Updated on Oct. 23, 2023
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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
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Best solar-powered camera overall
Arlo Pro 4 with Arlo Solar Panel Charger
View details
Best budget cam and solar panel setup
Wyze Outdoor Cam v2 plus Solar Panel
View details
Having a security system installed can bring a level of ease and comfort. And thanks to a huge variety of security cameras on the market right now, it’s never been easier or more affordable to keep an eye on your home. These DIY cameras are easy to install and allow you to monitor both the interior and exterior of your home from anywhere. Some more advanced models even have floodlights, sirens, motion sensors and other helpful features. Our CNET experts have tested dozens of home security cameras over the years, comparing indoor versus outdoor, wired versus wireless and now even testing ones powered by the sun.
Unlike indoor cameras, the ideal spot to set up your outdoor camera won’t always be near a power outlet. That’s why wireless cameras are often better suited for outdoor use. They’ll also keep you from having to run unsightly wires. But they’re not totally without fault — that battery will require charging at some point, most likely when it’s least convenient and you’re out of town. So, equipping your camera with a compatible solar panel is the best way to ensure your battery stays charged year-round. Solar-powered security cameras allow you to avoid tricky wiring and dead batteries while still delivering on all the other specs like their nonsolar counterparts.
What is the best overall solar-powered home security camera?
After hours of testing, we’ve determined our favorite solar-powered cam of 2023 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 2023
Pros:
- Lightweight and easy to install
- A slew of smart features included
- No base station needed
Cons:
- Solar panel sold separately
- Pricier than competitors
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Arlo’s $200 Pro 4 camera (currently on sale for $140) 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, which will set you back another $60. At a total price of around $220, that makes this package a little more than some alternatives, but the quality of the device justifies that price tag.
Pros:
- Lightweight and easy to install
- A slew of smart features included
- No base station needed
Cons:
- Solar panel sold separately
- Pricier than competitors
Photo Gallery 1/1
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That’s not a bad deal, especially given the 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 package for even lower prices fairly frequently — especially during parent company Amazon’s Prime Day sale.
Pros:
- Weather-proof
- Long-lasting battery
- Included USB adapter and neat solar panel accessory
Cons:
- Spotty audio quality
- Additional fee for cloud storage
” page-position linktext=”Read our Ring Stick Up Cam review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/reviews/ring-stick-up-cam-battery-review/” can-collapse=”true” collapse-on-page-load=”true” can-truncate=”true” truncate-on-page-load=”true” offer=”{“id”:”15434738-1aa4-4a86-827d-62b176846a75″,”label”:”Ring Stick Up Cam Battery (Black)”,”slug”:”ring-stick-up-cam-battery-black”,”edition”:[“US”,”ES”],”imageId”:”c987ae7f-a9ce-4c4e-ab71-d734079f449e”,”imgUrl”:”/content/image/redirect/c987ae7f-a9ce-4c4e-ab71-d734079f449e/resize/75×56″,”typeLabel”:”Tech Product”,”objectType”:”content_product”,”icon”:”type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product ct-small”}” techobjectinfo=”{“uuid”:”15434738-1aa4-4a86-827d-62b176846a75″,”slug”:”ring-stick-up-cam-battery-black”,”name”:”Ring Stick Up Cam Battery (Black)”,”productType”:”PRODUCT”,”updateType”:”PRISM”,”mod”:1697690003893}” overridecredit=”Ring” overridecaption=”
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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 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 package for even lower prices fairly frequently — especially during parent company Amazon’s Prime Day sale.
Pros:
- Weather-proof
- Long-lasting battery
- Included USB adapter and neat solar panel accessory
Cons:
- Spotty audio quality
- Additional fee for cloud storage
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Adding a compatible Wyze solar panel to keep your camera continuously charged will only cost another $29. That’s an all-in cost of around $110 for the camera, base station and solar panel. What’s more, Wyze offers a “name your price” option with its Cam Plus Lite subscription service, even if that price is zero. The subscription includes 14 days of cloud storage and person detection alerts.
Pros:
- Reasonable price
- Sharp 1080p video
- Local and cloud storage options
Cons:
- Requires a base station (included)
- Doesn’t support Apple HomeKit
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Wyze is one of our top recommended brands for low-cost, yet still high-quality, indoor and outdoor security cameras. The new Wyze Outdoor Cam v2, a wireless camera with 1080p resolution, color night vision, a built-in alarm and other security and monitoring features, is available for around $80 with the required base station.
Adding a compatible Wyze solar panel to keep your camera continuously charged will only cost another $29. That’s an all-in cost of around $110 for the camera, base station and solar panel. What’s more, Wyze offers a “name your price” option with its Cam Plus Lite subscription service, even if that price is zero. The subscription includes 14 days of cloud storage and person detection alerts.
Pros:
- Reasonable price
- Sharp 1080p video
- Local and cloud storage options
Cons:
- Requires a base station (included)
- Doesn’t support Apple HomeKit
Show expert take Show less
Solar-powered security cameras compared
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| Our Picks | Arlo Pro 4 (w/ solar panel) | Ring Stick Up Cam Solar | Wyze Outdoor Cam v2 (w/ solar panel) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total price | $220 | $140 | $109 |
| 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 |
Factors to consider when choosing a solar-powered camera
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 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
Not all video storage is equal. You have two main options and picking one is up to your personal preference. 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.
How we test solar-powered home security cameras
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’s. We do look for better resolution, wider field of view and the presence of features we consider must-haves in 2023, 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.
But 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.
Solar-powered security camera FAQs
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.
