Designed exclusively for use with the third-generation SimpliSafe Home Security System, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 is a weather-resistant home security camera that offers a few standout features not available on the original model, including live professional monitoring and AI face matching for more accurate alerts. It’s a solid performer and a good fit if you already use a SimpliSafe security system, but at $199.99, it’s expensive for a 1080p camera, and live monitoring requires a pricey monthly subscription. If you aren’t locked into the SimpliSafe ecosystem or you don’t need live monitoring, check out our Editors’ Choice-winner for outdoor security cameras, the wireless Reolink Altas PT Ultra ($209.99), which offers sharper 4K video, mechanical pan and tilt capabilities, and continuous recording support.
Design and Features: Professional Monitoring for Crime Prevention
The SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 has a white finish with an IP65 weatherproof rating that protects it from damage from dust and rain. It measures 4.2 by 3.1 by 2.9 inches (HWD) and weighs 0.7 pounds with the battery installed. Around the back, there’s a twist-off battery compartment cover with a magnetic circular indent for attaching the camera to the included mounting ball, a Reset button, and a USB-C port for connecting the camera to an AC power source. On the bottom of the enclosure is a threaded mounting hole for use with the optional $14.99 permanent mounting bracket.
(Credit: John R. Delaney)
The face of the camera holds a sensor that captures 1080p video with a 140-degree field of view and support for 10x digital zoom. The front also features a spotlight, two microphones, and two infrared LEDs for black-and-white night vision. The spotlight can illuminate the area in front of the camera for full-color night vision and also serves as a status indicator that glows blue when the camera is recording a motion event or amber when a live agent is online and monitoring an event.
The camera includes a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio and a 90dB siren that, along with the spotlight, is designed to scare off intruders. A speaker that juts out from the bottom of the camera is used for two-way audio communication. The rechargeable battery is rated to last up to three months between charges, but if you’d rather not deal with that, you can use the included 25-foot outdoor cable to power the camera. Note that a wired power connection is required if you plan to activate SimpliSafe’s Active Guard Outdoor Protection service with a Pro or Pro Plus monitoring plan (more on this below).
SimpliSafe Active Guard Outdoor Protection
Unlike the $399 Deep Sentinel DS2, which is a standalone camera system that supports live professional monitoring, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 can only be used as part of a SimpliSafe Home Security System (starting at $249.96) because it requires a base station to function. Similar to the Deep Sentinel’s live monitoring service, SimpliSafe’s Active Guard Outdoor Protection uses onboard AI technology to determine if a motion event presents a potential threat or a dangerous situation and, if so, sends an alert to a live monitoring center. A professionally trained agent will then access your camera and engage whomever has been spotted via two-way audio. If necessary, the agent will activate the siren and spotlight as a deterrent and contact local law enforcement.
To cut down on false alerts, you can use the app to create a library of familiar faces for family, friends, workers, and other authorized visitors to your home. The camera uses AI to determine if the face is a match with anyone in your library and shares this data with live agents to help them determine if any interaction is warranted. For optimal performance while Active Guard Outdoor Protection is enabled, the camera’s resolution is locked at 720p for streaming (recorded footage is captured at 1080p), night vision is set to black and white, and two-way audio is turned on.
The camera will record video when it detects motion, but you have to subscribe to a plan to access it. The $31.99 monthly Core plan gives you 30 days of unlimited video storage and provides 24/7 professional monitoring and emergency dispatch if there’s a break-in, fire, or medical emergency. However, that tier does not include Active Guard Outdoor Protection. For that, you need the $49.99 monthly Pro plan, which gives you everything from the Core plan and adds Active Guard Outdoor Protection between the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time. The $79.99 Pro Plus plan gives you everything from the Pro plan and adds 24/7 Active Guard Outdoor Protection. By comparison, Deep Sentinel’s monitoring service offers 24/7 live monitoring for $100 per month.
Smart Features: The SimpliSafe Home Security App
The Series 2 camera uses the same SimpliSafe Home Security mobile app (free or Android and iOS) as the brand’s security system. Unlike many of our favorite standalone outdoor smart home security cameras, it doesn’t work with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control, nor does it support Apple HomeKit or the IFTTT automation platform.
(Credit: SimpliSafe/John R. Delaney)
Inside the app, the Series 2 appears in its own panel on the Cameras screen. Tap the panel to launch a live stream that you can view in full-screen landscape mode by turning your phone sideways. There are buttons for initiating two-way talk, muting the speaker, manually recording a video clip, and viewing thumbnails of recorded motion events. Tap any event thumbnail to view, download, share, or delete the accompanying video clip.
To access the camera’s settings, tap the gear icon in the upper right corner. There, you can enable/disable Outdoor Protection and Video Verification, which allows monitoring agents to access recorded video to help verify if a security threat is in progress. Other settings let you activate the siren, configure night vision, create activity zones, enable motion detection, and set motion sensitivity.
Installation and Performance: Simple Setup, Responsive Agents
To start the installation, I charged the camera’s battery for around six hours, opened the app, and tapped the Cameras button at the bottom of the screen. I tapped Add Camera, selected the Outdoor Camera Series 2, and installed the charged battery. I verified that the LED was flashing white, pressed and released the Setup button on the back of the camera, and gave the camera a name in the app. I connected the camera to the same Wi-Fi network used by the base station, waited a few minutes for a firmware update, and took the camera outside, where I installed it on my backyard deck using the included mounting ball and hardware. I ran a connection test, which showed good signal strength and Wi-Fi upload speeds, adjusted the camera angle, and was ready to go.
In testing, the Series 2 delivered relatively sharp 1080p video. Daytime colors were vibrant, and black-and-white night video showed good detail and contrast. With the spotlight enabled, night vision was also sharp, but colors were not as bright as those in daytime video. The camera provided a wide view of my backyard, and motion alerts arrived quickly.
(Credit: SimpliSafe/John R. Delaney)
The Active Guard Outdoor Protection service worked as advertised. To test it, I hung around in front of the camera (before registering my face in the app), and within seconds, a live agent informed me that I was being recorded. I explained that I lived there, gave my name when asked, and after a few seconds, the agent wished me a good day.
For another test, I added my face to the app’s familiar faces library, went back outside, and didn’t have any interaction with an agent. The timeline showed that an event did occur and was monitored, but it was deemed a common activity and showed several snapshots of my face. The live agents I dealt with during testing were courteous and professional at all times.
Verdict: Effective Outdoor Monitoring for SimpliSafe Users
If you use a SimpliSafe Home Security System to protect your home and want to keep a close eye on what’s going on outside, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 is the most thorough way to do it. Thanks to professional monitoring, you can rest assured that a live agent will be alerted to any potential issues and intervene on your behalf. You have to pay close to $50 a month for Active Guard Outdoor Protection, which, along with a $199.99 list price, makes this a fairly expensive camera, considering it only offers 1080p video. Still, it’s a good option for SimpliSafe users who want the utmost outdoor protection. If you prefer to self-monitor, you can get more for your money and avoid subscription fees with the Reolink Altas PT Ultra, which remains our Editors’ Choice winner for its sharper 4K video, local video storage, and mechanical pan and tilt capabilities.
SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2
Pros
The Bottom Line
The SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 is a pricey 1080p add-on camera for the company’s home security system that allows for live professional monitoring with AI face matching.
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About John R. Delaney
Contributing Editor
