Best Home Security Cameras With Floodlights in 2025
If you want floodlight cameras that effectively combine lighting and surveillance to scare off intruders, our CNET experts will guide you to the best choices available.
Our Experts
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What to consider
Resolution
Does the camera have a higher resolution to take advantage of its vantage point?
Brightness
Can you control the brightness of the camera's floodlights? Can then reach more than 2,000 lumens? Can you schedule the lights?
Smart home support
Does the floodlight camera work with your preferred smart home platform, including Alexa or Google Assistant?
Power
Do you prefer a wired or wireless camera? Do you have a junction box where you want to install a wired camera or are you willing to have one installed?
Motion detection
Does the floodlight camera have adjustable motion detection? Does it have motion zones or sensitivity options? Does it include objection recognition for people? Are there extra costs for these features?
Night vision
Does the camera have night vision? Does it have extra features like color night vision?
Audio
Does the camera have clear two-way audio communication?
For home safety, an outdoor security camera is vital. That's why we recommend security cameras with floodlights, as they can offer better protection, largely thanks to their LED lights that can startle and scare off potential intruders while drawing attention to the camera and yard. If you're going to commit a crime, you don't want to be caught with bright lights in your face. But which is the best? After more than 120 hours of testing, we found theEufy S330 Floodlight Camera deserves its place at the top of the list.
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What makes the Eufy camera model stand out is its high-resolution pan-tilt camera, three bright panels and other features, such as AI detection. With Eufy's adjustable brightness and color temperature, as well as smart home syncing, the camera is ideal for anyone seeking to be more aware of their neighbors, reducing the likelihood ofneighborhood complaints while maintaining a strong commitment to keeping their property safe.
That said, while we do have our favorite, you shouldn't ignore our other picks. Our list features top floodlight cameras, includingno-cloud local storage options, a versatile wireless Arlo model and a budget-friendly Blink model variant. So, if you're still unsure, make sure to check out our other guides, which tackle topics such as thebest security cam lights overall and the best outdoor home security cams.
Blink's floodlight cam is one of the most affordable options.
BlinkBest floodlight home security cams
Pros
- Bright 3-panel LEDs
- Panning camera with tracking
- Free object detection
- 2K resolution
- Free onboard storage
- Alexa and Google Assistant support
Cons
- No two-way audio
- Expensive
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 free object detection and tracking capabilities to follow what’s happening. The panels on the Eufy floodlight camera 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.
Pros
- 2K resolution
- Free object recognition
- No-subscription storage
- Two-way audio
- Adjustable LED panels
- Color night vision
Cons
- Not quite as bright as our top pick
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 Alexa and Google Assistant.
Pros
- Excellent wireless design
- 2K resolution
- Intelligent alerts
- Optional brightness boost with cable
- Optional Apple Home/HomeKit support
Cons
- Many features require an Arlo Secure subscription
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 thatone 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.
Specs & Configurations
Pros
- Affordable floodlight option
- Easy app management
- Built-in siren
- Optional local storage
- Affordable subscription
Cons
- Alexa-only support
- Person detection only with a subscription
Floodlight cams are expensive, there’s no way around it. But if you’d like to save how much cash you drop on a model, thisBlink Outdoor 4 option is one of the most affordable we’ve examined. At less than $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 about $3 per month for a Blink subscription, which adds cloud storage and person recognition.
Pros
- Great AI recognition capabilities
- Free temporary cloud storage
- Capable 2,400-lumen floodlights
Cons
- Expensive for the resolution
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 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 | $165 | $250 | $144 | $70 | $280 |
| 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 |
| Motion detection range | Up to 40ft | Up to 32ft | Up to 25ft | Up to 30ft | Up to 15ft |
| 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 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.
Blink Outdoor 3 Floodlight Mount: We love the idea of a floodlight mount and this Blink model is an excellent choice for budget lighting when you want to save money, especially if you already have an existing camera. But it's bested by the greater power and features of the Blink wired model if you don't mind paying a little more.
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 ourfull list on how we test cameras.
Factors to consider when choosing a floodlight home security camera
Resolution
Those bright lights work 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 Google Home and Amazon Alexa. Apple support is much harder to find for security cameras at this time, although asthe 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 ononly when there's a reasonable cause like a detected human figure. We favored a couple of cameras that offer free object recognition on this list but you may have to pay a subscription fee for advanced features.
Eufy offers three LED panels to boost your brightness.
EufyNight 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.
RingPlacing 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 havea 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 recognize particular types of motion, such as 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, such as 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 usea 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.
About the Author
Tyler Lacoma
Editor / Home SecurityTyler Lacoma
Editor / Home SecurityFor more than 10 years Tyler has used his experience in smart home tech to craft how-to guides, explainers, and recommendations for technology of all kinds. From using his home in beautiful Bend, OR as a testing zone for the latest security products to digging into the nuts and bolts of the best data privacy guidelines, Tyler has experience in all aspects of protecting your home and belongings. With a BA in Writing from George Fox and certification in Technical Writing from Oregon State University, he's ready to get you the details you need to make the best decisions for your home. On off hours, you can find Tyler exploring the Cascade trails, finding the latest brew in town with some friends, or trying a new recipe in the kitchen!
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