The best wildlife cameras
Find out who's visiting the garden at night: hedgehogs, foxes, badgers, the neighbour's cat.
A wildlife camera (or trail camera) straps to a tree or fence and records whenever something moves in front of it, day or night. The first morning's footage is usually a revelation, and it's a gift children and grandparents enjoy together.
Most run on AA batteries and save to a memory card. Pricier ones charge themselves by solar panel or USB and send the pictures to a phone. We've noted which ones come with a card.
What matters
- Trigger speed: 0.2–0.3 seconds catches fast animals.
- Power: AA batteries, solar or rechargeable.
- Low-glow or no-glow infrared for night.
- Wi-Fi to a phone, or swap the card.
#1 of 5
Best overall
MAXDONE 4K Wildlife Camera with Night Vision
£30–£50 Price range
A 0.2-second trigger catches darting birds and a hedgehog trotting past, and the low-glow infrared shoots clear night footage without scaring anything off. The memory card's in the box.
What owners say: Owners find it an excellent first wildlife camera, easy to set up, with good pictures that stay clear at night.
Heads up: It runs on 8 AA batteries, which aren't included; rechargeables or a mains adapter save a fortune over a year.
A closer look: Strap it to a fence post or tree at knee height, pointing along a path or at the feeder, not into the sun. Hedgehogs, foxes and badgers tend to use the same routes every night.
- 4K video, 60MP photos
- 0.2s trigger, 120° motion sensor
- Low-glow infrared night vision
- 2in colour screen
- 32GB card included
Best for: A first wildlife camera
- Video
- 4K
- Power
- 8 × AA (not included)
- Night vision
- Low-glow infrared
- Memory card included
- Yes
- Phone app
- No
#2 of 5
Best premium
GardePro E8 2.0 Pro Wi-Fi Wildlife Camera
£75–£100 Price range
A 7800mAh rechargeable battery that charges by USB-C, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to a phone app, so there's no trudging out to swap cards and batteries to see what visited last night.
What owners say: Owners rate the build quality highly, and many find it extremely good value.
A closer look: The app connects directly to the camera within about 50m in open ground; it doesn't use home Wi-Fi or mobile data. Take the phone to the back door rather than the sofa for a quick look.
- 4K video
- 7800mAh rechargeable battery, USB-C
- Phone app over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- 64GB SD card included
- 36 infrared LEDs
Best for: No batteries to buy
- Video
- 4K
- Power
- 7800mAh rechargeable (USB-C)
- Night vision
- Infrared, 36 LEDs
- Memory card included
- Yes
- Phone app
- Yes
#3 of 5
Best solar
XTU 4K Solar Wildlife Camera with Wi-Fi
£50–£75 Price range
A solar panel on top keeps its 2600mAh battery topped up, and a phone app shows the pictures over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Set it up once and leave it on the fence.
What owners say: Owners find the picture and video quality excellent and it's easy to set up, with a battery kept topped up by a little daily sun.
A closer look: Point the panel south where it catches some sun each day. The camera and phone connect directly, up to about 15m, so it suits a garden rather than the far end of a field.
- 4K video, 64MP photos
- Solar panel plus built-in battery
- Phone app over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- 0.2s trigger
- Also takes 4 AA as a backup
Best for: Set it and leave it
- Video
- 4K
- Power
- Solar + 2600mAh battery
- Night vision
- Low-glow infrared
- Memory card included
- Yes
- Phone app
- Yes
#4 of 5
Best budget
CEYOMUR 4K Wildlife Camera
£20–£30 Price range
Budget-friendly with a 0.2-second trigger and a lens and screen on the same side, which makes lining up the shot on a tree much easier.
What owners say: Owners call it a brilliant wildlife camera, with clear day and night pictures and easy setup, and great footage of foxes at night.
Heads up: The SD card and batteries aren't included, so add a card and a pack of AA batteries to the order.
A closer look: Set the sensor to medium sensitivity at first: on high, swaying plants trigger it all day and fill the card with empty clips.
- 4K video at 30fps
- 0.2s trigger
- 36 low-glow infrared LEDs
- 2in screen beside the lens
- Lockable case, IP66
Best for: Trying it out
- Video
- 4K
- Power
- AA batteries (not included)
- Night vision
- Low-glow infrared
- Memory card included
- No
- Phone app
- No
#5 of 5
Best no-glow
WOLFANG WT01 Wildlife Camera
£30–£50 Price range
No-glow 940nm infrared gives off no visible red light at all, so wary animals (and passing people) don't notice it. There's a microphone for sound too.
What owners say: Owners are impressed with the video quality and find it easy to set up, with sharp, vivid daytime photos.
A closer look: No-glow night pictures are a little darker than low-glow ones, which is the trade-off for being invisible. The maker recommends 8 AA batteries (or rechargeables); the card isn't included.
- No-glow 940nm infrared (38 LEDs)
- 0.3s trigger, 3-shot burst
- Time-lapse mode
- Password protection
- USB-C for downloads
Best for: Staying unseen
- Video
- 2K (maker's spec)
- Power
- 8 × AA (not included)
- Night vision
- No-glow infrared
- Memory card included
- No
- Phone app
- No
How they compare
| Feature | #1MAXDONE 4K | #2GardePro E8 2.0 Pro | #3XTU solar | #4CEYOMUR | #5WOLFANG WT01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best solar | Best budget | Best no-glow | |
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 |
| Price | £30–£50 Price range | £75–£100 Price range | £50–£75 Price range | £20–£30 Price range | £30–£50 Price range |
| Video | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K | 2K (maker's spec) |
| Power | 8 × AA (not included) | 7800mAh rechargeable (USB-C) | Solar + 2600mAh battery | AA batteries (not included) | 8 × AA (not included) |
| Night vision | Low-glow infrared | Infrared, 36 LEDs | Low-glow infrared | Low-glow infrared | No-glow infrared |
| Memory card included | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Phone app | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Best for | A first wildlife camera | No batteries to buy | Set it and leave it | Trying it out | Staying unseen |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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