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Best Solar-Powered Home Security Cameras for 2024 [CNET]
Our Experts
David Priest Former editor
David Priest is an award-winning writer and editor who formerly covered home security for CNET.
David Anders Senior Writer
David Anders is a senior writer for CNET covering broadband providers, smart home devices and security products. Prior to joining CNET, David built his industry expertise writing for the broadband marketplace Allconnect. In his 5 plus years covering broadband, David’s work has been referenced by a variety of sources including ArcGIS, DIRECTV and more. David is from and currently resides in the Charlotte area with his wife, son and two cats.
Expertise Broadband providers | Home internet | Security Cameras
Best solar-powered camera overall
Arlo Pro 4 with Arlo Solar Panel Charger
View details
A security camera setup should work around the clock to keep your home safe, especially if you often find yourself away from your base. With the consistent improvement in camera tech, there are a ton of high-quality security cameras on the market right now, which you can get even if you’re on a budget.
We recommend getting wireless cameras for outdoor use because they won’t need you to run unsightly wires and make it easier to find the ideal spot to set up your outdoor camera. And, if that spot isn’t near a power outlet, you should consider getting a solar-powered home security camera. It will help get rid of any battery anxiety and have you secured with video footage at all times.
Our team of experts at CNET has tested dozens of home security cameras, comparing indoor versus outdoor and wired versus wireless. In this case, we’ve tested the top solar security cameras on the market, and here are the best ones to avoid tricky wiring and dead batteries.
What is the best solar-powered home security camera overall?
After hours of testing, we’ve determined that the best solar-powered security camera of 2024 is the Arlo Pro 4 along with the sold-separately Arlo Solar Panel Charger. It’s a fantastic device that boasts 2K resolution, a 160-degree field of view, two-way talk, a loud siren, a reliable spotlight, night vision and a load of other smarts, making it well worth the price tag.
Best solar-powered home security cameras of 2024
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Arlo’s Pro 4 camera is a little pricier than some of the competition, but it’s a fantastic all-around device, boasting 2K resolution, a 160-degree field of view, two-way talk, a loud siren, a reliable spotlight, night vision and a load of other smarts. Unlike some other cameras, like the Arlo Pro 3 or Wyze’s solar-powered outdoor cam, the Pro 4 can be used without a base station.
To use the camera with a solar panel, you’ll have to buy the panel separately. That makes this package a little more than some alternatives, but the quality of the device compared to most solar security cameras justifies that price tag, which is why it’s our favorite and top pick amongst the best solar security cameras.
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That’s not a bad deal, especially given the security camera’s relatively solid specs: 1080p resolution, night vision, two-way talk, a 115-degree field of view, a built-in siren and other smarts. You can also find this solar security camera package for even lower prices fairly frequently, especially during parent company Amazon’s Prime Day sale.
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Ring sells a solid spotlight cam that is compatible with a separately sold solar panel, but if you want the best deal from the developer, you can get a Stick Up Cam with a solar panel together for $140. The bundle comes with everything you need: the camera, battery pack, solar panel, Micro-USB charging cable, plus mounts, screws and wall anchors for the camera and solar panel.
That’s not a bad deal, especially given the security camera’s relatively solid specs: 1080p resolution, night vision, two-way talk, a 115-degree field of view, a built-in siren and other smarts. You can also find this solar security camera package for even lower prices fairly frequently, especially during parent company Amazon’s Prime Day sale.
Solar-powered security cameras compared
| Our Picks | Arlo Pro 4 (w/ solar panel) | Ring Stick Up Cam Solar | Wyze Outdoor Cam v2 (w/ solar panel) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total price | $334 | $140 | $90 |
| Resolution | 2K | 1080p | 1080p |
| Field of View | 160-degrees | 115-degrees | 130-degrees |
| Setup | Wireless, indoor/outdoor | Plug-in and battery versions, camera itself can be indoor/outdoor | Wireless/outdoor |
| Extra Features | Live streaming, two-way talk, night vision, weather resistance | Live streaming, quick alerts, night vision, two-way talk, privacy zones and motion detection zones, integration with Amazon Alexa | Color night vision, built-in siren, free 14-day cloud storage and person detection alerts available |
There are hundreds of home security cameras on the market, ranging drastically in price, functionality and quality, but only a few offer solar power. After CNET’s years of testing home security cameras, we have some tips if you’re on the hunt for a new solar-powered security camera. Here are a few parameters to consider.
Privacy
This is a big one. You don’t want anyone peeping on your property or hacking into your camera. Wireless home security cameras can be more susceptible to hacking due to their connectivity to Wi-Fi networks and remote access. Wired home security cameras are more secure. (Read more about the pros and cons of wired versus wireless systems here.)
Video resolution
Video quality should be a major consideration when buying a home security camera, whether solar-powered or not. In simplest terms, your camera won’t be effective if the only footage being recorded is grainy and unreadable.
The higher the resolution, the better the video quality. Most home security cameras on the market now have 1080p resolution, but others even have 2K resolution (like the Arlo Pro 4) or 1,536×1,536-pixel resolution (like the Arlo Video Doorbell). Just remember, the higher the video quality, the more bandwidth it takes up and the more likely your camera is to experience lag times or glitches.
Local vs. cloud storage
You have two main options: There’s cloud storage, which sends your video footage to a remote server to be saved, and local storage, which relies on a separate accessory or piece of hardware, usually a microSD card, to hold any footage you’d like to save. Usually, cloud storage requires a monthly fee.
Home security cameras are tricky devices to test because how good they are doesn’t just come down to how their numbers stack up against the competition. We do look for better resolution, wider field of view and the presence of features we consider must-haves in 2024, like two-way talk, night vision and options for cloud storage. Then we add in extra goodies, like smart notifications or a built-in siren or spotlight, and hold up that whole package against its retail price. If the features are really strong for the price, we’ll recommend a camera more highly.
We also test out cameras carefully, making sure all the features work well. Smart notifications aren’t helpful if they arrive 20 seconds late; a siren isn’t useful if it’s barely audible. Some cameras disconnect too often, and some apps are difficult to understand or navigate. This experiential side of things is where our recommendations become more personal and in many ways more useful. Anyone can line up the specs of different products, but we’re putting our hands on these cameras for a week or more to see how it actually feels to install and use them.
In the case of solar-powered home security cameras, we’ve tested each of these devices extensively, but not necessarily with their solar panels. If you want to read more about our review process, check out our in-depth article on how we test home security cameras and video doorbells. You can also read about how CNET tests all devices and services.
Are solar-powered cameras any good?
Short answer: It depends on where you live. To get the most out of solar panels, you need to angle them toward the equator and tilt them according to your latitude. In regions farther to the global north or south, you’ll likely generate less power than in regions closer to the equator. Likewise, the power generated will correspond to the season and weather. In other words, a cloudy week in Alaska during December isn’t going to give your solar panels as much to work with as a sunny week in Florida during July.
That said, solar-powered security cameras generally use batteries to store the power generated during the day, so a few cloudy days probably aren’t going to mean a cut feed. In short, they’re not foolproof, but depending on your region, solar panels can seriously lengthen the battery life of your outdoor cameras or even do away with regular battery replacements altogether.
How long do solar-powered security cameras last?
Much of this comes down to region once again, but assuming you live in a good area for solar power — and you keep your panel properly angled and clean — many people report that needing to replace the batteries is exceedingly rare.
Do solar-powered security cameras work at night?
Solar-powered security cameras will work during the night using the battery power stored up during the daytime. Remember: Both of the cameras above have built-in batteries that normally last months. That means you shouldn’t run into issues with overnight battery drainage. If you do, it’s probably a problem with the battery, not the solar panel.
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