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📂 **Category**: Gear,Gear / Buying Guides,Gear / Products / Home,Gear / Products / Smart Home,Buying Guide
📌 **What You’ll Learn**:
Consider these flood cameras
Photo: Simon Hill
Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi (wired) for $230: Similar to the Reolink pick above, the difference with the Elite Floodlight is that it’s a dual-lens still camera designed to give you a 180-degree wide view (59 degrees vertically), rather than a tilt camera. If you want a fixed camera to cover the entire side of the property, this could be a solid choice. It records up to 4K video at up to 20 fps, has a 105dB alarm, and supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6. The rest of the specifications, including the 3,000 lumen adjustable temperature flashlight, are compatible with the TrackFlex above.
Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam for $99: The 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 power to keep it going. I like the adjustable brightness and color temperature, the relatively loud 110dB siren, and the local recording option. You can use a Reolink hub, NVR, or microSD card (all sold separately). But since the solar panel is mounted on top, you need a sunny place for it to work well (you can buy a second panel if you want to connect a cable and put it under the eave, but I’d get a different camera). The onboard AI can often distinguish between people, animals and vehicles. For me, the video quality lets this camera down. It’s not as sharp as my picks above, and the frame rate maxes out at 15.
Google Nest Cam with Floodlight (wired) for $180: This old floodlight security camera may 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 (30fps), HDR, and decent 6X digital zoom. The two-panel floodlight can emit up to 2,400 lumens of warm light (4,000K), and the brightness is adjustable. Google’s AI detection is probably the smartest in the business, and this is a very reliable camera, but you have to opt in 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 includes all your devices. It might be better to wait, as Google recently released its 2K Nest cameras, and there’s a good chance it will update its Flashlight camera soon.
Photo: Simon Hill
Philips Hue Secure Camera and Discover Floodlight (wired) for $200: I used this setup in my old house, and it worked very well. If you’re investing in Hue lighting, the Discover Floodlight is one of my favorite outdoor lights and a versatile way to light up your space. It can output 2,300 lumens, and you can easily adjust temperature, color, and brightness in the Hue app, which also allows for scheduling animated scenes. Add the Philips Hue Secure Wired Camera and you can power the floodlight and any other Hue lights you have. It’s only 1080p, but the wired camera worked well for me, running reliably, and Philips Hue now offers 24 hours of video history for free. But if you want AI detection, burst recording, activity zones, and 30-day video history, you’ll have to subscribe for $40 per year for a single camera.
Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera (battery) $150: Although I prefer the Arlo camera mentioned above, this battery-powered camera allows for wireless installation, though you’ll need to charge it. It offers up to 2K footage with HDR and the excellent Arlo app and alert system, though you need an Arlo Secure plan ($10 per month or $96 per year for a single camera, or $20 per month or $216 per year for unlimited cameras). The flashlight is a single panel that surrounds the face of the camera and delivers up to 2,000 lumens. You can increase the brightness to 3,000 lumens and eliminate event recording lags with the Arlo external charging cable ($50), though you’ll need to run it into an outlet.
Eve Outdoor Camera (wired) for $220: This stylish floodlight camera can replace an outdoor light to give you motion-activated lighting (up to 1,500 lumens), 1080p video (157-degree field of view), and two-way audio. As a HomeKit camera, you’ll need an Apple HomeKit hub (Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad) and an iCloud+ storage plan. Unfortunately, the video and audio quality are only average. This camera also only works on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and there’s no Android support.
Should I buy a Floodlight camera?
The short answer is yes. A security camera with floodlights is a great way to add light and video surveillance to your property, and they work very well in dark areas. They can act as motion-activated lights when you or your family are taking out the trash, adding security and convenience to your property. Adding a security camera allows you to receive alerts about intruders, record video events that you can review later, and access and check your video stream whenever you want from wherever you are. Most have two-way audio and siren functions to deter intruders. Smart alerts and AI detection let you filter for people, vehicles, and packages, though some features may require a subscription.
Although installation can be difficult (some people prefer to hire an electrician for this), you don’t have to worry about charging a floodlight security camera, and they can generally get brighter than battery-powered cameras.
How bright are floodlight cameras?
Our recommended floodlight security cameras range in power from 800 lumens to 3000 lumens. To give you an idea, 800 lumens is what you would 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 need between 2,000 and 3,000 lumens to illuminate your driveway, front, or backyard. Most floodlight cameras have two panels that can be adjusted at an angle to suit your needs, and you should be able to adjust the brightness in the app. A few of them, like the Reolink recommended below, allow you to adjust 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 consider where you place them carefully.
Should I hire an electrician?
The best security cameras with flood lights are wired. Wired security cameras tend to outperform battery cameras because they don’t need to conserve power. This is especially important for crowded places or if you want continuous recording. Wired floodlight cameras also tend to have brighter light panels for the same reason.
The wiring isn’t particularly complicated, so if you have an existing outdoor light and are confident in isolating it and turning off the power, an experienced DIYer can easily install a flood camera. However, it is always safe to hire an electrician, and it should be a relatively quick and affordable job.
How do I test surveillance cameras?
I test each security camera for at least two weeks, but often much longer. I run through the installation process and note any issues. I check that alerts are properly arriving on my phone when I’m at 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 place to compare image quality, motion detection, and other features. I consider image resolution, frame rate, and audio quality for videos and live streaming. I also check for lag in the live stream. I test performance during the day and see how it copes with the sun facing the lens, and how it performs in the dark at night (floodlight and night vision testing). I check how long it takes to load live streams and recorded videos at different times of the day.
I play around with the settings in the app to try out each mode and feature. I’m testing any smart detection features to see if they can correctly identify people. I test the two-way audio for short conversation and try the siren where possible. I’m also testing local 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 onto a smart display. I only recommend cameras that support two-factor authentication (2FA) and always test any additional security or privacy features.
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