Security camera deals are few and far between so whenever we spot them we make sure to post them immediately. Amazon and Best Buy have recently marked down three of the best security cameras that money can buy – the Arlo Pro 2, Google Nest Cam Outdoor, and Ring Floodlight Cam. Save up to $100 when you purchase them ahead of Memorial Day.
Ring Floodlight Cam — $199, was $249
We all know that Ring is the king of video doorbells. Now, the company is offering the Ring Floodlight Cam, a device that integrates a video camera into a motion-activated outdoor light. Ring isn’t really the first company to come up with this – that honor goes to Kuna – but if you already have Ring’s doorbell then purchasing the Floodlight Cam for enhanced home surveillance is the next logical step. Right now, you can purchase it at Amazon for $199 instead of $249 — a cool $50 worth of savings.
The Ring Floodlight Cam integrates a pair of 3K Kelvin motion-activated LED lights with an HD video camera. It also comes with a built-in microphone and speakers so you can talk with visitors using the mobile app, as well as a 110-decibel siren alarm. The camera sends a live feed to your phone and records at 1080p with 140-degree horizontal and 78-degree vertical fields of view. The two motion sensors are capable of both object and people detection. Whenever they detect motion, the camera starts recording and sends you an email alert. The Ring mobile app lets you define customized motion zones and set schedules. This means you can set the Floodlight Cam to ignore motion in certain areas or shut off detection entirely during certain hours, like every afternoon when the kids come home from school. You can also turn it on and expand the detection areas at night or during weekday daytime hours when no one is home.
The Floodlight Cam’s two-way audio features ambient noise cancellation so you can talk with guests, delivery people, or unexpected visitors clearly even with lots of background noise. The app can be configured to work with an Amazon Echo smart speaker. You can command Alexa to let you view the real-time video feed, and with remote access via the Ring app, you could be in another part of the country and still talk to whoever’s at the door.
Now here’s the catch: The Ring Protect Plus service records and saves videos captured by Floodlight Cam, but after a free 30-day trial you have to enroll to either a monthly or yearly subscription in order to continue using the service.
The Ring Floodlight Cam serves as both a weather-resistant outdoor cam and a floodlight as an added layer of protection to your home. Get it for $199 at Amazon today.
Arlo Pro 2 (2-Pack) — $200, was $300
Even though there has been a recent surge of dirt-cheap, stand-alone security cameras like the $20 Wyzecam, the Arlo Pro 2’s premium price tag is still worth the splurge. It’s simply the best smart home security camera system that money can buy. The Arlo Pro 2 has a lot going for it, including advanced scheduling and geofencing controls, 7 days of free cloud storage, optional local backup via USB, and backward compatibility with the original Arlo Pro. If only its app interface were a little less convoluted, we would have given it a perfect 5-star score. Right now, you can get the 2-camera bundle of the Arlo Pro 2 for $200 instead of $300 at Best Buy. Add-on cameras can be purchased individually.
Although the Arlo Pro 2 connects over Wi-Fi both via wire and wire-free, it comes with a base station that provides better management of the wireless communication and significantly increases its battery life. Depending on the level of activity, a camera can last as long as six months. The base station also features a 100-plus decibel siren that’s roughly as loud as a smoke alarm and offers two USB ports for connecting external hard drives for local backups. Security footage is maintained in the cloud and is free for the first seven days, after which you can opt for either the 30-day Premiere or 60-day Elite plan for $100 and $149 per year, respectively.
The camera itself has a rugged, weatherproof design so you can install it outdoors as well as indoors. Footage has a resolution of 1080p and there’s an 8x optical zoom. Aside from the usual set of security features (motion detection, sound detection, night vision, two-way audio), the Arlo Pro 2 boasts a wealth of advanced settings that set it apart from the rest of the competition. These include geofencing and scheduling, glare reduction, and voice assistant support (Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and If This Than That) so you can view the security footage on other smart home devices. Unfortunately, the Arlo app is a bit cluttered. It’s definitely going to take time for you to get the hang of it.
The Arlo Pro 2 may come at a much higher cost than its competitors, but if you want the best indoor/outdoor security cam system, this is what you should buy. Get the 2-cam bundle for $200 at Best Buy today.
Google Nest Cam Outdoor (2-Pack) — $295
The Google-owned company Nest became renowned for reinventing the thermostat, and now it has extended its offerings to include a range of security cameras, including the Nest Cam Outdoor. This weatherproof security cam works seamlessly with Nest Cam Indoor, along with an ecosystem of smart home devices from other brands. This is a well-conceived piece of surveillance equipment that boasts solid quality and unprecedented convenience, although it’s hefty subscription fee (similar to the Arlo Pro 2) might dissuade some people from getting it. Thankfully, the 2-pack Google Nest Cam Outdoor is on sale at Amazon right now for $295.
The Nest Cam Outdoor sports a rounded back that magnetically attaches to a perforated base that can be mounted to the wall using screws. It has an IP65 waterproof certification, which means it can survive a deluge of Biblical proportions. Its 1080p camera has a default picture setting of 720p which is already sharply detailed in itself. Switch to 1080p mode if you want to see people’s pores. Ten IR sensors ensure that it can see clearly in the dark as well, while its built-in microphone and speaker offer two-way audio communication. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to find a Micro-SD card slot for local video storage.
This security cam is backed up by probably the most user-friendly companion app we’ve ever encountered, infinitely less complicated than Arlo’s. Nest Aware shows you a live feed from your cameras and stores up to 30 days of footage in the cloud. It also comes with a slew of advanced features, including active motion zones which allow you to receive notifications whenever suspicious movements are detected (your door opening, for example). The hitch? You must continue paying for a monthly or yearly subscription after the trial period expires if you want to access all of the camera’s features.
The Nest Cam Outdoor is way ahead of the security camera pack thanks to its terrific rugged design, strong day and night picture quality, and an easy-to-use mobile app. Get the 2-camera bundle at Amazon today for $295.
