Simplisafe has long set a high bar for do-it-yourself security systems. The company was one of the first to enter this market and continues to set trends ahead of its competitors. Last year, Simplisafe announced Active Guard 24/7 live protection with a new indoor camera. Now, it’s back with an Outdoor Camera Series 2 that’s geared towards the same “always on” solution.
Design
The latest Outdoor Camera from Simplisafe isn’t far removed from the previous models. It’s an orb casing with a flat front housing the lens and camera arrays. The one main addition is the mentioned sensor area.
This new array is much larger than the first gen edition and protrudes from the bottom of the camera. It also houses a much more advanced and beefier microphone and speaker system. There’s even a 90 decibel alarm built directly into the setup. This attributes to the Active Guard features we’ll cover later.
The Simplisafe Outdoor Camera has full HD capabilities for a crisp visual every time. There’s also night vision for after the sun sets to make sure you still have the capture you need in an emergency. There isn’t much from a recording aspect missing here.
Lastly, the new Outdoor Camera Series 2 has both battery and wired power options. The battery pack and twist off design of the compartment are backwards compatible with the first generation of Simplisafe outdoor cams. The new wired power is a Micro-USB cable with a 30-foot reach and powered by a USB-A adapter.
Setup
If you’ve onboarded any other Simplisafe device, the 2024 Outdoor Camera will be a breeze. If you haven’t, it’s also going to take no time at all. Once you have scoped out the spot on your home the camera will be located, you need to power things up. First, fully charge the battery backup. Then, find a decently close power outlet.
Once that’s complete, download or open the Simplisafe app. Choose the camera section and “add new camera” to find the new Outdoor Camera in the menu. From here, the application will walk you through a well-designed wizard with step-by-step instructions to add to your security system.
Simplisafe has one of the most well-rounded onboarding processes in tech, and I’d challenge anyone to take it on with little anxiety. My biggest issue with the new addition of the Outdoor Camera was the new hard lined power. This is required to take advantage of the Active Guard protection plan.
My preferred location was outside my home’s garage, with no exterior outlets. I was able to make the situation work, but it took some extra tools and ingenuity, besides the includes cable and 3M mounting clips. I had to essentially run it under the trim on one side to the garage door and then the entire length of one wall to meet the first outlet available. Many homes will have an outlet more readily situated on the exterior but worth considering.
It’s also worth circling back to the battery backup and wired power. To be completely clear, the included power cable for always on power is optional and only required if you plan to activate the 24/7 Active Guard plan. Otherwise, it works just like the first generation Outdoor Camera, with just the removable battery being recharged every few months. The new camera will eventually replace the previous option and be the only Outdoor model for sale.
Camera
The new Simplisafe Outdoor camera has been fantastic in daily use. After getting it set up and powered, I’ve had zero issues. The camera has a crisp visual and great field of view when you open the app to see what’s going on.
The new hardware also shines through. I have found the motion detection has been much more sensitive and accurate to notify me of possible issues. The same is true for the mic and speaker. The previous gen was one of the best in the lineup already, and I’ve found both to be improved on the 2024 edition.
Just like the other cameras, you have a few items you can tweak in the app preferences. You can widen or restrict the area that triggers a motion alert, for instance. You can also toggle notification completely off if you like. While some of this would be counterproductive, Simplisafe gives you options and the application is very intuitive to use.
Active Guard protection
You can’t do this review without the new protection plan that accompanies the Outdoor Camera Series 2 launch. Active Guard is a revolutionary new feature set of the Simplisafe core protection. The new philosophy is one of proactive protection for your family and belongings that literally no other company is offering.
With Active Guard, Simplisafe representatives will be able to interact with perceived motion on the Outdoor Camera and immediately evaluate the threat level. This gives them the ability to vocally engage a possible intruder, possibly deter the situation completely, or call the authorities into action.
It’s an innovative way to take home security on the offensive, but it’s not all the wild wild west. Safeguards are in place to protect you from false alarms and secure your privacy. The monitoring center will only have access to video if your Simplisafe system is in either Home or Away mode AND motion trips the camera. Once motion is no longer detected, or an active alarm is reconciled, your feed can not be accessed remotely.
You can also proactively make sure the monitoring service associates don’t perceive you or family as a threat. You can upload photos of house members to have them tagged in the new Familiar Faces section of the Simplisafe app. Even if you don’t upload them, you can start tagging them in motion clips to help the service no common visitors.
Another great thing Simplisafe has considered it that some users may not want Active Guard all the time. To accommodate, the company has created a tiered subscription that includes two different levels for the new Active Guard protection. The new Pro level gets you just overnight protection from the 24/7 agent reviews, while Pro Plus is all day every day. The pricing is $50 and $80 respectively, and you can always stick with the traditional Core level without Active Guard for must $32 per month.
Final thoughts
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Products earning this distinction exemplify excellence across the board, delivering an experience that truly rises above the rest.
When you see the badge, you’re looking at the best of what’s available in its category.
Simplisafe shook the home security segment with innovating DIY solutions years ago, and I’d say the new Outdoor Camera with Active Guard is creating its second renaissance. Always on monitoring from a real person who can actively triage the situation is a game changer. Add in the improved hardware and Simplisafe’s history of little to no privacy concerns, the new system should be at the top of anyone’s shopping list.
We’ve covered that the two tier of Active Guard will set you back $50 and $80 depending on coverage. The new Outdoor Camera is a one time purchase of $200 and can be found with the link below from Simplisafe. Don’t forget that existing cameras within the lineup feature Active Guard as well, with the Indoor Camera and Doorbell.
Purchase the new 2024 Simplisafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 with Active Guard
