Customer Ratings & Reviews

I have never had a Arlo security camera or any Arlo product for that matter, and I wasn’t really sure what I was getting, but I was pleasantly surprised w/ this Arlo - Essential 1 Outdoor Wireless camera. It is very well made and balanced, and what I mean by the balanced part is it is small enough that you can place it in an inconspicuous place and not worry about it. I placed mine on the east side of our home due to the fact that was the last place that I really didn’t feel as if I had enough camera coverage. I was reluctant to put any there as I would have to mount it to our new deck and most of the other I have are all black, but this is white and blends in so well w/ the fascia board and is hardly noticeable. I was also reluctant and worried if the morning sun would cause it to alert like another brand I had did, and so far this Arlo is working like a champ. I could discuss the quality of the video and how pleased I am w/ that aspect of this camera, or of how simple and easy it was to mount and pair w/ our “home hub” which allows us to see the camera not only from our phones but simply asking to show back deck camera. The App and Bluetooth connection is also a plus. But the feature that I want to highlight the most is the fact that you can play a short video from your home screen from an alert and the fact that if there were an emergency you can alert authorities, granted I haven’t had to use that function yet, but just knowing that it is there is reassuring. This is a very well made camera that has very good quality live view and playback video. And the fact that it is wireless and very reasonably priced, what is not to like w/ this camera. I would highly recommend it

Over the past several years, I have become quite familiar with the Arlo cameras, and they never cease to impress me. This latest offering from them, the essential outdoor camera, is the same quality of product I have come to expect from the brand. Installation of the camera is very easy, simply because it is battery operated so there is no need to deal with any wiring. Just a few screws to put in the mounting segment, and you're already almost done with the installation. The setup is slightly more involved, but not by much. If you already have Arlo products, And it will take you no time at all, otherwise you're looking at about 15 minutes tops to set up the app, but probably much less. The essential outdoor camera provides a clear high definition image with excellent night vision. The spotlight is very bright, and very useful to make sure that any trespassers are aware that they are on camera. There is also two-way communication so that you can talk to someone you might see on the other end of the video feed. You can hear them, and they can hear you. The noise canceling audio seems to work pretty well, at least in high wind, but I haven't been able to try in the rain. The one thing I would say is that they should be installed as high up as possible, simply because they are so easy to steel. If you don't have a means of putting it up high, then at least do your best to put it in a non-obvious place. That said, I don't recommend using the spotlight if you are dealing with human trespassers and the cameras place down low, as it will just tell them where it is so they can either smash it or take it. If you are using this primarily to see animals, then I would definitely stick with the spotlight.

The setup of the Arlo Essential Camera (2nd generation) was quick and problem free. The application, however, was archaic. The Arlo Essential Camera hooks directly to your Wi-Fi. While watching the live feed there is a few second delay, this is to be expected. The first thing the camera wanted to do after being on-line was to update the firmware. After doing so the camera was rebooted and worked fine. The application has 3 setting for arming the camera. Arm away, Arm home, and standby. Arm away set the camera to send notifications of any motion within range of the camera. Arm Home allows you to set the camera detection levels to include or exclude items. Standby turns off all notifications. Regardless of what setting you have on; you can still view the live stream from the camera. The application stores a few seconds of the notification. This can be replayed within the application. However, if you wish to save the live stream you will need to purchase an on-line subscription. This will save the files up to 30 days in the cloud. Now for the hard part. This camera is sold as an Outdoor wireless system. The literature accompanying the camera warns against getting the camera wet. The safety and compliance information sheet states that getting the device wet, even though it might dry and appear to operate normally the circuitry can slowly corrode and defeat its safety circuitry.

This is a nice outdoor wireless camera. Very easy to set-up and connect to the app so you can monitor your recordings. It took less than 15 minutes to download the updates, the app and connect to the app. One of the best things I really like, is how you can put it on stand-by mode. Let's say you are having a family gathering and constantly getting alerts from everyone walking into the house. Well, you can put the camera on stand-by mode through the app and stop the alerts for the day. That is a great idea, because those alerts can get quite annoying. I think the picture/sound quality is great. You can also set-up a feature for animal notifications which is great when you have a dog that likes to sneak out when someone leaves the door open for a second, or you have multiple animals such as raccoons or skunks visiting your yard. The picture quality is very clear, which I feel is expected with todays technology. The notifications are great because it will say "animal" or "person". The app also has features to arm when away or arm when home. It also has an emergency response feature if you have children or an older mother. Overall this is a great wireless camera and I would def recommend it to others.

I have been using ARLO cameras for years and was excited to add this to my collection. There always seems to be a view I want to add to my outside security setup. One issue I have with other Arlo models is they require you to connect them to their hub. And that can be a challenge to keep centrally located yet reach all the outside spaces. Well no issue with this unit. This one connects directly to your home wifi (no hub). YAY! If this is your first Arlo experience I believe you will be satisfied. You will download the smartphone app to your device and follow the prompts to set up your account (or log in if you already have one). ONce logged in you will be prompted to add the camera. During this set up I would charge your camera/battery. Be sure it is fully charged before you mount it in its final location. For me this was being set up on the corner of our house near the garage entry. I have good wifi signal there but my Arlo hub doesn’t quite reach this spot sop this camera was perfect. The video quality is not as high as my other units but it works for this location. The Arlo app is easy to use and has a ton of settings and features you can control. I will dock 1 star here because as of the writing of this review this stand alone unit will not connect to my Apple Home. My other Arlo cameras do (the ones that connect to a hub). Fix this and you get my star back. I find there is a slight delay/lag when opening the app and trying to view a livestream. It takes a few seconds for the live stream to activate. Once activated it works well and there is a 2-3 second or so delay between the live action outside and what you see on your device which is totally to be expected. I just wish the initial opening and starting of the livestream on the app would be quicker. Not worth losing a star but something to mention. PROS: Set up is easy Connects to home wifi without needing a hub LOTS of settings in the app to get the camera just as you want it Has a spot light feature 2 way communication between camera and app Battery life (depending on your activity zone and other settings) CONS: A little lag when starting live stream Doesn’t work with Apple Home Video quality is not as great as other models I am very happy with the unit and glad I could connect to the corner of my house where the Arlo hub was not able to reach.

The Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor wireless camera is just what I was looking for to upgrade a blind spot on my property. I don't plan on living in the house we are living in for more than a few more years, at which point we will likely move. The point of saying all that is that I don't want to drill holes and run wires all over the house and through the walls. I wanted something that would not leave any sort of footprint behind when I leave this house. That said, this thing is wireless. Not as in you need to run the lines to give it power, and it connects to your wifi. No, it is completely wireless as in you just need to mount it in the location where you want it, and you are done. It has a battery and you don't need to run any wires at all. Currently, the camera has been going into week number three now, and I have barely put a dent into the battery life. I seemed to have missed any literature stating the battery life, but so far I am impressed. Hopefully it is at least a few months, but I am sure it depends of how active the camera is. Speaking of camera activity, with the Arlo App you can not only set up your notifications, but you can also set up zones for areas of concerns you have. Therefore, your camera will only trip in instances where someone passes through your desired zone. I know for a fact that once I set up those zones, I had a lot less activity. The camera itself is 2K, which appears to be typical of their economical essentials line of cameras. This has the ability to zoom in on what you are looking at, but it is only as good as your internet connection. However, it does have night vision and it works well. Other features include your ability to communicate with people via the app through your camera, whether you are home or not. It is referred to as "noise cancellation audio," but I not too sure what that means unless it optemizes the clarity of the sound somehow. Either way, it does effectively allow for two way communication with whatever is in your sight through the camera. There is a siren as well, which I have not actually tried yet. But it is nice to know that it exists. Everything works seamlessly through the Arlo app on your phone. The install was simple, just two screws into the wall outside. I have mine in an area that is covered by an overhang (on purpose), but it does boast that it is weather "resistant." No it does not say "proof," it says resistant, hence my use of the overhanging roof. Honestly, I was concerned most about long exposure to rain, as I live in the northwest. This is perfect for my needs, and I highly recommend this camera to anyone that is looking for something that is EASY to install and has all the same features as the other wired versions of this camera. I will definitely be adding more of these cameras to my property, as the camera is feature packed for the price.

I love some of the advanced features that it has, one thing that I’m struggling with, however, is to get the third camera to send me notifications and recordings when there’s movement outside. Side from that it’s super easy to install the application functions well for the most part, plus the style is pretty slick

I recently purchased 3 of these cameras. Installation and programming was easy. So far I like them. The motion sensor really needs your adjustment because they trigger easily. Once you figure them out they operate beautifully with a very clear picture that you are able to zoom in and out. So far, so good!

I bought this thinking it was going to be a cheap camera but I WAS WRONG. It lets me know when i have a vehicle pulling in, an animal on my porch, and people. This camera makes me feel very safe at my house. It was so easy to set up. the battery level is extraordinary. i love this so much. honestly way better then a ring camera or any other brands ❤️

Our camera works great and basically records every movement whether they are cars, people, and animals. It captures the movement and at night, it flashes light when it senses someone around the house. I love Arlo.

We love our camera! The picture is great, battery life is out of this world, and the voice, spot light and siren function are essential in home security

Great camera Easy to install, great price not too much for what the are cameras provide I actually bought three and a door bellI’ve tried other cameras and from all I like ArloLook to buy more and recommended them to many friends and family

Excellent camera for the price. Clear picture even when using the zoom feature. Doesn’t fuzz out like most when you zoom in on something. Good night vision.

great camera for the price. I would have given it a "5" if the night vision were a little better. Easy to mount and setup.

Absolutely LOVE them. So easy to set up, very clear sound and picture. Great battery life as well!!

Overall this is pretty good for a wireless camera – not the best that I have tried however once everything was set up it worked well. Look and feel. I like the look and feel of the camera however the base seems to be a bit small – maybe the way it was designed but it always felt like the base needed to be more robust. All that said it was pretty easy to install from a physical standpoint Setup – setup in the Arlo app was pretty easy and self-guided, the only issue was the barcode on the back was too small for my phone to read so I had to manually enter the numbers. Not a big problem but did take some time. I use the Google echo system and was never able to get the camera to integrate – that said I didn’t contact support or spend I great deal of time on it since it worked fine in the arlo app Functionality – this is where this camera really shines – the picture quality is outstanding – both day and night are clear and you can see details that I have not been able to see on others. The motion trigger works well – in some cases too well – if you have a high-traffic area you want to make some adjustments to preserve battery life. Battery life seemed to be about what I expected of course it’s all based on how many times the camera senses something. There were a couple of things that I thought we a bit of a distractor. 1. The major one is there seems to be about a 2 sec delay in the video. It seemed to be pretty consistent – could be a problem if you want real-time interaction. 2. The wifi range did not seem to be as good as others I’ve tried – not to say it was bad not think it should have been better I did like this and the positives far outweigh the negatives, I would highly recommend this camera

Easy installation. Picture quality very very good and clear.

We bought this because we wanted an inexpensive camera to keep an eye on a phoebe nesting above our front door, and to be able to move it around where we need it. The clarity of the image at night is not quite as good as the Pro cameras we already have, and I did wish it could be a magnetic mount, but it was simple to install and is doing it's job.

Great camera I was impressed by the quality of this camera. It does everything I need at a far lower price point than the others

The camara is a good quality you can see clearly everything