Google Nest Cam Outdoor Review

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

Mindy Woodall

Managing Editor, Home Security & Smart Home

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As far as outdoor security cameras get, the Google Nest Cam Outdoor is one of the best. Information technology has just most everything yous could possibly want or demand in an outdoor photographic camera, including Hd video, two-way audio, dark vision, familiar face detection, and a 24/7 recording option.

That's non to say the Nest is perfect: information technology has a couple drawbacks. Only on the whole, if you desire a durable, reliable security camera with cloud storage and excellent tech features, the Nest Cam Outdoor does not disappoint.

How the Google Nest Cam Outdoor works

The Google Nest Cam Outdoor has a magnetic mount that makes it easy to install (merely might likewise exist a flaw).

The Google Nest Cam Outdoor hooks onto simply nearly any surface on the exterior of your house. Information technology has a magnetic mounting base that y'all can screw into a wall or fifty-fifty adhere to a flat metallic surface like a door frame.

This photographic camera is technically wireless, just that actually just means you don't have to connect it to your net router with an Ethernet cablevision. You practise still take to plug this baby into a wall outlet—and it has to be an indoor one. So be prepared to drill a hole through your wall or awkwardly thread information technology 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 Air conditioning power
Zoom 8x digital zoom
Nighttime vision Aye
Two-mode sound Yep
24/7 recording Yeah
Local storage No
Deject storage Yes
Acquire more than

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

Google Nest Cam Outdoor installation

Bated from the role where you have to figure out what to do with the power string, the Nest Cam Outdoor'due south installation is pretty simple.

Once you figure out where you want to put the camera, yous but secure the mounting plate to the wall with the screws that come up in the box. Nest includes some wall anchors, too, but not a screwdriver or drill—yous'll demand your own.

Included Google Nest Cam Outdoor installation tools:

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

Once y'all accept the mounting plate securely installed, the Nest Cam's magnetic base snaps right onto information technology. It's a strong magnet too. It'll accept you lot a bit of effort to pull the cam off the mount again.

Light Bulb

The lesser of the Nest Cam Outdoor's mounting plate is too magnetic, so you tin just put it on any flat metal surface outside if you lot desire to. Just we remember information technology's safer and more than secure if yous spiral it in identify. It would exist a shame if your camera slid off and roughshod on your concrete patio.

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

You can drill a hole through your exterior wall and slide the wire through in that location, or thread the wire through a doorway. We recommend drilling because then the wire won't interfere with your door closing, and you lot won't become the wear and tear of closing your door on the wire all the time.

Once the camera's up and plugged in, y'all need to download the Nest app and create an business relationship. The app will ask for things similar your email address and your location. In one case that'southward all finished, you but scan the QR code on the torso of the photographic camera, and you're prepare to catch your nosey next-door neighbor on (digital) film.

One concern: the magnetic base of operations

The Nest Cam Outdoor's magnetic base is convenient, but information technology too makes it relatively like shooting fish in a barrel for a thief to snatch your camera off its mount and have information technology with them.

If that did happen, you'd nonetheless accept footage of the consequence. (It would merely go straight to the cloud.) Merely the Nest Cam is an expensive niggling camera, and you don't want to lose it.

If y'all're worried about it, you might want to consider upgrading to the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor. Everything the Nest Cam Outdoor tin exercise, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor can do improve. Plus, the IQ requires a security screwdriver to take the camera on and off its mount. Thieves tin't just grab due north' 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 past footage. You can get button notifications and email alerts for admittedly everything that happens in your yard, or you lot tin set specific activity zones to keep an heart on the areas that matter to you.

Some cameras give you lot activity zones in blocks, and you can select which ones are agile. Information technology's imprecise, and you might go more than alerts than you lot want for one surface area but not enough for another.

Nest lets you draw custom activity zones, then y'all can accommodate exactly which areas you desire to get alerts well-nigh. Y'all tin can fifty-fifty color code and label the zones, and so yous get specific alerts nigh each one. Information technology makes it much easier to sort through your notifications and see which ones are important.

Megaphone

To become some of Nest's coolest features, including activity zones, you accept to subscribe to a monthly Nest Aware plan.

Google Nest Cam Outdoor pricing

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

None of Google Nest'due south products are known for being squeamish to your budget. Nest almost e'er has the best tech around, and that comes at a cost.

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, merely looking to save some coin, the Nest Cam Outdoor is a good option. Plan to spend around two hundred dollars.

Google Nest Cam Outdoor pricing

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

For some of the features like familiar face detection, 24/vii recording, and activity zones, you'll have to subscribe to the Nest Enlightened plan. Without Nest Enlightened, you'll only have admission to three hours' worth of motility-activated clips. Nest Aware is your gateway to all of Nest's coolest features but information technology comes with an boosted toll tag.

Nest Aware monthly plans pricing

Plan Nest Aware Nest Aware Plus
Cost* $half-dozen.00/mo. OR $60.00/twelvemonth. $12.00/mo. OR $120.00/yr.
Cloud video storage thirty days 60 days
Continuous video recording storage None 10 days
Learn more than

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

Features that require Nest Aware:

  • 24/seven continuous recording
  • Timelapses
  • Clips
  • Custom activeness zones
  • AI features (similar familiar face 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 you adjust alerts and settings, so you don't accept to sift through 50 million alerts nearly waving tree branches or passing cars every day.

The Nest app gets practiced reviews through Google Play and the Apple App Store. Google Play users requite it a little over four stars,1 and App Store users give it about a full five stars.ii We've likewise found the app to be full-featured and intuitive. Y'all won't have to spend a couple hours just trying to effigy out where everything is—it's pretty uncomplicated.

Google Nest Cam Outdoor camera quality

The Nest Cam Outdoor has 1080p recording and 8x digital zoom. We consider 1080p pretty standard these days, and you'll go detailed, clear images with it.

The 8x digital zoom is as well useful if y'all need to zoom in on a license plate of a passing machine or need to zoom in to see if that'due south a stranger in your m or just your neighbour grabbing their missing football.

Want even better resolution?

Info Box

The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor has 1080p resolution along with a 4K prototype sensor and 12x digital zoom. The 4K image sensor ways that, fifty-fifty though the camera has 1080p resolution, you can zoom in on images and nevertheless see every item really clearly. It as well has Supersight, a feature that automatically zooms in on people and follows their movements.
View at Best Purchase

Keep in heed that high-resolution video recording uses a lot of internet bandwidth. Make sure your internet connection is up to the job before you go wild with Nest's 24/7 Hard disk drive recording. If it's also much for your internet speeds or data package, y'all can lower the resolution through the Nest app.

Google Nest Cam Outdoor integrations

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

Of course, the Nest Cam Outdoor will also work with your other Nest devices. If you already take a Nest Secure home security arrangement or a Nest Howdy video doorbell, then your Nest Cam Outdoor will fit right in.

Like products to the Nest Cam Outdoor

Check out some other options for outdoor security cameras.

If yous're non sure the Nest Cam Outdoor is right for you, check out some other outdoor security cameras nosotros recommend.

Arlo Ultra

Arlo Ultra 2-camera starter kit

If you thought the Nest Cam Outdoor had decent technology, then the Arlo Ultra will blow you away. With features like 4K resolution, color night vision, and a built-in spotlight, the Arlo Ultra is the crème de la crème of security cameras.

The Arlo Ultra camera is all-time for:

  • People who desire the best tech features bachelor
  • 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 than. 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 besides costs twice as much as the Nest Cam Outdoor, simply if y'all want the all-time tech, it'due south an excellent choice.

The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is best for:

  • People who like the Nest Cam Outdoor just want an even better version
  • People who want better prototype quality when you zoom in

Check out our Nest Cam IQ Outdoor review.

Want to protect more than just your yard?

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For ameliorate security than a unmarried camera could e'er give you lot, we recommend a smart security system. Bank check out our Best Home Security Systems review to compare the best systems on the market.

Recap: Is the Nest Cam Outdoor good?

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

The Nest Cam Outdoor is a smashing selection for an outdoor security camera. It lets you go on an center on your k, talk to any visitors (or intruders) through two-way audio, and see everything conspicuously—even in the dark.

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

Sources

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Mindy Woodall

Written by

Mindy Woodall

Mindy has been writing about technology for 7 years. She covers all things smart domicile for Reviews.org, and keeps track 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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