Nest Camera Review: Indoor Camera, Outdoor Camera, Doorbell

Overview
Nest offers a ton of good-looking smart devices chock full of features, from the Nest Thermostat to the Nest Secure security system. Its cameras are only one place where Nest really excels.

Ahead, we’re looking at all of Nest’s security cameras, from its indoor and outdoor cameras to its video doorbell.

These are the Nest cameras on the market:

With the Nest Cam Indoor, you’ll get crisp high-definition video, two-way audio, and quality night vision. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a reliable indoor camera.

The Nest Cam has all the basics you’d expect from an indoor security camera: clear night vision, two-way audio, and crisp HD video.

The Nest Cam Indoor excels at capturing clear video, day or night. With its sleek design and versatile mounting options, it will look good wherever you put it. Attach it to the wall to use as a baby monitor or set it on a shelf to watch over your furry friends.

You can also access some more advanced features on your Nest Cam Indoor with a Nest Aware subscription. That includes alerts in the Nest app, custom activity zones, the ability to create and share recorded video clips, and cloud access.

Without a Nest Aware subscription, you’ll still be able to view your camera’s live stream and motion- or sound-triggered snapshots up to three hours in the past.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: If you want the reliability of a Nest cam but want to stick to a budget, we recommend the Nest Cam Indoor. You’ll get some basic features and the option for more advanced features with a Nest Aware subscription.

>>Learn more. Read our Nest Cam Indoor review.

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The Nest Cam Outdoor is a solid security camera with must-have features. It’s a good option if you want to keep an eye on your front yard without spending an arm and a leg.

With the Nest Cam Outdoor, you won’t get a ton of extras. But you’ll get a reliable security camera with precise motion detection, night vision, and two-way communication.

The Nest Cam Outdoor helps you keep track of who’s on your doorstep with motion detection that picks up on people and cars. There’s no way to adjust the sensitivity of the camera’s motion sensor in the mobile app though, so if you live in an area with a lot of foot traffic, you might get a few too many notifications.

It also has 8x digital zoom, which can be a cool feature when you want a little more detail. Use it to see whether the package on your doorstep is from Amazon or a long-lost friend.

Similarly to the Nest Cam Indoor, you’ll get more out of your Nest Cam Outdoor with a Nest Aware subscription. That includes longer cloud storage, customizable motion zones, and the ability to record continuously.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The Nest Cam Outdoor is a dependable security camera that covers all the bases. It’s good to have when you want to check on who’s coming and going, whether it’s on your porch or on your patio.

>>Learn more. Read our Nest Cam Outdoor review.

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The Nest Cam IQ Indoor is a major upgrade. You’ll get everything the Nest Cam Indoor offers, plus more advanced features like person alerts and close-up tracking.

If you’re looking for a high-end indoor security camera, the Nest Cam IQ Indoor may be your best bet. It has an 8-megapixel sensor with HDR for sharp playback, plus an upgraded built-in speaker equipped with Google Assistant. It’s a camera that keeps watch over your home and can tell you about the day’s weather too.

The Nest Cam IQ Indoor comes equipped with person alerts, so your camera will alert you when it sees a person, even if you don’t have a Nest Aware subscription. You’ll also get super clear two-way audio, thanks to an improved speaker with echo suppression, noise cancelling, and a couple of extra mics.

If you do opt for Nest Aware, you’ll get the usual upgrades. You’ll also be able to access Nest’s Familiar Faces feature, which remembers the faces of your friends and family. In the app, you’ll be able to name each person, and your Nest will tell you when it thinks they’ve walked into a room.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The Nest Cam IQ Indoor is the best of the best. If you’re partial to upgrades, it’s a great way to make the inside of your home or business more secure.

>>Learn more. Read our Nest Cam IQ Indoor review.

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The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is a heavy-duty camera equipped with unique features like close-up tracking and color night vision. But at $399, it will cost you.

If you’re looking for an outdoor security camera with robust HD quality, color night vision, and high-tech features like motion tracking, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is a worthy investment.

The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is full of unique features. It’s pretty similar to the Nest Cam IQ Indoor but provides a couple of key advantages. First, it offers color night vision, which helps give a more detailed look at who (or what) is outside of your home. Secondly, it can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from -40°F to 113°F. That means whether you live in the snow-capped mountains or the dry desert, you’ll be able to use the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, no matter the season.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: If you can manage the upgrade, we highly recommend the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor. You’ll get the usual—clear two-way audio and HD playback—plus some more unique features like color night vision and person alerts.

>>Learn more: Read our Nest Cam IQ Outdoor review.

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The Nest Hello is a feature-rich video doorbell that easily integrates with your Google Home hub. Plus, it looks really, really good.

First things first: the Nest Hello is a very good-looking video doorbell. It’s also a very good smart doorbell, with sharp HD video, person alerts, and motion and sound detection.

The Nest Hello is an intelligent doorbell that helps you watch your front door. It sends you alerts via the Nest app when it sees a person, detects motion, or the doorbell button is pressed. It also comes equipped with two-way audio with noise cancellation, so you can hear whoever is on the other side of the door clearly.

Nest Hello also lets you utilize prerecorded messages, which can be a boon if you’re in the middle of a meeting when a package arrives. In the app, you can choose a prerecorded quick response like “Leave it by the door” and the Nest Hello will play it on your behalf.

With a Nest Aware subscription, you’ll get even more impressive features, including Familiar Face alerts. Nest’s facial recognition will learn the difference between your friends and your foes, and the Nest Hello—if synced with a Google Home device—will announce the former when they stop by. 

ASecureLife’s recommendation: The Nest Hello is a solid video doorbell that’s easy to use whether you’re at home or not. We recommend it if you want a reliable doorbell with one-of-a-kind features.

>>Learn more: Read our Nest Hello review.

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If you’re going to invest in a Nest camera, we recommend getting a Nest Aware subscription. Starting at $5 a month or $50 a year, you’ll get essential features and a few extras.

Depending on the tier you choose, you can get up to 30 days of video history with a Nest Aware subscription. You’ll also have access to continuous recording.

Nest Aware lets you dabble in Nest’s intelligent alerts, including its person alerts and facial recognition feature.

You can create custom activity zones in the Nest app, so you can monitor specific parts of a room, like an entry door or the jar where you keep your dog’s treats.

With a Nest Aware subscription, your camera will record continuously and download whatever clips you want to save. You can also create a mini time-lapse video.

You can use a Nest camera without a subscription, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Without it, you’ll be restricted to the live feed and snapshots when your camera detects motion.

If you want to be able to even record video, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee. Nest Aware subscriptions start at $5 a month or $50 a year for access to five days' worth of video history.

While the Nest Cams cover the basics, the Nest Cam IQs are chock full of high-end features, like intelligent alerts and close-up motion tracking. The Nest Cam IQ cameras are also equipped with an impressive 8-megapixel sensor, which is a fancy way of saying playback is crystal clear.

Overall, Nest products tend to be aesthetically pleasing, robust, and reliable. And the brand’s cameras are no exception.

If you’re on a budget, we recommend the Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor. They excel at the basics, like night vision and HD playback, and offer more advanced features with a Nest Aware subscription.

>>Buy the Nest Cam Indoor

>>Buy the Nest Cam Outdoor

If you want to splurge, we recommend the Nest IQ cameras. They come bearing high-end features, like intelligent alerts and HDR imaging.

>>Buy the Nest Cam IQ Indoor

>>Buy the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor

Finally, if you’re looking for a doorbell, Nest offers only one, but it’s one of the best available. It’s a sleek and, well, intelligent smart doorbell that easily integrates with Google Home and lets you respond to visitors with prerecorded messages.

>>Buy the Nest Hello