Home security cameras are great for monitoring your property, but when you go outdoors, a lack of electrical hookups can make it difficult to get a camera right where you want it. For the past several months, I’ve been using the Wyze Cam Outdoor system to solve that problem, and thanks to recent improvements, the Google Assistant integration has finally reached the point where it’s a useful part of my Google Home ecosystem.
Wyze is known best for its ultra-cheap Wyze Cam, with its latest generation coming in at around $30. Personally, I’ve moved on to TP-Link’s Kasa lineup for the needs Wyze previously served, thanks to their deeper Google Assistant integration.
One area in which Wyze still serves me very well, though, is with its fully wireless outdoor cameras that are incredibly affordable. From just $60 depending on the retailer, the Wyze Cam Outdoor system lets you put a security camera anywhere around your home, indoors and out, even if there’s not a power outlet nearby. It’s an idea that a few other brands have come out with such as Eufy, Arlo, and TP-Link, but they’re all considerably more expensive.
With the Wyze setup, you start with a single outdoor camera and a base station. The base station is what allows these cameras to have lasting battery life and the range they need to work across your property. It’s a good solution, though one with a couple of slight annoyances. Perhaps the most frustrating bit is that the base station requires an ethernet connection, limiting where it can be placed in your home which, in turn, can affect range. That point aside, though, let’s talk about the functionality.
