Best battery

There are many quality models available to help keep your home safe without the wire

Whether you have already established a smart home or are just starting, investing in one or more quality Wi-Fi security systems is one of the best ways to give yourself a sense of safety when you are home or away. Not only is it reassuring to have the ability to check in on your property from anywhere via a few taps of your smartphone, but you can also sidestep the hassle of installing a wired smart camera by opting for a quality battery-powered model instead.

You may be surprised at how long the battery will last on a high-end smart home camera and that its wireless design makes it simple to install wherever you need it. Not to mention, plenty of well-established tech brands and models are already on the market and used in many households. So it’s worth your time (and money) to research your options to find the best battery-powered Wi-Fi security camera for your home, smart home setup, and monitoring needs.

High-performance camera

The Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera is an inconspicuous security camera with 1080p resolution and a wide-angle lens. It has up to six months of battery life and features x12 zoom, two-way audio, and ambient background noise cancellation. However, users must disconnect and bring the camera inside to recharge it via its USB port.

If you're in the market for an inconspicuous security camera that is simple to install and provides a sharper video resolution than you may expect for the price, the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera is well worth the investment. Available in black and white, this model sports a reliably crisp 1080p resolution and wide-angle lens. And with up to six months of battery life, you'll only need to recharge the camera twice a year. For additional peace of mind, the Essential has its share of useful specs to ensure it captures everything when you need it, including a x12 zoom feature and two-way audio. It can also cancel ambient background noise to focus on subjects within its 300-foot visual range.

While the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera has a lot going for it when you consider its ease of use and affordability, its single most annoying drawback is that users will have to disconnect and bring the camera inside to recharge it via its USB port. However, the lack of a detachable battery is a relatively small issue considering its sharp footage, user-friendly smart home interface, and easy installation.

Multifunctional and versatile

Google's Nest Cam is a feature-rich camera with 1080p resolution, weatherproof design, and alert features. It filters out false alarms and is easy to install, but its battery life fluctuates between 1.5-7 months, depending on how active the camera's viewing area is.

Feature-rich and literally a snap to install, Google's Nest Cam fits smart homes that run on Android like a glove. You get quite a bit from this camera, including a sharp 1080p resolution, an ultra-rugged weatherproof design, and a wealth of alert features that are simple to fine-tune as needed. For example, you can program the camera to send a notification whenever an animal walks by, a vehicle pulls up, or the camera detects a face it recognizes.

This model is attractive for those looking to watch out for specific activity, as the Nest cam filters out common false alarms, such as squirrels or passing traffic. Installation is as simple as screwing the wall plate onto a surface, twisting its faceplate into place, and snapping the camera onto the magnetic mount. Perhaps the Nest Cam's biggest potential fault is its fluctuating maximum battery life. The battery lasts between 1.5 to 7 months, depending on how active the camera's viewing area is.

Reliable and affordable

The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is a versatile and compact smart camera designed with convenience in mind. It features detailed night vision, a rugged weather-resistant design, and a fair price point of $100, but it only allows voice controls via Alexa.

Amazon's own Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is a versatile and compact smart camera, clearly designed with your convenience in mind. Its attached stand allows you to place this miniature 1080p HD camera on any flat surface for indoor use, and mounting is as simple as unscrewing the base, connecting it to the camera's rear, and screwing it to the wall.

This miniature camera may get up to six months of battery life per charge, depending on how active the area you need to monitor is. Besides how easy it is to integrate a Ring Stick Up Cam into your smart home's Amazon-based ecosystem, some of its other noteworthy features include detailed night vision, a rugged weather-resistant design, and a fair price point of $100. However, its biggest drawback is its Amazon-centered design because you can only utilize voice controls via Alexa, not other popular options such as Siri or Google.

Inexpensive compact camera

The Blink Outdoor Camera has a battery life of up to two years per charge and features 1080p resolution, a two-way speaker, cloud and local video data storage, and simple installation. However, it is incompatible with Google's smart home tech.

The Blink Outdoor Camera's maximum battery life of up to two years per charge is impressive, making it a top pick if you need a "set it and forget it" option. Of course, battery life can only take a camera so far, but this model's clear 1080p resolution, two-way speaker feature, cloud and local video data storage options, and fairly simple installation process make it a worthy contender at just $99 per camera.

While its automatic motion-activated alerts, active temperature monitoring, and durable weather-resistant design are all appealing, if you have a smart home that utilizes Amazon technology, you'll get the most out of these smart cameras, especially since they are incompatible with Google's suite of smart home tech.

Motorized pan and tilt

Reolink's Argus PT is a pricey smart camera with impressive 2K video resolution, night vision, dual-band Wi-Fi, and more pan and tilt functionality. It comes with a non-removable battery and features such as cloud storage, multiple alert settings, and two-way speaker communication.

Although Reolink's Argus PT is a fairly pricey smart camera, its versatile design and impressive 2K video resolution help this model stand apart from the pack. Available in black and white, this larger camera's night vision is well-defined, making it a top pick if you need to monitor an area with low lighting. The Argus PT also easily fits into a wide range of smart home platforms, sports dual-band Wi-Fi for the most reliable connection available, and has far more pan and tilt functionality than cheaper models.

However, its notable video resolution and overall flexibility come at a higher price tag of $140, and its non-removable battery must be recharged after one to four weeks. Still, it is worth the cost to some buyers due to the premium video clarity and the ability to save short-term video footage to the cloud for free or use a 128GB memory card (additional data storage plans are available). On top of that, you can use multiple alert settings to filter out false alarms, and there's two-way speaker communication.

Travel mode functions

The Wyze Cam Outdoor has a unique colorized night vision mode and combination smoke and CO2 detector, 1080p resolution footage, weatherproof design, six months of battery life per charge, two-way communication, 32GB memory card storage, and a wide 130-degree viewing range. It is a great choice for maintaining a smart home's security on a budget.

You may be surprised how many useful features are packed into this blocky little $80 camera. Still, its unique colorized night vision mode and combination of smoke and CO2 detector make it a viable contender. The Wyze Cam Outdoor captures crisp 1080p resolution footage, has a resilient weatherproof design, and a solid six months of battery life per charge, even with the minor inconvenience that forces you to take down and bring the camera inside to recharge its batteries twice a year.

This Wyze camera is a snap to mount wherever you need it. Its two-way communication, ability to store footage on a 32GB memory card, and wide 130-degree viewing range make this a solid choice for maintaining a smart home's security on a budget.

Simple to-the-point device

The Blink Video Doorbell from Amazon features a 1080p resolution, two-way audio, and a maximum battery life of up to two years. It is simple to install, resistant to extreme heat and cold, and has clear nighttime footage. However, its reliance on Alexa to function is a bit limiting, taking a few seconds longer to access its live feed from a smartphone.

If you rely on Amazon tech to power your smart home, the Blink Video Doorbell is a simple yet effective battery camera. Available in black and white, this doorbell camera features a sharp 1080p resolution, convenient two-way audio functionality, as well as an eye-catching maximum battery life of up to two years.

This camera is simple to install, resistant to extreme heat and cold, and includes clear nighttime footage, but its reliance on Alexa to function is a bit limiting. Since the device will be in low-power mode for 99% of the time you own it, it takes a few seconds longer than you might expect to access its live feed from a smartphone. This downfall is far from a dealbreaker, though, especially if you're shopping on a budget.

Light-assisted security

Amazon's Ring Spotlight Cam Pro is a comprehensive security camera with Bird's Eye View mode, a built-in spotlight, colorized night vision mode, 1080p video resolution, a wide range of view, 3D motion detection, an audio alarm, and a battery pack. It's also expensive and only compatible with Alexa.

With so many integrated quality-of-life features, it's easy to see why Amazon named this Spotlight Cam their Pro model. The most interesting innovation that sets this camera apart from the pack is its Bird's Eye View mode, which displays an aerial vantage point that shows where people are within its view and the path they took along the way, tracking visitors and trespassers alike.

Its built-in spotlight, colorized night vision mode, crisp 1080p video resolution, and wide range of view are represented in more affordable cameras; however, the fact that all of these core features are rolled into one model alongside other convenient features such as 3D motion detection to filter out false notifications, a loud audio alarm for emergencies, and an easily swappable battery pack that makes this a comprehensive model for fine-tuned security monitoring. Unfortunately, the Spotlight Cam Pro is fairly expensive and exclusively made to integrate with Alexa.

Quality sound and picture

SimpliSafe's battery-powered camera features 1080p resolution, an integrated spotlight, and clear night vision. Furthermore, it has 3–6 months of battery life, is weather resistant, and has a dual-band Wi-Fi connection and two-way communication. The biggest downside is that you need to buy the core system set in order to connect to the SimpliSafe Base Station.

Best reserved for an inclusive smart home security system, SimpliSafe's battery-powered camera features a sharp 1080p resolution, an integrated spotlight, and clear night vision for monitoring a larger space with the help of its wide-angle lens. You get between 3–6 months of battery life, depending on how active the viewing area is. And even if you need to recharge it four times a year, its detachable fast-charging battery makes energy management a simple process.

Weather resistant, sporting a reliable dual-band Wi-Fi connection, and the peace of mind that comes with two-way communication, there's a lot going for this model. The biggest downside to SimpliSafe's $190 battery-powered camera is that you also need to buy the core system set, so it can connect to the SimpliSafe Base Station to function, which is sold separately. If you need multiple smart security options, such as a keypad, motion sensors, and entry sensors, it's worth investing in one of these comprehensive kits.

While many smart cameras are on the market, consider each model's baseline stats and extended features. At the bare minimum, a quality model should have a 1080p video resolution, feature an easy-to-install design, and be compatible with your other smart devices. Once you have narrowed it down, compare each model's unique features, like two-way communication, night vision, and overall battery life.

You can easily narrow the list down by checking which models are compatible with your current smart home setup. It's also important to compare free integrated features vs. services and options that include an additional subscription. Companies like Wyze and Ring offer subscription plans, and certain features may be locked behind that subscription wall. Some cameras are doorbell devices as well, and some have built-in spotlights for added visibility, which are all great extras to have with your security device. Above all else, your camera should be simple to install, easy-to-use monitor, and maintain. After all, a security system is an investment you will want to rely on for a long time.

We were particularly impressed with the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera's affordable price point, versatile design, features, and convenient six months of battery life. It's an all-around security cam that will cover almost all of your security needs. Plus, when we compare the Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera to our Ring Spotlight choice, it's a relatively easy decision in terms of brightness, quality, and affordability. Although the Google Nest Cam is equally pricey, its innovative features and simple installation make it easy to set up and fine-tune to fit your needs. Finally, the Ring Stick Up Cam provides the most value between the array of useful features normally reserved for more expensive security cameras and how simple it is to mount wherever you need it.

High-performance camera

The Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera is an inconspicuous security camera with 1080p resolution and a wide-angle lens. It has up to six months of battery life and features x12 zoom, two-way audio, and ambient background noise cancelation. However, users must disconnect and bring the camera inside to recharge it via its USB port.

Heather is a commerce writer with Android Police. She has been a full-time content writer since graduation from SAIT Polytechnic in 2018. She is an experienced article writer working for many brands over the years.While a professional content creator, Heather has worked with various organizations, businesses, and events to create captivating content for media streams. Heather enjoys photography, videography, and producing on top of writing, and says her creative abilities outside of writing allow her to think outside the box when creating unique and original content.