Arlo Smart Home Security Camera Review

Arlo Smart Home HD Camera Overview

• 720p HD live streaming video
• Free cloud storage
• 100% wire free (batteries)
• Night vision
• Motion alerts to your phone and email
• Weatherproof
• Support for up to 5 cameras on a single system

Netgear took their place in the top of home security system industry with their new wire free system called Arlo. In this pet cam review, I’ll go over the main features listed above in detail and how the outdoor pet camera has been holding up.

Arlo Smart Home Unboxing

I purchased the single Arlo camera system (they have bundle packs of up to 5 cameras) which arrived quickly from Amazon and in great shape. The boxing is rather unique and attractive, however difficult to get into. Inside, you’ll find the following:

• Wire free cameras (1 – 5 depending on the bundle you picked)
• Arlo Smart Home Base Station and power adapter. This resembles a WiFi router.
• Ethernet cable
• Magnetic camera mounts. I mounted mine on the side of my house.
• Mounting screws
• 4 batteries
• Quick start guide
• Window decal

Installation is a breeze: simply add the batteries, plug in the base station, download the app, and follow the onscreen instructions. Next on your list is to decide where your camera(s) will go. My Arlo is mounted on the back of my house pointed at the back yard and deck so that I can see my dog.

Main Features in the Arlo Security Camera

Arlo Video Quality

Video quality has been consistently great, even throughout the outdoor elements. The outdoor cam is also on the opposite end of the house of my router and Arlo base station, yet connection quality is never an issue. Take a look at the two videos below of my dog. The video on the left is the outside camera, which is set on motion-activation, and records 10 second clips when motion is detected. The video on the right was inside during a dark and gloomy day. You can see it turned black and white (don’t mind my dog licking the couch).

Cloud Storage for Camera

The basic, and free, cloud storage option from Arlo includes 7 days of recordings and up to 1GB of storage. I set my recordings for 10 seconds long every time it detects motion. The camera records quite a bit throughout the day from letting my dog outside, and I never come close to filling the 1GB storage limit. And even better yet, if the storage does become full, it will automatically delete older recordings to free up space for new ones (unless you save them). The more cameras you use however, the more storage you will need. Check out Arlo’s most recent cloud storage prices here.

Arlo Night Vision Quality

Overall, I think the night vision does its job especially for the size of the camera. You can see a comparison of Arlo’s night vision below with outdoor lights on and off. When the light is off, you can only see the porch lit up, which is fine because if we were using it to keep an eye on our dog, we would have the porch light on. With the light off, it can see enough to detect movement on the porch which will catch any potential burglaries or unwanted animals. With the porch light on, I can see my dog throughout the entire yard.

Arlo Motion Alerts

Motion Alerts can be both amazing and annoying, depending on your settings. There are sensitivity measures that can be adjusted so that a tiny bit of movement is detected (or vice versa). This can become annoying because bees, birds, and bugs will be setting off your camera. You won’t like getting alerts on your phone at 3am that something was detected on your camera only to see it was a moth. You can also temporarily pause motion alerts if you know you will be outside in front of the camera so that it won’t keep sending alerts to your phone.

Arlo Accessories, Mounts, and Skins

Arlo also sells skins do place on your camera to change the color. Since the camera comes stock as white, it’s not always easy to find a hidden spot. Especially considering this pet cam can be used as an outdoor camera, you want to keep the location discrete so no one steals it.

Camera Skins

These UV and water resistant silicone cases help protect your Arlo camera and also add a bit of personality or disguise. They slip right on and off and also has an open battery compartment so you don’t have to take the case back off.

Arlo Adjustable Mount

When you purchase an Arlo camera, it includes a magnetic mount that can be used. However, they are quite limited in adjustment. If you’re looking for a more adjustable camera mount, then this is a great solution. And cheap too! This indoor/outdoor mount can be attached to the side of a building, your ceiling, or even a tree! It extends 5 inches from the mounting surface and can easily adjust on the 360 degree swivel and 90 degree tilt.

On the slightly smaller side, the Arlo table mount is great for exactly that: tables or counters. If you don’t feel like mounting the camera to the ceiling or wall, this mount elevates it from the surface a bit to expand the viewing coverage.

Final Verdict on the Arlo Outdoor Pet Cam

Overall, this Arlo pet cam is better than expected for outdoor use such as monitoring your pets and gaining peace of mind through home security. Installation is incredibly simple – when they say 100% wire free, they mean it. All of the main features compete with, if not exceed, the other top names in the industry. The ability to add on more cameras to your system is one of its most notable features, allowing you to have an entire home surveillance system without any wires.