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: $379.99 for one camera with the solar panel bundle. Our mood immediately dropped. We know how much security cameras cost, and we know outdoor cameras don’t normally cost over $300 unless they have something special to offer. For the ReoLink GO, that something special is cellular connectivity. After thinking it through, we realized we were essentially getting a camera plus a cellular modem in one device – suddenly the price made more sense.

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 impressed us right out of the box. The build quality felt solid – this wasn’t some flimsy gadget. The 1080p HD resolution delivered sharp footage that made identifying faces and license plates easy, even from a distance. What really caught our attention was the infrared night vision with its 33-foot range. Living creatures showed up clearly as white shapes against the dark background, perfect for spotting wildlife or unwanted visitors.

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.

The Reolink GO also uses passive infrared (PIR) sensors instead of basic motion detection. PIR technology detects body heat, so you’re only getting alerts for actual living things moving around. No more false alarms from tree branches swaying or shadows shifting. In our testing, this dramatically reduced unnecessary notifications compared to standard motion-detection cameras we’ve used.

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 instinct was to connect the camera to Wi-Fi – rookie mistake! This camera doesn’t do Wi-Fi at all. Once we stopped laughing at ourselves, we popped in our T-Mobile SIM card (you can use AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile). The setup took about 20 minutes total. We downloaded the ReoLink app, scanned the QR code on the camera, and followed the prompts. The trickiest part was finding the perfect mounting spot. You want good cellular signal strength plus the right viewing angle.

Battery Life

Here’s where the solar panel really earned its keep. Once we connected it, we basically forgot about battery life. The panel kept the 5200mAh battery topped off even during cloudy days. Without the solar panel, ReoLink claims two to four months of battery life with typical use (10 triggers per day). But honestly, if you’re buying this camera, spring for the solar panel bundle – it’s worth not having to climb a ladder every few months to swap batteries.

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.

Storage-wise, you’ve got options. The micro-SD card (up to 128GB now supported) stores footage locally. That’s great for areas with spotty cellular coverage. At 1080p, expect about 1GB per hour of recording. The free cloud storage gives you 1GB (roughly one hour of HD footage), with 30-day cloud storage plans starting at $3.49 monthly per camera. We found the local storage sufficient for our needs, especially since the camera only records when triggered by motion.

Durability

Mother Nature threw everything at this camera during our testing – torrential rain, freezing temperatures, and even some hail. The IP65 weatherproof rating held up perfectly. That rating means total dust protection and resistance to water jets from any direction. The camera operated normally in temperatures from -10°F to 140°F according to ReoLink’s specs, though we only tested it down to about 15°F. After six months outdoors, it still looked and worked like new.

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.