We tested several other outdoor security cameras. These are the ones we like that just missed a place above.
Reolink Argus 3 Pro for $130: There is a lot to like with this security camera, especially the affordable price. It offers 2K video, local or cloud storage, two-way audio, sirens, and person recognition. The live feed loads fast and it’s very cheap to buy a solar panel accessory to provide power. It misses a place above because there is no 2FA and the app is a bit confusing.
Eve Outdoor Cam for $250: This stylish floodlight camera must be wired and installation is complicated (you may need an electrician). It can replace outdoor lights to give 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’ll need an Apple Homekit hub (Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad) and an iCloud+ storage plan. Sadly, the video and audio quality is average, it only works on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and has no Android support.
Toucan Wireless Outdoor Camera for $90: Toucan’s wireless camera resembles our top pick from Arlo with a smart magnetic mount and easy installation. 1080p video is fine in ideal conditions but struggles with mixed light (no HDR). Two-way audio can pass. The app works well and loads the live feed pretty quickly, but this is cloud only, which means you need a subscription (from $3 per month) if you want tagged events, 24+ hours past recorded or to download more than five videos per month.
Wyze Cam V3 Outdoor Camera for $35: This camera has an IP65 rating, it is suitable for outdoor use. It roughly matches the Wyze Cam Outdoor in video quality and features, but since it has to be plugged into power, you could easily spend more money on a long cable than on the camera itself. Local storage is also limited to the MicroSD card on the device.
Toucan Security Light Camera for $130: You can simply plug this camera into an outlet and it comes with an 8-meter waterproof cable. It has motion-activated lights (1,200 lumens), 1080p video recording, and two-way audio support. I found the footage quite detailed, but it struggled with direct sunlight. You can record locally on a microSD card (sold separately) and you get 24 hours of free cloud storage, but it has limitations. Plans start at $3 per month. Even with motion detection set to the lowest sensitivity, the camera fired too often during testing and there was no way to filter out people, so I frequently received positive notifications false count (leaf blowing, moths and birds all triggering alerts).
Ezviz C3X for $108: Like the C8C above, the C3X has the basics right, providing crisp footage and reliable warnings. It has a dual-lens camera for better night vision, providing full-color video without a spotlight. It’s also easy to set up, has a MicroSD card, and supports convenient two-factor authentication with a fingerprint. Unfortunately, you have to run a power cable (including optional Ethernet), and the cloud subscription is too expensive.
Blurams Outdoor Lite 3 for $68: This is a feature-rich security camera for the price, with support for pan, tilt and zoom functions, 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. Video quality is reasonable, but the app is very glitchy and the live feed loads inconsistently (sometimes it just gets cached indefinitely).
EufyCam 2C 2-Cam Kit for $240: This camera system is very similar to the EufyCam 2 Pro, but the video resolution is limited to 1080p, the battery life is not good, and it has a narrower field of view and weaker encoding. If you can live with those differences, it’s a good choice.
SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Security Camera for $180: A solid feature set, crisp 1080p video, and compelling HDR audio support, but you need a simpler security system (9/10, WIRED recommends) and the surveillance plan to make this camera worthwhile, making it too expensive for what you get. (Arlo Pro 4 offers better quality video and more features.) However, it could be a useful add-on for existing SimpliSafe customers.
