Best Floodlight Camera to Buy

Introduction

You heard a shuffling noise but you don’t want to go look. In this case, a security camera with good night vision will show you what’s out there. But if you want to scare that rascal or raccoon away then a floodlight camera can help.  

Floodlight cameras offer plenty of benefits from both a safety and security perspective. In addition, smart floodlight cameras can give you the added value of better lighting thanks to sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to light up when someone is there.  

In this blog, we have covered six of the best floodlight cameras with innovative features; an impressive 360 field-of-view; super bright, tunable LED floodlights. We have also covered great cameras for people on a budget at a much lower price.  

Best Floodlight Cameras

1. Eufy Floodlight Camera- 2 Pro

The beast of cam is EUFY floodlight camera as it got some seriously smart moves with its advanced AI tracking, a 360-degree view, and tunable lighting. While this floodlight cam lacks in style, it makes up for the functionality. Plus, the cam offers three adjustable lighting panels, addressable PIR motion sensors, and local storage.  

However, aside from its crazy functionality, the cam’s flaws are the ugly look, outdated push-to-talk two-way audio, no option for continuous video recording, and limited zoom. It also lacks smart alerts which can be a little annoying, but you can adjust the motion sensitivity.   

Auto-cruise three and lighting panels feature lets you set the camera on scheduled four preset positions and deliver a blinding 3,000 lumens of light at up to 5,700 Kelvins. The cam resembles the lighting of a prison yard at full brightness, but you can change the brightness and tone.   

The 2K video quality is excellent and the camera works over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi with a weather rating of IP65 and doesn’t require a Eufy hub.  

The floodlight cam comes with 4GB of non-removable onboard storage and you can also opt for a Network Attached Storage setup. The camera even works with Google Home and Alexa to stream footage on smart displays but there is no 24/7 continuous video recording.   

2. Arlo Floodlight Camera – Pro 3

Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera offers one of the most versatile installation options and has the best video quality. The cam also offers easy compatibility with Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, and Apple HomeKit.   

However, if you add continual power and pay for smart alerts and video recording it gets comparatively expensive.  

Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera is my next favorite pick if you want a floodlight camera with a stronger zoom, better smart alerts, and a motion-activated siren. The floodlight camera offers by far the best video quality with 2K, HDR imaging, and 12x digital zoom.  

Arlo floodlight camera requires you to subscribe to its Secure service (paid service) to access its full functionality. This floodlight camera is the least obtrusive-looking floodlight camera and you can also mount it anywhere.   

Despite the small size, the floodlight camera offers very bright light which is enough to scare off intruders, and you can even set its 80dB siren to go off once it detects motion.  

However, the Arlo floodlight camera can’t be called waterproof even though it works fine once dried out. Also, it does work with Google Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT, and allows you to stream video on Nest smart displays and in the app.   

3. Wyze Floodlight Camera

Wyze floodlight camera offers a superb with a 2600 lumen blaster at a lower cost. They also offer sound detection, the option of local storage and 24/7, and continual recording.  

Wyze uses both a PIR and a camera-based motion sensor with 270 degrees of motion sensing. The cam has a built-in extra USB port to power a second Wyze Cam v3.   

Despite its low price, Wyze doesn’t offer you quite the surveillance power of the Eufy and also looks a bit cheap. You might also want to factor in paying for a Wyze CamPlus subscription plan. Although the camera allows for 12 seconds of free motion-recorded clips, there’s a 5-minute cooldown period unless you pay up for the unlimited-length clips.  

Wyze has a zoom of 1080p resolution with superb starlight sensor-powered night vision which uses available light to illuminate a dark scene in color. The cam also has a louder siren than the Arlo and an option of local storage by adding an SD card, as a bonus, for 24/7 continuous video recording.  

Wyze floodlight camera allows you to stream footage to your Google and Alexa smart displays with Alexa announcing motion if at all detected. However, you still don’t get the ability to control the lights with either voice assistant. Also, you can’t get individual control of the floodlights outside of the Wyze app. 

4. Google Nest Floodlight Camera

Google Nest is the first lighting product from the company with good control options in the Google Home app. Google Nest Cam battery is attached with its camera magnetically via a power cable.   

The Nest floodlight camera offers free smart alerts to turn the lights and camera without a siren, and it is compatible with Google Home only. It also offers a built-in battery backup, free on-device recording (lasting up to three hours), free smart alerts, and (paid) 24/7 recording.  

Unlike other competitors, as part of Nest’s Familiar Faces feature, this cam offers facial recognition. However, to avail of this service, you need to pay for Nest Secure subscription, starting at $6 a month.  

Google Nest also offers two swappable floodlight cameras that magnetically attach themselves. They give you some good options, including adjustable arms to angle your lighting, 5 GHz Wi-Fi, ambient light activation, the option to dim the beams, and app and voice control in the Google Home app.  

However, the nest floodlight camera doesn’t offer a built-in siren which makes it a deal-breaker when it comes to the dedicated security device.   

Nest’s on-device machine learning allows fast notifications and its motion sensors provide a 180-degree sensing range. Sadly, the camera only works with Google Home and doesn’t fit well for an under-the-eave installation.  

5. Netatmo Smart Outdoor Camera

Netatmo Smart Outdoor Camera is the most good-looking camera on this list which is available in two flavors, with and without a siren.   

This floodlight camera is perfect for those concerned with only privacy when it comes to installing cameras around their home. The floodlight security cam has no cloud component as all its video is recorded locally with smart alerts being processed on the device. However, you can opt to store recordings on your FTP or Dropbox service.   

This is the only floodlight camera on the list which works with both Apple HomeKit and HomeKit Secure Video, with no monthly fees charged by Netatmo.  

It offers free video storage, free smart alerts, and works with Alexa, Google, and Apple HomeKit. However, there is no two-way audio, and the video quality was the least impressive.   

The model is made out of aluminum instead of plastic, giving it a very stylish look with a high-end feel. However, you can install the cam horizontally under an eave. It can only be mounted vertically to the side of a house.  

Additionally, Netatmo offers free smart alerts and the ability to control the light and camera via Google Home, HomeKit, or Amazon Alexa. It offers a built-in ear-splitting siren and sends rich notifications with a zoomed-in clip with a well-laid-out timeline.   

However, being an older camera, its video quality is just nowhere near as good as the competition as it offers 1080p video. Plus, there is no HDR imaging or any other digital trickery to produce a more vibrant image like other modern cameras. Its digital zoom is limited without two-way audio.   

How is a Floodlight Camera Used For Security?

Floodlight cameras are great for security because they combine lights, cameras, and continuous power. The motion sensors also offer great value as it activates lights and assures you don’t trip on that package left in your driveway. Plus, built-in sirens can be activated to deterrent anyone creeping around your property.  

Floodlight security cameras are wired but still operate wirelessly to transmit video using Wi-Fi. This gives you an advantage as there are no battery-charging woes unlike with a plug-in camera. Also, you don’t need to drill through your walls to access an indoor plug.  

The floodlight camera is controlled in the same way as the regular outdoor camera and offers more or less the same features. But you get the added option of light control, making it an excellent upgrade to standard motion-activated lighting.  

Why Not Buy a Floodlight Security Camera?

Floodlight cameras are significantly more expensive and more limited in terms of where you can place them (where there is existing wiring for lighting). Also, most floodlight cameras use non-replaceable LED lighting meaning you might be left in dark with a camera if the lights go bad.