5+ Best Smart Security Cameras For Outdoors

 if you want to protect your home, your family, and your personal possessions such as your car or any of your other goods that remain outside around the year then you're probably want to get yourself the best smart security camera that can monitor and report any activity directly to your phone as and when it happens.

Until recently the thought of installing security cameras was an expensive and daunting task that involve a lot of cabling drilling holes in walls and hiring the expertise of a security installer. 

However it thanks to the latest technology you can now pick up a smart wireless security camera for less than $100 and this can be installed on the outside of your house and has a battery life of up to 1 year.

This allows you to not have to worry about connecting to power which involves hiring an electrician and drilling into the wall of your house and simply allows you to either use a solar charger or the ability to connect a power bank to the security camera and charge this once every couple of months.

Today we will be looking at five of the best outdoor wireless security cameras from a range of brands including the famous Arlo pro as well as the Ring Spotlight additionally we will be looking at cameras from security company Swann as well as Chinese brands including Eufy and TP-LINK.

All these cameras are truly wireless and connect directly to your home wireless network and using a smartphone app allow you to control and monitor the cameras from anywhere in the world.

The Best Smart Security Cameras Australia


1. Eufy 2C 4 Pack

  • Battery life up to 180 days
  • Wide 135° viewing angle
  • Ready for any weather

These cameras are designed for outdoor surveillance with a protection rating of IP67, making it resistant to rain and weather conditions. These devices allow both recording and live-streaming capabilities in both daytime and night time hours at a resolution of 1080p.

There is also integrated face and body recognition which allows one to view who is permitted to go in and out of areas. This recognition technology can distinguish between human and animal features, ensuring that warnings only come about when a person is identified.

A viewing angle of 135° is available. These cameras are wireless and can be linked to a smartphone device. Alerts can be sent straight to the phone and direct communication can be activated even when away from home.

This 4-camera set can be linked to smart home systems such as Amazon Alexa. There is 16GB of storage available which is enough for 3 months of recordings, but most clients choose a cloud storage solution costing $2.99 for 1 camera or $9.99 for 10 cameras, allowing for unlimited storage.

The battery life is long and is listed at 180 days before charging is required. You can't buy an additional solar charger from Eufy yet, but there are some third party addons available. 

Privacy and security are provided through AES-128 encryption which is military-grade, and ensures that any recordings are only available to the user. These cameras are available in a classic white finish and there is no monthly subscription cost.

* Be sure to checkout the newer model of this, the 2C Pro


2. Arlo Pro - 4 Camera System

  • Battery life of 3-6 months
  • Wide 130° viewing angle
  • 2-Way Audio

This camera system delivers a 130° viewing angle and footage can be recorded and live-streamed through a smartphone. These products are rated at IP66, making it suitable for outdoor weather conditions such as rain and snow.

There is also the option to place these cameras indoors. The resolution is listed at 720p HD for regular daytime use. Night vision is available and is turned on automatically when low levels of light are detected. Sound and motion systems spot suspicious figures and activities, sending notifications to a smartphone.

A key feature is the siren which is 100+ dB loud and can be triggered remotely. There is also a microphone and speaker pair which enables the user to talk to those at the house.

This set is an ideal addition to homes integrated with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit. There is a week of free cloud storage available to store recordings. These models can be positioned with wires or function without wires.

A battery life of 3-6 months can be expected depending on the amount of use. A username and password need to be created when activating these cameras for safety reasons. This pack comes in a white colour and there is a 2-year warranty.


3. Ring Spotlight Cam Battery

  • Motion sensors & 1080P HD
  • 110dB siren included
  • Wide viewing angle 140°

This camera is embedded with motion sensors and a quality of 1080p HD, all of which can be viewed through a smartphone.

The responsiveness of the motion sensors can be modified according to personal taste as well. Night vision is also available and there is a wide viewing angle of 140°. 

Ring is compatible with Amazon Alexa which means voice control can be integrated. Through the Alexa app, one can receive notifications about activity detected on properties.

A 110dB siren is activated when dubious activity is detected to scare off intruders. Direct communication can be enabled when remote through a smartphone.

There are built-in LED lights which automatically illuminate when motion is identified.

This product has an IP55 rating, making it waterproof but not completely resistant to rusting. Overall, this model is suitable for outdoor use.

The battery life is listed at 6-12 months and there is storage to fit it an extra battery. A solar panel can also be added on but it needs to be bought separately.

A free month of Ring Protection Plus is available with a purchase of this model which allows unlimited storage of recordings from the camera. The Ring Spotlight Camera comes in a black colour.


4. TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor

  • Wide 130° viewing angle
  • Cannot function wireless
  • 24/7 Live View

The TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor delivers recording and live-streams 24 hours a day at a resolution of 1080p HD. This product is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use due to the IP66 rating which makes it waterproof and dust-resistant.

Everything within a 130° viewing angle is captured and direct communication lines can be activated from a smartphone to greet visitors and delivery personnel when not at home.

The Kasa app is available on both iOS and Android and needs to be downloaded in order to customize certain settings. A siren can be activated and certain notifications will be sent according to areas where activity is detected.

Thus, certain activity zones can be customized so that these regions record the most activity and remain protected.

This product can integrate with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant systems and footage recorded is secured through 128-bit AES encryption. 2-day cloud storage is available to download or simply watch footage at no charge.

This product cannot function wireless and requires cable connection at all times for power. It comes in a modern white finish and there is a warranty that extends for 24 months with a purchase.


5. Swann Wire-Free 1080p Security Camera 2 Pack

  • True Detect technology
  • Wide 180° viewing angle
  • Talk and Listen

This 2-camera system is equipped with a 1080p HD quality and a wide viewing angle of 180° that delivers footage around the clock. True Detect technology enables vivid recognition of both human and inanimate features such as faces or license plates.

A maximum of 10 people can be clearly detected at any given time through True Detect. These models can be merged with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to add in voice controls and send in notifications to a hand held device.

Even when far away from home, one can still communicate with those present at the home through the microphone and speaker integrated into the main bodies.

These products are recommended for outdoor surveillance due to a protection classification of IP66, making it weather-proof. Recordings from the past week can be saved free of charge and there is a 2 day back up for each camera.

Settings can be customized through the Swann Security app. Additionally, privacy is protected through a 128-bit encryption system.

These cameras can be positioned without wires. The battery runs out depending on usage and it takes about 6 hours to fully charge. This set comes in a classic white finish.


Our Approach

To really find the best wireless security cameras for the outdoors we looked at the price, the image quality, reliability, he's of set up an installation, the amount of smart features, the level of the night vision, customer satisfaction, and other reviews online using sites such as Amazon and Trustpilot.

Battery powered smart security cameras are Big Business at the minute and they are completely replacing the traditional way of installing security cameras in your home and business.

Until recently the Arlo pro models and the ring cameras definitely had the best credibility and were the most highly rated security cameras in Australia however in our personal opinion the EUFY 2C camera offers value for money and is shaking up the industry by offering a ultra-competitive and ultra foldable model.

We tested a few of these cameras in our own homes including the to see camera and we additionally read expert reviews, research industry standards and camera specifications for all the products mentioned above as well as consulting the thousands of positive and negative reviews on each of these products online.

Final Word

There are many smart security cameras available for the outdoor market available in Australia and today we have barely scratch the surface on this exciting category by looking at the top 5 products in our opinion through our independent market research however there are definitely many other companies and brands and models of camera that you can look at.

It's impressive to see that most of these cameras now offer HD or even 4K quality for such a low price point, for example some of the cameras that we mentioned above have a starting point of around $150 per camera or when bundled in a set they are around 6 or $700 for three or four cameras.

If I think back only a few years ago the thought of having a security camera that does not need to be installed into the electrical system on the outside of your house I would have thought you were mad but given the advancements in technology it is now easier than ever to install a security camera outside your house without any electrical expertise or requirement for electrical power.

Security cameras can now hold a battery life of up to 180 - to - 365 days depending on how much recording and motion sensing they are doing and you can use a power bank to charge these or you can purchase an additional solar panel which connects to your security camera and is mounted on the roof of your house.

In this article we have looked at outdoor smart security cameras but there is a wide variety of indoor smart security cameras available as well from similar brands with similar prices, you can click here and check out some of the best home security systems available in Australia.

Smart Security Camera FAQ

How do smart security cameras work?

Smart security cameras work in much the same way as a traditional camera works however they are mounted on the outside of your house or hanging from a tree or hanging from a gutter if you're using a bracket that is sold separately.

Firstly they are set up inside your house and are connected to your home wireless network, so you will need to ensure that you have adequate wireless signal where you intend to mount the camera. 

Failure to do so will result in loss recordings and the camera not working as intended you may wish to consider purchasing a WiFi repeater or wireless extender or even purchasing a product such as the Amazon eero mesh wireless router

Your security camera connects to your home wireless by using a base station which often comes in any of the packs of cameras that you may purchase such as the Arlo pro or the EUFY brand.  

The base station connects to your wireless router and is also plugged in and basically communicates with the cameras using your home wireless network and this allows the base station to connect to your mobile phone application that you will likely install to set up the cameras.

Once the device has been set up and activated within your mobile application you will be able to access your cameras from anywhere in the world. The app will allow you to control the cameras and zoom in or out in certain places as well as set up motion detecting sensors, setting up view points, allowing you to use the microphone, and streaming the camera non stop. 

How do I save security camera footage?

Most cameras come with a built-in memory card slot of around 16GB or even an additional memory card slot such as microSD. However if the camera is mounted on the wall this will be annoying having to take it down each time to check the saved footage. 

You can also save footage directly to your phone (most common) or upload it to the cloud using the security camera companies platform. EUFY for example charge $2.99 per month for one camera, $29.99 per year, or $9.99 per month for up to 10 cameras. 

Given the price of storage it's fairly cheap as you could record unlimited content for only $10 a month.

Arlo, Swann and TP-LINK have similar pricing. 

Can my security camera be hacked?

Unfortunately yes your security camera could be hacked and we do have a couple of tips here on how you can prevent that from happening, the most common kind that your camera gets hacked as if you were a Wi-Fi network password is compromised and someone can access your wireless network they will be able to access your cameras as well.

Nearly every camera that we actually looked at in this review comes with some form of encryption however there is the possibility to assign your security cameras to a static IP address which if not protected could be vulnerable and hacked.

For most homeowners you will be using your wireless security cameras in a dynamic IP environment where it can only be accessed on your own wireless network or via your smartphone.

Before you rush out and purchase an unbranded smart security camera from marketplaces such as eBay we would strongly recommend that you only purchase a camera from a recognisable brand name and purchase it from a trustworthy seller to ensure it is not a fake or a replica version.

Ensure your wireless network is secure and you are using a Strong password for your camera as well as any apps that use your wireless network.

Ensure that your firmware is up to date on your camera and also on your wireless router and there are ways of checking this so make sure you do that regularly to ensure that your camera cannot be hacked.

You can also turn off remote viewing when you do not need it and you can also block the lens of your camera when you are not using it however I think this is a bit extreme.

Will my security camera work as a motion sensor?

If you would like to protect your kids, family and pets then you can use most of these smart security cameras in a motion detection mode whereby they will message or contact you on the app on your phone if any movement is detected by the camera.

The camera then offers a two-way communication whereby you can listen into what's happening within the close proximity to the security camera as well as you are ability to communicate with that person or animal that has triggered the motion sensor this is also a great option for protecting your home from a thief who may think your house is empty. 

Most of the security cameras that we looked at today actually come with night vision which allows you to see clear images using a wide angle lens at night-time.

Additionally the security cameras all come with a wide field of view whereas traditionally baby monitors and nanny cams often have a narrow range of vision so if you're looking for a better or more clear picture then having a wide angle lens camera is definitely the preferred option.

Some of the cameras that we have looked at today also offer a pan and tilt which will allow you to remotely change the angle of the camera which traditional cameras and smaller models do not allow for. If you want to zoom into a specific area you can do this as well.

Is an indoor wireless camera enough security? 

Ultimately your goal is to protect your home and your contents from intruders and anyone who may wish to steal or cause any issues to your family. 

Indoor wireless cameras don't have the same effect as Outdoor Cameras mounted on the wall of your house and this act as a deterrent to most would be thieves or anyone approaching your property for the wrong reasons.

The cameras now come with a large battery capacity you do not need to charge these every day and they can survive in the elements outside for up to 365 days of the year making it very easy to Mount these cameras pretty much anywhere outside your house and they will act as a deterrent and send you an early warning message direct to your smartphone. 

By simply using a outdoor smart security camera you could quickly alert the police or a security camera if someone was on your property and you were not at home almost instantly by sending them the footage. 

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Jill Saunders

Last Updated: December 3, 2021 by Rhys