Why I Picked Vivint
Rugged Devices
The Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro is (surprise, surprise) suitable for outdoor use. The same goes for the Vivint Spotlight Pro. I will say: I liked SimpliSafe’s spotlight design a bit better than Vivint’s. With Vivint, the light attaches to the bottom of the camera making it a bit bulky, whereas SimpliSafe has it built into the camera.
Both Vivint devices have an IP65 rating. Rain, snow, or shine, they will work just fine.
Not every Vivint security camera meant for the outdoors can actually take the heat (or cold, or wet). The Vivint Doorbell Camera has an IP33 rating. Light rain? No problem. A torrential downpour? Your doorbell may shut down.
Did You Know? A lower IP rating is not necessarily a dealbreaker for a doorbell camera. Think about it. How much rain is your doorbell exposed to? You might have a portico that shields it from the elements.
Outdoor Camera
So, Vivint has an outdoor camera. But does it have a good outdoor camera?
My answer is, unequivocally, yes. When I tested one out for my Vivint review, I was impressed. Bear in mind, that’s coming from a guy who has tested dozens of security cameras.
The Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro stood out. First off, it works seamlessly with the rest of the system. When my siren went off inside, it also went off outside, thanks to the camera’s 85 dB siren extender. It terrified my delivery guy but delighted me. I was able to hear the siren whether I was inside my house or in my yard.
That thoughtful design wouldn’t matter if the camera didn’t have excellent specs. The Outdoor Camera Pro has a 4K image sensor, 1080p resolution, and AI capabilities. You can’t ask for much more. Even though it’s not the 4K resolution of the Arlo Ultra 2, that 4K image sensor makes the image surprisingly crisp for 1080p resolution. With the Outdoor Camera Pro, I could see what was happening at night and in those early morning hours with dim lighting. This made it look closer to a 2K camera and reminded me of when I reviewed the Arlo Pro 4 security camera.
FYI: 4K resolution means your video will have four times as many pixels as the industry-standard 1080p resolution. While you probably won’t notice much of a difference if you’re just looking at your video on your phone, those extra pixels give you way more clarity when using any digital zoom features.
That said, I expected a wider selection of options. When I compare Vivint to ADT, I feel slightly disappointed. ADT lets me choose from its own camera range or Nest cameras. Vivint could stand to let me choose from multiple options, too.
Mobile App
The Vivint Smart Home app is plain excellent. It has a 4.6 Apple App Store and 4.1 Google Play Store rating, and the features to back it up. The only app that beats those ratings is ADT Control. It’s one of the reasons it makes our list of the best smart home automation security systems. When I tested it out, I managed to arm and disarm my system, customize my smart devices, and check my notifications without any issues.
Here’s an example of why that matters. Let’s say you’re traipsing through your wooded property and can’t remember if you closed the gate behind you. You open up the Vivint app to check if your contact sensor shows the gate is open or closed. Alternatively, peek at the security camera footage. With an app as good as Vivint’s, you have options.
Pro Tip: Vivint doesn’t always get things right. Skip the Vivint Classic app. It’s older and clunkier than their current app.