Google Nest Cam With Floodlight (Wired) Review

If nighttime disturbances outside your home leave you anxious, a floodlight and/or security camera can help bring you peace of mind. The $279.99 Google Nest Cam With Floodlight (Wired) is a weatherproof, Wi-Fi-enabled security camera that lights up an area and records HD video when it detects motion. It produced excellent 1080p video in testing and its LEDs responded quickly to motion triggers and Google Assistant voice commands. However, it's one of the more expensive smart floodlight cameras we've tested, and you need to pay for a subscription to unlock all of its features. If you can live without voice controls, the Wyze Cam Floodlight ($84.99) is a much better value. If voice commands are essential, the slightly more affordable Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera ($249.99) supports more platforms than the Nest Cam, including Alexa, HomeKit, and IFTTT.

The Nest Cam With Floodlight uses two dimmable 2,400-lumen LED lamps with a white color temperature of 4,000K. Both the Wyze Cam Floodlight and Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight sport brighter bulbs, at 2,600 and 3,000 lumens, respectively.

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The round lamp enclosures sit on mounting arms that you can swivel to ensure optimal coverage. The stylish matte white fixture also has a passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor with a 180-degree angle of view, and a cable and magnetic cradle for the camera. Black and white wires sticking out of the back of the enclosure connect directly to the wires in the junction box for installing the fixture.

A matte white IP54 weatherproof enclosure houses the camera (which can also be bought on its own as the $179.99 Nest Cam). A piece of metal embedded in the rear of the Nest Cam allows you to easily mount it to the magnetic cradle. The bottom holds a magnetic power connector, a screw-in mounting hole, and a speaker. It runs on a lithium-ion battery that should last up to three months between charges with typical use, but because the fixture powers the camera, you likely won't ever need to rely on the battery. A dual-band Wi-Fi radio lets you connect the Nest Cam to your home network, while a Bluetooth radio enables the setup process. 

The camera captures 1080p video at 30fps and uses HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology to enhance the contrast and detail of recordings. It has a 130-degree horizontal field of view, a 6X digital zoom, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and uses six infrared LEDs for night vision (up to 20 feet). It can record video and send push alerts when it detects motion, and can differentiate between people, animals, and cars. It can also recognize faces, but this feature requires a Nest Aware subscription (more on this later).

The camera also works with Google Assistant voice commands and other devices you connect to a Google Nest Hub, but it doesn't support the Alexa, Apple HomeKit, or IFTTT platforms.

You can view video that is less than three hours old for free, but if you want access to 30 days of video recordings, you need to pay for the $6-per-month (or $60 per year) Nest Aware plan. The subscription also unlocks the Familiar Faces (face recognition) feature and allows the camera to send alerts when it detects the sound of breaking glass, a CO alarm, or a smoke alarm. For $12 per month (or $120 per year), the Nest Aware Plus plan includes everything from the cheaper plan, but lets you view up to 60 days of video history and record for up to 10 days continuously.

App Options

You control the camera with the same Google Home mobile app (available for Android and iOS) that other Nest devices use, including the Nest Doorbell. The camera and lights appear as separate devices on the app’s home screen. When you tap the floodlight icon, the app opens a screen with a large power button and a dimming slider that lets you set the brightness level (between 1 and 100%). Tap the gear icon in the upper right corner to configure a daylight sensor that will trigger the lights to turn on when the ambient light reaches a certain level. Here, you can also enable motion triggers, set a timer, and allow the camera to trigger the lights.

When you tap the camera icon, the app takes you to a live video stream where you can initiate two-way talk and view historical events via a sliding timeline. Tap the gear icon on this screen to configure intelligent notifications for people, animals, vehicles, and other motion; enable push alerts; configure video quality and night vision settings; and adjust audio settings.

Quick Installation, Reliable in Tests

Installing the Nest Cam Floodlight is fairly easy, especially if you’re replacing an existing fixture. However, if you're not comfortable working with electrical wiring, you should hire a pro.

To get started, I downloaded the Google Home app, created an account, and then set up a home. Next, I tapped the plus icon in the upper left corner of the home screen and selected Set Up Device. I picked Camera from the list, then chose the Nest Cam With Floodlight. I scanned the QR code on the camera with the app, tapped Next, and skipped through four pages of privacy guidelines and user agreements. I finally arrived at the installation section, which offers tips on where to place the fixture and how to physically install it. 

I started by turning off the power to my existing fixture at the breaker box. Then I removed the old fixture and the mounting bracket that was attached to the junction box. After I attached the included ground wire to the new mounting plate and the junction box, I secured the plate to the junction box using the included screws. Next, I attached the plate cover to the mounting plate and used the included hook to hang the Nest fixture on the plate while I attached the black and white house wires to the black and white fixture wires. I secured the wires with wire nuts, removed the hook, secured the fixture to the cover, and plugged in the camera. 

I restored power to the circuit and verified that the camera’s LED was blinking blue. Then, the app began to search for a connected Nest device to assist with pairing. After about 30 seconds, it connected to the same Wi-Fi network that my phone uses. To complete the process, I assigned the camera a location and waited a few seconds for it to update.

The Nest Cam With Floodlight delivered crisp 1080p video in my tests. Color quality is excellent, and black-and-white night video looks well lit and sharp. I didn't notice any image distortion, and the camera had no trouble differentiating between motion from people, animals, and passing cars.

The floodlights are sufficiently bright and responded quickly to app commands. I was also able to view video from the camera on a Google Nest Hub, and use Google Assistant voice commands to turn the lights on and set the brightness level.

A Pricey Option for Google-Centric Homes

The Nest Cam With Floodlight is a stylish camera and floodlight combo that you can control with your phone and with Google Assistant voice commands. It's relatively easy to install, delivers sharp, well-lit video, and fits seamlessly into the Google Home ecosystem. That said, it’s one of the more expensive floodlight cameras we've reviewed, and you have to pay even more to use all of its features. It doesn't support many third-party integrations, either. If that last shortcoming is a deal breaker, consider the slightly more affordable and Editors' Choice-winning Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Cam, which adds support for Alexa, Homekit, and IFTTT. But if voice controls aren't essential, the $84.99 Wyze Cam Floodlight (another Editors' Choice winner) is a stronger value that also works with more third-party platforms than the Nest Cam.