Product Review: Toucan Wireless Outdoor/Indoor Security Camera
Toucan has been in the business of security cameras for several years now with a good track record of keeping up with new technology while not over-burdening their devices. The Toucan Wireless Outdoor/Indoor Security Camera is no exception and can be placed almost anywhere both inside and outside of the home that receives a decent Wi-Fi signal.
Toucan’s home security camera is focused on ease of use. The features are kept simple, though well-executed, and set up is made even more convenient by eliminating wires completely. This means that anywhere the mount can fit (roughly 2x2.5”), you can set up your camera. However, although the camera is easy to pop in and out of the magnetic base, it will be just as easy for potential thieves to remove as well. We mounted ours high up using a ladder to keep it safe. The lithium-ion battery should last four months, or longer with less detected activity, so you will only need to re-charge it at most three times a year and can monitor the battery levels through the app.
No central hub is needed, just a smart phone and a good Wi-Fi connection on your property. The security camera comes equipped with HD 1080p resolution, crisp night vision, two-way audio, passive infrared (PIR) motion sensing for event recording, a siren, and four pre-recorded messages. As an outdoor camera, it features an International Protection (IP) 56 rating, which means it is protected against dust that would interfere with your camera’s internal functions and is waterproof against harsh water jets from all directions.
Most cameras require a subscription service nowadays and Toucan is no different. The free Basic version includes only 24 hours of recording, one minute event recording time, and five video downloads per month. For $3 a month, the Pro plan expands recording time up to 90 minutes with a full week of video history and unlimited video downloads. The top tier Elite plan costs $10 per month and extends video history to an extensive 90-day period. Both paid plans cover all Toucan devices in your home.
Installation
This was probably the easiest outdoor camera set up I have ever experienced. I simply downloaded the Toucan app, created an account, chose my device, and the app prompted me to press and hold the clearly marked “Set” button on top of the camera to sync. It only took a couple seconds for a blue light to flash and a voice confirmed the process. Back in the app I was prompted to input my Wi-Fi information and it was complete.
With phone in hand, I walked around my property with the camera. The live feed was sharp and uninterrupted as I went edge to edge, ensuring there was no gap in connectivity. I decided to mount it to the side of my garage so it would have a full view of the driveway.
Physical installation was also a breeze. The mount only requires two screws to attach, so if you have a screwdriver and ladder handy, you are good to go. The magnetic hold to the camera felt extremely strong and during the course this review we experienced a storm with 30mph wind and saw no change in the camera’s hold. While not hurricane levels, the camera should stay put on the base for years to come in normal weather conditions. The magnetic base also allowed me to move the camera to virtually any angle I wanted, much more extensive than traditionally mounted security cameras, and could be readjusted easily.
Performance
Toucan’s image quality was great for this price point. All images and video were noticeably clear, showing crisp details and colors. Night vision, which by default triggers automatically for low light levels but can be adjusted in settings, was perfectly illuminated, and had a strong contrast to differentiate objects and people in view.
Motion detection can be adjusted and was exceptionally reliable once I found the sensitivity that fit my needs. If you do not want to be alerted every time someone walks their dog across the sidewalk or drives by, simply lower the setting within the app or schedule specific times you would like the camera to be activated or specify specific motion zones for the camera to track.
The app is very intuitive to use, for example, zooming only requires a pinch motion on your phone and swiping to pan around. Video can be viewed in portrait or landscape mode as well, which I highly recommend as portrait mode will crop the video to fit the smaller view space. Through the various, clearly marked buttons, you can talk to someone on the other end, prompt a pre-recorded message to play, manually record video, record a photo, trigger the siren, and call an emergency contact. Another section of the app stores your manual or event-triggered videos and photos for easy review.
As with many smart devices, this security camera can also be connected to your Amazon Alexa or Google Home smart displays. Users can view live feeds or utilize the two-way talk feature directly on those devices for convenience.
Conclusion
The Toucan Wireless Outdoor/Indoor Security Camera is a good affordable option for a straightforward camera with solid features that should cover the needs of most homeowners. We were especially happy with how easy it was to fit into smaller or more creative areas around the home, both inside and outside, and took minutes to set up. It was a sturdy and reliable addition during our home test, with effort clearly put into the quality of the features.
