The 3 Best Outdoor Home Security Systems
Choosing a home security system is challenging, as there are many excellent products available. The following introduces the best performers targeted at customers with three different preferences:
- Do-it-yourself
- Budget-conscious
- Professionally installed high-end systems
Best DIY System
Amazon’s appearance in the home security system market has caused something of a revolution. Its Ring doorbell system is enormously successful, despite concerns about the company’s privacy policies and partnerships with law enforcement.
If you can overcome these concerns, you’ll find the Ring Alarm Pro the best DIY system currently on the market. There’s also the convenience of arming and disabling it with your voice if you have Alexa.
The box contains everything you’ll need to install the system yourself, including the base station, a keypad, eight contact sensors, two motion detectors, and an alarm range extender; all of which should cover a standard single-family home. There’s also an eero 6 Wi-Fi extender to widen the system’s coverage for larger homes using existing eero networks.
Best Basic and Affordable System
U.S. News and World Report considers Wyze the best affordable home security system for 2022. It's also in the top 10 overall best home security systems category. Owners can install it themselves or use On-Tech Smart Services for a professional installation (which can be pricey). The monthly fee is a commendable $9.99 and there’s no contract.
Wyze offers an extensive range of affordable equipment, making it easy to customize to specific homes. There are indoor surveillance cameras, and outdoor versions with infrared detection sensors and night vision. The Wyze Sense Hub is the main unit, which can handle up to five cameras and 100 sensors and keypads.
The company provides a 30-day period for customers to test the equipment worry-free before committing to the first year. Annual plans are available at a slightly more affordable rate than the month-to-month plans (although the latter allows customers to change providers before the end of a contractual year).
Best Professional-Quality System
Vivint is at the costlier end of the spectrum, but buyers get a professionally-installed and monitored system for their money. Customers choose from one of three systems, each of which can be tailored to specific needs. All packages include professional monitoring as standard, starting from $19.99 per month.
You control your Vivint system via its app or the Smart Hub. It’s also possible to use third-party options, such as Google Assistant. Whichever option you use, you’ll be able to view camera feeds remotely, receive notifications, and create custom actions and control the devices.
Vivint’s Smart Hub efficiently manages power in low-energy devices, such as motion sensors and flood detectors. Also, integration is seamless because Vivint only installs its own equipment. Both of these factors are often pain points for rival systems' customers.
