Smart outdoor security cameras are built to withstand the challenging and unpredictable conditions of outdoor use with design considerations specifically suited to facing down the elements and on-board technology for expanding the coverage of your smart home ecosystem to areas outside of the house.
As the remit of the smart home expands beyond four walls and into the outdoor realm, the range of technology and smart devices designed specifically for use outdoors has begun to take off, with a wide selection of intelligent outdoor gear now available for exterior installation.
It’s only natural that one of the areas leading the way in the outdoor smart technology market is security devices and at the front of the pack here, smart outdoor security cameras are revolutionizing the exterior security camera market making smart outdoor visuals cheaper, sharper, and more intelligent than ever before.
If you’re looking for a smart solution to outdoor home security, then the latest outdoor smart camera systems are the place to start, providing a 24/7 intelligent watch over your property whether you’re at home or away.
Outdoor Smart Home Security Cameras – The Basics
At the simplest level, the major difference between smart home cameras designed for outdoor use and those designed for operation indoors comes down to durability and weather-proofing.
It probably comes as no surprise that outdoor smart home security cameras need to be able to handle conditions that are going to be significantly more challenging than their indoor siblings and whether we’re talking about wind, rain, snow, or sun, the ever-changing environment that an outdoor camera has to contend with mean that it needs to be both durable and reliable – whatever the weather.
While physical design considerations are therefore specific to outdoor smart cameras, much of the technical functionality is going to remain the same as the kinds of camera system you’d install inside the home with things like motion detection, app-control, and cloud based storage all coming as standard on the best models.
As with all devices, visual quality and the range of features will vary between brands and models, but generally speaking, the variety of high quality outdoor smart camera systems that deliver a lot of bang for your buck is getting greater by the day meaning there’s a lot of choice between equally impressive systems on the market today.
In a similar class to smart outdoor security cameras, video doorbell systems are close relatives to these devices offering much of the same functionality when it comes to weatherproofing, visual capture and audio interfacing although the most important consideration here is to remember the main role of each kind of system and the inherent limitations of each when it comes to carrying out there specific roles.
The Best Outdoor Smart Home Security Cameras
When it comes to finding the best outdoor smart camera for the job, there are a lot of things to look out for in your chosen device.
Visual quality and motion detection are essentials of course, but so too are the wider features and functionality that take the smart camera beyond the basics and make it easy to use with minimal need to constantly check up or correct issues.
We’ve taken a look at the best outdoor smart home security cameras to shortlist the top models on the market which offer the optimal balance of performance, affordability, and of course, smart functionality.
Arlo Pro 2 Wireless Home Security Camera System
The Arlo Pro 2 is undoubtedly one of the best outdoor smart camera systems on the market and delivers everything you’d expect from an outdoor smart security camera setup.
Capturing visuals at 1080p HD for clarity is combined with a wire-free design which means the cameras in the Arlo Pro 2 system can be located wherever you need them with minimal setup hassles.
Motion detection is enhanced through the use of activity zones which allow you to specifically highlight areas within each camera’s field of view from which you want to receive motion notifications meaning that you won’t be alerted every time the cat leaves the house.
Night vision allows visibility after hours with an illumination distance of up to 25 feet and the inclusion of a ‘3-second look back’ feature means that if you’re notified of motion by the system, you can view events that took place 3 seconds beforehand.
Compatibility with Amazon’s Alexa devices as well as Google Assistant allows for voice control while integration with IFTTT enables even more flexibility between the system and your other connected smart devices around the home.
Learn More About the Arlo Pro 2 Wireless Home Security Camera System Here
Canary Flex Indoor Outdoor HD Security Camera
The Canary Flex is weatherproof rated to offer full functionality from -4° F to 113° F meaning it’s going to be just as happy keeping watch of what goes on outside of your home as it is inside.
As the name suggests, flexibility is built into the Canary with a rechargeable battery removing the need for wires and a 360° magnetic swivel base providing a definite benefit when it comes to installing in a strategic position outdoors.
In terms of visual quality, camera resolution comes in at 1080p when recording and cloud storage allows for up to 24 hours of video to be stored with the option of extending this to 30 days of full-length video with a premium subscription.
Additional features include two-way audio (useful for communicating with delivery drivers or visitors when away), as well as motion detection and night vision operation for when the sun goes down.
Learn More About the Canary Flex Indoor Outdoor HD Security Camera Here
Nest Cam Outdoor Security Camera
Nest are a well established name in the smart home business with devices ranging from smart thermostats to smart visuals and it’s therefore little surprise that the outdoor camera offering from the brand is one of the best in it’s class.
Providing a 130º wide-angle field of view, the Nest Cam Outdoor Security Camera captures 1080p HD video (streaming) both in the daytime and at night.
With a weatherproof design for the camera, the cables, and the adapter, the WiFi enabled Nest Cam Outdoor is well suited for use as an outdoor smart camera solution, particularly given the inclusion of a 4x optical zoom and night vision capability based around 8 infrared LEDs.
Motion detection and automatic alerts are combined with two-way audio for a comprehensive solution for communicating with any wanted or unwanted visitors who turn up when you’re away from home.
Learn More About the Nest Cam Outdoor Security Camera Here
