Toucan has long been focused on protecting the entrance of your home with an array of porch cameras, and more recently, a video doorbell. Its Wireless Outdoor Security Camera, though, is ideal for coverage anywhere else around your home. Completely battery powered, it can be easily installed anywhere it can receive a Wi-Fi signal.
Like the EufyCam 2 we recently reviewed, Toucan’s camera takes its design cues from Netgear’s Arlo Pro cameras. Its modular body and magnetic mount allow it to be installed virtually anywhere on your property that you can get a clear Wi-Fi signal. The lithium ion battery should give you a minimum of four months of power per charge, and that can be stretched to a year if motion detection is triggered less frequently, according to the manufacturer.
This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best home security cameras, where you’ll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping.
The camera comes with all the security essentials. It streams and captures video in 1080p resolution and provides night vision, two-way talk, and motion detection with event recording. It also includes a built-in siren and a handful of canned visitor greetings and warnings, both of which can be activated remotely through the Toucan app. It has an IP56 weatherproof rating indicating it is protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction but its protection from dust ingress is much more limited.
ToucanThe camera attaches to a magnetic mount, so it’s a cinch to take down when you need to recharge the battery.
Toucan offers a stingy 24 hours of video history for free with purchase of the camera, and you can only review video, not download it. That makes a paid subscription upgrade essential to save evidence of a crime that could help police find the perpetrator. Toucan’s least expensive offering is the Pro plan, which extends video history to seven days and also enables video download and sharing, plus the ability to share camera access with anyone you choose, for $3 per month. An Elite plan provides the same, but lengthens video history to 90 days. In both cases, one subscription applies to all your Toucan devices.
Installation and performance
To setup the camera, you’ll need to download the Toucan app and create an account. Once you choose the type of device you want to add, the app will prompt you to press and hold the Set button on top of the camera until a blue LED on its front starts flashing. A voice prompt confirms the device is initializing, and shortly after you’re asked to enter your network login credentials. Barring any hiccups, the whole process should take 2-3 minutes.
When you can see the cameras live feed, you should walk it out to where you want to mount it to be sure it will maintain a strong signal. I didn’t have any signal interruptions walking the perimeter of my home, so I…
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