Netgear Arlo 2 Camera Hd Security System Reviews

While information technology's important for me to have a security photographic camera to keep watch over my living room, my foyer and other areas of my habitation that I care about, I tin can't assist merely wonder all of the things I'1000 missing outside of my house also.

Like wouldn't it be peachy to catch snoopers slinking outside earlier the burglary even happens? Or what if someone rings the doorbell and I want to know that information technology's non some door-to-door marketer trying to suck away my precious time?

Sounds like an outdoor cam would come in handy for these situations!

That's why I wanted to expect into the Arlo Pro 2. It's one of the few affordable wireless cameras I've found that has both indoor and outdoor capabilities.

It might be exactly what I'chiliad looking for, but I won't know that until I exam information technology out.

My standards are high, and then hopefully, the Arlo Pro 2 doesn't disappoint. My Arlo Pro 2 review starts now!

Editor's Rating

Overall Rating

Works in temperatures from -4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit
Clear, 1080p Hd video display
Wide 130-degree field of view

Video Review

The Highlights

Arlo Pro ii Features Breakdown

Photographic camera	Arlo Pro 2
Toll	$220
Field of vision	130°
Resolution	1080p
Zoom	16x
Two-way audio	Aye
24/7 recording	Yes
Nighttime vision	Yes
Cloud storage	Yeah
Local storage	Yes
Battery or Wired	Battery
Acquire More	View Camera on Amazon

From the get, you can tell that the Arlo Pro ii offers a lot just from reading the box. Y'all go two indoor/outdoor cameras and a hub station. Put them all together and you get these features:

1080p Hd video for super clear live streaming and recording
Wireless setup so you lot can place cameras at a distance without worrying near their proximities to ability outlets
Weather resistance and so that the cameras can be placed outside
2-way audio so that you can communicate with anyone from within or exterior of the house
Local and cloud storage to review footage and store recordings
Mobile alerts to exist notified when something is happening in the expanse that yous are recording
Geofencing so the camera knows when to arm or disarm itself based upon whether you are in its vicinity
Smart siren to alert others of an emergency or to scare off intruders

Looks similar these cameras accept a lot going for them, but let's take them out of the box and see what we are working with.

Setup

I'one thousand thankful to say that the setup for the Arlo Pro 2'south was pretty uncomplicated and straightforward.

I downloaded the app on my iPhone X (it works with Android, besides by the fashion). I plugged in my hub to the Net using an Ethernet cable, pressed all the sync buttons, and waited for every device to get continued.

I would say between the downloading, the syncing, and getting acclimated with the app, the setup probably took me most 15 minutes, which isn't bad at all. I take to give people a heads upwardly, though: please brand certain you have potent Wi-Fi before setting up this camera. I can't tell you how much frustration I've had setting up devices like this with spotty net. These things beg for four arcs on that Wi-Fi icon we all dear.

In sum, make sure your router is ready for a excellent setup experience.

Necessary Features

Awesome! Now that nosotros have everything put together, it's time to put these cameras to the exam — the Necessary Features test, of form.

Here at Security.org, nosotros've seen many a camera. We've figured out what makes a cam a fierce competitor in the market and a satisfactory product in your home. We expect for cameras that have quality video, audio, night vision, smart platform integration, artificial intelligence, convenience, and value.

Does the Arlo Pro ii concord upward to snuff? Let's bank check information technology out!

Video Quality

Arlo Pro 2 Video Display — Arlo Pro ii Video Brandish

I really love the crisp and clear video that comes with the Arlo Pro 2 and I know that's because of this babe records in 1080p Hd. Today, 1080p is the manufacture standard so this camera is on par with its competition.

Here'due south where the Arlo Pro 2 goes beyond simply your average home security camera: the 130-caste viewing angle. Most cameras come up equipped with 120 degrees, but having that extra ten ways I can see and so much more than of the room. I feel pretty secure well-nigh that.

I also like how I can heighten my viewing experience by zooming in and out of whatever I want to focus on. This photographic camera has a 16x digital zoom and I'thousand happy to say that the quality stays the same at each level — none of that pixely mess that happens sometimes when you zoom in also much.

Overall, I'thousand incredibly satisfied with the Arlo Pro ii's video quality.

Night Vision

Human, afterwards all that excitement from viewing the daytime footage, I was and so disappointed when I turned on the nighttime fashion.

When I evaluate cameras I always wait at the quality of the nighttime vision because information technology is important for us to know if a camera is good at recording things in the night. Most things nosotros fear the most — robbery, break-ins, vandalism — happen when we are asleep or where nosotros simply can't see. To feel secure nosotros demand to have quality nighttime vision.

At present the Arlo Pro 2 does have my preferred method of night mode, which uses infrared illumination instead of white low-cal illumination. Some cameras apply white light and while information technology'southward effective in capturing good footage, I notice the harsh light to exist quite distracting and an obvious giveaway to intruders. Infrared lighting is much more than subtle and merely as effective in some cases.

In the Arlo Pro two's case, though, I'm not so sure. The company claims that this camera can illuminate up to 25 feet away, merely I'm finding that at but 5 feet away information technology's a fleck difficult to decipher what's going on in the screen.

This isn't to say that information technology's the worst nighttime style I've ever seen, but I've seen better. We'll get into comparisons after.

Ii-Mode Audio

Arlo Pro 2 Audio Speaker — Arlo Pro two Audio Speaker

The two-way audio feature with the Arlo 2 is on bespeak.

The reason why I love two-way audio then much is because it enhances your ability to communicate with the people in your life. Say you're in the kitchen and you desire to talk to your kids in your sleeping accommodation, you lot can just click on your app and speak through your phone. That's crawly, right?

The cool thing about the Arlo Pro two is that you tin can also talk to people who are relatively far away exterior your home. Y'all tin set upwardly the cameras as far as 140 feet abroad from the hub without connectivity issues. So if your partner is in the yard working on the garden and you demand them to come up inside, hit the mic and say the words. Or if you come across someone is going out to your mailbox, you can tell them to bring you back the newspaper. Or if you merely want to scare away a stranger, you can yell through your phone.

You can accomplish and then much with two-way audio and I accept to say that the Arlo Pro 2 does peachy in this category.

Storage

	Arlo Basic	Arlo Smart	Arlo Smart Premier	Arlo Smart Elite
Corporeality of Cloud Storage	vii Days	30 Days	31 Days	60 Days
Advanced A.I. Detection	No	Yep	Yes	Aye
Max Amout of Cameras	5	1 per improver subscription	10	20
Monthly Price	$0.00	$2.99	$9.99	$14.99

In terms of storage options, the Arlo Pro ii is slap-up for having both local and cloud storage.

Hither at Security.org, we await for cameras that take both storage options for a number of reasons. We similar having the cloud option so we don't have to worry nearly running out of space on our SD cards and hard drives. On the other hand, we similar having the local storage choice equally a backup just in instance something goes incorrect on the servers. As some people are uncomfortable having their information stored on private clouds, having both local and cloud storage options is a necessity.

Thankfully, the Arlo Pro 2 has both options. I can connect my hub directly to a difficult drive and download the retentivity from there, or I can as well access past footage on my app. Arlo offers vii days worth of gratuitous cloud storage, which is pretty generous. I've seen a lot of companies that but offering a complimentary 24 hours.

If I ever desire to upgrade, I can buy the Premier plan for $10.75 a calendar month to get 30 days of cloud storage for upward to ten cameras. That'south not bad at all considering the fact that I pay about the same corporeality for Netflix every calendar month. If I wanted more storage I can become the Elite package at $15.75/month for 60 days worth of recording for up to 15 cameras.

Smart Platform Integration

Good news!

The Arlo Pro two pairs up with Amazon Alexa, Apple tree HomeKit, IFTTT, Stringify, and SmartThings.

Why practise I think this so exciting? Because smart platform integration only makes things more convenient for me. If I'm walking out the door, I don't have to call up about taking my phone out of my pocket to arm my cameras. I also don't have to manually exercise it myself and go to all of my cameras and press a special button to disarm them. I can just say, "Hey, Alexa. Disarm Arlo Pro 2 cameras." And nail. The job is done.

I like security systems that are equally easily-gratuitous every bit possible and it seems like the Arlo Pro 2 is but that.

Artificial Intelligence

Unfortunately, though, the Arlo Pro 2 has no course of artificial intelligence included. For a small fee, you tin purchase person detection through Arlo Smart Home. Person detection allows the photographic camera to annotation the deviation between your cat, your Grandpa Jimmy, and an absolute stranger. As the camera does not come with any artificial intelligence, I have to ding it a little in this category.

Convenience

Similar I mentioned before, I had no issues setting up my Arlo Pro 2 cameras with the Arlo hub. Barring any internet issues, I don't think it would accept anyone more than than twenty minutes to become everything upward and rolling.

When it comes to DIY abode security systems, we want to make sure that what we buy isn't a hurting to fix. Plus if anything were to break down, I don't want to take to go through a complicated manual just to figure out how to reboot everything. Convenience is so key for me when I'chiliad looking at ownership a camera.

The Arlo Pro 2 wins in the convenience category.

Value

Judging from various retailers online, the basic Arlo Pro 2 kit costs about $300. That kit includes the two cameras and the hub and then given all that you become, I think information technology's a good value. Well-nigh cameras of the Arlo Pro two's quotient price around $100 to $160 so well-nigh $150 a photographic camera seems reasonable to me.

Unfortunately, if you only want to buy one photographic camera, the Arlo Pro 2 may non be for you lot. Arlo doesn't offer packages with one camera and a hub together. Y'all can order a unmarried photographic camera, only information technology won't work without the hub.

Honestly, I don't mind having ii cameras. I can continue on inside and i outside or whatever configuration I decide. It just ways that I get to survey more than of my home, which is muy bueno.

Hidden Features?

I beloved that the Arlo Pro 2 is wireless because this means my true cat doesn't have extra wires in my business firm to play with or chew on. Simply it turns out at that place are some features that I miss out on when my camera isn't plugged in, like non-stop continuous recording, the ability to designate move/activity zones, and the iii-2d Look Dorsum.

Non-cease continuous recording is self-explanatory- when the camera is plugged in, yous have the option to arm the camera endlessly. Motion/ activity zones allow you to designate important parts of the area you lot're recording, similar a window or a baby's crib. This volition allow for more specific notifications.

The 3-2d Expect Dorsum allows the camera to record three seconds prior to an activeness being detected so you get a fuller movie of what'south happening in your footage.

Why this is merely available when your camera is plugged in, I don't know. I'grand guessing the battery life would be much worse if these features were bachelor all of the time. But I'm glad to know that I have the pick to have these capabilities.

The Arlo App

In my opinion, a DIY home security photographic camera is merely as good as its app. If I can't easily access footage of my home when I'm out and about, information technology kind of defeats the purpose of having a camera in the first place.

According to the reviews on Google Play and the iTunes Shop, the Arlo App got a decent rating of four out of five stars. Seems like Apple and Android users were but as satisfied with the app equally I was. I'll give y'all a quick run-through.

When I opened the app I was a bit overwhelmed. There's a lot going on on the screen, merely information technology'southward not unnavigable. You've got your livestreams right at the eye of the nuance with symbols that tell you lot about the quality of the internet connexion as well equally the condition of the battery life of your cameras. At that place are also symbols that tell you how much local storage is bachelor and whether or not someone is in the room that you are recording.

At the bottom of each livestream y'all can break, tape, and take a snapshot of the video. Simply press on the microphone to utilize the two-mode audio or press on the speaker to heed to what'southward happening. In that location's also a push button that allows you to meet the footage fullscreen or through a landscape view.

When you lot go to the landscape manner, don't be alarmed — pun intended. At the top of the screen, y'all'll run into an alarm button and "Call 911" button, which keeps popping up until you click information technology away. It was a little off-putting to me at first, just it's not the end of the earth. Plus, if the world was ending, I would know which button to press. What I did similar about the mural way was the zoom. Every time I played around with it, the app told me exactly how much I was zooming in. It's non necessary information of course, but I idea it was a nice touch.

Okay, back to the dashboard.

Below the livestream videos, y'all can add other devices to the Arlo App. When I clicked on that button I discovered that Arlo has then much more to offer than just the Arlo Pro 2, simply I'll get to that later.

When you click on settings, you'll be able to plough your cameras off for privacy or alter the video settings. In the menu, there'due south the choice to pick from "Best Video", "Optimized" and "Best Bombardment Life". I think it's smart that Arlo chose to have these options to accept since these cameras are wireless. If you don't want to be charging your camera'due south batteries very often, you have the opportunity to make them final longer.

Finally, the Library push button takes you to all of the motion and sound-activated recorded events so you can see exactly what's going on in your home. If you hit the Mode tab, it will have y'all to hub settings where you tin arm or disarm your organization, schedule alerts and turn on geofencing.

Afterwards exploring everything, I think that the Arlo App is extremely comprehensive. It's pretty straightforward, merely I could encounter people getting easily lost on the dashboard- it's a lot on the optics. But one time you get the hang of it, I call up this app is decent.

What'south Missing Here?

No dubiousness, the Arlo Pro 2 has a lot of good qualities to it. But what is it missing? The Arlo Pro 2 doesn't have:

Artificial Intelligence like facial recognition. It can't tell the difference between your dog, your child, or a burglar who's looking to steal your prized jewels. It would exist nice to only get notifications when it really matters, no?
High-quality night vision- like I said before, the night vision is fine only if nighttime vision is a priority for you, the Arlo Pro 2 might not be the all-time choice.

Compared to a lot of other cameras I've reviewed, the Arlo Pro 2 isn't missing that much. On that note, let's really do a comparison test and see how it holds up against its competition.

Comparisons

Given the average price point of the individual Arlo Pro ii camera ($220), I looked at cameras in the $100-$220 range for comparisons. That being said, I would say that the Arlo Pro 2 tin be best stacked up against the Blink XT ($120), the Amazon Cloud Cam (also $120), and the Logitech Circle 2 ($180).

Blink XT

Like the Arlo Pro 2, the Blink XT is another wireless indoor/outdoor photographic camera that can be placed pretty much anywhere. I call back the Blink XT is a decent camera, and it'southward much cheaper than the Arlo Pro two. But I definitely think you go what you're paying for if you know what I hateful.

The XT's 110-caste viewing angle is significantly less impressive than the Arlo Pro two'due south 130. There's simply a 3x digital zoom. In that location'southward no two-mode sound, sound detection and zilch cloud storage.

The simply saving grace for the XT is the night vision. It's much crisper than what I found with the Arlo Pro 2. I would add together that the XT'south 2-year battery life is also a huge bonus, but I read reviews complaining that the batteries only lasted a few months.

Overall, I think the XT is a smashing bargain buy but perhaps not the about appropriate for someone who wants a more comprehensive device.

Amazon Cloud Cam

Update: The Amazon Cloud Cam has been discontinued.

The first thing to annotation correct abroad is that the Amazon Cloud Cam is not a weatherproof wireless camera. Then if that'due south what you are looking for, the Cloud Cam is non your best bet. But this photographic camera does have some advantages over the Arlo Pro 2.

Once once more, the Arlo loses in the night vision department. Artificial intelligence-wise, the Deject Camera besides beats the Arlo Pro 2 with "person detection," which tin tell the difference between your friends, family, and intruders. The Arlo Pro ii tin't tell the divergence betwixt anything.

This is where the Arlo Pro 2 wins: Its field of view is 10 degrees wider. Information technology has local storage and much better free cloud storage — Amazon but gives you lot 24 hours costless. The Arlo also has a siren, if that's what yous're into and it can pair upward with other IFTTT systems besides Alexa.

To make up one's mind, which camera is improve, it actually depends on whether or non you need an outdoor camera or prefer a camera with well-baked night vision. Otherwise, neither are bad choices.

Logitech Circle 2

The Logitech Circumvolve two Indoor/Outdoor cam is pretty fun and funky because there are so many ways you tin mount this camera. I especially love how you lot can mount it straight to whatsoever window or plug it in like a night lite. It just seems like a very versatile device.

I already mentioned earlier that I wasn't in love with the Arlo Pro 2's mounting options, then the Logitech gets a point in this loonshit. But let's take a look at the other specs to really decide which photographic camera is amend.

The Logitech has the widest viewing angle of all the cameras I have compared in this review at 180 degrees. That's incredibly impressive when y'all add that with the 1080p Hd. It also has person detection, unlike the Arlo has no form of bogus intelligence.

As a bonus, the Logitech has other unique features such as "Advanced Event Filtering", which allows y'all to find the movement-triggered recordings that are the near important, and the "Smart Time-Lapse Day Brief", which gives yous a quick lowdown of the 24-hour interval.

The one thing I'll add about the Circle 2 is that at that place is no local storage with that camera. The Arlo Pro ii has a leg upwards there with its harddrive hub. And the night vision for the Circle two is not much better than the Arlo Pro 2's.

I think the Logitech might exist a better camera toll-wise, particularly if I am but thinking of getting one camera. At the aforementioned time, the Arlo Pro 2's package deal is kind of difficult to crush.

Our review of the Logitech Circumvolve 2 has even more than useful info.

The Client Experience

Okay, enough of my opinions. It'due south time to run into what others had to say about the Arlo Pro 2 feel.

According to reviews, people had these great things to say almost the camera:

Really easy setup. Customers said that they had the cameras up and running in no fourth dimension.
Crystal articulate day vision. Virtually people were satisfied with the video clarity.
They are wireless. Yay! Some consumers were excited by the fact that they didn't have to fumble with wires.

If people were unhappy with their cameras, it was because:

Some features were simply available if the device was plugged in. I experienced the aforementioned thing and I practice have to say that was a fleck frustrating.
Poor night vision. Many customers complained that the dark vision wasn't the greatest, specially when the conditions got foggy or stormy. I concur with this one. You already know what it is.
Geofencing doesn't ever work . Some complained that this office didn't work, but I didn't take any problems with this feature.

Other Devices that Arlo (NETGEAR) Offers

Whether you like the Arlo Pro two or not, I accept to give Arlo props because the NETGEAR brand has so many other devices that a person (aka Gabe, who else?) can really get excited about crafting a DIY abode security organization that fits their needs.

Some of their height products include the Arlo Security Low-cal, the LTE powered Arlo Become, the Arlo Baby, and Arlo Q cams. Basically, Arlo offers different wireless and not-wireless security camera options, which leaves a lot to choose from.

Recap

Generally, I think the Arlo Pro 2 is a great camera that offers many awesome features.

Arlo Pro 2 FAQs

How long does the Arlo Pro 2 battery final?
The Arlo Pro 2'south battery will last for three to half dozen months.
How much does Arlo cost per month?
You don't need to pay a monthly fee to use the Arlo Pro 2. Nonetheless, if y'all'd like person detection, more than than a week of cloud storage, action zones, and a safety button, yous can pay $2.99 per photographic camera per calendar month or $nine.99 a month for up to 10 cameras.
Is the Arlo Pro 2 any good?
The Arlo Pro 2 is a practiced security photographic camera, particularly for outdoor durability, video and smart platform integrations.

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Source: https://www.security.org/security-cameras/arlo/review/pro-2/