Google Nest Cam Outdoor Review

The Google Nest Cam Outdoor has all the features you desire in an outdoor security camera plus a few extras.

Mindy Woodall

Managing Editor, Abode Security & Smart Dwelling house

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As far as outdoor security cameras go, the Google Nest Cam Outdoor is one of the best. Information technology has just about everything you could possibly want or demand in an outdoor camera, including HD video, two-way audio, night vision, familiar face up detection, and a 24/vii recording option.

That's not to say the Nest is perfect: it has a couple drawbacks. But on the whole, if y'all want a durable, reliable security photographic camera with cloud storage and splendid tech features, the Nest Cam Outdoor does not disappoint.

How the Google Nest Cam Outdoor works

The Google Nest Cam Outdoor has a magnetic mountain that makes it easy to install (but might likewise be a flaw).

The Google Nest Cam Outdoor hooks onto only about whatever surface on the outside of your firm. It has a magnetic mounting base that you can spiral into a wall or even attach to a flat metal surface like a door frame.

This photographic camera is technically wireless, but that really just means you don't take to connect it to your internet router with an Ethernet cable. You exercise notwithstanding have to plug this baby into a wall outlet—and it has to be an indoor one. And then be prepared to drill a pigsty through your wall or awkwardly thread it through a door.

nest outdoor cam out of the box

Google Nest Cam Outdoor model details

Model Google Nest Cam Outdoor
Price $199.00
Resolution 1080p
Field of vision 130º
Battery type AC power
Zoom 8x digital zoom
Night vision Aye
Two-manner audio Yes
24/seven recording Yes
Local storage No
Cloud storage Yes
Acquire more than

Amazon.com List Prices (equally of 06/15/21 nine:00 MST) Full Disclaimer

Google Nest Cam Outdoor installation

Aside from the role where you have to figure out what to do with the ability cord, the Nest Cam Outdoor's installation is pretty simple.

Once you figure out where you lot want to put the photographic camera, you just secure the mounting plate to the wall with the screws that come in the box. Nest includes some wall anchors, likewise, but non a screwdriver or drill—y'all'll need your own.

Included Google Nest Cam Outdoor installation tools:

  • Camera wall plate
  • Adapter wall plate
  • Screws
  • Wall anchors
  • Cablevision clips

One time you lot take the mounting plate securely installed, the Nest Cam'southward magnetic base snaps right onto it. It'due south a strong magnet also. It'll accept yous a chip of effort to pull the cam off the mountain once again.

Light Bulb

The bottom of the Nest Cam Outdoor's mounting plate is too magnetic, so you can only put it on whatsoever flat metal surface outside if y'all want to. But we think information technology's safer and more secure if y'all spiral it in place. It would be a shame if your photographic camera slid off and brutal on your physical patio.

Now this is where things get a little trickier. The Nest Cam Outdoor has a power cord that must exist plugged in to an indoor outlet. The camera and the string itself are both weatherproof, but the AC adapter is not.

You tin can drill a hole through your outside wall and slide the wire through there, or thread the wire through a doorway. Nosotros recommend drilling because then the wire won't interfere with your door endmost, and you won't get the wear and tear of closing your door on the wire all the time.

Once the photographic camera's upwardly and plugged in, yous demand to download the Nest app and create an account. The app will ask for things similar your e-mail address and your location. Once that'south all finished, you just scan the QR lawmaking on the body of the photographic camera, and you're fix to catch your nosey side by side-door neighbor on (digital) film.

1 concern: the magnetic base

The Nest Cam Outdoor's magnetic base is convenient, only it too makes it relatively easy for a thief to snatch your camera off its mountain and take it with them.

If that did happen, y'all'd nevertheless have footage of the event. (It would just go straight to the deject.) Merely the Nest Cam is an expensive picayune camera, and you don't want to lose it.

If you're worried about it, you lot might want to consider upgrading to the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor. Everything the Nest Cam Outdoor can exercise, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor can do better. Plus, the IQ requires a security screwdriver to take the camera on and off its mount. Thieves can't just take hold of n' go.

Nest Cam Outdoor

Google Nest Cam Outdoor monitoring

The Google Nest app makes it easy to arrange the settings on your photographic camera, view the livefeed, and review by footage. Yous tin become button notifications and e-mail alerts for absolutely everything that happens in your grand, or you can set specific activeness zones to proceed an centre on the areas that matter to y'all.

Some cameras requite you activity zones in blocks, and you lot can select which ones are active. It's imprecise, and yous might become more alerts than you lot want for one area merely not enough for another.

Nest lets you draw custom activity zones, and so you tin can conform exactly which areas you desire to get alerts about. You tin even color lawmaking and label the zones, then y'all get specific alerts about each one. It makes it much easier to sort through your notifications and run across which ones are important.

Megaphone

To get some of Nest's coolest features, including action zones, you have to subscribe to a monthly Nest Aware program.

Google Nest Cam Outdoor pricing

The Google Nest Cam has mid-range pricing, but you'll want a monthly subscription to go with it.

None of Google Nest's products are known for being overnice to your budget. Nest most ever has the best tech around, and that comes at a price.

That said, the Google Nest Cam Outdoor is a bit of an older model, and so you'll pay less than you would for the Nest Cam Outdoor IQ (the newer, fancier model). If you still want a high-quality Google Nest camera, but looking to save some money, the Nest Cam Outdoor is a good pick. Plan to spend around ii hundred dollars.

Google Nest Cam Outdoor pricing

Amazon.com List Prices (equally of 06/15/21 9:00 MST)

For some of the features like familiar face detection, 24/7 recording, and activeness zones, you'll have to subscribe to the Nest Enlightened plan. Without Nest Aware, you'll only have access to three hours' worth of motion-activated clips. Nest Enlightened is your gateway to all of Nest'due south coolest features but it comes with an additional cost tag.

Nest Aware monthly plans pricing

Plan Nest Enlightened Nest Aware Plus
Price* $6.00/mo. OR $60.00/year. $12.00/mo. OR $120.00/yr.
Cloud video storage thirty days 60 days
Continuous video recording storage None ten days
Larn more

Amazon.com List Prices (as of 06/xv/21 9:00 PST)

Features that crave Nest Aware:

  • 24/7 continuous recording
  • Timelapses
  • Clips
  • Custom activity zones
  • AI features (like familiar confront detection)
  • Smart alerts
  • Multi-day cloud storage

Google Nest Cam Outdoor user experience

The Google Nest app is easy to use and lets you customize the Nest Cam Outdoor's settings.

Nest Outdoor Cam

The Nest Cam Outdoor is pretty easy to operate through the Google Nest app. The app lets y'all adjust alerts and settings, and then you don't have to sift through l million alerts about waving tree branches or passing cars every day.

The Nest app gets expert reviews through Google Play and the Apple App Store. Google Play users give it a petty over four stars,1 and App Store users give it almost a full five stars.two We've also found the app to be total-featured and intuitive. You won't have to spend a couple hours just trying to figure out where everything is—it'south pretty simple.

Google Nest Cam Outdoor camera quality

The Nest Cam Outdoor has 1080p recording and 8x digital zoom. Nosotros consider 1080p pretty standard these days, and you'll get detailed, articulate images with information technology.

The 8x digital zoom is also useful if yous need to zoom in on a license plate of a passing car or need to zoom in to see if that's a stranger in your chiliad or only your neighbor grabbing their missing football game.

Want even better resolution?

Info Box

The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor has 1080p resolution along with a 4K image sensor and 12x digital zoom. The 4K epitome sensor means that, even though the photographic camera has 1080p resolution, you can zoom in on images and withal encounter every detail really conspicuously. It also has Supersight, a feature that automatically zooms in on people and follows their movements.
View at Best Purchase

Proceed in mind that high-resolution video recording uses a lot of cyberspace bandwidth. Brand sure your internet connection is up to the chore before yous go wild with Nest's 24/7 Hard disk drive recording. If information technology's also much for your internet speeds or data package, yous tin can lower the resolution through the Nest app.

Google Nest Cam Outdoor integrations

The Nest Cam Outdoor works with both Google Banana and Amazon Alexa. It also works within the Google Assistant app, so you tin can connect other devices that also work with Google Assistant, like Philips Hue lightbulbs.

Of course, the Nest Cam Outdoor will as well piece of work with your other Nest devices. If y'all already take a Nest Secure home security system or a Nest Hello video doorbell, then your Nest Cam Outdoor will fit right in.

Similar products to the Nest Cam Outdoor

Check out some other options for outdoor security cameras.

If you lot're non sure the Nest Cam Outdoor is correct for you, bank check out another outdoor security cameras we recommend.

Arlo Ultra

Arlo Ultra 2-camera starter kit

If you idea the Nest Cam Outdoor had decent engineering, and so the Arlo Ultra will blow you away. With features similar 4K resolution, color nighttime vision, and a built-in spotlight, the Arlo Ultra is the crème de la crème of security cameras.

The Arlo Ultra camera is best for:

  • People who desire the all-time tech features available
  • People who want 4K resolution
  • People who want 100% wire-free cameras

Google Nest Cam IQ Outdoor

Nest Cam IQ Outdoor

The Google Nest Cam IQ Outdoor gives you everything the New Cam Outdoor does but more. It has a wider field of vision, a longer range of detection, a congenital-in LED ring light, and a 4K sensor for better image quality. It also costs twice as much as the Nest Cam Outdoor, just if y'all want the best tech, it'south an first-class selection.

The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is best for:

  • People who like the Nest Cam Outdoor but desire an even better version
  • People who want better image quality when you zoom in

Cheque out our Nest Cam IQ Outdoor review.

Desire to protect more than than just your yard?

Pin

For amend security than a single camera could always give you, we recommend a smart security organization. Check out our All-time Home Security Systems review to compare the all-time systems on the market place.

Recap: Is the Nest Cam Outdoor expert?

The Nest Cam Outdoor has meridian-notch features and excellent integrations.

The Nest Cam Outdoor is a bang-up option for an outdoor security camera. It lets you keep an heart on your yard, talk to any visitors (or intruders) through 2-way sound, and meet everything clearly—even in the dark.

This cam isn't the latest and greatest model on the market, but its features still hold up, and you can go them for cheaper than you'd pay for something make new and fancier, like the Arlo Ultra. If yous're a smart-tech fan who wants an outdoor security photographic camera, Nest will serve you well.

Sources

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Mindy Woodall

Written by

Mindy Woodall

Mindy has been writing about technology for seven years. She covers all things smart habitation for Reviews.org, and keeps runway of the latest robot gadgets. Mindy attended the University of Utah and her work has been featured on the likes of Parents.com, Digital Care, Hostfully, and more.

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