The SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera has clear video and great sound. And it comes with a siren, zoom, and spotlight. Other than that, this home security camera lacks features that other wireless outdoor security camera brands offer at a similar price point.
For our SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera review, we tried it in a real yard to see how well it works compared to other security cameras.
Clear video
Outstanding sound
Easy installation 
No motion sensitivity settings
No privacy zones
Overactive sensitivity Price | Video verification  | Timeline access | Video recording | Smart home integration | Learn more | |
| Interactive Monitoring | $27.99 |  Yes | Unlimited | Up to 10 cameras | Yes | View Packages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Monitoring | $17.99 |  No | 7 days | No | No | View Packages |
| Self Monitoring w/ Camera Recording | $9.99 | No | Unlimited | Up to 5 cameras | Yes | View Packages |
Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
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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. That puts the total cost above similar (or better) outdoor security cameras.
It's unusual for SimpliSafe's costs to be higher than average, but you're between a rock and a hard place here—no third-party cameras work with the SimpliSafe security system, so if you want an outdoor camera with pro monitoring from SimpliSafe, this is it.
There are three ways to power the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera: battery pack, 25-foot power cord (about $30), or solar panel (about $80). This camera automatically comes with one 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.)
If your camera isn’t connecting to your system during installation, make sure the SimpliSafe base station is updated with the latest firmware. Once the updates are downloaded, the SimpliSafe camera should connect with no problems.
Check out more SimpliSafe troubleshooting tips or learn how to contact SimpliSafe customer service.
The quality of both the audio and the camera leave very little to complain about. The camera’s resolution of 1080p 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 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.
The 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 camera from recording in certain areas (like over your neighbor’s fence). It needs motion sensitivity controls too.
We think the extra $30 other brands charge is worth it considering what you get. Ring Alarm does a better job of balancing camera quality with all the perks of a DIY security system. Learn more in our review of SimpliSafe vs. Ring.
Cameras | Best for | Price | Power source | Resolution | Night vision | Learn more | Read review |
| Best for SimpliSafe | $169.99 | Battery, solar | 1080p | Spotlight/infrared | View on SimpliSafe | – | |
| Best overall | $199.99 | Battery, wired, solar | 1080p | Color/infrared | View on Amazon | Read Review | |
| Best for smart homes | $198.30 | Wired | 1080p | Infrared | View on Amazon | Read Review | |
| Best for video | $199.99 | Battery, solar | 1440p (2K) | Color/infrared | View on Amazon | Read Review |
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
If you’re looking to expand a SimpliSafe system into your yard or driveway, you’re kinda stuck with the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera. You can’t use any other outdoor cameras with your system. But if you’re okay with a bare-bones security camera, you probably won’t be disappointed with the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera. It’s dependable and has clear video and audio.
If you don’t mind using another app, you’ve got other outdoor security camera options. Go ahead and pay a little more and get a camera with advanced features like privacy zones, multiple motion zones, and motion sensitivity settings. You’ll be happy you did.
The SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera comes with a USB charging cable. It can take up to five hours to charge all the way. You can also purchase a solar accessory that keeps the camera charged so you don’t need to mess with it.
Nope. SimpliSafe security systems are only compatible with SimpliSafe cameras. You can use other brands of security cameras, but they just won’t work with your security system.
The SimpliSafe keypad and the camera pages and timeline on the app will all show alerts so you’re sure not to miss it. If your push notifications are on, you’ll get a message sent to you too.
Ten, but you have to have the Interactive Monitoring plan to use this many cameras.
No, it only works if you connect it to a SimpliSafe base station and keypad.
Technically, yes. It won’t record footage, but you can see live footage using the app.
To learn about more things you can do with the app, take a look at our SimpliSafe app guide.
No. Although SimpliSafe pairs with Amazon Alexa, there's no Echo Show video compatibility.
Yes, SimpliSafe UK customers can buy the Outdoor Camera too.
Read answers to more SimpliSafe FAQs.
Image: SafeWise.
For our SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera review, we tried the camera out with our SimpliSafe security system. We used it in a real home to figure out just how well it works in real life. We also scoured reviews from other users to see if our findings matched up.
Who are we? Our staff here at SafeWise has almost 100 years of combined experience in safety and security. You can trust our reviews and recommendations.
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