Hate subscriptions? This solar-powered security cam doesn't need one

Outdoor safety cameras was once a problem, with wires to run, batteries to swap, recordings to pay for, and extra. The Night Owl Solar-Powered Battery Camera ($99.99) is a part of a rising wave of merchandise that promise to simplify all that.

This digital camera is totally wi-fi, powered by the solar, and it doesn’t lock you into paying for a subscription to retailer recordings within the cloud. That makes it interesting to anybody who needs to spice up their dwelling safety with out taking up one other invoice or a weekend-long set up venture.

Design and options

The Night Owl Solar-Powered Battery Camera has the clear, utilitarian look you’d anticipate from a contemporary outside safety cam. It’s a compact white unit with an built-in photo voltaic panel on high and a ball-and-socket mount that permits you to intention it the place you want. The plastic housing feels stable sufficient to deal with the weather, although it doesn’t have the heft of extra premium fashions. Night Owl didn’t present an IP code to price its safety from the weather, however like most cameras on this value vary, it’s greatest put in below an eave or overhang for defense.

The digital camera information in 2K decision (2560 x 1440 pixels), which supplies you a pointy picture with sufficient element to make out faces and license plates, assuming respectable lighting and a transparent line of sight. It’s a step up from the 1080p footage you get with many entry-level cameras.

The photo voltaic panel is the primary draw right here. It retains the interior batteries topped off with common solar publicity, reducing down on the necessity to dismount the digital camera for recharging manually if it’s continuously within the shade or after lengthy runs of cloudy days.

Like most good cams, this one contains two-way audio, so you possibly can speak to supply individuals or warn somebody of your property. There’s additionally a built-in siren you possibly can set off from the app to scare off intruders.

The digital camera makes use of movement detection to provide you with a warning to exercise, and it could distinguish between individuals and autos. That helps lower down on false alarms from wind-blown branches or passing pets. It additionally has colour night time imaginative and prescient, utilizing its highlight to brighten up the scene after darkish. When there’s not sufficient mild, it falls again to black-and-white infrared.

There are two connectivity choices: You can hyperlink the digital camera to your property Wi-Fi community, or you possibly can set up a point-to-point wi-fi connection to a Night Owl hub, which comes with a 64GB microSD card and has the choice to host a tough drive for extra storage. The second choice provides a layer of safety by maintaining your footage off the general public web, and that may be interesting for folk already invested within the Night Owl ecosystem.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Storage choices are equally versatile. You can save footage regionally to a microSD card on the digital camera itself, to that Night Owl hub, or you possibly can decide right into a cloud-storage plan. Night Owl presents two tiers: $3.99/month for 15GB of 30-day storage on particular person units, or $9.99/month for 50GB of 30-day storage when utilizing a Security Hub. The incontrovertible fact that cloud storage is non-compulsory—not required—is a plus, particularly for customers preferring to maintain prices down or keep away from importing footage to the web.

Everything runs by means of the Night Owl Protect app, which supplies you a reside view, occasion historical past, and management over movement settings and notifications. It’s obtainable for iOS and Android, and whereas it’s not as polished as some opponents, it covers the fundamentals nicely sufficient.

Setup and efficiency

Installing the Night Owl Solar-Powered Battery Camera is pretty simple. The digital camera comes with mounting {hardware} and a ball-joint bracket that permits you to regulate the angle as soon as it’s in place. The largest choice is placement. You’ll need a spot with respectable daylight to maintain the photo voltaic panel doing its factor, and inside vary of your Wi-Fi community or Night Owl hub. Setup is completed by means of the Night Owl Protect app and takes only a few minutes.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

The digital camera comes with a pair of rechargeable lithium ion 18650 batteries and a USB-C charging cable. To set up them, you’ll have to unscrew a small panel on the underside of the digital camera. Once the batteries are in place, they’ll be saved charged by the photo voltaic panel, however it’s also possible to recharge them manually utilizing the included cable. The charging port is tucked behind a rubber tab subsequent to the microSD card slot. The cable is about 5 ft lengthy, so in the event you don’t have and outside plug inside its attain, you’ll have to take the digital camera down recharge it. Should the batteries ever fail you recharge, you should purchase a replacement set for $24.99.

The app will get the job accomplished, however it may use some polish. Navigation isn’t as intuitive as it’s with apps from greater manufacturers like Ring or Arlo, and the interface feels a bit dated. That stated, when you be taught your means round, it’s useful. You can view reside video, evaluate recorded clips, tweak movement sensitivity, and communicate by means of the digital camera—all of the fundamentals are coated.

Motion alerts come by means of shortly, and the digital camera typically does a great job recognizing individuals and autos whereas ignoring different sorts of motion. During testing, notifications arrived inside a couple of seconds of movement being detected, with few false alarms.

Audio high quality is superb. Voices come by means of clearly, and there’s a canned warning you possibly can set off—“Smile, you’re being recorded”—in the event you’d quite not work together with an outsider straight.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Video high quality is stable for a 2K digital camera on this value vary. Daytime footage is evident and crisp, with correct colour. Nighttime efficiency will depend on ambient lighting. With the highlight on, you’ll get respectable colour element; with out it, infrared kicks in and delivers a usable black-and-white picture.

Battery life relies upon closely on placement. In full solar, the photo voltaic panel does a great job sustaining the cost, even with a couple of movement occasions per day. In shaded areas or throughout cloudy weeks, the battery may drain sooner than it prices, requiring occasional handbook recharging. It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it expertise in all circumstances, however it comes shut with the appropriate placement.

The digital camera integrates nicely with the Night Owl ecosystem and likewise helps Google Home, so you possibly can view footage on appropriate good shows. However, it doesn’t work with Alexa or Apple HomeEquipment, and broader good dwelling automation is restricted.

Should you purchase the Night Owl Solar-Powered Battery Camera?

If you’re in search of a easy, self-contained safety resolution that doesn’t nickel-and-dime you with month-to-month charges, the Night Owl Solar-Powered Battery Camera makes a robust case. It’s particularly well-suited for budget-conscious customers who need respectable video high quality, dependable movement alerts, and primary good options with out getting tangled in cords or locked right into a subscription.

This evaluate is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the best home security cameras.

That stated, it’s not for everybody. If you reside in a area with restricted daylight or want full integration with good dwelling platforms like Alexa or Apple Home, you’ll hit some partitions. And the app, whereas useful, feels a step behind extra polished platforms from greater manufacturers.

Still, for what it’s—a no-subscription-required, solar-powered safety cam that performs properly with Night Owl’s wired storage methods—it delivers stable worth. If that’s what you’re after, this digital camera’s value a glance.