Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Sharp 2K video
- Spotlights enable good color night vision
- Easy to set up
- Local storage via up to 512GB microSD
Cons
- No support for Apple Home
- Onboard mic doesn’t mask wind noise very well
Our Verdict
The Tapo C410 Kit is a very good home security camera, especially for folks looking to avoid the necessity of paying for a subscription to get its most important features. It’s also a great pick for those looking to avoid wires and needing to dismount the camera to charge its battery. But the absence of Apple Home support will be a bummer for some.
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I’ve had a full set of security cameras set up around my house for many years, but none of them was oriented in such a way that I could see over the fence to check on the car or who was on the other side of the fence. Since my existing system can’t support any additional cameras, I figured I might as well get a smart solar-powered security camera. That’s when TP-Link’s affordable Tapo C410 Kit caught by eye.
This bullet-style, battery-powered camera is completely wireless; it comes with a solar panel to keep its lithium-ion battery topped off; and the presence of a microSD card slot means it can accommodate up to a user-provided 512GB memory card–and that means you don’t really need to pay for a subscription to store video recordings in the cloud (TP-Link does offer optional subscriptions, of course, which I’ll discuss later).
The solar panel is the star of the show here because it’s what gives us so much freedom.
Design and features
The cylindrical Tapo C410 itself has a clean and modern look that we’ve come to expect from security cameras. When triggered by motion after dark, a pair of LED spotlights enable color night vision, and there’s an onboard microphone for two-way audio. There’s a power button on the back of the camera, as well as a USB-C port for charging its battery (the included solar panel plugs in here as well) and the slot for the previously mentioned microSD card slot. In other words, it offers all the features we think you should look for in a budget-priced security camera.
Gabriela Vatu
The included mount accommodates both the camera and the solar panel, simplifying physical installation. You’ll also find several rubber elements in the box you can use to make camera’s ports watertight even after plugging the solar panel into the camera. The camera carries a weatherization rating of IP65, which–according to our IP code guide–indicates it is impervious to dust ingress and that it’s protected from water jets sprayed from any direction, although it probably wouldn’t stand up to a pressure washer at close distance.
The camera delivers 2K resolution (defined as 2304 x 1296 pixels) at 15 frames per second, which means the image is sharp enough to capture great details, from license plates to faces.
The solar panel is the star of the show here because it’s what gives us so much freedom, making it possible to set it up anywhere we need it as long as it’s exposed to sunlight.
Gabriela Vatu
The camera also delivers a slew of features that many smart cams come with, including two-way audio, general motion detection, and person detection. The camera uses motion detection to send you alerts when activity is noticed, and it can smartly distinguish between people, pets, and vehicles. You decide which notifications to get and which to ignore.
The camera connects to your local router easily (2.4GHz networks only). Whether or not you avail yourself of the camera’s microSD card slot, an optional Tapo Care subscription enables you to store video recordings in the cloud (with a 30-day history), and it adds a rich notification feature that includes a snapshot of the motion that triggered the camera to send you an alert. Tapo Care plans start at $3.49 per month or $34.99 per year and are one of the least expensive security subscriptions out there. But remember: don’t buy just any microSD card for a security camera–make sure its specs are suitable for the job.
Setup and performance
The Tapo C410 Kit is extremely easy to set up. Everything you need is in the box, including screws to mount it on your wall. All you’ll need to do is to figure out where to set it up so it gets enough sunlight to keep its battery charged. Tapo says the camera needs at least 45 minutes of direct sunlight for all-day monitoring, so make sure you pick a good spot. A longer USB-C cable is also in the box in the event you need to mount the solar panel further away from the camera to get enough exposure to the sun.
Gabriela Vatu
The whole process was relatively painless and took 15 minutes at most, including all the time spent going up and down the ladder. Connecting the camera to the app is also extremely easy. To take things one step further, I integrated the Tapo app with Google Home. In less than two minutes I could say “Hey Google, show me the front yard” and have the footage displayed on my Nest Hub. If Alexa rules your smart home, you can do the same with an Echo Show.
This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras.
The quality of the two-way audio is great, although I found the microphone to be a bit susceptible to wind noise I feel there’s quite a bit of extra noise when it’s windy, despite Tapo claiming there’s some noise cancellation. One thing I love about the camera is that you can define activity zones or black out your neighbor’s windows for privacy, for instance.
Should you buy the Tapo C410 Kit?
Frankly, there’s no reason not to get the Tapo C410 Kit. It’s super easy to set up—both physically and via the app—and it delivers great video quality, as well as plenty of smart features. It’s a great pick for anyone who doesn’t want to spend a fortune on security cameras, wants one they can set up and forget about, and wants the ease of mind of always getting notifications about what’s happening outside their home.
Since this is a solar-powered camera, this may not be the best pick for folks who live in areas with limited sunlight or who have an Apple Home setup.