The best smart outdoor security cameras – reviewed

The best smart outdoor security cameras – reviewed

Burglar life was easy when our only protectors were furry, four-legged security guards – but these days we can rig up our houses like Fort Knox. Today’s smart, rugged, outdoor cameras can do everything from sending live footage from the garden to your smartphone, to distinguishing between cars and rogue cats. They come in all shapes and sizes too, so we’ve put our current favourites in a four-way battle to become our Head of Home Security.

Nest Cam Outdoor (from £179/$199)

With lengthy, weather-sealed cables; a comprehensive mounting kit; and an easy-to-adjust magnetic pivot, the Nest Cam keeps an eye on your outsides without frying itself when it rains. Alerts are beamed back to your phone if it spots something suspicious and the 1080p pictures are sharp and detailed during the day and at night. It’s just a shame that you only get half the features unless you subscribe to a monthly plan, which can get seriously expensive with multiple cameras. Stuff Says: ★★★★✩

Netatmo Presence (from £250/$299)

Netatmo’s Presence is an outdoor camera that doubles as a light, so you’ll need an electrician to fit it. Once up and running it’s a superlative spy, detecting people, cars and animals brilliantly (for the most part) and notifying you of new footage via the app. You can also patch yourself in for a live view, scroll through everything the camera has detected, and create alert zones if you don’t want every part of your garden under constant surveillance. Stuff Says: ★★★★✩

Canary Flex (£175/$199)

With its wall-mountable, swivelling magnetic base, range of mounts, and choice of mains or battery power, the Flex can’t be beaten for simplicity. It saves clips for 24 hours for free, video quality is good enough for zooming in on any baddies, even in night mode, and the app’s geo-fencing means you can set it to down tools when you’re home. Without using the optional Secure Mount, though, it’s a bit vulnerable to being snatched by the thieves you’re trying to foil. Stuff says: ★★★★✩

Netgear Arlo Pro (from £299/$250)

Netgear’s battery-powered Arlo Pro is easy to set up, fully weatherproof and stores seven days of rolling video for free. It’s not full HD but the night vision mode works well and it has a nice, wide 130-degree view. It’s not as smart as some rivals, but its Wi-Fi connection is robust, geofencing is easy to set up and you can hook it up to Amazon Alexa. As outdoor security cameras go the Arlo Pro is the one to beat. Stuff says: ★★★★★