News

May 11, 2024

Best Floodlight Cameras of 2023

These security cameras light up the night and are made by some of the most popular home security brands, including Arlo, Blink, Google Nest, Ring, and Wyze When you shop through retailer links on our

These security cameras light up the night and are made by some of the most popular home security brands, including Arlo, Blink, Google Nest, Ring, and Wyze

When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.

If your house has floodlights, odds are they’re placed in areas that are also ideal mounting spots for security cameras: hardwired for power, high above the ground, and facing open areas like yards and driveways that you want to keep an eye on.

That’s why floodlight security cameras are such a compelling option. You get a camera, floodlight, and often a siren in one package and, in most cases, you don’t have to worry about recharging batteries every few weeks or months like you do with other types of outdoor wireless security cameras. And as a bonus, you can control your floodlight from your phone, smart speaker, or smart display.

Floodlight cameras are different from conventional outdoor security cameras, though they’re frequently made by the same companies. Wireless cameras are often battery-powered, smaller, less noticeable, and sometimes have small spotlights to provide a little light at night. They can be a better option in places where you don’t need a powerful light turning on every time a person or vehicle passes by, and they’re easier to set up.

Installing a floodlight camera also tends to be more complicated. With a wireless security camera, all you have to do is plug them in or charge up the battery, connect them to WiFi, and you’re ready to go. To replace a standard floodlight with a floodlight camera, you have to shut off the power at your breaker box, get up on a ladder, remove the old floodlight, and wire in the new fixture (or call an electrician to do it for you). However, there are now a few battery-powered and plug-in models on the market.

I initially tried out a handful of floodlight security cameras in a Consumer Reports Outside the Labs evaluation, but the product category has grown to the point that CR now tests these cameras in our labs. Below, CR members will find ratings and reviews of the six best floodlight cameras, which are listed among our wireless home security camera ratings. On the list, in alphabetical order, are models made by Arlo, Blink, Google Nest, Ring, and Wyze. All feature night vision, high-definition video, voice and app control via digital assistants, and two-way audio.

For a deeper dive, go to our full home security camera ratings, which also include ratings for wireless security cameras and video doorbells. Top-rated models include cameras from Arlo, Ring, and TP-Link, and video doorbells from Eufy, Logitech, and SimpliSafe.

Daniel Wroclawski

Dan Wroclawski is a home and appliances writer at Consumer Reports, covering products ranging from refrigerators and coffee makers to cutting-edge smart home devices. Before joining CR in 2017, he was an editor at USA Today’s Reviewed, and launched the site’s smart home section. In his spare time, you can find him tinkering with one of the over 70 connected devices in his house. Follow Dan on Facebook and Twitter @danwroc.