Protecting your home or outdoor space is important, and a good outdoor camera can be an essential piece of your security strategy. There are a lot of options on the market to choose from, but I have my eye on four in particular. My list includes a budget-friendly camera and one that can work even without wifi.
Designed for wireless security, the Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight offers two-way audio, and it doesn't need a wifi hub to run. It's also battery-powered, so you can set it up anywhere without needing to run wires to keep it powered on.
This Arlo camera comes with support for high-quality 2K video with HDR as well as color night vision. Amazon also offers multi-camera packs, in case you need to set up more than just one angle over your backyard or outdoor space. The only downside to running an Arlo camera is that you'll need to pay a monthly subscription to get the most out of it. Still, at under $200 (and often on sale for less) the Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight is one of my favorite outdoor security cameras.
The Arlo Pro 4 (Currently on Amazon for $199.99, but it's often on sale for less than $150.)
When it comes to budget-friendly tech, Wyze has become a staple name in lists like this, and for good reason. Not only is the Wyze Cam Outdoor v3 a solid piece of tech, it's also extremely affordable, especially compared to other battery-powered cameras. It has support for full color night vision, a 130-degree field of view, and the ability to connect up to four cameras to a single base station.
Unfortunately, there was a mishap last year, where some Wyze customers were briefly able to view the video feed of other Wyze users. However, the company quickly resolved the issue, and it hasn't popped back up yet. Despite that issue, Wyze continues to offer a really solid outdoor camera that will get the job done.
The Wyze Cam Outdoor v2 (Currently $69.99 on Amazon.)
If you need to set up an outdoor security camera somewhere that isn't connected to wifi, your options for more affordable security cams are going to be a bit limited. That's what impresses me about the Arlo Go 2: While it isn't the most affordable at $249.99, the Arlo Go 2 is great for places where you need to rely on LTE to upload video to the cloud.
That said, you can also hook it up on wifi, if it's available, but this outdoor camera comes with night vision, is completely wireless, and provides all-weather protection thanks to its weather-resistant rating. The secure local storage also means you won't need to rely on data to capture and record footage, which can be very useful for those places that are just outside the normal internet grid. Plus, it comes with two-way audio and 1080P video.
The Arlo Go 2 (Currently on Amazon for $249.99.)
The battery-powered Google Nest Cam is another example of why Google remains one of the biggest tech companies on the planet. Available on Amazon, Google's website, and a slew of other storefronts, the Google Nest cam provides fully wireless connectivity with two-way audio, 1080P HDR video, and the ability to operate between -4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit without issue.
It also pairs up nicely with Google's other smart home options, like Google Home devices, so you can control access to your camera from anywhere in your home. You'll need to buy a monthly subscription to get the most out of the Google Nest camera, but you can still use it without it—you just won't get as long of an event history.
The Google Nest Cam (Currently on Amazon for $179.99.)
Arlo Pro 4: $199.99
Wyze Cam Outdoor v2: $69.99
Arlo Go 2: $249.99
Google Nest Cam: $179.99
(Prices were accurate at time of publication, but may change at any time.)
