Expert Rating

85

Nest cameras have the unique ability to record videos without drawing attention due to their small size. Outdoor cameras tend to be obvious if not hidden from line of sight. The Arlo Pro brings together both of those concepts to make it one of the best home security cameras you can buy today.

Related: Our team also recommend the Arlo Go review

Why We Like It – Arlo Pro Review

A wire-free system with rechargeable batteries—a solid choice for those who like the compact nature of a nest cam, but want the weatherproofing of an outdoor camera as seen with its IP65 rating.

Pros
  • IP65 waterproof rating
  • Are indoor and outdoor cameras
  • Wire-free
Cons
  • Unimpressive battery life
  • Overpriced

Related: If you are still undecided, read the D Link Dcs 932l Wireless N Daynight Home Network Camera review

Performance

The Arlo Smart Home Security Cameras didn’t impress us at every corner, so let’s start with the positives. The camera has a very wide field of view; 130-degrees can capture a lot and is almost twice as wide as the AMICCOM Home Security Camera. It also has color night vision, a feature that isn’t available on any of our top picks. As for video quality, it’s 720p—not quite as nice as 1080p, but an improvement over the original Arlo camera, with the Arlo Ultra shooting in 4K.

Unfortunately, its battery life isn’t very impressive. On a good day, it’ll last 6 months; high activity can lessen it to 4 months. Thankfully, it has a rechargeable battery, but you’ll have to charge it frequently.

Design

The Netgear Arlo Pro combines the compact nature of nest cams, like the Ring Indoor Home Security Camera, and outdoor cam to create a nest cam outdoor security system. Its IP65-certified weatherproofing makes sure of that. There’s also no doubting the really high quality materials used to construct the Arlo Pro. The Arlo cameras are rather easy to install and unique, too. Per camera is a magnetic mount you can place in a desired area and then stick to the mount itself. And since they’re wire free, there’s no drilling involved. Making adjustments, like camera settings, is equally simple—especially with the mobile app, the Arlo app.

Value

As far as value goes, the Arlo Pro is simply priced too high compared to other wireless security systems or any camera system for that matter. To be fair, you’re getting an entire camera kit here that includes 3 cameras, a base station, and free cloud storage that rolls over every week, not just one camera or two cameras. The Blink XT2 3 Camera System, on the other hand, is cheaper, just as good and better in many areas, and you get an entire year of free cloud storage (before paying per month). The Blink XT2 is simply better priced in this regard.

Arlo Pro Review Wrap Up

The Arlo Pro aren’t bad by any means, but certainly a tad overpriced with a few features that are behind standards. However, they are wireless and can be placed inside and outside with its IP65 waterproof rating. Built with 720p image quality, night vision, cloud and local storage (with a USB), good motion detection and a very wide 130-degree field. We particularly like its impressive sound detection, which sets off alarms.

Brady Meyers Avatar