The catch -- in addition to the high price -- is that you’ll need a compatible Lorex recorder to pair with the cam. Fortunately, no subscriptions are required.

Solar cameras offer an alternative to the traditional home security teach: A cam that you can theoretically keep charged with a few hours of well-positioned sunlight every day. The problem is that juggling a separate camera and solar panel installation is tricky, especially if you’re short on room. Eufy’s 2K-resolution cam uses an integrated solar panel instead so you can find a spot where the top of the camera gets enough sunlight to keep it powered, keeping manual battery recharging minimal or unnecessary.

The SoloCam S320, which offers a 130-degree field of view, also has a 600-lumen spotlight, color night vision and motion detection with person recognition. Without sunlight, the battery lasts up to four months. You can control it with both Alexa and Google Assistant. The cam is also designed to work without any subscriptions or add-ons, but that also means it’s limited to (AES128-encrypted) 8GB of onboard storage. Eufy says that’s enough for about two months of footage, but in our experience that can fill up quickly if your cam is recording multiple detections a day.