Best wireless and solar outdoor security cameras — no subscription

Two things are wireless here: the power, from a battery topped up by solar, and the connection, over WiFi. The first is very good now. The second is still the weak point — the camera is only as reliable as the WiFi where it hangs.

Before buying, stand where the camera will go with your phone on the home WiFi. If the phone struggles there, the camera will too, and no brand fixes that.

Several of the best-known brands need a monthly plan before they will save any recordings at all. These keep footage on a memory card or a home hub, so the plan is optional.

Short days, low sun and snow on the panel mean a solar camera that runs indefinitely in July can run down in December, particularly if it sees a lot of motion. Aim the panel south, tilt it steeply so snow slides off, and keep it out of the shade of the eaves.

Lithium batteries also charge poorly below freezing. Most cameras handle it by charging when the day warms up, but a camera in permanent shade in January will drain. A busy driveway camera is the worst case.

Anywhere you need every second recorded. Battery cameras sleep until motion wakes them, so they catch the event but can miss the seconds before it. For the main entrances of a house or business, a wired PoE system is the better tool.

And outbuildings beyond WiFi range. A barn or shop two hundred feet from the house will not get a usable signal from a router indoors. The fix is a wireless bridge to put a proper network out there — see our guide to barn cameras without WiFi.