If you're looking into outdoor security cameras, the IMOU Knight 4K Ultra HD Wi-Fi Outdoor Security Camera will probably be on your radar. It's not the cheapest contender but its ultra-HD visuals and impressive siren are both great features, while its AI detection capabilities are impressive. However, it does have one big flaw on DC power.
Pros
+
Easy to set up and use
+
Siren which would scare the most determined burglar
+
High-quality 4K images on the app+
Cons
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Simple for an intruder to disable (depending on setup)
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Fixed view so only one shot is visible
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Quite expensive in the light of the above
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Made by IMOU, a relatively new and well-thought-of smart home brand, it's easy to set up - it comes with a mounting bracket, which my handyman secured to my garden fence using two wood screws. The Knight can easily be attached and detached to this bracket. You download the app, scan the QR code for the device and connect it to Wi-Fi. I was worried the camera wouldn't stay connected as it was mounted around 15 metres from the router, but I was pleasantly surprised. The app is simple to navigate and gives you a clear view of whatever the camera is directed at, though it's a fixed view so that's all you'll see. But it was reassuring to know that no one was trying to break into the back of my house.
If the cable wasn't so easy to remove from the device by either intruders or pets, £89.99 would be a fair price for peace of mind. Really, you're paying for the 4K, as similar 2K and 1080p cameras are available for less than half the price.
Build and handling
In terms of tactility, the Knight feels heavy and solid, has a shape and size that is easy to hold, and is wonderfully glossy at the front – though I think the shiny finish may have encouraged the cat hairs to stick to it.
The camera has minimal components and is easy to set up and use (Image credit: Future)
The Knight feels robust and looks perfectly sleek and futuristic. I wouldn't say it necessarily enhances the appearance of my garden fence but then I'm not sure any camera really would. Due to its black and white colourway, it's very noticeable in the outdoors, so any burglar will definitely know it's there.
The IMOU Knight is a smart-looking and sturdy outdoor home security camera with the option of DC power with an adapter (included) or PoE power (Image credit: Future)
Performance
The Knight's 4K images are sharp of course, while the IMOU Life app is simple and intuitive. It takes just one click to arm or disarm the camera, turn its spotlight and siren on and off, and put it to sleep. The 110dB siren is quite startling and will definitely alarm intruders as well as wildlife. It's also weather resistant with an IP66 rating – it's been raining this week and it's still working fine. The camera also boasts two-way audio, presumably in case you want to chat to the gardener or burglar.
Its AI detection lets you know when a person is spotted in the area it's monitoring - 'Person Detected', it warns you - and it can distinguish people from cats or foxes. However, my handyman's presence occasionally didn't trigger this alert. I'd hypothesise that it's because he's a vampire, but in reality, it might be because he was only present for a second on screen.
Sample image (Image credit: Future)
The camera includes three night vision modes: smart, infra-red, and colour – enabling you to capture a full-colour image of anyone who isn't supposed to be there (or, indeed, anyone who is). Cloud storage of images and video is available with IMOU Protect, which costs $2.99 / £2.59 a month or $44.99 / £25.99 a year (prices vary, as the plans are sometimes sold by resellers). It is a cheap price for peace of mind.
The trailing lead is catnip to pesky felines – this is the standard power cable; a PoE cable injector attaches more securely, while the standard DC barrel connector is easy to pull out. (Image credit: Future)
Unfortunately, the camera can easily be deactivated accidentally – or deliberately. In my case, it was the doing of a curious neighbourhood cat who decided the trailing lead was his play toy, but a burglar could disable it just as easily. They'd simply need to duck under the camera to avoid detection, then pull the lead out to ensure no one was aware of their presence. This fix isn't foolproof, but I'd advise using cable grips along the length of the lead to try and prevent this.
Traces of cat fur appear to have adhered to the face of the camera (Image credit: Future)
Overall Verdict
The IMOU Knight is a great piece of kit which offers so many above-average features: pin-sharp 4K images, two-way audio so you can shout obscenities at intruders, a spotlight to blind them, AI which detects humans (but not vampires), a weatherproof lens, night vision, PoE capability, and a siren which could wake the undead. Sadly it doesn’t have a wireless option, so factor that into your purchasing decision, along with the fact that it’s a fixed-view cam. And make sure to use the PoE injector to connect it rather than the standard power cable supplied (or use cable grips with the latter), otherwise a mischievous cat could simply send it offline with a swipe of its furry paw.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Features
The Knight would be a great outdoor security camera if the neighbourhood cats (or neighbourhood burglars) weren't able to pull the lead out.
★★★✩✩
Design
It's sleek and sexy enough, and will certainly alert intruders to its presence.
★★★★✩
Performance
The sharp 4K images are impressive, while the siren will scare off any life nearby.
★★★★★
Value
It's a good product, but there are cheaper battery-operated security cameras which are more secure.
★★★✩✩
✅ Buy it...
If you want an outdoor camera that is easy to set up and use
If you want to scare off burglars or animals with a loud siren
🚫 Don't buy it...
If you want a camera that isn't potentially easy to disable
If you want a 360 view, or more than just a static fixed view
Alternatives
The Arlo Essential range of outdoor cameras also offer a floodlight option and options including subscription AI and home hubs, but the batteries prevent running a cable.
The EufyCam S330 system is 4K and battery powered (no cable) plus the solar panel tops up the charge if you happen to have any sunlight. Even better, if you pay for the hub, you won't need a subscription (but the initial cost isn't low).
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Ariane Sherine is an author and journalist on many subjects including interiors, and singer-songwriter (under the artist name Ariane X). She has written for the Guardian, Times, Independent, Telegraph, Spectator, Mail, New Statesman, Esquire, NME, Sun and Metro. She regularly appears on television and radio.
She's also written comedy for the BBC and Channel 4, and is still known worldwide for the 2008 Atheist Bus Campaign, featuring adverts on buses which proclaimed 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life' sponsored by Richard Dawkins.
As a result, Ariane went on to edit and compile the bestselling celebrity charity anthology The Atheist's Guide to Christmas (HarperCollins). She has also written three self-help books for major publisher Hachette: Talk Yourself Better, How to Live to 100 and The How of Happy (the last two co-written with public health consultant David Conrad). Ariane's debut novel Shitcom was published in 2021, and is a hilarious body swap comedy. Her latest book is the biography The Real Sinéad O'Connor by White Owl Books.
