5 Best Outdoor Security Cameras
Choosing the best outdoor security camera for your home can be a bit of a minefield. We review five that we have used for houses that need additional outdoor security.
Firstly, there are so many options that it can be confusing; and the quality can range from absolute bog-standard to a premium set-up.
We narrow it down to our five preferred ones according to the price bracket. For each category, we’ll present your best options, in our opinion.
Before we do that, let’s summarise our winner, runner-up, and the one you should avoid! Check out the table.
Our preferred camera is the ieGeek Outdoor Camera due to the price point, ease of install, and reliability.
As a bonus, it is wireless and has night vision of up to 25m. In practice, we found that it’s reliable up to approximately 10m, which is decent.
Despite it being our winner, it’s not the only one that’s worthy of being selected.
Yes, they can be, but you have to ensure you have a reliable internet connection and the Wi-Fi signal is good at all times.
- Front of the house above the door
- Back of the house, above the rear door
- Side doors
A typical home security camera can reach up to 70 feet (21 meters). This obviously depends on a number of factors, including the time of day, amount of light, any obstructions, and the tilt of the installation.
You can now check out five units in total, depending on your price point. We’re going to do it by giving our views of the best ones in each price bracket, starting from lowest to highest price bracket.
Blink Home Security
The motion detector in this system is excellent, night and day. When the motion detector comes on, the device sends an alert to your phone to let you know and starts recording a clip.
On the downside, it is a battery-powered system, but not everyone might see this as a downside as it means it’s portable.
It comes supplied with 2 x AA batteries and is supposed to last two years.
It can be installed quickly and can be connected to Alexa. A bonus is that Blink will give you cloud storage at no additional cost – nice!
Positives
- Excellent motion detector
- Very economical - only records when needed
- Reasonably well priced
Negatives
- At 720p, it isn't exactly cutting edge
- Batteries will need replacing after 2 years
- Can't locate it too far from WiFi source
ieGeek Security WiFi Outdoor Camera
One of the major draws to this item is the ability to install it trouble-free and with ease.
As you’ll have read in our best lockbox guide, we love it when things are hassle-free to install. If you have a handy pair of ladders, you don’t need to employ a contractor to install it.
Don’t forget to switch on the WiFi, or it won’t connect. As mentioned previously, the night vision is excellent, but it doesn’t hit the 25m range stated. It’s best around the 10m mark but can reach up to 15m on a bright evening.
The camera comes with an extended 3-metre power cable, which should be adequate for most users. It’s also IP66 rated, meaning it is waterproof.
You can view it anywhere as long as you’re logged in, i.e., through a smartphone or PC. It would support a MicroSD up to 128 GB if you wanted to record it at the source.
Positives
- Good value for the price
- Easy to set up
- Good picture quality
Negatives
- Customer service isn't brilliant of any problems.
- Motion detection isn't great at night
Arlo Pro 3
You’ll need deep pockets if you want the Arlo Pro 3, but it might be what you’re looking for on the premium end of the market.
It does beat it’s predecessor and is the best outdoor security camera if you’re not on a budget.
In contrast to the others on this page, it comes with a 2K resolution capability and has a much wider 160-degree viewing angle. Most others on this page max out at 1080p and offer a 130-degree viewing angle.
As you’d expect, the cameras are weatherproof and designed to last against torrential rain. Night vision is as standard, and the bonus is that its full colour.
It comes with a built-in siren to ward off any lurkers.
As you’d expect, it’s compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. Since it’s wireless, portability and positioning capability are both excellent.
You will need a monthly subscription to Arlo Smart, but it does come with a three-month free trial.
Positives
- Comes with two cameras
- Brilliant night vision
- IP67 rated
Negatives
- Is more on the expensive end
- Has been reported to not detect all motion. These could be faulty as it's not common.
EufyCam 2 by Anker
The 2nd generation Eufy2, made by Anker has improved since the original.
Yes, it looks expensive, but for what you get, it could be priced higher.
The pack comes with an outdoor camera that is designed to withstand rough weather. It has an excellent 1080p resolution and has IP67 rating. Night vision comes as standard, and the quality is superb.
It is compatible with Alexa and comes with a high decibel siren to scare off wannabe burglars.
It has an amazing 365-day battery life, and due to its local storage, there’s no subscription or monthly retainer to pay.
Yes, it is a bit pricier, but it has incredible value. You won’t regret it!
Positives
- Comes with two cameras
- Brilliant night vision
- IP67 rated
Negatives
- Is more on the expensive end
- Has been reported to not detect all motion. These could be faulty as it's not common.
Netvue Outdoor
This budget-priced product is compatible with Alexa, which is fantastic.
The images are recorded in high-quality 1080p resolution, and the viewing angle is 130 degrees, which is a wide-angle perspective.
As you’ll know, at Alarms4Life, we like to test, test, test! From our findings, despite the manufacturer claiming this camera sees things up to 60 feet in the dark, but realistically it is 30 feet, which is good.
It is IP66 rated, meaning it is suitable for inclement weather and will keep recording in any weather.
Like the Blink camera, you can set up real-time alerts to be sent to your phone.
It will work with WiFi or ethernet cable. In most cases, you’d probably be using WiFi, so please remember that it will only work with 2.4 GHz.
On the downside, the cloud offering is a paid service but does have flexible terms.
Positives
- Very well priced
- Can be set up to work with Alexa
- IP66 rated
Negatives
- Some have complained of faulty cameras
- Cloud service can be quite expensive
To see other reviews in the security section, please click here.