Consider These Floodlight Cameras
Photograph: Simon Hill
Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi (Wired) for $230: Similar to our Reolink pick above, the difference with the Elite Floodlight is that it’s a fixed dual-lens camera designed to give you a wide 180-degree view (59 degrees vertically), rather than a pan-and-tilt camera. If you want a fixed camera to cover the entire side of a property, this could be a solid pick. It records up to 4K video at up to 20 frames per second, has a 105-decibel alarm, and supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6. The rest of the specs, including the two-panel, 3,000-lumen, adjustable temperature floodlight, match the TrackFlex above.
Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam for $99: Floodlight panels on either side of this 2K camera emit up to 1,000 lumens, which is impressive for a battery-powered camera. There’s even built-in solar to keep it topped off. I like the adjustable brightness and color temperature, the relatively loud 110-decibel siren, and the local recording option. You can use a Reolink hub, NVR, or microSD card (all sold separately). But because the solar panel is fixed on top, you need a sunny spot for it to work well (you can buy a second panel if you want to run a cable and put it under the eaves, but I’d just get a different camera). The onboard AI can mostly tell people, animals, and vehicles apart. For me, the video quality lets this camera down. It isn’t as sharp as my picks above, and the frame rate maxes out at 15.
Google Nest Cam With Floodlight (Wired) for $180: This aging floodlight security camera might still be your best bet if you prefer Google Home and have a Nest doorbell. The limited 1080p resolution is mitigated by the high frame rate (30 fps), HDR, and decent 6X digital zoom. The two-panel floodlight can put out up to 2,400 lumens of warm (4,000K) light, and brightness is adjustable. Google’s AI detection is perhaps the smartest in the business, and this is a very reliable camera, but you must subscribe to make it worthwhile, as there’s no local recording option. Google Home Premium starts at $10 per month or $100 per year, but that covers all your devices. It might be best to wait, as Google recently released 2K Nest cameras, and there’s a decent chance it will update its floodlight camera soon.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Philips Hue Secure Camera and Discover Floodlight (Wired) for $200: I used this setup at my old house, and it worked very well. If you’re invested in Hue lighting, the Discover Floodlight is one of my favorite outdoor lights and a versatile way to light up your space. It can put out 2,300 lumens, and you can tweak the temperature, color, and brightness easily in the Hue app, which also allows scheduling and animated scenes. Add a Philips Hue Secure Wired Camera and you can have it trigger the floodlight and any other Hue lights you have. It is only 1080p, but the wired camera worked well for me, triggering reliably, and Philips Hue now offers 24 hours of video history for free. But if you want the AI detection, back-to-back recording, activity zones, and 30 days of video history, you must subscribe for $40 a year for a single camera.
Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera (Battery) for $150: While I prefer the Arlo camera above, this battery-powered camera allows for a wireless install, though you will need to charge it. It offers up to 2K footage with HDR and Arlo’s excellent app and alert system, though you need an Arlo Secure plan ($10 per month or $96 a year for a single camera, $20 per month or $216 a year for unlimited cameras). The floodlight is a single panel that flanks the face of the camera and delivers up to 2,000 lumens. You can boost the brightness to 3,000 lumens and eliminate event-recording delays with the Arlo Outdoor Charging Cable ($50), though you’ll need to run it to an outlet.
Eve Outdoor Cam (Wired) for $220: This stylish floodlight camera can replace an outdoor light to give you motion-activated illumination (up to 1,500 lumens), 1080p video (157-degree field of view), and two-way audio. As a HomeKit camera, you will need an Apple HomeKit hub (Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad) and an iCloud+ storage plan. Sadly, the video and sound quality are only average. This camera also only works on 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, and there’s no Android support.
Should I Buy a Floodlight Camera?
The short answer is yes. A floodlight security camera is a great way to add light and video surveillance to your property, and they work extremely well for dark areas. They can serve like motion-activated lights when you or your family are taking out the trash, adding safety and convenience to your property. The addition of a security camera enables you to receive alerts about intruders, record video events that you can review later, and drop in and check on the videofeed whenever you like from wherever you are. Most have two-way audio and siren functions to deter intruders. Smart alerts and AI detection enable you to filter for people, vehicles, and packages, though some features can require a subscription.
While it may be a hassle to install (some folks will prefer to hire an electrician for this), you don’t need to worry about charging a hardwired floodlight security camera, and they can generally get brighter than battery-powered cameras.
How Bright Can Floodlight Cameras Get?
Our recommended floodlight security cameras go from 800 lumens up to 3,000 lumens. To give you an idea, 800 lumens is about what you’d expect from a 60-watt bulb. While 800 to 1,500 lumens should be enough for a side path, enclosed area, or small yard, you’ll likely want between 2,000 and 3,000 lumens to illuminate a driveway, front, or backyard. Most floodlight cameras have a couple of panels that can be angled for your needs, and you should be able to adjust the brightness in the app. A few, such as the Reolink recommended below, allow you to tweak the color temperature as well, so you can select cool or warm light. With brighter floodlights, it’s also important to consider your neighbors, so think about placement carefully.
Should I Hire an Electrician?
The best floodlight security cameras are hardwired. Wired security cameras tend to outperform battery cameras because they don’t have to conserve power. This is particularly important for busy spots or if you want continuous recording. Wired floodlight cameras also tend to have brighter light panels for the same reason.
The wiring is not especially complicated, so if you have an existing outdoor light and you are confident about isolating and turning off the power to it, an experienced DIYer can easily install a floodlight camera. That said, it is always safer to hire an electrician, and it should be a relatively quick and affordable job.
How I Test Security Cameras
I test every security camera for at least two weeks, but often far longer. I run through the installation process and note any issues. I check that alerts come through correctly to my phone when I am home, connected to Wi-Fi, or when I’m away and connected to a cellular network. I usually place two or more cameras in the same spot to compare picture quality, motion detection, and other features. I consider the image resolution, frame rate, and audio quality of videos and the live feed. I also check for lag with the live feed. I test the performance during the day and see how it copes with the sun facing the lens, and how it performs in the dark at night (testing both floodlight and night vision). I check how long the live feed and recorded videos take to load at different times of the day.
I play around with the settings in the app to try every mode and feature. I test any smart-detection features to see if they can correctly identify people. I test the two-way audio for a short conversation and try the siren where applicable. I also test local storage and cloud storage options for recording videos. If there are any smart-home integrations, I set them up and check how quickly the feed loads on a smart display. I only recommend cameras that support 2FA and always test any additional security or privacy features.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.
Read the full article here