Over the years, Tapo has been a go-to brand of mine when it comes to Wi-Fi-enabled accessories. I use the smart plugs all over my house for things like my lighting fixtures as well as my Christmas tree. In addition to this, I’ve been using their indoor camera to keep an eye on my dog while my wife and I are away. The Tapo C654 outdoor camera was something I had my eyes on for a very long time, and being able to spend a few weeks with it, I have been very impressed with what it can do. From its vast range of motion to the area that it’s able to cover, this has been one of the better security cameras I’ve checked out in a long time.
I travel a lot for work, and I have been in the market to pick up an outdoor security camera for far longer than I’d like to admit. It’s always good to know what is happening around your home when you’re not there, so getting a security camera is usually something that makes sense to better secure your home. I live in a very busy area, with people passing by constantly throughout the day. I wanted to get something to help me keep an eye on my property while I was away. Two major things sold me on the Tapo C654 outdoor camera: it’s solar-powered—because I have zero interest in cable-managing anything outdoors unless it’s Christmas lights—and it has a 2K dual lens.
Both lenses for this security camera are 2K 3MP (2304×1296) and have a frame rate of 15 fps and 10.8 times digital zoom. The top lens is a static wide-angle lens that has a focal length of 2.53mm with an aperture of F1.6. It also has a 165-degree field of view. The bottom lens is telephoto and has a focal length of 6mm with the same aperture as the top. Since this one is telephoto, it has an adjustable 360-degree horizontal field of view and a 120-degree vertical field of view. Though the top lens is static, it can be manually adjusted 240 degrees horizontally and 0 to 20 degrees vertically. Together, and depending on how you have the Tapo C654 situated, you will virtually eliminate any blind spots, which is a very comfortable feeling when it comes to home security.
“Two major things sold me on the Tapo C654 outdoor camera: it’s solar-powered—because I have zero interest in cable-managing anything outdoors unless it’s Christmas lights—and it has a 2K dual lens.”
The night vision on the Tapo C654 outdoor camera was also pretty impressive. I’ve had cameras in the past that really struggled in this department, so having something with a clear view in the evening was really refreshing, all thanks to the 850nm IR LED. This is a semiconductor light source that emits near-infrared light at a peak wavelength of 850 nanometers, which in turn serves as a high-efficiency illumination backbone for the camera’s night vision. With this, the Tapo C654 outdoor camera also has six built-in spotlights, two alarm lights, and one LED indicator to let you know if the camera is on or not.
The Tapo C654 outdoor camera is a Wi-Fi-enabled camera that comes with a built-in microphone and speaker with two-way audio and noise cancellation. During busy times in my area, although there is a lot of noise coming from the road, you can still pick up some chatter of people walking by the sidewalk in front of my house. It’s not always clear, but I was impressed by it at times when I could hear it. The siren volume from the camera is roughly 91.5 dB when measured at a 10 cm distance and 64.4 dB when measured at 300 cm. While you have the option of cloud storage, which is paid via subscription, the Tapo C654 outdoor camera can support local storage via a microSD card up to 512 GB.
Having a security camera that is solar-powered is honestly such a wonderful thing. Outdoor cable management is truly something I loathe more than getting my socks wet after accidentally stepping into a puddle or snowbank, so having the option to just not have any cables brings me a special kind of joy. There is a 10,000 mAh built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can be charged via USB Type-C. When you first set up the camera, the instructions suggest that you charge the camera while plugged in for a few hours. For science, I chose to veto this and let the sun do its thing, and it’s been working perfectly fine ever since. It did take a few days to reach 100% battery, and on cloudy days I noticed the battery life dip to around 70%, but I haven’t had the need to charge the camera since mounting it for a few weeks.
Using the Tapo app is really simple to navigate and connects seamlessly with your Google Home services. With that being said, this device also works with Alexa and Samsung SmartThings. My house is well embedded within the Google ecosystem, so using a device that can be added to that same system is non-negotiable. Since I already have other devices connected in Google Home, it is my preferred app to use.
Once you have the camera set up in the Tapo app, and you give it a name and save the location where it’s set up, you can then go into your Google Home app and migrate that information so it is now saved within your ecosystem. I enjoy this feature a lot because if you have other members of your household in the same Google Home network, it updates everything in real time. So, no more going to each individual smartphone and manually setting up each device.
Motion detection on the Tapo C654 outdoor camera is nearly flawless. Its built-in AI detection tracks not only standard motion but also pet, person, and vehicle detection as well. One caveat is that, especially if you’re connecting this camera to your Google Home, you should disable notifications on the Tapo app; otherwise, you will get double notifications from both Tapo and Google. I made this mistake and was receiving almost 30-50 motion detection notifications every hour, and as someone who likes to keep notifications cleared at all times, I was ready to throw my phone into the sun before I fixed the issue.
The Tapo C654 outdoor camera is an outstanding device and perfect for anyone who has ever been curious about owning an outdoor security camera. Being solar-powered enables you to eliminate the need to run a precarious cable through the front of your house to a power source, which is very important if you live in a townhouse or condo. Connectivity to the Google Home ecosystem was quick and easy, and the motion detection is really accurate. If you have ever been curious about getting into home security and are unsure what brand to start with, I would highly recommend this camera.
- AWARD-WINNING HOME SECURITY: The Tapo C645D KIT was rated a USA TODAY Top Pick at CES 2026 for its impressive hardware, solar-charged operation, and subscription-free recording option, so you can protect your home with confidence.
- THE DUAL-LENS SURVEILLANCE ADVANTAGE: Eliminate blind spots and never miss a moment. Dual lenses work in sync for simultaneous wide coverage and zoomed-in, AI-driven tracking. Solar-powered with 10,000mAh backup for reliable security, rain or shine.
