There are so many brands and security cameras to choose from, so it’s hard to know which cameras are the best that can withstand the snow, rain, and cold temperatures. We have five stellar recommendations for you that start with the Arlo Pro 4. You’ll also want a camera with decent resolution and night vision to easily see people and objects in clips. Built-in lights are also helpful. Next, look for any features that help you detect visitors and deter intruders. We’re talking motion detection, people detection, package detection, facial recognition, two-way audio, sirens, stuff like that. If you decide to use an outdoor security camera with an apartment, you probably only need one camera. In contrast, if you live in a home, you’ll want an entire outdoor security camera system with multiple cameras. This camera is also wirefree rather than wired, meaning, in this case, that it uses batteries and not a plug or electrical wiring. Without those constraints, you can put it anywhere you want: on your house, on a fence, in a tree, wherever. Arlo also has advanced object detection, which means it can quickly tell you the difference between an animal, person, vehicle, and package. That might not sound that helpful, but trust us—it can save you a lot of unnecessary push notifications. Finally, Arlo has geofencing, which allows your Pro 4 to turn itself on and off based on your location. Most folks who choose to use geofencing want their camera on only when they leave the house. The only downside is that you have to pay to use object detection and geofencing as part of your Arlo storage subscription. Seriously, it’s rare to find a good 1080p outdoor camera for less than $100. Whenever we find one, we’re all, “Score!” especially when it’s from a critically acclaimed brand like Blink. As a trade-off for the low price, the Blink Outdoor doesn’t have a lot of features. It’s missing the fancy motion-detection extras that you’ll see in most of our recommended cameras. But it has everything an outdoor camera really needs:
IP65 weatherproofing Motion detection Infrared night vision Two-way audio
You’ll also get an extended warranty with your Blink subscription plus 10% off other Blink equipment. To learn more, read our Blink Cameras Review. We’ve spent a lot of time with the 1080p Outdoor Camera Pro, and we prize its intruder deterrent features. On top of the typical features (night vision, two-way audio, a siren), this camera has Smart Sentry. Smart Sentry scares off loiterers by lighting up and making a noise. But it doesn’t have facial recognition, so its alerts are indiscriminate. It might even try to scare you off when you’re working in your yard. The camera also has a siren extender. If your alarm goes off, your camera will make noise too. It’s a handy way to scare off intruders while also alerting your neighbors. Vivint subscription plans are expensive partly because you’re paying for home security monitoring plus camera storage. But TBH, compared to most other security systems, Vivint still costs a lot more. The main difference between the two cameras is the video quality. The Arlo Essential uses 1080p vs. 2K—but 1080p is more than adequate for viewing security camera footage in most cases. The Blurams Outdoor Pro offers quite a few features:
1080p video quality Two-way audio Starlight night vision Motion detection Sound detection
But the crowning jewel is the facial recognition. Facial recognition is tricky. We have yet to test a camera with reliable, well-working facial recognition. Facial recognition software also tends to make cameras very expensive. But Blurams is a happy medium—if you don’t get what you need from your software, at least you spent only a modest sum (for an outdoor camera). Blurams facial recognition will keep track of faces it sees more than once and allow you to put identifying names on them. This works best with people you know, but if strangers show up repeatedly on your camera feed, you can always assign them names. Like, “Bearded man with tattoos,” “Woman in pink tracksuit,” “Kid who stole all the candy from my Halloween bowl.” Blurams subscriptions are flexible—you can sign up for as few as three days’ storage and as many as 30. Most folks will want more storage, not less, but some choose to only opt into storage, say, when they’re on vacation. Also, this camera is compatible with Alexa, Google, and IFTTT. Through these platforms, you’ll be able to indirectly connect your camera with most major smart home devices. You just won’t have direct integrations that allow your camera to “communicate” with other products.
Arlo Pro 4 is our recommendation for best outdoor camera due to its convenient wireless setup and advanced motion features. Blink Outdoor is our best budget buy recommendation. It’s an affordable camera from a well-known brand. Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro works only with the Vivint home security system, making it the perfect pick if you want a full security setup. Arlo Essential Spotlight is our favorite wireless, light-centered camera. It has nearly everything the Arlo Pro 4 has but at a lower price. Blurams Outdoor Pro offers affordable facial recognition plus tons of other useful features.
Price Features Subscription costs Power source Performance
Whenever possible, we spend several hours with the cameras we review. We test for video and audio quality, and we take note of how each camera may enhance your quality of life. For this review specifically, we valued features that would make a camera suitable for easy outdoor use, including weatherproofing, installation options, night vision, and spotlights. To pick one that’s best for you, consider your home’s size, where you need the camera(s), if you’ll need wireless capability, and which cameras are compatible with any security or smart home equipment you already own. Of course, just because a camera is weatherproofed doesn’t mean it needs to go outside. All outdoor cameras work indoors—but they tend to be more expensive than cameras specifically designed for indoor use. First of all, the presence of a camera can be a deterrent. In our experience, people behave differently (read: better) when they know someone is watching. After all, if they’re doing something sketchy, they don’t want to be caught. So if your goal is to keep away intruders and vandalizers and such, a visible camera helps. Secondly, hidden cameras can cause legal issues. If you catch the wrong thing on your hidden camera, you could find yourself in trouble (depending on where you live). If you have an abnormally big yard, we suggest installing multiple cameras or extra motion sensors to cover the full range. But if you want the outdoor camera with the best night vision, we’d pick the Arlo Pro 4. The motion-activated spotlight not only startles intruders (and cats), but it gets you color night vision. Alternatively, the Ring Spotlight Cam records in a slightly lower resolution, but you still get color night vision. If you’re looking for more options, check out our review of the best night vision cameras. And don’t forget, you can supplement any outdoor camera’s night vision with good outdoor lighting. Here’s why. Google Nest Cams have low weatherproof ratings: IP54 versus the typical IP6-something. Not having high weatherproofing kind of kills the purpose of having an outdoor camera. And if that’s not enough, Google came right out and said that it can’t guarantee its cameras will work in super-cold weather. With that knowledge, we don’t feel comfortable recommending Google Nest cameras for outdoor use. The Wyze Cam Pan and Wyze v3 are some of our favorite wireless cameras, but they didn’t quite make the cut for this outdoor camera piece either. The Wyze Cam Pan isn’t suited for outdoor needs, and the Wyze v3 narrowly missed making it into the best budget spot. Maybe next time! Without a monthly subscription, you’ll be able to use any of the cameras listed and you’ll still get features like live video streaming, two-way audio, and push notifications. If you want features like video recording, downloading and saving video clips, and professional monitoring then you’ll have to sign up for a monthly subscription. When buying an outdoor security camera for your home, the main features we’d recommend looking for is a good weatherproof rating, high-resolution video of at least 1080p, night vision, facial recognition, and two-way audio.
