There is a wide range of indoor smart home cameras that can help you to protect your home or keep an eye on kids or pets. Smart home cameras can also be very useful for the outside of your home, too. Not only do outdoor smart home cameras boost your home security by providing a clear deterrent for anyone thinking about breaking into your home, but they also allow you to keep an eye on what’s going outside your home, even when you’re not there.

With so many options to choose from, we take a look at some of the best outdoor smart home cameras on the market right now, to help you make your choice.

The best outdoor smart home cameras: Our top picks

Arlo offers a range of outdoor smart home cameras with different resolutions, from the 1080p Arlo Essential Spotlight to the 4K Arlo Ultra 2 that we’ll look at in more detail later in this list. The Arlo Pro 5S (known as the Arlo Pro 5 outside the US) hits the sweet spot between the two, offering 2K video in HDR. Unlike the more expensive Arlo Ultra 2 which requires an additional smart hub, the Arlo Pro 5S connects directly to Wi-Fi over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

The camera has a wide 160-degree field of view. It’s battery powered, making it easy to install almost anywhere with the magnetic mounting system, although you can use permanent power if you wish. There’s a built-in spotlight too, that lets you capture colour video at night, or you can use the IR illuminators for night vision if you don’t want to disturb your neighbours. To make the most of the camera, you’ll need an Arlo Secure subscription which unlocks features such as the ability to identify people, vehicles, animals, and packages, 30-day rolling video and event history, and customisable activity detection zones.

The name of this camera may not roll off the tongue, but the Nest Cam (Outdoor or Indoor, Battery) leaves in you no doubt as to what you’re buying. As the name suggests, the camera is weather-resistant, so it’s suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Being battery powered means you don’t have to worry about placing it within easy reach of power, and the magnetic base allows you to angle the camera in the optimal position. You can also run the camera from power if you wish, although the cable does stick out in a rather unsightly way. The camera connects over Wi-Fi, but there’s no 5GHz support.

The camera has a 180-degree field of view and records in 1080p HD. A Nest Aware subscription gives you access to up to 60 days of event video history, 24/7 continuous video history when the camera is wired, as well as person, animal, and vehicle detection. As you’d expect, the camera integrates perfectly with Google Assistant, but it also offers Alexa support too, allowing you to stream your camera feed to Echo devices with screens. There’s also a floodlight version of the camera, although this requires hard-wiring.

There are currently two models of spotlight camera available from Ring; the Ring Spotlight Cam Plus and the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro. Whilst the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro is a little more expensive, it comes with some additional features that you may consider to be worth the extra cost. Both models are available in wired, battery, and solar versions, and whilst both cameras have 1080p HD resolution and 140-degree horizontal field of view, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro includes support for 5GHz Wi-Fi networks, with the Plus model only offering 2.4GHz support.

The biggest difference, however, is the 3D motion detection found in other products such as the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 that uses radar to measure the distance of objects. This not only provides more accurate motion alerts with fewer false positives or missed movements, but also powers the Bird’s Eye View feature that gives you an image of the motion path of the detected object as seen from above. There’s also the option to see two seconds of pre-roll before motion was detected, but you can only use pre-roll or Bird’s Eye View; you can’t use both at the same time. You’ll also need a Ring Protect subscription to take full advantage of all the features.

If you’re looking for an outdoor smart home camera that won’t break the bank, then the Wyze Cam v3 Pro can do a solid job at an incredible price. It’s another camera that’s suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, thanks to the IP65 rating, although you’ll need the separate outdoor power adapter if you’re going to use it outside. It records video in 2K resolution and has a decent 116-degree field of view. You can connect directly to Wi-Fi, although there’s no 5GHz support.

There’s a microSD card slot that allows you to record continuously; you can fit about two weeks of footage onto a 128GB microSD card. Once the card is full, older footage is deleted as new footage is recorded. You can also opt for a Cam Plus subscription, which gives you up to 14 days of cloud storage for events, as well as person, pet, vehicle, and package detection.

The Arlo Ultra 2 is Arlo’s best outdoor smart home camera, and unlike the Arlo Essential or Arlo Pro 5S, you’ll need an additional smart hub in order to be able to use it. The camera itself offers 4K HDR video capture which can be stored locally on the smart hub or in the cloud with a subscription. There’s also a 180-degree field of view that’s auto-corrected to remove any fisheye effects. Unlike the previous version, the Arlo Ultra 2 offers support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks.

The 4K footage offers incredible detail, allowing you to zoom in up to 12x to see details such as number plates. The camera can even be set to zoom in when motion is detected and then track the subject of the motion. There’s a built-in spotlight, and a siren that can be set to go off when the appropriate motion is detected. The Arlo Ultra 2 works with Google Assistant and Alexa, but it’s also compatible with Apple HomeKit, so is a great choice if your home is full of Apple kit.

Outdoor smart home cameras are a great deterrent against break-ins, but the addition of a floodlight can prove even more effective. Floodlight cameras can automatically turn on the lights when motion is detected, so if anyone is up to no good, they’re completely illuminated as they do so. The Ring Floodlight Cam Plus is a good choice if you’re looking for a floodlight camera, with 1080p HD video, 140-degree field of view, colour night vision, and two 3000K, 2000 Lumen LED floodlights. It doesn’t offer the 5GHz Wi-Fi support offered by the more expensive Ring Floodlight Cam Pro, however.

The other big difference between the two models is that the Ring Floodlight Cam Pro includes 3D motion detection using radar, and the same Bird’s Eye View feature offered by the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro. You may consider that those features are worth the extra outlay, but if you don’t, the Ring Spotlight Cam Plus gives the same quality of video at a lower price. You’ll need a Ring Protect subscription to take advantage of all of the features, however, such as up to 180-day video history and video sharing.

What is the best smart home outdoor camera?: The bottom line

Thanks to its wide-angle view, easy instillation, and brilliant 2K resolution, the Arlo Pro 5 wins our choice for the best smart home outdoor camera available on the market right now. Of course, the other options on this list also provide excellent outdoor home security without hassle or security worry.

How to choose an outdoor camera

There are lots of considerations when purchasing an outdoor security camera for your home. Naturally one of these is features – do you need a siren to deter people? Would it be helpful to have a floodlight to light up your garden when you’re out there? Do you want peace of mind that comes from storing footage locally? Keep these things in mind when looking to buy.

Many of the cameras use cloud storage as standard which might be off-putting if you’re nervous about security, while others promise local storage options instead. Here are some of the top things to consider when choosing an outdoor camera:

Subscription costs: One big factor is the subscription costs. Many smart home cameras require you to pay a monthly subscription for unlimited access to your footage. This is important if you’re away from home and need access to footage from hours or days before an event, should the worst happen.

These costs can soon add up and some also apply on a per-camera basis. If you add multiple cameras to your home it’ll get more expensive, so you’ll need to factor in these costs when making your purchase.There’s usually a free plan with limited access to some footage on several camera options, while others don’t even require a subscription at all.

Convenient features: Another feature that might be appealing is the way the smart home cameras tie into the rest of your home’s ecosystem. For example, if you have Amazon Alexa devices then Ring cameras might be a logical choice as you can get alerts via Alexa or watch the camera’s view live on Echo Show devices. The same logic applies to Nest cameras and Google Home. If you’re looking for the best compatibility, you can view the feed from some Arlo cameras on both Nest Hub devices and Amazon Echo devices, and they’re also HomeKit compatible.

Installation and setup: External smart home cameras can present a problem in terms of installation. If you don’t have an external power socket then you might have to drill a large hole into your external walls to get power to a camera. Many of the cameras on this list can be powered by battery meaning you have much more choice about where to place them. The flip side of this is that you’ll need to regularly charge the batteries, which isn’t an issue with hard-wired cameras.