The Reolink Duo 3 WiFi is another top contender from the Chinese brand and will appeal to those who want a true ultra-wide surveillance camera. With its crisp 180-degree dual 4K video, robust object detection, and strong app features, it delivers excellent coverage for large areas like driveways, backyards, or storefronts. The installation is a bit finicky and the design is a bit industrial but the results are worth it. It's a great price, boasts great specs and features and has a bunch of local storage options.
Pros
- Ultra-wide 180° view
- Crisp 16MP dual-lens video
- Great local storage options
- Dual band Wi-Fi 6
Cons
- Bulky, industrial design
- Ethernet required for setup
- Needs power source
- No Alexa or HomeKit
Reolink Duo 3 WiFi: Introduction
- Type: Outdoor
- Connectivity: 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi (with Wi-Fi 6)
- Ecosystems: Amazon Alexa, Google Home
Reolink, the brand I ditched all my Nest cams for, used CES 2025 to unveil the Duo 3 WiFi camera.
The new Duo 3 WiFi looks like a twin to the Power-over-Ethernet version that went on sale in early 2024, and the specs are nearly identical too, offering a 16MP UHD resolution and a panoramic 180° view, thanks to its dual 4K sensors and an advanced image-stitching algorithm.
This design eliminates blind spots and captures intricate details, making it ideal for monitoring large areas like driveways, parking lots, and backyards.
Equipped with dual-band Wi-Fi 6, the Duo 3 WiFi supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies for smooth live streaming and faster data transfer.
Reolink cameras, in case you didn’t know, come with local storage options via a microSD card and that’s the case with the new arrival.
This not only eliminates the need for monthly fees but also allows you to save recordings without relying on cloud storage.
Reolink does actually offer cloud plans for those who want them, but crucially, it doesn’t lock essential features behind a paywall.
Read on for my full Reolink Duo 3 WiFi review…
Design and installation
- Bulky, rugged design
- Additional antennas for Wi-Fi
- Multiple mounting options
As mentioned in the intro, the new Duo 3 WiFi looks a helluva lot like the PoE version, but it has two extra antennas, which are obviously for that Wi-Fi connectivity.
It’s a pretty similar design to the Duo 2 WiFi that went live a couple of years back and, like the Duo 2, the Duo 3 WiFi packs two lenses into one body, with spotlights and IR lights around them, giving a slight 1980s robot head look (Johnny 5, for anyone old enough to remember.)
It’s actually a bit of a monster, design-wise, with a rugged metallic body measuring 195 x 103 x 56mm, and weighing around 620g; it’s a form factor that’s a far cry from the plasticky, but petite, Argus 4 Pro or Argus Track models from the brand.
As I said, the only real difference from the PoE model on the outside are those antennas, which simply screw onto the side of the unit.
Talking of screwing things in and there’s a screw-hole on the top if you want to ceiling mount the Duo 3 WiFi, and also one on the bottom too if you prefer a wall or surface mount.
Whatever option you choose, it’s just a simple mounting arm and a bracket you’ll need to attach in order to clip it in place.
The microSD card can be found underneath, protected by a couple of screws; this makes it harder for potential thieves to pinch any evidence.
Now, while the Duo 3 WiFi is a Wi-Fi-enabled smart security camera, you will have to connect your router and the camera via Ethernet for the initial setup, which is weird.
It seems like an oversight from Reolink to allow the Duo 3 able to sync up with your home network straight out of the box, just as its other Wi-Fi cameras do.
You will get an Ethernet cable in the box though it’s a hassle I could have done without, and let’s face it – it’s pretty wasteful.
The Ethernet port on the camera is on a wire that splits off from the power wire, so that’s also pretty messy… but does mean you have the option of hardwiring the Duo 3 if you wish to.
You don’t get the usual Reolink voice prompts during setup. Since your phone and the camera are connected to the same network, the camera should show straight up on the Reolink app if you have other cameras from the brand installed.
If you don’t, you’ll have to configure your app first.
Security-conscious folk will be pleased to know that you don’t have to sign up for a Reolink account or give up any details, though you will need to do so if you want to make use of certain cloud features, or sync your Reolink with Amazon Alexa or Google Home.
Once you’ve done the initial pairing you are free to ditch the Ethernet connection and go wireless.
A big plus point for the Duo 3 WiFi, as is the case with many of the Reolink’s cameras, is that it boasts dual-band 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi so you can tap into that faster 5GHz band, should you have an access point near enough to reach it. It’s also got Wi-Fi 6 tech on board as well.
In the box is a 12V 2A DC power adapter, which you’ll need to plug in. This isn’t a battery-powered camera.
Features and in use
- Continuous recording
- Motion-triggered event recording
- Motion Track snapshot
- Dual-stitched image
Once you have the Duo 3 WiFi paired-up within the Reolink app, you’ll be able to configure how you want the cam to operate to your heart’s content.
A caveat that I include in all of my Reolink reviews is that the level of customization and the wealth of options on offer inside the app can be pretty overwhelming.
Reolink offers a level of control that is pretty much unrivalled across smart security camera rivals, but that also means you’re going to have to get your head around an absolute barrage of options in order to get the camera set up exactly how you want it.
It will just work out of the box no-problem, but you will find you’ll want to tinker certain aspects to suit your needs.
In terms of specifics for the Duo 3 WiFi, that process isn’t quite as laborious as it is with some of Reolink’s battery-powered cameras, as you don’t really have to concern yourself with anything to do with battery life.
So things like continuous recording, spotlight use, streaming quality and the like aren’t things you need to get bogged down with.
You might have to tinker with the settings on the camera though, through the app.
Because those two 4K lenses combine to give you a full 180-degree view, there is a software element to the process; that’s the advanced image-stitching algorithm I mentioned in the intro.
What this means is that the software actually stitches two separate 4K videos into a super wide view. This is great for covering large areas like driveways or gardens, but you might have to adjust the stitch settings to minimize the blind spot where the two videos meet, and it also means you might get some slight discrepancies in color and shading, with an obvious line where the two meet.
I had a visible line that I could make better, but not totally eliminate. I could only really see it in the clouds – as highlighted in the screenshot below, if you look hard enough – and it wasn’t anything major, but it is something to be aware of.
Also be aware that anything super close to the camera will cause it to distort in its blind spot, based on the stitch settings.
As with all the latest Reolink cams, you’ll get smart detection for things like people, cars and animals.
In the app you’ll be able to set recording schedules and activity zones; tinker with the visuals on screen and the quality of streaming video; plus choose specific options for the built-in siren and spotlight.
If you turn on motion detection, the Duo 3 WiFi will send you push notifications when it has spotted movement. These can get a little overwhelming, so you can cut these down by using the object detection feature, with animal, person and vehicle tracking on offer.
You can select if you want to be notified about your combination of people, vehicles, animals or all motion, and you can schedule when you want to get each type of alert.
So you could choose to have people and vehicle notifications during the day, but only people notifications at night.
The Duo 3 WiFi also boasts a Motion Track feature, that condenses motion events into a single 15-second image for quick review, with these timestamped snapshots emailed to you, if you wish.
There’s also a nice time lapse option with the Duo 3 WiFi, so you can get some great overviews of a day’s events in your garden, for example.
Local storage
When it comes to reviewing your footage, the good news – as always with Reolink – is that there is no need to cough up for extra subscription fees.
With the Duo 3 WiFi you actually have a wide range of local storage options; up to 512GB microSD, FTP, NVR, NAS drive, or by using Reolink’s new Home Hub.
For continuous recording, the Home Hub or an NVR is a wise choice but a microSD card will simply overwrite the oldest footage first when it is full.
I tend to use security cameras on a motion-triggered recording setup and the Reolink lets you choose how long you want recordings to last for after motion ends.
Guide: Local storage on smart security cameras explained
Reolink does also offer a fairly cheap cloud option too, should you want to go down that route.
In the US, there are cloud plans with 1GB of free storage (7-days of history), and then paid options: $3.49, $6.99 or $10.49 monthly. It’s £3.49 or £6.49 a month in the UK.
That gets you 30 days of history (60 days for the top tier), plus 10, 50 or 100GB of storage space respectively for 5 to 10 cameras. This is a fraction of the cost of the likes of Ring Home or Nest Aware.
None of these extra costs are actually needed; you’re just paying for storage, there are no features cut if you don’t pay up, unlike other brands that make you pay for full use of their cameras… yes Arlo, I mean you.
However, the usual disclaimer applies that if the camera or card is stolen, you will lose everything.
All of your clips recorded are shown on the app’s timeline view, with handy thumbnails to make finding a clip easier, marked with a nice little icon if a person or pet has been spotted.
The app makes it easy to filter by event and motion type, with handy little icons, so it’s simple to find the clip you are after, and to save it to your phone permanently.
Be sure you change the download quality if you do want full resolution clips though; by default it selects a ‘fluent’ clip that is nowhere near the dual 4K (‘clear’) that it records at.
On the clips, you can choose where to show the camera name, date and time, or the Reolink logo, and you can also turn all of these off too.
From the live view, you can jump into the two-way talk, which works well enough. It could be a useful feature if you want to scare off someone that shouldn’t be in your garden but the speaker on the base is a bit tinny.
There’s also a built-in siren so you can, if you what, create a sound and light alarm to scare off unwanted visitors too, if motion is detected at set times. You can even record your own personalized warning too, which is fun… “Oi you, get ooooooouuuut!”
Reolink offers both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa Skills, which let you stream footage to a compatible smart display. However, for the Duo 3 WiFi it’s Google only for now, in terms of smart assistants. I hear Alexa support should be added soon.
Performance
Reolink’s 16MP camera rocks a a whopping, dual 4K, 7680 x 2160 resolution.
That’s way wider than regular 4K because of that dual lenses. With a large F1.6 aperture also on board, it really does make a difference.
It’s super clear, especially at a distance. The footage the Duo 3 WiFi captures is superbly crisp and detailed.
Unlike a couple of recent Reolink launches, such as the Argus 4 Pro and the Altas PT Ultra, there’s no ColorX Night Vision, instead you get the option of IR-powered black-and-white night vision and / or color night vision with spotlights.
In the app you can choose to use an auto-switch option between the two, which works really well.
In the example below you’ll see it’s picking up plenty of detail overnight in the side patio, and then switches into color, with the fox’s orange coat really popping as he contemplates exactly where to defecate in my yard.
Those garden chairs end around 25 feet from where the camera was placed, so you can see the range of the spotlight is pretty good, although you will want to use just the IR option if constant distance is your objective.
The Reolink Duo 3 WiFi is obviously best placed outdoors and is an IP67-rated camera, which can operate from -10°C to 55°C (14°F to 131°F).
You will, of course, need an outdoor outlet to power it up.
Final thoughts
Reolink continues to push the boundaries of consumer-grade security cameras, and the Duo 3 WiFi is another strong addition to its ever-expanding lineup.
While the industrial design may not suit everyone and the setup quirks are a bit annoying, the combination of that ultra-wide view, high-quality video, smart features, and local storage options make it another great Reolink option and, as always, one that won’t break the bank.
How we test
When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.
Smart security cameras usually live within an ecosystem, or a range of products that – supposedly – all work in harmony. Therefore, it’s impossible to use a security camera for a week and deliver a verdict.
Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular camera compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.
Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device.
Read our guide on our review process for smart security cameras to learn more.
FAQs
No, Reolink cameras do not require a subscription. The Duo 3 WiFi supports local storage via microSD cards, Reolink’s NVR, or an external FTP server, giving you multiple options to store footage without ongoing fees.
i works with Google Assistant, allowing you to stream footage to a Nest Hub or Chromecast device. However, Alexa support isn’t currently available.
While technically possible, it’s overkill for indoor spaces. The wide-angle view is best suited for outdoor surveillance areas like driveways, backyards, or storefronts.
The Duo 3 WiFi features both infrared and full-color night vision using built-in spotlights. The color mode provides excellent clarity in low-light conditions, while the infrared option works well for discreet nighttime monitoring.
Reolink Duo 3 WiFi: Specifications
| Product | Reolink Duo 3 WiFi |
| Dimensions | 195×103×56 mm |
| Weight | 622g |
| UK price | TBC |
| US price | $179.99 |
| Image sensor | 1/2.7″ CMOS Sensors |
| Resolution | 7680×2160 (16 Megapixels)@20fps |
| Lens | f=2.8mm Fixed, F=1.6 |
| Field of view | Horizontal: 180° Vertical: 55° |
| Infrared night vision | Up to 30 Meters (100ft); LED: 6pcs/850nm (Auto-switching with IR-cut filter) |
| Color night vision | Spotlights: 8pcs/5W/6500K |
| Frame rate | Main stream: 4fps – 20fps (Default: 20fps) Sub stream: 4fps – 20fps (Default: 20fps) |
| Code rate | Main stream: 3072Kbps – 12288Kbps (Default: 6144Kbps) Sub stream: 128Kbps – 1024Kbps (Default: 1024Kbps) |
| Audio | Two-way Audio |
| Power requirements | DC 12.0V⎓2A |
| Power port | DC Power Port |
| Reset button | Yes |
| Ethernet port | One 10M/100Mbps; RJ45 |
| SD card slot | Supports Max. 512GB microSD card |
| Audio in/out | Built-in Microphone and Speaker |
| Wireless standard | IEEE 802.11 ac/ax/a/b/g/n |
| Operating frequency | 2.4GHz/5GHz |
| Wireless security | WPA/WPA2/WPA3 |
| Browser supported | Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari |
| OS supported | PC: Windows, Mac OS Smartphone: iOS, Android |
| Protocols & standards | HTTPS, SSL, TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP, IPv4, UPnP, RTSP, RTMP, ONVIF, SMTP, NTP, DHCP, DNS, DDNS, FTP, P2P |
| Max. user access | Max. 20 Users (1 Admin & 19 Users); Max. 12 Simultaneous Streams (2 Main & 10 Sub Streams) |
| Smart alarm | Motion Detection; Person/Vehicle/Animal Detection |
| Recording modes | Motion-triggered Recording (Default); Scheduled Recording, 24/7 Recording |
| Time lapse | Yes |
| Smart home compatibility | Google Assistant |
| Operating temperature | -10°C~+55°C (14°F~131°F) |
| Operating humidity | 10% ~ 90% |
| Weatherproof | Yes, IP67 Rated |
