Best outdoor wireless cameras for pets 2024 to keep an eye on your animal friends

Let your pets roam outside without worrying about them thanks to the best outdoor wireless cameras for pets. These high-tech gadgets let you keep an eye on your furry friends when they’re out in the garden, backyard, or any outdoor space, letting you get on with your day safe in the knowledge you can monitor them at any time.

Outdoor pet cameras are perfect for animals that live outside permanently, such as cats living in one of best outdoor cat houses or outdoor cat enclosures, but they can also be a great tool when transitioning from an indoor to outdoor pet, letting you check in on them as they adapt.

It’s worth noting that the specs that you’d look for in a traditional camera aren’t necessarily what’s important in a pet camera. You’ll want something durable and weather resistant, with a long battery life, since it’s going to be sat outside 24/7. Higher resolutions are nice, but 1080p is more than enough for a pet camera. Instead of looking for higher resolutions, check for features like animal tracking, automatic alerts and two-way communication — you’ll get more bang for your buck out of these features than a 4K resolution.

If you need to keep an eye on your furry friends inside the house, check out our guide to the best pet cameras. 

The Quick List

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The best outdoor wireless cameras for pets 2024

1. Best overall outdoor wireless camera for pets

Whether you’re using it for pet watching or general security, the Arlo Pro 5S is the best outdoor wireless camera out there. The Arlo Pro 5S has a 2K video resolution with HDR, covers a 160° field of view, and even has color night vision so you can keep an eye on your pets after dark. It’s a wireless camera, which means no need to run cables, and it comes with a removable battery for easy recharging.

What we really love is how simple it is to set-up and use thanks to the user-friendly Arlo Secure app. You can easily access the various camera modes and features, which include an integrated spotlight, siren, and a low power mode to enhance battery life. It’s also compatible with several smart home setups including Alexa and Google Home.

You can also talk to your pets in real-time thanks to the built-in speaker and microphone. It even has auto-zoom and tracking to keep an eye on your pet as they roam around the garden, though you’ll need to subscribe for this, and some other features.

And unlike older models, you can connect it directly to your router thanks to its dual band Wi-Fi, skipping the need for a base station or smarthub. You can just grab one camera, or link multiple together for wider coverage if you have a large garden.

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2. Best budget outdoor wireless camera for pets

If you’re looking for a more budget friendly pet monitoring system, then the Blink Outdoor 4 is tough to beat on value. You can get a single camera setup for under $100. For that bargain price, you get a 1080p camera with 143° field of view, infrared night vision, and two-way audio so you can talk to your pet (or anyone else hanging out in your garden).

It’s capable of motion detection, sending alerts to your smartphone app when it detects anything in the zones you’re monitoring. It can also specifically do person detection, but this feature is locked behind a $3 monthly subscription. That subscription also gets you access to cloud storage, but there is local storage available too via the included Sync Module.

The Blink Outdoor 4 also has a staggering two-year battery life (and there is a battery extension pack that boosts that to four years). Blink cameras are also compatible with Alexa, which makes sense given that Blink is owned by Amazon. This also helps to explain the amazing value of the Blink Outdoor 4 — it’s by far the cheapest option out there, but it still has a great feature set.

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3. Best hidden outdoor camera wireless for pets

If you're not concerned about the connectivity and smart features of commercial security cameras, here's an alternative option. The Victure Wildlife Trap Camera is a trail camera meant for tracking wild animals. There's no reason you can't employ the same tech in your garden to capture footage of your own pets or scope out visiting wildlife, and given its low price, this may well tick a few boxes that the others on this list do not.

You won't be able to bring up a live view on your smartphone or receive motion alerts as there's basically no smart functionality. Instead, you'll need to pull the Trap Camera open to view your footage or remove its SD card, where you'll find either high-resolution photographs of your garden goings-on, 1080p video footage or time-lapse video giving you a long-term overview of today's outdoor action.

There is motion detection, although it's on the more simplistic end, so may be easily triggered if you point this towards an area where there's likely to be unwanted movement. You can adjust the sensitivity, at least, though it may take a while to find the sweet spot.

There's also infrared night vision, with an array of 38 LEDs giving a bright view of what's happening, and waterproofing that is claimed to withstand the humid damp of a rainforest.

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4. Best wired outdoor wireless camera for pets

Ezviz's wired security camera is a tough old cookie. It's heavy, solidly built, and obviously made to withstand the weather. It also claims to feature colour night vision, although it's more 'spotlight night vision' in which the camera shines its impressively bright pair of LEDs onto the scene. 

Those hoping for a full-color look at midnight garden invaders may be better served by the likes of the Arlo Pro 3. Credit where it's due, though: the monochrome infra-red night vision is superb, and manages a crisp 1080p picture day or night.

Being a wired camera, you have to be more careful with positioning. Waterproof adapters for its cables are included, and you'll need to supply a right-sized PVC pipe to run those cables along. The benefit, of course, is that this doesn't rely on potentially shaky wireless connectivity (though you can choose to run it on Wi-fi if you wish) and it doesn't require batteries. Once installed, it should work with no maintenance required.

The Ezviz C3N is a little rough and ready, and the app reflects that, but it’s still a better experience than you might expect at this price. It's not quite our favorite budget camera, as the Blink XT2's presentation and convenience are better, but if you want to hike up the ladder once and once only, the C3N could be the option that suits you best.

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5. Best premium outdoor wireless camera for pets

If you really want to push the boat out on a pet camera, the Arlo Ultra 2 is the way to go. It has all the key features of the Arlo Pro 5S– the weatherproofing, colour night vision, integrated spotlight – and a similar compact design. While the Pro 5S will do just fine for most tasks, such as security or dog-watching, the Ultra 2 brings a few upgrades to the table.

The 2K sensor of the Pro 5S has been increased to 4K here, meaning that it captures almost four times as many pixels. It also claims a 180-degree field-of-view and covers a wider area than its cheaper sibling.

The Ultra 2 has twin motion sensors on each camera unit for greater precision and a wider range of animal detection. Its extra resolution can be used to automatically zoom in on a target and track it through the frame – great if you're looking to watch back footage of far-off antics. This feature is also included on the Arlo Pro 5S, but it really shines with the resolution of the Ultra 2. Two-way talk gets an upgrade, with a twin microphone array able to cancel out wind noise.

The only issue with the Arlo Ultra 2 is its price. This is more the sort of installation you'd find in a professional environment than something used to spy on a cat. But if you have the money to spend, it's the best home and pet security product around.

It's worth noting, this is the second iteration of the Ultra, and it has most of the same specs as the original Ultra, but there have been some key upgrades. Wi-Fi connectivity range has been extended, alongside the addition of dual-band Wi-Fi support. You also now get a free trial of the premium subscription included too.

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6. Best outdoor wireless pet camera for Alexa

We’re loving the stylish battery-powered 1080HD camera from Ring with a motion-activated spotlight and infrared night vision that clearly captures what’s going on outside your home.

You can easily connect your Ring camera with Alexa and the two-way audio system lets you easily hear your pet or visitors and converse with them from your phone, tablet, or PC. There’s also a siren that can be activated remotely, so if you’re away from home and see something suspicious, it’s easy to raise the alarm.

With customizable motion sensors and instant motion-activated alerts, you’ll never miss a thing, and the adjustable mount means you can easily install and move the camera to wherever you want it to be. 

It also comes with a quick-release battery pack, meaning you can charge the battery without having to take the camera down, and the recharge time is super speedy, with a USB cable getting the job done in around three hours. There’s also the option of adding on an additional battery pack for backup power or a solar panel for a continuous charge.

Standard features, such as two-way talk, instant notifications, and live view are available straight out of the box, but you’ll need to purchase a Ring Protect subscription for $3/month to be able to store unlimited footage in the cloud for 30 days. 

Compatible with iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows 10, the camera comes with a one-year limited warranty and includes lifetime theft protection. 

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7. Best outdoor wireless camera for cats

Cats can be a bit trickier to keep an eye on than dogs. After all, they can move around a lot more, get onto higher surfaces, and climb over fences.

With this in mind, this camera from DCT has almost everything you could possibly want from a camera designed to monitor your cat's activities.

Waterproof and wireless, it is perfect for outdoor operation. The battery life is impressive too, helped out by the fact that battery life is only seriously leached when notifications are triggered.

Speaking of which, in addition to comprehensive motion detection, there is the function for echo cancellation and noise suppression, as well as a two-way audio system that allows you to communicate with any strangers that may be in the garden.

All this can be operated from an app that you need to sign up for, with the option to use multiple cameras being available.

However, a lot of the features are only available as part of the subscription, meaning this could be an ongoing expense that you don't need. Also, the cameras can only be rotated by hand. This isn't always an issue, as it has a wide field of vision, but it seems strange that for a camera with so many functions, this seemingly basic feature isn't present.

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8. Best outdoor wireless camera with siren

One of the best-reviewed cameras on Amazon, this little beauty from Dzees has pretty much everything you could want in an outdoor wireless camera and not only does it also look stylish, but it's also affordable too.

With 360-degree coverage, the camera has 4X digital zoom and you can adjust the direction of the camera quickly and easily from the app. The wireless camera runs on 2.4 GHz WiFi and comes with a built-in battery that will give you get 3 - 6 months of life with each charge. It also has the option to be connected to a solar panel for additional peace of mind.

Featuring AI motion detection that will pick up on people, pets and vehicles, you'll receive instant security notifications straight to your phone, and it also has a built-in spotlight and 90db alarm siren, which can be activated manually or automatically from the app. 

The camera has color night vision that can record up to 100 feet and with infrared and built-in spotlight integration, you'll be able to view the video with clear colors even in low light. It also has two-way audio, so you can converse with your pet in real time when you're out and about.

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9. Best outdoor wireless camera for easy installation

Aside from looking very sleek, the Nest Cam is one of the best outdoor wireless cameras on the market. As well as offering a wider field of view than many of its rivals, it also boasts great night vision and a high 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second which means the images are going to be sharp at any time of the day. Not only that, it's possible to pick up sound and to use the camera to have a two-way conversion with anyone who happens to be outside. You could, if you so wish, even call out your pet's name and see if they respond. It's a lovely way to engage.

The Nest Cam is also weatherproof, adhering to the IP54 standard, and it's really easy to install. Once you've set up the account and synced the device to your Wi-Fi, you simply attach the base to the wall. Since, the base is magnetic, it's then a case of just moving the camera close and it'll stick. This also means that you can easily pull the camera away from the base when you need to recharge it. You can also move the camera around a bit so that you get it at an optimal angle.

But how long will the battery last? According to Google, recording 20 to 25 events per day will see the battery run down within six weeks. Yet, if it records just two to four events per day, you'll get seven months out of it. Much depends on the ambient temperature too, though. Zooming in and out using the 6x digital zoom may have an effect and talking too much will mean more frequent charging. 

Opt for a subscription and you'll get a little more out of the camera. As it stands, you will be able to store three hours of rolling video for free and detect animals, people and vehicles but pay each month for four week's worth of storage and face detection. All-in-all, it's a good offering, especially if you're already part of the Google ecosystem. If there's a downside, it's that you can't remove and replace the battery so you'll be without coverage for a short while while it charges.

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How to choose the best outdoor pet cams

If you're installing a wireless outdoor camera, you'll need to consider battery life first and foremost. The actual battery life may vary from the manufacturer's stated claims depending on how often the camera is activated; it's safe to presume, in most cases, the life will be a little lower than suggested. 

Every time a wireless camera runs out of juice you'll either have to bring it inside to charge it, putting that camera out of action for some time, or switch out a fresh battery. If you've mounted the camera somewhere high up, that means getting the ladder out – so a longer lifespan is, clearly, preferable.

Motion detection is particularly important if you're aiming to use a camera to watch your pets. You'll need to mount your camera, wired or not, somewhere it won’t pick up too many false positives. Even if your camera is smart enough to tell the difference between people, animals, and cars, ensure you angle it in such a way as to avoid busy roads or frequent public thoroughfares.

Finally, of course, there are the specs: a higher resolution sensor gets you higher quality footage and the various storage options allow you to access that footage in different ways. Night vision is probably essential, but if you spend a little more you'll likely end up with a sensor which can handle low light (and glare) with much more aplomb, raising the threshold for having to switch to a night vision mode and letting you see further into your garden when things are dark outside.

Where should I place my pet camera?

Placing your outdoor wireless pet camera is a bit of a balancing act. You want to place it in an optimum spot where it can see the largest possible area of your garden, backyard, or whatever space you're monitoring your pets in. If your pets favor a particular area, such as under their favorite tree, then you may want to give up a bit of that coverage area in favor of pointing it at their regular play and rest areas.

The flipside of that is that most wireless cameras require a wireless connection, which means they need to be placed somewhere that has a solid Wi-Fi connection. If your camera needs a constant connection, you’re probably going to be best off placing it on the outside wall of your house, where it’s as close as possible to your router.

If your garden is particularly large, or is shaped in such a way that there will be blind spots from a house-based mounting position, you’ll need to consider a multi-camera set-up. In this case, you can look at getting a Wi-Fi range booster, a second router, or even a wired camera connection to ensure a strong signal.

Do you need WiFi for an outdoor pet camera?

While most households have a WiFi connection these days, not everyone has wireless internet access. This can limit your options when it comes to smart home tech like outdoor pet cameras. It’s also entirely possible that you have WiFi, but that it doesn’t extend out far enough to reach the spot you want to place the camera. Fortunately, there are plenty of options out there that don't need a constant internet connection.

Some outdoor wireless cameras which focus on real-time monitoring, such as the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery, require an active internet connection to function at all. If you can’t get a WiFi connection in your garden then avoid models like this and look for cameras that have local storage. 

Most of the cameras in our list have a local storage option — some have built-in hard drives, while others have slots for SD cards. Be aware that you’ll need to periodically clear footage if these storage devices become full, or they won’t be able to record any more.