TP-Link - Tapo 3-pack 2K Indoor/Outdoor Cameras with 10000mAh Battery (Up to 300 days of power) and Magnetic Base - White

I was looking for a surveillance system that could replace my existing Blink cameras. The Blink setup is OK, but limited features. I had several requirements that I needed to meet 1. Completely wireless 2. RTSP/ONVIF compatibility (to record in 3rd party systems) 3. No monthly fee 4. Rechargeable battery 5. Date & time on camera video The TAPO cameras fulfilled all of these needs at a great price. video quality is exceptional, night vision works well and responsiveness of the app is quick. I highly recommend this system.

The TP-Link Tapo TC85 Wire-Free Magnetic Security Camera is going to garner lots of attention due to its price point and the number of cameras included, but let’s get to the review to find out if it’s the right security solution for you. The TC85 cameras are super easy to set up via the Tapo smartphone app. I had no issues with the initial setup and installation of the cameras. All 3 cameras came with a partial charge, but I made sure they were all fully charged before mounting them. The cameras still rely on micro-USB which is disappointing as most electronics are now USB-C. This means you’ll have to make sure you have a micro-USB cable lying around to charge these when needed. The magnetic base and included mounting hardware make sure that you can mount the cameras for optimal outdoor coverage. I used the included magnetic mounts and positioned them where I needed coverage. With 3 cameras included in this set, most people will be able to cover the entrances of their homes and maybe set up a camera inside as well. Unfortunately, the TC85 does not come with a mount that allows the unit to sit on a table or bookshelf and the camera will have to be mounted to a wall. The TC85 has all the bells and whistles you’d expect for a camera in this price range. Two-way audio, night vision, AI detection of people/pets/vehicles, and an SD card slot for local video storage. All of these functions proved to work well in my testing, but be prepared to spend a little more to equip the cameras with at least 128GB SD cards if you don’t want to pay the subscription fee for cloud storage. The good news is, that even with the local storage solution, you will be able to see your recordings remotely on the Tapo app. Overall, the TP-Link Tapo TC85 Wire-Free Security Camera 3 pack is a great value for the price and would be a good choice for anyone looking for an easy to set up, all-in-one solution to their video security needs. Here are some of the pros and cons of the TP-Link Tapo Wire-Free Security Camera: Pros: Easy to set up and use: The TC85s are very easy to set up and use via the Tapo app. Being that these are wireless, the freedom to put them anywhere is awesome. Good video quality: The TC85s provide clear and sharp video quality, even in low-light conditions. These are definitely a step above my old 1080p wired cameras. Night vision feature: The TC85s have a night vision feature that works very well. Getting 3 top-notch wireless cameras at a reasonable price is definitely a value-add. Built-in AI detection seems to work very well. This feature can be paywalled behind a subscription in other camera products. SD card slot makes it easy to add local storage to the cameras. Cons: A subscription is required to store any video in the cloud. Some other cameras allow you to store a limited amount of video for free. Micro-USB is very disappointing for a new product in 2023. Make sure to keep a few of these ancient cables lying around. The kit only comes with one micro-USB cable and charging brick, so initially charging the cameras is slow going unless you have some extra cables and power bricks lying around. Overall, the TP-Link Tapo TC85 Wire0Free Security Camera 3 pack is a wonderful security solution for those looking for something that’s easy and affordable. Setup will be a breeze, and the video quality is clear and sharp. The lack of free cloud storage means you’re going to want to factor in the price of SD cards or the Tapo subscription when making this purchase.

The Tapo TC85 wireless indoor/outdoor security camera comes as a 3 camera pack. The cameras can be used inside or outside, but can’t be used inside to look outside because they can’t detect motion through glass. The instructions said the cameras arrive with a partial charge and that it takes 5-6 hours to achieve a full charge. The box includes a USB adapter and a charging cord. I couldn’t find a way to see the charge level of the cameras until after they were charged and connected to the app, so I left them on the charger for 4 hours just to be safe. That seemed to be long enough because they all showed 100% charge once they were installed. The box states that they each have a 300 day battery life but I think that’s optimistic and would only be true if they rarely alerted. I installed 2 of the cameras yesterday, and today the charge level shows 95%. The cameras do support a solar panel charger. The Tapo TC85 cameras are unique in the way they attach. Unlike other cameras that screw into the wall, the Tapo camera uses a very strong magnet. The only thing that is attached to the wall is a small base plate. The magnet snaps onto the plate and the camera snaps onto the magnet. That makes it easy to move the camera for positioning or to remove it for charging. There is flexibility in the tilt (up and down) angle, but less side to side flexibility. There is a slot for a microSD card that is not included. The app installation instructions (which I will hopefully remember when the time comes) say to only initialize the SD card in the Tapo app - DO NOT format it on the computer. Recommended is a Class 10 microSD with 8 - 512 GB. Notifications can be stored on the phone, on the SD card and in the cloud. Notifications can also be individually downloaded to the phone. Cloud storage is a 30 day free trial. Unlike many similar plans, no credit card is required up front. There is no need to remember to cancel at 29 days. Instead, the plan auto cancels at 30 days with no fees. If you want to continue cloud storage, you have to proactively sign up for it. The instructions were easy to follow for the first camera. I did have some difficulty finding the right icon to add the second and third cameras. Some of the app features are: a customizable activity zone, the ability to record on demand regardless of motion detection, and Home and Away modes. The cameras have two-way audio and adjustable spotlights. The camera in the back of the house works well. The motion detector comes on to show any activity around the vehicles parked there. The camera in the front of the house doesn’t work quite as well. The real time view is phenomenal. The cameras have a 150 degree super wide field of view. We have a long driveway, and I can clearly see the end of the driveway, the street in front of our house and the neighbor’s house. But that doesn’t do me a lot of good unless I want to stare at the picture all day, waiting for something to happen. The motion detector sensor only extends about 20 feet. It doesn’t detect any person or vehicle coming straight up the driveway because the camera is set back a bit. Because we were outside a lot, there were over 100 notifications the first day. Besides draining the camera batteries, the frequent notifications drained my phone battery as well. Today I changed the app settings to monitor and record motion detection, but without phone notifications. Now I open the app a few times a day to see if there were any notifications. Another option is to create a schedule for when notifications are “on”. There are a lot of things that can be customized in the app, but each enhancement comes with a warning that it will use more battery life. It would be nice if all the features could be used without significantly reducing battery life. The cameras are easy to unsnap from the base for charging, but they are high up on the wall, which requires climbing a ladder to get to them. It looks like I’ll be doing that 3 - 4 times a year. The phone audio at the recommended level was very scratchy and I had to turn the volume down. In “Away Mode”, any motion detected generates a camera noise that is supposed to scare intruders away. The alarm sound on the phone when looking at the notification was ear piercing, but the noise from the camera sounded like a wind up toy. I don’t think it would scare anyone. I think the app could be better. I’m still trying to figure out the logic behind its organization. I know I’ve seen an option somewhere, but have trouble finding it again. There are Home and Away Modes, but when looking at the Detection Mode screen, I can’t tell which mode I'm in. The messages icon doesn’t show which camera the notification pertains to. When I switch from Home to Away and back to Home I have to reset all the AI detection and detection zone settings. The Clip Settings won’t save. When I choose “Delete all Messages” they don’t delete until the 2nd or 3rd try. I would give the camera 5 stars if it had a longer motion detection range, better battery life and an app that was easier to use.