SimpliSafe Outdoor Security Camera Review

We tested SimpliSafe's outdoor camera in a real backyard, and we're happy to report that it passed muster. The SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera has clear video and great sound. To top things off, it also comes with a siren, zoom, and a motion-activated spotlight. 

Honestly, we're relieved that this camera works so well. You can't use SimpliSafe with third-party camera brands, so the only way to get professional video alarm verification is to use SimpliSafe's cameras. This one does the trick, but we do wish it had more than one privacy zone.  

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• SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera
• Charging cable
• Battery
• Mounting bracket and screws

The camera itself sells for nearly $180, but you might spend close to $100 extra just to get the power supply and mounting hardware you need.

There are three ways to power the SimpliSafe Wireless Outdoor Camera: removable battery pack, 25-foot power cord (about $30), or solar panel (about $80). This camera automatically comes with one rechargeable battery pack, but you can buy an extra for around $30 so the camera isn't offline during charging.

Finally, SimpliSafe also sells a permanent camera mount for about $10. Without it, the Outdoor Camera relies on a magnet to stay in place. 

To install this grapefruit-sized camera with your SimpliSafe home security system, all you need to do is tap on Add New Camera the SimpliSafe app, and it will guide you through the rest. It took about 10 minutes for us to install it from start to finish.

We used the magnetic mount to just stick it to a metal post. If you need to mount it with screws, it will take a little longer.

Hands down, this is one of the easiest cameras we’ve ever set up. (And we’ve set up a lot of cameras.)

SimpliSafe Outdoor Cam is a little less expensive than its competitors, but it doesn’t offer smart home integration like Ring, Arlo, or Google Nest cameras. It also doesn’t offer simple features like privacy zones that prevent the wireless security camera from recording in certain areas (like over your neighbor’s fence). It needs motion sensitivity controls too.

However, it fits the bill of what SimpliSafe offers: simple equipment that's a breeze to set up and use. With fewer settings to configure, it takes not time at all to get the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera up and running. 

The quality of both the audio and the camera leave very little to complain about. The camera’s 1080p HD resolution is clear with vivid colors. With the help of the camera’s light, the color night footage is clear too. We had no trouble identifying faces.

The SimpliSafe camera has 8x digital zoom, but we didn’t feel like that helped much when identifying objects that were further away. The image got fuzzier when we zoomed in. That’s common for security cameras, though.

The audio was impressive. It was understandable without much noise. The siren is plenty loud enough to scare off intruders at 80 dB. It’s probably not loud enough to wake you unless it’s near your bedroom window. It’s only about as loud as a vacuum cleaner.

We’ll be frank; the motion detection on this security camera system is annoying. We were getting notifications every few seconds. It picked up leaves, bugs, and other random things. Ironically, it missed some humans. We wanted to turn down the sensitivity, but this SimpliSafe video camera doesn’t offer that option.

You can set up activity zones so the camera doesn’t sense activity from busy areas like sidewalks or roads. The problem is that it only lets you select one area to ignore. If your camera is pointed at several busy areas, you have to pick which one to ignore. Huge bummer. Other cameras, like the Arlo Pro 4, let you create multiple activity zones.

If you’re looking to expand a SimpliSafe system into your yard or driveway, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera will give you a clear view, day or night.

Best of all, SimpliSafe's professional monitors can check video footage during an alarm event to gather evidence and understand the alarm's context. Make sure you subscribe to the Fast Protect™ plan to take advantage of this perk. 

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