Key Points
- When choosing the best wireless security camera, there are many factors to consider, including storage and resolution, among others.
- The Arlo Pro 4 was voted the best overall wireless security camera.
- If budget is a concern, Anker eufyCam may be for you.
No matter the reason, security cameras do a fantastic job of providing peace of mind both inside and outside a house. There are things that can bump in the night, and a security camera will help you know whether it’s someone who wants to cause mischief or a child looking to sneak a piece of chocolate.
The good news is that security cameras don’t cost an arm and a leg anymore, and there is no shortage of excellent options, no matter your use case. Thanks to advances in broadband connectivity over the past decade or so, using a wireless security camera is just as functional as the wired options of old. Not only are wireless models easier to install, but you don’t have to run any cables all over your home.
Let’s take a look at the best wireless security camera models available in 2022.
- Best Overall: Arlo Pro 4
- Best Budget-Friendly: Anker eufyCam
- Best Indoor: Google Nest Cam
- Best Doorbell: Ring Video Doorbell 3
- Best Floodlight: Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera
- Best Compact: Blink Outdoor
- Best Video Quality: Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight Camera
Best Overall: Arlo Pro 4
- See a bigger picture - The security camera has a wide 160° diagonal viewing angle lens for auto image correction and reduction of the fisheye effect to make this surveillance camera ideal for...
- Capture clearer details - The wireless outdoor security cameras with advanced video quality that records in clear 2K HDR footage to let you see clearer details and zoom in on moving objects with...
- Light up the night - Ward off unwelcome guests with the outdoor camera using the integrated spotlight. See features like faces or license plates in full color, even at night, with color night vision
- Easy wire-free setup - Wireless camera with fast setup that requires no hub or wiring; its wifi camera capability allows the home security system to connect directly to Wi-Fi for a quick setup.
- Smarter alerts, quicker action - With an Arlo Secure plan, receive smarter notifications for people, vehicles, packages, and animals so you can react quickly, right from your phone’s lock screen.
The battle over the best wireless security cameras in 2022 is a tough one, but in the end, the Arlo Pro 4 really stands out.
With its battery-powered cameras, easy installation, two-way audio, and color night vision, it’s just a fantastic choice. The 160-degree view angle lens makes it distinguish between animals, people, packages, and vehicles, all while capturing details in 2K video quality.
Should you want to move the Arlo Pro 4 to another room or exterior of the home, detaching, the magnetic mount is a breeze, thanks to the lack of cables. It’s this freedom of movement that helps make the Pro 4 such an attractive offering. That, and the really loud siren for when there is an alert.
As with all good wireless security cameras, you need to take advantage of Arlo’s subscription model to really get your money’s worth. Plans begin at $2.99 monthly for one camera and $9.99 for unlimited cameras and, with either price, you receive cloud recording, rich notifications, cloud activity zones, and advanced object detection among other features.
Pick up the Arlo Pro 4 from Amazon here.
Best Budget-Friendly: Anker eufyCam
- eufy Security, eufyCam 2C 2-Cam Kit, Security Camera Outdoor, Wireless Home Security System with 180-Day Battery Life, HomeKit Compatibility, 1080p HD, IP67, Night Vision, No Monthly Fee
- Half-Year Security from 1 Charge - Avoid frequent trips to charge the battery and enjoy 180-day battery life from just one charge.
- Detailed Night Vision - View recordings or live footage in crisp clarity, even at night, for a clear view of who’s there.
- The Alerts* That Matter - Human detection technology enables your outdoor security camera to intelligently detect body shape and face pattern. Ensuring you are only alerted when a person, and not a...
- Ready for Any Weather - With an IP67 weatherproof-rating, eufyCam 2C is built to withstand the elements.
When it comes to budget-friendly wireless security cameras, you want to find the best combination of savings without sacrificing quality or features. The Anker eufyCam outdoor camera system does exactly that with complete wireless functionality for connecting back to its encrypted hub.
The cameras themselves offer 1080p video recording while lasting 180 days on a single battery before requiring recharging. A built-in spotlight helps illuminate any exterior area during the evening time if the cameras detect movement, all while properly differentiating between animals and people. IP67 waterproofing makes them ideal for dealing with the elements, no matter where you live around the world.
Smart detection zones enable users the opportunity to double up on extra awareness of any specific area around their home. When you do have a recording you want to capture, the EufyCam hub captures up to three months of recordings, thanks to its 16GB hard drive. There are no additional costs after purchase which only adds to the benefits of the Anker EufyCam 2C series as the best budget option around.
Grab the Anker EufyCam 2C camera system on Amazon here.
Best Indoor: Google Nest Cam
- Built-in intelligence and can tell the difference between a person, animal, and vehicle
- Sends alerts directly through the Google Home app, no subscription required
- Easily check in from anywhere 24/7 with 1080p HDR video with night vision
- See what you missed with 3 hours of free event video history
- If your Wi-Fi goes down or there’s a power outage, Nest Cam will store up to an hour of recorded events
- Battery-powered so you don’t need to set it up near an outlet, and the magnetic mount makes installation simple
Google's Nest Cam is an easy winner for the best indoor camera system.
Thanks to built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, you can see what’s going on inside your home or office 24/7. With batteries that will last up to seven months, depending on the level of activity, you can expect great quality out of the 1080p HDR video recording plus night vision for clear video in the evenings.
As a Wi-Fi-connected camera, if the internet goes down or a power outage occurs, the Google Nest Cam will continue recording for an additional hour. That’s on top of the three free hours of event history you get just by hooking up the system. Plus, Nest Cam owners are able to stream live video from a smartphone or tablet as well as using any display compatible with Google Assistant.
If you want longer video history, smart alerts, and even teaching your camera how to recognize frequent guests, you can pick up a subscription for Nest Aware, which starts at $6 per month.
Pick up the Google Nest Cam at Amazon here.
Best Doorbell: Ring Video Doorbell 3
- 1080p HD video doorbell
- Playback from your smartphone, tablet, or PC
- Enhanced motion detection, better privacy zones, increased audio privacy, and dual-band (2.4 or 5.0 GHz) Wi-Fi connectivity over Ring Video Doorbell 2
- Mobile push notifications when doorbell is pressed or motion sensors are triggered
- Wireless model features rechargeable battery pack
- Easy setup with mounting tools included
Arguably the most popular video doorbell on the market today, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 serves as a great wireless security camera.
The 1080p HD camera offers 160 degrees of view which is more than enough to let you see, hear, and speak with anyone approaching your front door.
With dual-band Wi-Fi, the Ring is completely wireless and since it runs on both 2.4GHz and 5Ghz networks, you are connected to whichever of the two is the strongest on your home network. Even with its wireless activity, the Ring’s battery packs last for months on end before requiring recharging.
Setup is a breeze as the Ring app concisely goes through every step just as soon as the doorbell is connected to a wall. Tools are included for mounting, and with a little bit of luck, you can get up and running in under 30 minutes. Once you are ready to go, you can record through Ring’s cloud service by purchasing the Ring Protect plan, which starts at $3.99 a month for one camera.
Find the Ring Video Doorbell 3 on Amazon here.
Best Floodlight: Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera
- See, hear and speak to people from your phone, tablet or select Echo device with Stick Up Cam Battery, a battery-powered camera that can be mounted indoor or out.
- With Live View, you can check in on your home any time through the Ring app.
- With a Ring Protect Plan (subscription sold separately), record all your videos, review what you missed for up to 180 days, and share videos and photos.
- Place on a flat surface or mount to a wall with the versatile mounting bracket. Add-on the Mount for Stick Up Cam (sold separately) for ceiling mount.
- Watch over your entire home by connecting one or multiple Stick Up Cams to all your Ring devices in the Ring app.
There are wireless security camera floodlights and then there is the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera.
For anyone who wants to illuminate a backyard, this is absolutely the wireless security camera for them. With 2,000 lumens of brightness, you get more than enough illumination to see any person, animal, or object in your yard with ease.
Wireless setup is one of the easiest around and will have you actively monitor your yard or outside an office in no time. Once you are monitoring, you are able to hear and speak with visitors (or animals) outside the home with two-way audio. Viewing through the camera is with a 160-degree wide-angle view in 2K quality, so video recordings are crisp.
Hot, cold, snow, rain? No problem, as the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera is more than ready to tackle the elements. That all of these features work with Apple’s HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and more smart home devices is all the more reason to give the Arlo Pro 3 a hard look.
The Arlo Pro 3 can be purchased on Amazon here.
Best Compact: Blink Outdoor
- Blink Outdoor is a wireless battery-powered HD security camera that helps you monitor your home day or night with infrared night vision.
- With long-lasting battery life, Outdoor runs for up to two years on two AA lithium batteries (included).
- Store video clips and photos in the cloud with the Blink Subscription Plan and save events locally to the Blink Sync Module 2 via a USB flash drive (sold separately).
- Outdoor is built to withstand the elements to help you protect your home inside or out, come rain or shine.
- Designed so you can set up yourself in minutes. No wiring, no professional installation required.
The best security systems are often the ones that nobody knows are there. That’s what makes the Blink Outdoor system so great.
The wireless cameras are small, offer two-year battery life, and are set up in minutes. Under three inches in length and width, the Blink cameras can all but disappear against a tree, garage, or backyard, so unwanted visitors don’t know they are on camera until it’s too late.
The 110 wide-angle lens isn’t the widest in the space, but it’s a worthy tradeoff for such a compact camera. Even with its size, you still receive video capturing in 1080p HD quality, so the size of the camera has no impact on the overall quality.
Blink’s outdoor camera system is built to withstand any type of weather so let the elements try and do their worst. The two-way audio works with your smartphone or tablet, but to get the most out of the Blink system, you’ll want the Blink subscription plan, which starts at $3 a month for live streaming, live recording, and 60-day unlimited video history.
Get the Blink Camera system on Amazon today here.
Best Video Quality: Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight Camera
- Free local storage - Remotely access your locally secured smart camera footage from the included Arlo Smart hub (requires MicroSD card, sold separately)
- Receive smarter notifications for people, vehicles, packages, and animals so you can react quickly, right from your phone’s lock screen
- Fast and easy wire-free installation
- Color night vision
- The 4k security camera and wireless security camera system can automatically zoom and track moving objects with clarity
- 2-way audio
When it comes to video quality with wireless security cameras, you are generally “forced” to use either 2K or 1080p quality. Both are good enough in their own right, and each will help you stay secure at home or in an office. However, if you want the absolute best quality out of a wireless security camera, look to the Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight Camera.
With the Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight Camera, you can view and record in 4K HDR quality for the best wireless security camera quality. Details are sharper and crisper than ever before, and that’s true during daytime and evening hours. As with other Arlo products, you can utilize two-way audio, instant motion alerts, night vision, and smart home capability through HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
Thanks to the 4K lens, you also get a fantastic ultra-wide 180 viewing angle that automatically removes fisheye distortion, creating an even sharper view outdoors. As a wireless unit, the cameras connect over your home network and work seamlessly with the “hub” which also doubles as local storage with a (purchased separately) microSD card.
Pick up the Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight Camera through Amazon here.
How to Pick the Best Wireless Security Camera: A Step-by-Step Guide
Choosing a wireless security camera system shouldn’t be a quick choice as you need to consider multiple factors before clicking on the purchase button.
- Indoor/outdoor
- Resolution
- Cloud or local storage
- Smart home compatibility
Indoor or Outdoor Use
For the most part, many of the cameras on this list will be good for both indoor and outdoor use. There are some exceptions, but when buying an outdoor camera, in particular, you need to make sure it can handle the elements. Indoor cameras should include night vision but can often be lower resolution since they are more likely to have lighting to help offset nighttime conditions.
Resolution
Any wireless security camera that has a resolution lower than 1080p should be a non-starter. It’s the absolute minimum you should consider. Buying a wireless camera that has 2K resolution is the current sweet spot right now, as you can zoom in without losing quality.
©Phonlamai Photo/Shutterstock.com
Cloud or Local Storage
Subscription services are the norm for many wireless security camera systems, and it’s an accepted part of any purchase. However, you don’t have to have cloud storage if you want just basic services, but you’ll also be very limited. Purchasing any wireless security camera means you are looking for monitoring or protection, and, to do so, you want file storage, hopefully unlimited.
Local storage is nice, especially in the case of the Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight, where you can purchase large microSD cards, but local storage will never compare to cloud-based options. Just be prepared to pay upwards of $10 a month for all the necessary features.
Smart Home Compatibility
Purchasing a security camera system might mean you want to dip your toe into the smart home lifestyle. Wireless security cameras that sync with Apple’s HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant are the most popular, and this functionality allows you to control your system not just from the manufacturer’s app but from other devices. It’s definitely nice to have, and for many people looking to install wireless security cameras, video doorbells, and smart thermostats, having everything work seamlessly together is a major bonus.
Using Wireless Security Cameras: What It’s Like
For anyone who wants peace of mind while at home, having a wireless security camera can go a long way to making you feel safe and secure. People who don’t want to worry about wires and have solid Wi-Fi connections available should feel very comfortable about purchasing one of these systems.
If you have a big front or backyard, the Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera is going to be a major help in lighting up a large area once motion is detected. That it can detect between animals and people is just one more reason to feel safe while using one of these systems.
The Ring Video Doorbell 3 is a great addition to any front door. As someone who relies heavily on this doorbell to quickly determine if it’s an Amazon delivery person or someone trying to sell the latest knife collection, it’s a huge help.
No matter which camera you choose, you’re going to get the benefit of live video, cloud storage (with a subscription), great resolution, and two-way communication. These are huge wins all around, as it’s so great to have two-way audio, so you don’t have to open the door if you’re uncomfortable.
Final Thoughts
There is little question the wireless security space is fiercely competitive, with well-known names all vying for the title of “best of.” In the end, there can only be one, and it’s the Arlo Pro 4 that stands out. The overall quality of video recordings, battery life, and a moderately priced subscription service all make it an easy winner.
