Whether you're out for one hour or one week, one of the best ways to give yourself peace of mind is an outdoor security camera. Far from the clunky imagining conjured by the word CCTV, modern security cameras can be wireless, record 4K resolutions, use night vision, motions sensors, and be operated from an app on your phone.
In this article, we go over everything you need to know from cloud storage to FOV, before ranking the 10 best in the UK all available to buy on Amazon, Argos and John Lewis.
For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:
For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of security camera available and understand how our ranking was determined.
Image | 1 ![]() Arlo | 2 ![]() Ring | 3 ![]() Ezviz | 4 ![]() Ring | 5 ![]() Eufy | 6 ![]() Victure | 7 ![]() Blink | 8 ![]() Arlo | 9 ![]() | 10 ![]() Ring |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Ultra Smart Home Security System | Floodlight Cam Wired Pro | Outdoor Security Camera | Wired Spotlight Cam | EufyCam E | Security Outdoor Camera | Outdoor | Pro3 | Nest Cam Outdoor Smart Security | Video Doorbell 4 |
Features | 4K Camera With Top End Software and Motion Sensors | HD Security Camera With Floodlights for Use With Ring Security System | Sharp Footage and a Stable Connection at a Fraction of the Price | Motion Sensors and an Extra Loud Siren to Deter Criminals | 365 Day Battery Life for Year Round Protection | Budget Security Camera for Outdoors With Smartphone Connectivity | 1 Year Free Cloud Storage and Alexa Integration | Pair of 2k Security Cameras With Magnetic Mount for Wireless Installation | Zoom and Enhance Images for Clearer Evidence | 2-in-1 Doorbell and Security Camera |
Price | £429.99 | £144.00 | £39.99 | £179.00 | £249.99 | £36.99 | £49.99 | £224.99 | £310.00 | £144.00 |
Camera Resolution | 4 K | 1080 p | 1080 p | 1080 p | 1080 p | 1080 p | 1080 p | 2 K | 1080 p | 1080 p |
Night Vision | Colour | Black and white | Colour | Colour | Black and white | Black and white | Black and white | Colour | Black and white | Black and white |
Field of View | 180° | 140° | 118° | 140° | 140° | 110° | 110° | 160° | 130 ° | 160 ° |
No. of Cameras Included | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Spotlight | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Sirens and Alarms | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Motion Sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Storage | Cloud, first year free, £6.49 p/m after | Cloud, first 30 days free, £2.50 p/m after | Micro SD or cloud at £7.49 or £14.99 p/m | Cloud, first 30 days free, £2.50 or £8 p/m after | Micro SD | Micro SD or cloud | Cloud, up to a year free | Cloud, first 3 months free, £6.49 p/m after | Cloud, either £4 or £8 p/m | Cloud, £2.50 - £8 p/m |
WiFi | Required | Required | Enabled | Required | No | Enabled | Required | Required | Required | Required |
Connectivity | Smartphone, smart home (requires Arlo SmartHub) | Smartphone, tablet, Amazon Alexa | Smartphone, smart home | Smartphone, tablet, PC, Amazon Alexa | Smartphone, Amazon Alexa | Smartphone, PC, Amazon Alexa | Smartphone, Amazon Alexa | Smartphone, smart home | Smartphone, tablet | Smartphone, tablet, Amazon Alexa |
Best For | Business, Home | Business, Home | Home | Business, Home | Home | Home | Home | Business, Home | Home | Home |
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The most vital factor when choosing a security camera is the resolution of the image. The camera is going to be no use whatsoever if it turns over low-quality, pixelated playback. It’s fair to say, if the phone in your pocket can record in full HD, your security camera should be able to do the same!
We recommend going no lower than 1080p. If you have a bigger budget, then you might want to look for cameras that are capable of recording in 2K or 4K resolution. However, these models will require better WiFi bandwidth, use more battery life and significantly bump up the overall cost of the device.
Any camera worth its salt will feature night vision. After all, it's during nighttime hours that most crimes occur. Gone are the days of simple simple green and black hues, the emergence of better technology has seen an increase in security cameras with full colour night vision.
This is achievable via the use of LED lights built into the camera itself. This upgrade means that if something suspicious does happen on your property, then you’ll be able to provide clearer evidence and a better description to the police.
Of course, full colour night vision is likely going to come at a premium price. If you're shopping for home security on a budget, choosing a camera with high resolution black and white night vision will create a higher contrast, bumping up the overall quality of the image.
A camera isn't much without a lock. Try our article on key finders if yours is stumping the wrong person!
Field of view refers to the area that can be seen by the camera lens. Therefore, the larger the field of view, the more area of your outdoor space will be covered.
Your desired field of view will depend on where you plan on placing the camera, as you’ll want to make sure it's wide enough to cover the area you need. As a general guideline, a camera with at least 130° FOV will be enough for the average outdoor space in the UK. If your space needs a particularly large FOV, systems using multiple cameras can be a significant upgrade.
As with all new-age electronic gadgets, your security camera will likely come with some additional features. Not all bundled features will be especially useful, but there are a few that are certainly worth looking for.
These days, cameras will include both a speaker and a microphone, so you can hear and talk to anyone in view of the camera. Having a two-way talk feature can be useful if you’ve forgotten about a delivery, but more importantly, gives you the power to shout at any trespassers should they be up to no good. This is generally paired with motion sensor equipped cameras that can alert you of any visitors.
Motion sensors can also automatically trigger strong deterrents like lights and sirens, or these features can be operated manually from an app. Or both, which leads us onto scheduling. This feature will allow you to turn on the camera at specified times, which is perfect for making sure the kids get home from school and to help reduce the number of false alarms.
Try our reviews for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to keep your home even safer!
Storing your clips can become a costly, and it isn’t always clear how much file storage space will be required before you buy. There are generally two ways to store footage, subscription-based remote ‘cloud’ storage, or locally using a Micro SD card inside the device.
Cloud storage subscriptions can be costly, ranging from £2.50 to upwards of £10 per month. That said, for business and commercial use this can be a wise choice as cloud servers can hold larger files. Usually, you will be given a period of free online storage when you first get your device, so you can try it out to see if it's right for you.
If you choose to store locally on the device, you can forgo all the hassle of subscriptions and monthly costs. However, this puts you at risk of criminals stealing the camera from your house and taking the evidence of the crime with them.
This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.
Twin Pack
£429.99
Camera Resolution | 4 K |
---|---|
Night Vision | Colour |
Field of View | 180° |
No. of Cameras Included | 2 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes |
Spotlight | Yes |
Sirens and Alarms | Yes |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Cloud, first year free, £6.49 p/m after |
WiFi | Required |
Connectivity | Smartphone, smart home (requires Arlo SmartHub) |
Best For | Business, Home |
£144.00
Camera Resolution | 1080 p |
---|---|
Night Vision | Black and white |
Field of View | 140° |
No. of Cameras Included | 1 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes |
Spotlight | Yes |
Sirens and Alarms | Yes |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Cloud, first 30 days free, £2.50 p/m after |
WiFi | Required |
Connectivity | Smartphone, tablet, Amazon Alexa |
Best For | Business, Home |
CTQ3W
£39.99
Camera Resolution | 1080 p |
---|---|
Night Vision | Colour |
Field of View | 118° |
No. of Cameras Included | 1 |
Two-Way Talk | No |
Spotlight | Yes |
Sirens and Alarms | Yes |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Micro SD or cloud at £7.49 or £14.99 p/m |
WiFi | Enabled |
Connectivity | Smartphone, smart home |
Best For | Home |
£179.00
Camera Resolution | 1080 p |
---|---|
Night Vision | Colour |
Field of View | 140° |
No. of Cameras Included | 1 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes |
Spotlight | Yes |
Sirens and Alarms | Yes |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Cloud, first 30 days free, £2.50 or £8 p/m after |
WiFi | Required |
Connectivity | Smartphone, tablet, PC, Amazon Alexa |
Best For | Business, Home |
Twin Pack
£249.99
Camera Resolution | 1080 p |
---|---|
Night Vision | Black and white |
Field of View | 140° |
No. of Cameras Included | 2 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes |
Spotlight | No |
Sirens and Alarms | Yes |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Micro SD |
WiFi | No |
Connectivity | Smartphone, Amazon Alexa |
Best For | Home |
£36.99
Camera Resolution | 1080 p |
---|---|
Night Vision | Black and white |
Field of View | 110° |
No. of Cameras Included | 1 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes |
Spotlight | No |
Sirens and Alarms | No |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Micro SD or cloud |
WiFi | Enabled |
Connectivity | Smartphone, PC, Amazon Alexa |
Best For | Home |
£49.99
Camera Resolution | 1080 p |
---|---|
Night Vision | Black and white |
Field of View | 110° |
No. of Cameras Included | 1 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes |
Spotlight | No |
Sirens and Alarms | No |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Cloud, up to a year free |
WiFi | Required |
Connectivity | Smartphone, Amazon Alexa |
Best For | Home |
Twin Pack
£224.99
Camera Resolution | 2 K |
---|---|
Night Vision | Colour |
Field of View | 160° |
No. of Cameras Included | 2 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes |
Spotlight | Yes |
Sirens and Alarms | Yes |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Cloud, first 3 months free, £6.49 p/m after |
WiFi | Required |
Connectivity | Smartphone, smart home |
Best For | Business, Home |
Twin Pack
£310.00
Camera Resolution | 1080 p |
---|---|
Night Vision | Black and white |
Field of View | 130 ° |
No. of Cameras Included | 2 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes |
Spotlight | No |
Sirens and Alarms | No |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Cloud, either £4 or £8 p/m |
WiFi | Required |
Connectivity | Smartphone, tablet |
Best For | Home |
£144.00
Camera Resolution | 1080 p |
---|---|
Night Vision | Black and white |
Field of View | 160 ° |
No. of Cameras Included | 1 |
Two-Way Talk | Yes |
Spotlight | No |
Sirens and Alarms | No |
Motion Sensor | Yes |
Storage | Cloud, £2.50 - £8 p/m |
WiFi | Required |
Connectivity | Smartphone, tablet, Amazon Alexa |
Best For | Home |
Written and researched by Lewis Clark
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