Best Outdoor Home Security Cameras 2024 — Expert Tested
The Blink Outdoor 4 has an adjustable holder that is sturdy enough to stay at the right angle.
How to power the camera
Outdoor cameras require reliable power. Some users are happy to charge a battery every few months. Others may want to place cameras in areas where frequent charging is inconvenient. Wired versions of cameras skip this step, but often require existing wiring or electrical work. Then there’s PoE, or Power over Ethernet, which provides both an internet connection and power, but requires a dedicated Ethernet line. These days, we’re also seeing a growing number of solar outdoor cameras that offer a charging alternative.
All of these choices come down to usability: we look for cameras with reliable power options, excellent battery life, usable solar panels, and other home-friendly features. The higher the camera is placed and the more power it consumes, the more important a wired solution becomes.
Sustainability
Outdoor cameras must be weatherproof and the high-quality models must also be able to withstand low temperatures.
Video storage and security
What do outdoor cameras do with the video they capture? The two main choices are cloud storage via an internet connection and local storage via a hub or microSD card. Cloud storage is easy to set up and share, but usually requires a subscription and raises privacy concerns when police can request video footage directly from businesses. Local storage is more private, but much harder to manage when storage fills up and needs to be cleared out. Our list includes options for both, plus choices like the Nest Cam, which offers free cloud storage.
Video encryption is also important for securing video transmission and access. At this point we would mention the latest protocols like Matter and Thread, which are designed to make smart devices more secure and compatible with different platforms. While this compatibility can help a lot of smart devices, Matter doesn’t fully support video yet, so it won’t apply to most of your data management here.
Resolution and field of view
A security camera needs high-quality video and image to do its job properly. The minimum these days is 1080p, and we’re seeing a growing number of 2K and even 4K home security cameras for more detail. Don’t go below HD if possible. Field of view, while less important, also helps a camera capture as much area as possible, which can be useful for viewing the entire front of a house or an entire backyard. The best we’ve seen here is 160 degrees, but a 130-degree camera can still do well, especially if it’s easy to tilt.
Motion detection and recognition
Motion detection both saves video recording and helps control adjacent functions like spotlights and the all-important mobile notifications you can receive on your phone. It’s usually an automatic feature, but is greatly enhanced when a camera has AI recognition capabilities (preferably free). These help the camera ignore cars, leaves, and possibly even animals in favor of people, or let you choose notifications based on the subject. Together, the two make a powerful mix.
Additional features such as two-way audio
Two-way audio can be useful if it’s high quality and the camera is close enough to people to be heard. Lighting is a very useful feature on any outdoor camera, which is why about half of our list includes lighting of some sort (and they all have night vision).
