2020’s Arlo Security Camera Review

Overview

Arlo casts a wide net with its security camera offerings. Whether you want something wireless, hardwired, Wi-Fi enabled, or LTE-enabled, Arlo will have you covered with a well-built, reasonably priced camera.

We like the quality and diversity of Arlo’s offerings, but it’s the wireless cameras that set the company apart from some of its major competitors like Nest and Logitech. You can set up or move the wire-free cameras around anywhere—even outside—thanks to Arlo’s water-resistant design. And the cameras have solid enough battery life that you’ll have to charge them only every four to six months of regular use.

With the possible exception of the Ultra, Arlo cameras are not the fanciest or most cutting-edge cameras on the market, but we really like the flexibility and simplicity they offer.

These are the Arlo cameras on the market:

Tech specs

• Dimensions: 2.8 x 1.7 x 2.6 in.
• Weight: 4.3 oz.
• Resolution: 720p
• FOV: 110º
• Operating temperature: 14ºF–122ºF
• Power source: 4 lithium CR123
• Night vision: Yes
• Warranty: 1 year

Tech specs

• Dimensions: 3.1 x 1.9 x 2.8 in.
• Weight: 4.8 oz.
• Resolution: 720p
• FOV: 130º
• Operating temperature: -4ºF–113ºF
• Power source: Rechargeable battery
• Night vision: Yes
• Warranty: 1 year

Tech specs

• Dimensions: 3.1 x 1.9 x 2.8 in.
• Weight: 4.8 oz.
• Resolution: 1080p
• FOV: 130º
• Operating temperature: -4ºF–113ºF
• Power source: Rechargeable battery
• Night vision: Yes
• Warranty: 1 year

Tech specs

• Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.7 x 3 in.
• Weight: 11.8 oz.
• Resolution: 1080p
• FOV: 130º
• Operating temperature: -4ºF–113ºF
• Power source: Rechargeable battery
• Night vision: Yes
• Warranty: 1 year

Tech specs

• Dimensions: 2.75 x 2.8 x 4.5 in.
• Weight: 5.9 oz.
• Resolution: 1080p, 30fps
• FOV: 130º
• Power source: AC power
• Night vision: Yes
• Warranty: 1 year

Tech specs

• Dimensions: 2.75 x 2.80 x 4.5 in.
• Weight: 5.9 oz.
• Resolution: 1080p, 30fps
• FOV: 130º
• Power source: AC or PoE
• Night vision: Yes
• Warranty: 1 year

Tech specs

• Dimensions: 4.3 x 2.6 x 2.5 in.
• Weight: 11.6 oz.
• Resolution: 1080p, 30fps
• FOV: 110º
• Power source: AC power
• Night vision: Yes
• Warranty: 1 year

Tech specs

• Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.0 x 3.0 in.
• Weight: 11.6 oz.
• Resolution: 4K
• FOV: 180º
• Operating temperature: -4ºF–113ºF
• Power source: Wireless rechargeable battery
• Night vision: Yes
• Warranty: 1 year

Arlo offers three plans that give you access to additional features––some of which you’ll probably want.

If you have more than one or two Arlo cameras, we’d recommend the middle-tier Arlo Smart Premier plan, which supports up to 10 cameras for $9.99 per month or $99 per year.

With this plan you get access to 30-day video history, advanced AI detection, custom activity zones, lock screen notifications on your phone, and an emergency call service. We’ll go through some more features you get when you subscribe to Arlo Smart.

Arlo uses fancy algorithms to differentiate everyday motion (trees swaying in the wind, squirrels running on power lines, etc.) from human motion. This feature cuts out unnecessary motion notifications so you won’t have to double check that no one is trespassing when your next-door neighbor kicks a soccer ball into your yard.

Typically when you dial 911 you’re directed to the nearest dispatcher from where you place the call. e911 is an in-app Arlo feature that automatically redirects your 911 call to the dispatcher closest to your home (or wherever your Arlo cameras are registered). Say you’re on vacation and someone breaks into your garage: you’ll save a lot of time and avoid being redirected from one dispatcher to the next by calling 911 through the e911 feature.

Arlo cameras let you set up activity zones to block out your neighbor’s yard or a busy road and cut down on unwanted notifications. With activity zones and person detection, you’ll cut down on the majority of unwanted notifications, saving you the trouble of filtering through them yourself.

The rich notifications feature will send push notifications straight to your lock screen so you don’t have to look at every notification from the Arlo app. That includes screenshots and videos of motion events and the ability to call a friend, dial 911, or activate the siren.

>>>Learn more about Arlo Smart plans.

Unless you want one of the use-case-specific Arlo cameras like the Arlo Baby or the Arlo Q Plus for business monitoring, we really like Arlo’s wireless, water-resistant security cameras, and we’d recommend any of them for most anyone seeking a solid and versatile security camera system for their home.

If you’re on a budget, go with the classic Arlo. Its 720p resolution is not cutting-edge, but it’s plenty sharp for monitoring your home, yard, garage, or anywhere else within range of your home Wi-Fi.

If you’re looking for high-quality video, go with the Arlo Ultra. It gives you all the versatility of the classic Arlo in terms of wire-free indoor/outdoor placement, but you’ll also get an outrageous 4K resolution and a super wide 180º field of view, which can be really handy for watching over big yards.

If you want to see how Arlo cameras stack up with some of their competitors, take a look at some of our other security camera reviews, or check out our comparison of Arlo vs. Nest.