By Ann Young 3 days ago Security Cameras
Protect your home and office with the help of the best wireless security camera.
After spending more than 200 hours and testing almost 60 models, I created a list of Top 10 best wireless security cameras and camera systems. I’ve checked whether these models offer good video quality and notification response time. I’ve tested all these cameras under different weather and lighting conditions and collected the user-friendly models that provide the best Wi-Fi connectivity and free cloud storage.
FixThePhoto editors’ choice
Voice Control: Alexa, HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT | Night Vision: B&W, color | Connection Type: Wireless system | Video Resolution: 4K UHD (nighttime video recording at 1080p) | Cloud storage: Arlo service
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⊕ Works with Alexa and HomeKit
⊕ Integrated searchlight
⊕ Noise-canceling technology
⊕ Auto-focus on moving objects
⊕ Records 4K UHD video
⊖ Not found
Arlo Ultra is the first model available on the market which is capable of recording videos in 4K or Ultra High Definition (UHD) format. Convenient magnetic-based mounting lets you locate the camera anywhere. The camera’s rechargeable battery life lasts from three to six months depending on its usage.
Arlo Ultra has a wide 180-degree field of view and 12X zoom. Also, it features noise-canceling microphones and a front-facing speaker for two-way sound detection. The camera has a searchlight that lights up when motion is detected (the function can be turned off).
Moreover, it provides a color night vision. Other noteworthy features that make Arlo Ultra the best Wi-Fi security camera are motion tracking, auto-zoom, a built-in 80dB siren and the e911 access to emergency services.
Using the application, you can start the live stream, take pictures and turn on the searchlight. There is also a camera settings button to check the battery level, adjust brightness and motion sensitivity, enable/disable 4K video streaming, automatic zoom and motion tracking, choose a video mode (Super Wide, Wide, Full) and a power mode.
Best wireless security camera with advanced capabilities
Voice Control: Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT | Night Vision: B&W, Сolor | Connection Type: Wireless system | Video Resolution: 2K HDR (nighttime video recording at 720p) | Cloud storage: Arlo service
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⊕ Voice control
⊕ Cloud video recording in 2K
⊕ Supports color night vision
⊕ Smart Home integration
⊖ Isn’t compatible with Apple HomeKit
Arlo Pro 3 stands out as one of the best home security cameras, and its versatility makes it an excellent choice as the best peephole camera too. With superior video quality, boasting 2K resolution with HDR, this camera ensures crystal-clear images, whether it's a sunny day or in low-light conditions.
Arlo 3 works indoors or outdoors and provides a clear image on sunny days as well as in artificial light or darkness. The camera has a 12X automatic digital zoom, a 160-degree field of view, a noise-canceling microphone and an array of speakers for two-way sound detection.
In addition, Arlo 3 supports many third-party integrations as well as Amazon Alexa and Google voice commands.
With an Arlo Smart subscription, starting at $2.99 to $14.99/per month, you can expand cloud storage as well as use such functions as surveillance, detection of people, vehicles and animals.
Some plans include the e911, which allows you to contact your local emergency dispatcher. The company also offers a continuous 24-hour video recording via a certain subscription.
Budget wireless security camera
Voice Control: Alexa, Google Assistant | Night Vision: B&W | Connection Type: Wired system | Video Resolution: 1080p (nighttime video recording at 360p) | Cloud storage: No
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⊕ Great price
⊕ Panning capability
⊕ Good incoming sound quality
⊕ Smart Motion Tracking
⊖ Can’t be integrated with Smart Home
⊖ Night video recording does not work through glass objects
Wyze Cam Pan is the most budget-friendly camera on my list. It offers all the necessary functions for home security: motion and sound detection, night time-lapse recording, mechanical pan and tilt, support for IFTTT applets, smoke detection, alarm and local storage of recordings on a microSD card. It is considered the best security camera with local storage of recordings on a microSD card that is budget-friendy.
Cam Pan captures 1080p video at 15 fps in daylight and 360p in night mode with a clear image of up to 30 feet away. The camera has an 8x digital zoom and a 120-degree field of view. Such parameters are significantly inferior to the premium segment cameras, but they are enough for home use.
The mobile application displays all mounted cameras and allows you to view the history of all sound, motion, CO and smoke notifications with thumbnails of the video. Also, you can start a live stream, turn off/on sound, enable motion tracking and panning feature as well as mark motion and take a photo.
Being one of the best security cameras in a reasonable price category, Wyze Cam Pan has several shortcomings. It can’t be integrated with Smart Home and the night video recording does not work through glass objects.
Best wireless security camera with three power options
Voice Control: Alexa, IFTTT | Night Vision: B&W | Connection Type: Wireless system | Video Resolution: 1080p (nighttime video recording at 360p) | Cloud Storage: Yes
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Rating
⊕ Wireless system
⊕ Alarm system
⊕ Two-way audio
⊕ Works with voice commands
⊖ Video recordings require cloud subscription
⊖ Rather expensive for its functionality
Ring Stick UP Cam is one of the most versatile and affordable indoor/outdoor wireless home security cameras. Due to the many mounting options, it can be placed in almost any corner of the wall or fence to ensure a wide 130-degree field of view.
The camera has three power options: internal battery, USB power and a Solar panel. The lithium-ion battery lasts from six to twelve months between charges depending on usage. Ring Stick UP Cam is capable of recording a 1080p video.
Moreover, four infrared LEDs provide up to 30 feet of B&W 360p night video. In addition, the camera warns you when there’s some motion, supports two-way communication via a speaker and allows you to watch real-time video from your smartphone.
It is worth mentioning that Stick Up Cam supports Smart Home integration with Alexa devices, letting you, for instance, watch the camera channel on Amazon Echo Show.
The Ring app allows you to view and save footage, watch real-time video recordings, receive notifications, adjust the motion sensor sensitivity and check the battery level.
Solar-powered wireless security camera
Voice Control: Alexa, Echo Spot, Echo Show, Google Assistant | Night Vision: B&W, Color | Connection Type: Wireless system | Video Resolution: 1920*1080p (nighttime video recording at 720p) | Cloud Storage: Yes
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⊕ Local storage
⊕ IP65 protection
⊕ Voice control
⊕ Sharp 1080p video
⊖ Doesn’t support 24/7 continuous recording and can’t work with NVR
⊖ A siren is not loud
If you are looking for the best security camera system, Reolink Argus 2 is a good option to consider. It is a small-sized camera which comes in white or black colors. With a magnetic mounting, you can place the device almost anywhere. Apart from the lithium-ion battery which can last up to six months, Agrus 2 offers a solar battery.
The camera has a Sony Starlight 2-megapixel CMOS sensor that captures 1080p video at 15 fps. It has a 130° viewing angle and infrared LEDs which help to record very clear B&W night vision video up to 33 feet away. Also, it features color night vision, but it produces only images.
The camera has a two-way speaker and microphone as well as an IR motion sensor, but it does not feature sound detection capabilities. The model also has an integrated siren with 70-80dB output power. Although, during testing, it seemed to me that the output power is much less than it is specified by the manufacturer.
The only drawback of Reolink Argus 2 is that it doesn’t offer cloud storage. That is why you should buy a microSD card.
Removable magnetic mount lets you choose the most hidden angle to protect your home
Voice control: Alexa | Night vision: BW | Connection type: Wired and Wireless system | Video Resolution: 1080p (360p at night) | Cloud recording: Yes
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⊕ Wired and wireless connection system
⊕ Magnetic base
⊕ AI-powered intelligence
⊕ One-touch emergency services
⊖ Frequent replacement of two lithium-ion batteries
Canary Flex 2 is a universal wireless security camera as it comes with a removable magnetic base that is firmly attached to the camera unit and lets you change the angle and position of the camera. The battery is charged up to 6700 mAh, which extends the use of the camera up to 2 months (if you disable motion detection).
Speaking of the camera sensor, it supports 1080p image capture, has night vision, a 116-degree wide-angle lens and motion detection. Canary Flex 2 also has a speaker for two-way audio transmission and alarm. IP65 dust and moisture protection technology let you use the camera even in the open air, without worrying about mechanical damage.
With the help of the app, you can monitor the timeline, launch two-way audio feature, etc. Besides, the model provides several smarter functions, like the ability to set "masks" or motion zones.
To avoid unnecessary notifications, you can disable some of them.
Among the drawbacks, I would like to note that Flex is limited to 720p HD live streaming, which is significantly inferior to what other wireless security cameras in this price range offer.
Best video quality in the average price range
Voice control: Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, Nest, Google Assistant | Night vision: BW | Connection type: Wired system | Video Resolution: 1080 (720p at night) | Cloud recording: Google service
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Rating
⊕ 24-hour recording in 1080p
⊕ Magnetic mount
⊕ Cloud recording with Google
⊖ No alarm
⊖ Face recognition function requires an additional subscription
The soft white case of Nest Cam IQ Outdoor has an IP66 protection class that provides a high level of protection against water particles and dust.
The Outdoor model supports 24/7 streaming and always-on recording, offers motion tracking with automatic zoom that focuses on moving objects and follows them until they are out of view. These features make IQ Outdoor one of the best home security cameras.
Nest Cam IQ Outdoor uses an 8-megapixel sensor that offers high dynamic range (HDR) video transmission in 1080p format. For night shooting, four infrared LEDs are used, providing up to 50 feet of night vision, a 130-degree field of view, motion and sound detection along with 12x digital zoom. It also boasts a qualitative two-way audio system with a robust speaker and an array of three microphones.
To access your video history, smart audio alerts, etc., you need to get a Nest Aware plan that costs $5-$20 per month.
The main drawback of IQ Outdoor is that the camera isn’t weatherproof and must be connected to an internal outlet with a 25-foot power cable.
The longest operation from two battery packs
Voice control: Alexa | Night vision: BW | Connection type: Wireless system | Video Resolution: 1080 (720p at night) | Cloud recording: None
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⊕ Motion sensors
⊕ Compatibility with smart home
⊕ Integrated searchlight
⊕ Very loud alarm
⊖ Short battery life
⊖ Problems with Wi-Fi
Ring Spotlight Cam monitors the front side of your home and may be installed anywhere. Like with many wireless home security cameras, you aren’t limited to places near the power source. Besides, you don’t need to pull and secure the cables.
You can connect battery power, which is meant for 6-12 months between charges depending on the activity of the camera and the searchlight. Or you may choose the solar battery mode. In addition, the camera can contain two battery packs and automatically switch to a secondary battery.
The Spotlight camera captures 1080p video and offers a 140-degree field of view but doesn’t have integrated recording capabilities. It uses four infrared LED sensors to provide up to 30 feet of night vision, has an integrated 110 dB siren along with a speaker and microphone for two-way audio transmission.
With the help of the app, you can turn traffic alerts on and off, check the battery level, launch live video streaming, view the event log, perform motion settings and more.
To access your video history, you must be subscribed to one of the company’s cloud plans.
Best budget version with remote panning and tilting functions
Voice control: Alexa | Night vision: BW | Connection Type: Wireless system | Video Resolution: 1080p (720p at night) | Cloud recording: Amcrest service
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⊕ Remote panning and tilting
⊕ Smart digital zoom
⊖ The absence of integration with other connected devices
⊖ Expensive cloud service
Remote panning and tilting functions, easy setup and multiple video storage options make Amcrest ProHD Indoor the best Wi-Fi security camera at the price of less than $100.
A two-megapixel CMOS sensor with a 90-degree viewing angle and 3x digital zoom provides video recording in 1080p and 30 frames per second. For 30 feet of night vision, Amcrest ProHD uses 12 infrared LEDs. You can save the recorded video to a MicroSD card or subscribe to the Amcrest cloud service.
The app offers to view history and perform panning very quietly. However, to enable such features as setting detection zones and motion sensitivity, motion detection and changing the image settings from the camera, you must download and use the Amcrest IP Config utility and log in directly to the camera using a web browser.
Among the drawbacks, I would like to note the high cost of the cloud service. $6 per month gives you only 7 days of storage, $10 per month – 14 days, $15 per month – 30 days of storage, all with unlimited streaming.
Up to 100 feet of BW night vision
Voice control: Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT | Night vision: BW | Connection type: Wired system | Video Resolution: 1080p (720p at night) | Cloud recording: Yes
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⊕ Integrated stroboscope and siren
⊕ Swivel head with camera
⊖ Expensive for its functionality
⊖ Small viewing angle
Ezviz C3W ezGuard is one of the best security cameras in the affordable price range, letting you monitor what is going on outside of your place straight from the smartphone.
It isn’t complicated to install and offers support for IFTTT applets, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. The mounting base rotates 360 degrees, which makes it even easier to adjust the desired viewing angle.
The camera captures 1080p video, offers a 118-degree field of view and 8x digital zoom. It uses two infrared LEDs to provide up to 100 feet of black-and-white night vision.
The model has a microphone and speaker for two-way audio communication. Aside from the motion sensor, C3W has a 100 dB siren and stroboscope, both of which are meant to deter intruders.
Videos can be stored locally on the included 16GB microSD card. Or you can subscribe to the CloudPlay plan, which costs $5.99.
Image | Name | Features | |
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Arlo Ultra
OUR CHOICE |
Check PRICE → | ||
Wyze Cam Pan
BUDGET |
Check PRICE → | ||
Ring Stick UP Cam
3 POWER OPTIONS |
Check PRICE → |
The majority of outdoor security cameras use Wi-Fi to connect to your home network, letting you access them from any place via a mobile app. But what other characteristics and capabilities should you pay attention to in order to pick the best wireless security camera?
High video resolution and viewing angle. It is useless to have an outdoor security camera if you can’t recognize, who or what the camera is looking at. So the video quality and viewing angle are one of the most significant characteristics for your wireless security camera.
The minimum optimal quality value will be 1080p for day shooting and 720p for night shooting. In the models of the premium class, the recording quality will be 4K (UHD).
The minimum optimal viewing angle for outdoor surveillance is 120 degrees, for home one – 90 degrees.
Connection type. If you are choosing the best security camera system for outdoor surveillance (courtyard, street, restaurant terrace, etc.), you should pay attention to the wireless connection. This will help you get rid of wires sticking out, which, by the way, are easily cut by intruders. In case you need a camera for your home, you may consider options with a wired connection – this will save you a few dozen bucks.
Motion sensor and sound detection. Almost all outdoor surveillance cameras have a motion sensor that activates the camera to record video when motion is detected. But for an extra security level, pick a camera with a sound detection feature. It will let you know if someone is there, even if they aren’t in the camera lens’ and motion sensor’s range.
Dust and moisture protection. The best wireless security camera is supposed to have an IP66 protection class. It will provide full protection against dust penetration and will work with water splashing in any direction. But it shouldn’t be submerged in water. Such cameras are typically protected from rain, snow, heat and cold.
Yes, one of the key advantages of wireless security cameras is their ability to be accessed remotely. By connecting the camera to your home Wi-Fi network and using a compatible app, you can view live footage, receive notifications, and even control camera settings from your smartphone or tablet, no matter where you are.
While a constant internet connection is generally recommended for seamless remote access and real-time notifications, some wireless security cameras also offer local storage options, such as microSD cards or network-attached storage (NAS), allowing you to store footage directly on the camera or a separate device.
Many wireless security cameras are designed to withstand various weather conditions, including rain, snow, and high temperatures. However, it is essential to check the camera's specifications and choose models specifically rated for outdoor use if you plan to install them in exposed areas.
While some wireless security cameras can function without an internet connection, their full range of features and remote access capabilities may be limited. Internet connectivity is often required for real-time monitoring and accessing recorded footage remotely.
Wireless security cameras can be powered by either batteries or through a wired power source. Some models offer the flexibility of both options, allowing users to choose the most suitable method based on their preferences and installation requirements.
Wireless security cameras may experience slight delays in transmitting live footage due to the data being sent over Wi-Fi. However, modern cameras and networks are optimized to minimize this delay and provide near real-time monitoring.
Manufacturers employ various security measures to protect wireless security cameras from hacking, such as encryption protocols and regular firmware updates. However, it's essential for users to set strong passwords and follow best security practices to further safeguard their devices.
Wireless security cameras may struggle in areas with poor Wi-Fi signal, as it can affect video transmission and reliability. To overcome this, users can invest in Wi-Fi range extenders or opt for cameras that support other connectivity options like Ethernet.
Ann Young
Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more