ReoLink GO Solar Powered Camera Review

A Quick Overview

We understand that not everyone has ample time to read every word of our review. So, we have summarized what we liked best and what we thought could use some improvement about the ReoLink GO here.

Getting into the Nitty Gritty

There was much more to our experience with ReoLink GO’s solar panel camera than what we mentioned above, though. We filled our trip with fun and we had plenty of learning experiences along the way. With that being said, let’s take it from the beginning.

Buying Our Camera

After we decided to take a trip to our friend’s cabin, we immediately hopped on the ReoLink website to make our purchase. We easily found the camera and we were about to click the Order button when we saw the price tag: $259.99 for one camera. Our mood immediately dropped. We know how much security cameras cost, and we know outdoor cameras don’t normally cost over $200 unless they have something special to offer. For the ReoLink GO, that something special is the ability to work without Wi-Fi. So even though it cost more than we expected, we happily paid.

On the bright side, we appreciated that there were no additional shipping costs. It’s also a DIY camera, like most cameras we test, so there were no installation fees. For us, those made the entire experience start off on a lighter foot.

How It Worked

The camera itself was impressive in terms of both look and functionality. There were multiple features that fit our needs precisely. First and foremost, the camera offered 1080p HD vision, which was great for identifying objects in our unkempt outdoor area. As individuals with an irrational fear of creepy nightcrawlers, the 33-foot range night vision and the built-in siren really sold us.

But, at the top of our list was the adjustable motion detection sensitivity. We were able to adjust it to 13, 19, and 32 feet. We’re not sure how ReoLink came up with those motion detection ranges, but we know it worked. Set to 13 feet, the camera ignored our movements while we cooked stew outside, probably about 18 feet from where we placed the cameras.

We’d also like to point out that the camera uses passive Infrared (PIR), which is superior to good old motion detection powered by computer vision. PIR sensors react to body heat, so they trigger only when the movement is caused by a living object (i.e. humans and animals). We don’t need notifications for leaves getting blown by the wind, and we didn’t get any from ReoLink.

Installing Our Camera

Installing our camera was honestly not that bad. We know that self-installation can oftentimes be intimidating, but the ReoLink GO camera was easy and fun to set up! When the box arrived at our doorstep, we found the camera, an outdoor mount, rechargeable battery, reset needle, pack of screws, surveillance sign, mounting hole template, micro USB cable, quick start guide, solar panel and, of course, the camo skin. The camera also included an optional micro-SD card that held up to 64 GB of data, which is equivalent to 64 hours of continuous live viewing.

Our first instinctive move was to connect our camera to Wi-Fi, which did not work on multiple levels, mainly due to the lack of Wi-Fi at our cabin. Once we finished laughing at ourselves, we followed the proper online and paper directions and installed our T-Mobile SIM cards into the camera. We will admit that we were slightly overwhelmed at first given all of the pieces in the installation kit, but after a brief skim of the quick start guides, we felt ready to take on the task. We then decided where we wanted to set up our camera and got to work. The camera was very sturdy, and it surprised us that we could screw it in to just about anything. For us, we chose a tree facing the front of the cabin, with the main focus on the front door.

Battery Life

We didn’t have to touch our solar-powered camera throughout the rest of our trip and for long after that, no matter how many minutes of live viewing we indulged in. The near-constant sunshine beating down on the solar panel made for a non-stop power stream to the camera. We looked at our feed far too often, which is the main source of battery drainage, so this solar-power option allowed us to release some stress about running out of charge.

Audio and Video Capabilities

Speaking of which, we cannot finish this review without expressing how gorgeous the recorded footage was. Each time we viewed the footage, either on a livestream or playing it back for review, the crisp image that showed up impressed us every time. We also communicated with each other through the security camera and the mobile app in real-time through the built-in microphone and speaker, which was convenient when our coworker showed up unexpectedly when we were out on a hike one morning. We communicated where the key was located and how to access the cabin even though we were miles away.

We also checked on each other when going about our nightly outdoor activities, such as taking the trash out and making phone calls, without too much effort. One of our favorite features was recording our own alert messages that would play if there were any people or animal motion detected. We had plenty of fun trying to record the most menacing-sounding messages as possible, but definitely saw how it could be beneficial for more serious situations, like home invasions, as well. For example, we tested a message saying we protected our cabin with a camera and that we had alerted the cops, which we think would certainly send an intruder running.

Viewing the Recordings

We viewed and downloaded all recorded footage through our mobile phones and our laptops thanks to the ReoLink app. In Fluent mode, when the camera records in 720p HD as opposed to regular 1080p HD, seven users could live stream and view cloud storage simultaneously. Now, the footage of us tripping down the porch stairs with an entire grocery of food will always be available, which we have mixed feelings about.

We received push notifications and emails each time the camera picked up motion from an animal or person. We also appreciated the option to schedule notifications. For example, we turned our notifications off when we sat on our front porch reading each morning. Not once did we feel that we might miss something that was occurring outside our cabin.

The micro-SD card held a surprising amount of footage. The camera supported micro-SD cards of up to 64 GB and could save 3,000 motion clips or 1,500 motion events at most. While we only used 16 GB micro-SD cards, there was plenty of storage for our needs. We did not have to override or delete any of our videos over the course of the entire week. One hour of live feed ended up to be the equivalent of 1 GB of data when viewing in 1080p HD, which was more than adequate for us.

We could have stored our encrypted footage in their free cloud server for seven days. In fact, we even had the option to upgrade our cloud storage to 30-day storage with multiple different cameras for just $3.49 per month, but it wasn’t what we needed on our trip this time.

Durability

On the third night at the cabin, we faced a fairly extreme rain and thunderstorm. Thankfully, the Reolink GO camera had weatherproof features and an IP rating of 65, meaning it offered complete protection from entry of dust and low-pressure water jets. Harsh conditions or freezing temperatures also didn’t affect the camera, which was good because we’re on the East Coast, which has all kinds of weather throughout the year.

Video Review

Want to see that 1080p HD video and infrared night vision in practice? We tested out this outdoor camera from our home so you have an idea of the type of footage you’ll get.

Using the App

The ReoLink app worked exceptionally well for us on both our iOS and Android devices. It was incredibly easy to navigate and customize notifications to precisely what we needed. For us and our one ReoLink GO camera, we mainly used the app to test notifications, view our live feed, and communicate using the two-way audio. We genuinely agree with the high ratings in both the Google Play store (4.1 stars out of 5) and the Apple store (3.5 out of 5).

Getting Support

Overall, setting up the camera and getting everything working was a pretty simple process, which was surprising since we are not the most skilled engineers that exist. We could attribute our success almost entirely to ReoLink’s handy website, which offered detailed tutorials, troubleshooting guides, and a lengthy list of frequently asked questions. Each time we needed assistance with one thing or another, these were the first places we visited.

We have to admit, though, that we do wish there were live agents to help us out a few times there. ReoLink had no chat on its website and no phone number to contact customer support. If we needed personal assistance, we could only get it through email. We reached out to the ReoLink customer support team once on our trip before the storm hit our cabin to make sure our camera would be okay. We received the clear in a few hours, but by that time, the rain had already started. It would have been nice to know that we could get help quickly if we really needed it.