This Solar Powered Security Camera Is Now $40
If you’ve been wanting to install an outdoor security camera but don’t want to spend time rewiring or climbing a ladder to charge batteries every few weeks, you might want to check out the TP-Link Tapo SolarCam C402 Kit . It’s currently $39.99 on Amazon, down from $49.99, which is the lowest price ever, according to price trackers .
The camera shoots in 1080p, comes with a solar panel, and doesn’t require much once it’s installed. No wires. No need to schedule charging. Just 45 minutes of direct sunlight per day is enough to keep the camera running indefinitely.
The camera itself is designed for outdoor use, has an IP65 rating, a decent 125-degree field of view, and supports both color and infrared night vision. There’s a microSD card slot (up to 512GB), but you’ll need to buy one separately. If you don’t want to bother with that, there’s a $3.49-per-month cloud plan (which gives you remote access to your clips and extra features like smart sorting and 30 days of video history) after a free 30-day trial. But what’s really nice is that some of the smart features, like motion detection for people, pets, and cars, work even without a subscription. Plus, it works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT routines (though it doesn’t support Apple HomeKit).
The Tapo app is where you’ll do most of the customization: turn on and adjust the backlight brightness, view battery life, set up alerts, set privacy zones, and more. There’s also a built-in siren and two-way audio. If there’s a tradeoff, it’s that the frame rate maxes out at 15 frames per second, so footage can look a little slick. Plus, color night video can be a bit muted if there’s not enough ambient light, this PCMag review notes. But for $40, it’s one of the few wireless home security cameras that charges itself, doesn’t lock all of its features behind a paywall, and once installed, just works .