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Many of us don’t spend as much time at home as we’d like to. And no matter where you live, you probably want to be able to keep an eye on your house when you aren’t there. Maybe you’ve got petty thieves in your neighbourhood stealing packages off of porches. Maybe you want to make sure that your dog walker shows up when they’re supposed to. Maybe you like checking your property without getting off the couch.
Outdoor security cameras can bring us peace of mind in so many ways. They can deter intruders, help you keep an eye on your kids and pets when they’re romping around outside, and even protect all of your outdoor belongings (including your vehicles!) from damage and theft.
If you’re ready to buy an outdoor security camera, we’re here to help. There are so many options out there, and it can be tough to know which one to choose. Outdoor security cameras will vary in price, camera functionality, power type, connectivity, and so much more. And everything matters!
This comprehensive guide will investigate the best outdoor security cameras in Canada right now and outline the criteria you should consider while making your purchase decision. Let’s dive right into our top five products.
Top Wireless Pick: Blink Outdoor 4 Smart Security Camera
Top Wired Pick: TP-Link Tapo Outdoor Wired Security Camera
Budget Pick: Wyze Cam v3 Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera
Solar-Powered Pick: Eufy Security S330 EufyCam 3 2-Cam Kit
LTE Pick: Vosker V150 Solar-Powered LTE Cellular Security Camera
The Blink Outdoor 4 Smart Security Camera is easy to love. The compact, wire-free design means you can install it anywhere, and you won’t be subjected to the hassle of argumentative wires. You’ll be able to use the smartphone app or the included Sync Module 2 home base to check out a live stream of your cameras, and you can even ask Alexa to show you this footage.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to test out features before you buy (aren’t we all?), you’ll love that you get a free 30 days of the Blink Subscription Plan. You can try out cloud storage, person detection, and a bunch of other features. Since you can set custom detection zones, you won’t be bothered by an endless stream of alerts. You’ll only know about the things that matter to you. The way it should be.
Now for the part we don’t like as much. The stuff we don’t love about it. The detection range is fairly short at 30 feet, so this camera is best for driveway/sidewalk or backyard monitoring. Plus, since the battery life is dependent on the alert frequency, you’re unlikely to actually get the full two years of battery life that is advertised. We’re also not fans of the paywall that is the Blink Subscription Plan.
Reviewers are quite happy with their Blink Outdoor 4 Smart Security Cameras. They wouldn’t mind some improvements to the detection range and battery life, but it’s still really useful to them. People love how easy it is to install and the custom detection zones are reliable. They also like that they can see a live view from their smartphone or the Sync Module 2.
Resolution: 1080p HD
Field of View: 143º
Range: 30 ft
Power Type: Battery
Battery Life: 2 years
Two-Way Audio: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
Compatible with Alexa
Can set custom detection zones
Comes with a 30-day trial of the Blink Subscription Plan (for person detection, cloud storage, and other features)
Can monitor footage on the smartphone app or included home base (Sync Module 2)
Cons:
Detection range could be better
Battery life is dependent on alert/recording frequency…most don’t get a full two years
Some features are only available with a paid subscription
Performance: 4.5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 4/5
Quality: 4.5/5
Overall, the Blink Outdoor 4 Smart Security Camera is our favourite choice in the wireless arena. The compact size makes installation a breeze, and it’s got all of the essentials you could ask for. We don’t love that the extras are locked behind a paywall, but the overall value of this camera is fantastic.
The TP-Link Tapo Outdoor Wired Security Camera has so many things to boast about. Dual antennas that give you a more reliable internet connection (no missed alerts, in other words), sound and light alarms that scare off prowlers, multiple storage options, and three options for night vision including a stellar Starlight colour mode are only the beginning.
This camera will let you see everything, everywhere, thanks to the tilt/pan functionality providing a 360º field of view. Plus, there’s a privacy mode that will hide the lens in the housing when you don’t want anything recorded.
And don’t think we forgot about detection quality. It’s got a range of almost 100 feet and can intelligently distinguish between cars, people, and pets. Since you can customize your zones, you’ll get alerts for the things that matter. You can say goodbye to alert spamming with this one.
We had a hard time finding anything to go in the cons column with this one. The only potential downside we see is the power cord. Depending on where you want to install the camera, the need for a power source might become an issue. That’s it!
Reviewers are thrilled with the quality of the TP-Link Tapo Outdoor Wired Security Camera. Aside from a couple of issues with the length of the power cord, they are happy with every single feature. The footage quality is great at all times, the Wi-Fi connection is stable, and there are tons of useful features built-in.
Resolution: 2k QHD
Field of View: 360º
Range: 98 ft
Power Type: Wired
Two-Way Audio: Yes
Warranty: 2 years
Pros:
Has colour night vision, cloud and local storage, sound/light alarms, and dual antennas for a more stable connection
Intelligent detection (with custom zones) can distinguish between pets, people, and vehicles
Offers a 360º field of view with pan/tilt functionality
Privacy mode hides the lens in the camera’s housing
Cons:
Power cord may be a bit short for some installation sites
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
All in all, the TP-Link Tapo Outdoor Wired Security Camera is the best wired security camera you can find right now. It’s essentially flawless. And with our standards, that’s saying a lot. A stable internet connection, crystal clear night vision, and a large storage capacity are only the highlights.
For such an affordable security camera, the Wyze Cam v3 Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera has a lot of awesome features. It’s hard to pick a favourite, honestly. It’s got two things people are starting to think of as essentials — two-way audio and voice assistant compatibility. That’s right, you can talk to your camera or through your camera. Pretty fun, right?
The colour night vision is probably the standout feature. It’s really not that common. But it does help you get much better videos of the goings-on around your house at night. We also love the detection system. It’s got motion detection with a customizable zone and sound detection with a customizable sensitivity. Basically, you’ll only get alerts for the things you actually want to be alerted about.
We’ve got a couple of small critiques of this camera, and one pretty big. Let’s start with the biggie. This camera relies on a Wi-Fi connection to send you alerts, but it has trouble staying connected to the network. You see the problem with this, right?
Now for the smallies. If you want to use this camera outside, you’ll need to buy a power adapter separately to get it to work. And you’ll also need to be prepared for it to fail in temperatures below -20ºC. And for most parts of Canada, that’ll be an every-winter occurrence.
Reviewers have mostly good things to say about the Wyze Cam v3 Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera. Several people mentioned that it has trouble staying connected to Wi-Fi, but that seems to be the main issue. The motion and sound detection are great, and the resolution of the footage is perfectly fine. It does fail in the wintertime in colder parts of Canada, though.
Resolution: 1080p HD
Field of View: 130º
Range: 50 ft
Power Type: Wired
Two-Way Audio: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
Compatible with voice assistants
Has colour night vision for better-quality footage
Can fit a 32 GB SD card
Has motion detection and sound detection with customizable zones/sensitivities
Cons:
Need to buy a power adapter separately to use the camera outside
Not usable in temperatures below -20ºC
Can have trouble connecting to Wi-Fi
Performance: 4/5
Usability: 4/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 4/5
All in all, the Wyze Cam v3 Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera is our favourite budget-friendly security camera. We love that it can be used indoors and out, and it’s got some great detection customizability. Plus, the colour night vision is just not something you see every day. It’s a great all-around camera.
The Eufy Security S330 EufyCam 3 2-Cam Kit is one of the most flawless options we’ve come across when it comes to camera and detection quality. The 4K resolution makes sure you’ll see all the details you need to, whether the footage is coming through during the day or overnight. You’ll be able to set your own activity zones too, and talk to the cameras with your voice assistant of choice.
The thing we love most is the facial recognition software. The cameras will be able to distinguish between trusted people and strangers, so you won’t get alerts every time your kids come home. Plus, since the solar panels only need a couple of hours of sunlight per day, you’ll never be left out of the loop. Even when your weather doesn’t want to cooperate.
There are a handful of things we would change about this option if we could. The price is very high, and although you do get two cameras instead of one, it’s still more than a lot of people will want to spend. Performance-wise, the detection range falls short (pun definitely intended) of expectations. 25 feet is just not good enough. Especially since the cameras have to be within 30 feet of the HomeBase. Your placement options are pretty limited.
Reviewers have a very high opinion of the Eufy Security S330 EufyCam 3 2-Cam Kit. They love how easy the cameras are to install, they love how user-friendly the app is, and they love the quality of the video. The solar power is one of the best things about it in their opinion. Their main complaint is with the detection range — it’s pretty short at only 25 feet.
Resolution: 4k
Field of View: 135º
Range: 25 ft
Power Type: Solar
Battery Life: Infinite
Two-Way Audio: Yes
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
Comes with two cameras instead of one
Can set your own activity zones and use voice assistants
BionicMind facial recognition technology distinguishes between family/friends and strangers
Solar panels only need 2 hours of sunlight to run for 24 hours
Cons:
Price
Cameras have to be within 30 feet of the HomeBase to work
Detection range isn’t the best
Performance: 4.5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Price: 2/5
Quality: 5/5
All in all, the Eufy Security S330 EufyCam 3 2-Cam Kit is an outstanding option. The price is definitely high, but at least you won’t have to worry about monthly fees. And the camera quality and detection intelligence really do give back the value that you’re putting in.
Remote locations deserve to be monitored too, but most of the security cameras out there depend on a constant power source and a Wi-Fi connection. Luckily, the Vosker V150 Solar-Powered LTE Cellular Security Camera is a different kind of camera. It’s solar-powered, so you never have to worry about its battery life. Plus, it comes with a SIM card for access to cellular networks. No Wi-Fi needed!
This camera is pretty simple, but it has two features that we absolutely love. The first one? AI Image Recognition. It lets you filter your alerts based on the objects it recognizes, mainly cars vs. people. The second one? The camera will send you a picture of the detected object automatically as soon as it’s within range. Motion detection is a wonderful thing.
There are a couple of things that you might not like, though. Since this camera connects over a cellular network, you will have to pay a monthly fee. Not ideal, we know. Also, you won’t be able to access any video footage or watch the area in real time. It can only send you photos.
Reviewers like the Vosker V150 Solar-Powered LTE Cellular Security Camera a lot. Even in very remote locations, the camera reliably sends them pictures of anything that moves within range. Their favourite thing is the limitless battery life, all thanks to the solar-powered battery. Some people would prefer a live stream/video feature, but the camera is still great for everyone’s needs.
Range: 90 ft daytime, 80 ft nighttime
Power Type: Solar
Battery Life: Infinite
Two-Way Audio: No
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
Not reliant on Wi-Fi
Motion-activated captures are sent directly to your phone automatically
Comes with a pre-activated SIM card
AI Image Recognition lets you filter alerts
Cons:
No video streaming, only photos
Will be charged a monthly fee for LTE service
Performance: 4.5/5
Usability: 4/5
Price: 3/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall, the Vosker V150 Solar-Powered LTE Cellular Security Camera is an amazing choice for remote locations. No matter what you want to be monitoring — vehicles going by, people approaching, or wildlife movement, this camera will have you covered.
Some outdoor security cameras are as affordable as $50, others cost upwards of $600. Most people will be just fine with a camera priced between $100 and $300. In general, more expensive cameras have better ranges, more intelligent detection, and higher resolutions.
The resolution and field of view of an outdoor security camera both affect how well your footage comes out. If you’re only looking for the big picture, they won’t matter as much, but if you need detailed images and wider coverage, you’ll need to invest some extra money.
The range of an outdoor security camera can be as short as 20 feet and as far as 100 feet. The best fit will depend on the size of the property you plan on monitoring and how much notice you want of approaching people/animals/vehicles.
Pretty much every outdoor security camera will let you set up custom detection zones, and this is a must-have feature for people who don’t want to be spammed by meaningless alerts. Most cameras will also use motion detection to start recording, but a rare few can also use sound detection.
There are three options when it comes to power supplies for outdoor security cameras. The most common options are a wired connection directly to the power supply of the house and an internal battery that is either replaced or charged. However, there are also cameras that have built-in solar panels, and these are the best option for remote locations or management-free power and easy installs.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes. The products in this list are ranked by independent third parties. Rankings are based on both reviews and independent testing.