Best Floodlight Home Security Cameras of 2024
Clear away the shadows with our expert picks for floodlight security cameras from Eufy, Google Nest and more.
Our Experts
What to consider
Resolution
Brightness
Smart home support
Power
Motion detection
Night vision
Audio
Our Picks
If you have a dark driveway or shadowy backyard, you may be looking for a bright security camera light to view a large space and deter any strangers. Our experts have spent over 100 hours testing security cameras with lighting, especially larger floodlights, and we’re ready to make some recommendations -- starting with the Eufy S330 Floodlight Camera. Eufy’s floodlight model starts with a high-resolution pan/tilt camera and adds three bright LED panels for maximum brightness, plus the ability to customize brightness and color temperature levels (handy if the neighbors complain). Eufy’s free AI detection and smart home support are also big advantages.
Don’t stop with our first pick, through: Our list includes floodlight cameras for no-cloud, local storage users, a wireless Arlo pick for versatile placement and a Blink model for those who want a cheaper (but still good) option. Take a look at them all and our advice on placement and more, then visit our guide on the best security cam lights overall and the best outdoor home security cams so you know exactly what’s right for you.
Best floodlight home security cams
For maximum LED brightness, Eufy’s S330 comes in swinging with not two but three LED panels added up to 3,000 lumens. The IP65-rated cam also has a 2K resolution panning cam that can view a full property from multiple angles, complemented by its completely free human detection and tracking capabilities to follow what’s happening. The panels have customizable brightness options and many modes from night-only operation to turning on when a human is detected.
Eufy’s internal 8Gb of storage isn’t especially large, but it means you don’t have to rely on cloud video storage subscriptions (although that’s also available). Alexa and Google Assistant capabilities are also welcome. However, the camera does skip some common smart features like two-way audio, focusing more on illumination and excellent video.
Best no-subscription floodlight home security camera
Lorex 2K Floodlight Camera
While Eufy took our top spot, it’s a very close call with this Lorex cam, which can reach up to 2,400 lumens and has a 2K resolution for detail. It’s another cam that offers free object recognition, spotting people, animals and vehicles, and acting accordingly to cut down on false alerts (and corresponding flares of lights). It also comes with expected smart home additions like two-way audio and night vision that the Eufy S330 skips, making it an excellent pick for those who want the complete package. Note you can adjust the angle of these panels to focus on the areas you want to guard most.
Lorex is another company that offers free onboard storage with no subscriptions required, everything is added in the upfront price. That includes support for both Alexa and Google Assistant.
Best wireless floodlight home security camera
Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera
While not every wireless design is a good fit for bright floodlights, which may drain battery life faster, Arlo makes it work with this compact camera that can reach 2,000 lumens on battery power. The wireless design makes it a lot easier to place in that one spot to really light up the dark corners. It also brings a hefty 2K resolution.
Arlo’s object recognition, activity zones and intelligent alerts work very well, but you will need an Arlo subscription (starting at $8 per month) to activate many of these advanced features. And if you want to boost the brightness even more, you can purchase an outdoor cable to bump the LEDs up to 3,000 lumens. Finally, add in an Arlo hub and the cam is compatible with Apple HomeKit -- although all these extra costs may start to weigh the camera down for some buyers.
Best budget floodlight home security camera
Blink Floodlight Camera
Floodlights cams are expensive, there’s no way around it. But if you’d like to save how much cash you drop on a model, this Blink option is one of the most affordable we’ve examined. At under $100, it still brings plenty of lumens with its two LEDs, along with smart extras like two-way audio and a siren. We’re also huge fans of the Blink app, which is one of the easiest to use and doesn’t seem to run into the bugs that can sometimes plague other smart home apps.
Blink cameras also have the option to add a Sync Module hub, which enables free local storage with a USB drive. Or you could pay around $3 per month for a Blink subscription, which adds both cloud storage and person recognition.
Best floodlight home security camera with object recognition
Google Nest Cam with Floodlight
Google’s Nest Cam comes in a variety of forms, including this version with 2,400-lumen LED floodlights. Nest remains one of the best options for Google’s AI-powered object recognition. It’s incredibly accurate at identifying people versus animals or vehicles, so you can choose exactly how you want the floodlight to respond. Plus, it’s entirely free to use these detection features.
The camera functions with Alexa and Google Home, but you’ll get extra usability out of it if you’re a Google user. Object recognition isn’t the only thing that’s free either -- the cam offers 3 hours of cloud video storage when it records an event, giving you a window to view and download it. Otherwise, the Nest Aware plan at $8 per month adds more cloud storage and familiar face recognition.
Best floodlight home security cameras
| Best floodlight home security cameras | Eufy S330 Floodlight Cam | Lorex 2K Floodlight Camera | Arlo Floodlight Pro 3 | Blink Floodlight Camera | Google Nest Cam with Floodlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $300 | $250 | $250 | $90 | $272 |
| Resolution | 2K | 2K | 2K | 1080p/HD | 1080p/HD |
| Light | 3,000 lumen, three-panel LEDs | 1,500 - 2,400 lumen, two-panel LEDs | 2,000 lumen panel wireless, 3,000 lumens with cable | 2,600-lumen, two-panel LEDs | 2,400 lumen, two-panel LEDs |
| Field of view | 360-degree panning | 122-degree | 160-degree | 143-degree | 130-degree |
| Power source | Wired | Wired | Wireless | Wired | Wired |
| Motion detection | Motion, human, tracking | Motion, person, animal, vehicle | Motion, package, person, vehicle, animal (with subscription) | Motion, person recognition (with subscription) | Motion, person, animal, vehicle |
| Night vision | N/A | Color night vision | Yes | Color night vision | Night vision with HDR |
| Audio | N/A | Two-way audio | Two-way audio | Two-way audio | Two-way audio |
| Voice assistant | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit (with hub) | Amazon Alexa | Amazon Alexa, Google Home/Assistant |
| Review score | N/A | N/A | 9/10 | N/A | 7.4/10 |
Other floodlight home security cameras we've tested
Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro: Ring’s floodlight camera model includes Ring’s excellent privacy zones and Ring extras like Bird’s Eye view. However, we liked the design of our final picks a little more, and paying $5 or more per month for object recognition can be a tough sell when some of our other picks offer it for free.
Eufy Floodlight Camera E340: This Eufy cam has an extra-high resolution for those who want even more detail. But overall we preferred the three-panel version, which adds extra light that’s hard to find in these home models.
How we test
At CNET we use careful testing to review all the features of home security cameras, including clarity of the image, app usability, how well motion detection works and how easy the cams are to install. We walk test the audio communication features, how effective the motion zones are and how easily object detection can tell when a person leaves a package behind…or picks one up before they leave. For more information, see our full list on how we test cameras.
Factors to consider when choosing a floodlight home security camera
Resolution
Those bright lights works best when paired with a camera with a high resolution that can capture a lot of detail. A 1080p will get the job done, but for the best clarity for these (often high-mounted) cameras, we prefer 2K resolutions, like a couple of our top picks.
Brightness and customization
Lumens is a great indicator of visible brightness (don’t try to compare it to watts, especially with LEDS), and a few thousand lumens is a guarantee of bright lights that can fully light up a larger area. But we also like to see customization options for brightness, shade of light and scheduling. That helps keep lights from waking you up at night or angering the neighbors, allowing you to make adjustments as you need.
Smart home support
Smart home support with existing platforms is always nice to have, especially when setting routines with other smart lights or cams. We look for support for both Google Home and Amazon Alexa. Apple support is much harder to find for security cameras at this time, although as the Matter standard continues to progress we hope that will change.
Power options
While careful use of batteries can lead to good power management for wireless floodlight cams, those floodlights do tend to take up some extra juice. They are also often mounted in high locations where getting them down for battery recharging can be a pain. Consider carefully if you prefer wireless placement or the no-charge wired option, which may take extra installation work. Please keep in mind that wired floodlight cams often need to be connected to a junction box.
Motion detection
Motion detection and object recognition are especially important for floodlight cams, because they help the floodlights to turn on only when there’s a reasonable cause like a detected human figure. We favored a couple of cameras that offer object recognition for free on this list, but you may have to pay a subscription fee for advanced features.
Night vision
Night vision isn’t quite as important with broad floodlights, but it can help improve clarity at the edges of the image when things are dark out. For the best clarity, consider looking for a camera that has color night vision too.
Two-way audio and sirens
Audio options can be very important if you want to question a stranger (or shout out to a friend) or sound a siren to scare off trespassers. They aren’t quite as valuable on floodlight cameras as they are on video doorbells, for example, but it’s still an important feature. Fortunately, most floodlight cameras now have these audio options.
Where to place floodlight home security cameras
The Ring Spotlight Cam Plus is a welcome iteration of Ring's outdoor cams.
Placing security cameras is always important, but doubly so for floodlight cameras, which need careful positioning to make use of their bright lighting. For floodlight cameras, consider mounting them in a higher, central location, such as above a garage or patio. But also work to make sure they won’t be beaming their LED panels over a fence right into a neighbor’s windows. We have a full guide on some of the best spots for security cams here.
FAQs
Do floodlight cameras turn on automatically?
Yes. Today’s smart floodlight security cameras have many ways to automatically turn on, including when they sense motion and when they recognition particular types of motion like humans moving. They can also be set to turn on at certain times or turn on and off along with the sunset/sunrise, etc.
Can you stop floodlight cameras from turning on all the time?
You have several options. The best is using the camera app to lower the motion detection sensitivity, extend the time between detections and enable object recognition to ignore anything but humans. You can also set up motion detection zones to help avoid detecting motion in a particular area like a nearby sidewalk. Some of these features may cost extra.
Why is my floodlight cam not turning on with motion?
It could be placed too high, or motion detection settings may not be turned on in the app. You may also need to adjust motion sensitivity until you find a level that works.
Do I need a Wi-Fi connection to use a floodlight camera?
In most cases, yes -- at least for smart versions like these. If you don’t want to bother with an internet connection, your best bet is to use a basic floodlight with a motion sensor instead.
Do I have to pay to use a floodlight camera?
Long-term costs like subscriptions are usually optional. Our top picks like Lorex and Eufy models include onboard storage that makes going subscription-free much easier.