Reolink Argus Solar 5MP Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Battery Camera with Built-in Solar Panel

Is the Reolink Argus Solar worth buying?

The Reolink Argus Solar 5MP Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Battery Camera with Built-in Solar Panel is a solar-powered camera that records at 5MP. It is best for outdoor spots with no power outlet, kept charged by sunlight.

What it does well: no subscription needed to record, person detection on the device, colour night vision and a wide 110° view. What to weigh up: event clips rather than 24/7 recording.

At $99.99 on Amazon today, it has a mid-range price: 1 of the 5 solar cameras we track cost less.

Does the Reolink Argus Solar need a subscription?

No. It records to a microSD card or Reolink's hub with no monthly fee; Reolink Cloud Standard is optional and adds cloud backup.

Smart detection works without a plan, live view on your phone away from home is free and cloud history comes only with the plan.

How much detail will it capture, and how much will it cover?

At 5MP it captures clearly more detail than 1080p, enough for faces at a door or across a small yard, with lower storage needs than 4K.

With a 110° horizontal view, it covers a strip about 86 ft wide at 30 ft from the camera. Using the IEC 62676-4 detail levels, a face is identifiable out to about 13 ft (4.0 m) and a person recognisable to about 26 ft. Beyond that it shows what happened but not who did it, so mount it within that distance of the spot that matters.

That wide view lets one camera watch a driveway and the lawn beside it, at the cost of less detail at the edges.

It records at 15 frames per second, which is normal for security recording.

How well does it see at night?

It can record in colour after dark by switching on its own spotlight, which also tends to move people on. Colour matters at night because clothing and car colours are often the details police ask for.

In full darkness it switches to infrared and records in black and white, with a stated range of 10 m (33 ft). Infrared bounces off glass, so do not mount it behind a window, and keep eaves and walls out of the edge of the frame.

Will it tell people apart from cars, animals and shadows?

Yes. It recognises people, vehicles and animals on the camera itself, so detection keeps working when the internet is down. That is the difference between a few useful alerts a day and dozens set off by trees, shadows and headlights.

Activity zones let you draw the areas it watches, so the street or a neighbour's yard does not set it off.

Two-way audio lets you speak to a visitor or a delivery driver from your phone.

How much storage does it need?

Battery cameras record short clips, not continuous video, so storage goes a long way. At 5MP, 50 clips of 20 seconds a day come to about 0.4GB a day.

A 512GB microSD card, the largest it takes, would hold well over a year of that, so the card size matters less than its endurance rating.

Use a high-endurance card made for constant writing; ordinary cards wear out within months in a camera. The SanDisk High Endurance 128GB microSDXC Card ($36.99) fits.

The calculator above works out the exact figure for your own camera count, settings and retention.

What happens if the Wi-Fi or the power goes down?

If the internet goes down it keeps recording locally and keeps detecting people; you will not get phone alerts or remote viewing until the connection returns, and the footage is there when it does.

On Wi-Fi it also depends on your router: if the router loses power, the camera can still save to its card but cannot send anything.

In a power cut the camera itself keeps running on its battery, but your router does not unless it has backup power.

What do you need to install it?

It joins your Wi-Fi on 2.4/5 GHz. Check the signal at the mounting spot with your phone before you drill; a weak signal is the most common reason Wi-Fi cameras miss events.

There is no wiring: it runs on a rechargeable battery and wakes to record a clip when it senses motion. That makes it quick to fit anywhere, but it does not record around the clock. Solar charging keeps the battery topped up where the panel gets a few hours of direct sun a day.

It is rated IP67: dust-tight and able to survive temporary immersion, so driving rain and snow are not a problem. It is rated to work from -20°C to 55°C (-4°F to 131°F).

Does it work with an NVR, Blue Iris or Home Assistant?

Reolink says it records to Reolink's own recorders, such as the Reolink RLN8-410 8-Port PoE NVR ($189.99) and Reolink RLN36 36-Channel NVR ($220.99). A same-brand recorder keeps every feature, including smart alerts.

Reolink does not state RTSP or ONVIF support for it, so do not count on third-party recorders or software.

Does it work with Alexa, Google Home or Apple Home?

Our record for it lists no Alexa, Google Home or Apple Home support. If voice control or a smart display matters to you, check Reolink's compatibility page first.

What should you consider instead?

The eufy SoloCam E42 4K Solar Pan and Tilt Camera ($129.99) costs $30.00 more.

The eufy SoloCam S220 2K Solar Wireless Outdoor Camera ($69.99) costs $30.00 less.

The Reolink Argus Eco Ultra 4K Dual-Band Wi-Fi Battery Camera with Spotlight ($129.99) records at a higher 4K 8MP and costs $30.00 more.

Each is listed with its live price and Security Fit in Alternatives above. If event clips rather than 24/7 recording is a deal-breaker, the first of those is where to look.

Is now a good time to buy?

We started tracking it on October 20, 2026 and it has held at $99.99. With under a week of checks we cannot yet say whether $99.99 is a good price; the price history above fills in as checks run every six hours.

Amazon prices change often; the price shown is from our latest check, and the button goes to the current listing.

Should you buy the Reolink Argus Solar?

It is the right buy for outdoor spots with no power outlet, kept charged by sunlight, especially if you value no subscription needed to record and person detection on the device.

Skip it if you want continuous 24/7 recording.

If it fits, the button below goes to the current Amazon listing. If you are not sure, the finder scores it against your own property and suggests a complete system.