Customer Ratings & Reviews

Once the trial is over the cameras do not record without an expensive subscription. Only live viewing.

Prior to receiving this camera, I already had two Arlo devices, a year-old doorbell camera and a three-year-old “Pro” model camera. Because of this I had already established an Arlo account, and had the Arlo Secure app on my mobile devices. This certainly made installation of this camera a snap, and cut a lot of time out of the setup process. I will however say definitively that the setup was much simpler than with either of the other two devices. Shortly after installing this camera initially, I had an issue that required a complete tear down and rebuild of the network it was on. This required a reset of my Arlo devices and with the pre-existing Secure app and Arlo account reintegrating this camera was quick and painless while the other devices required more finagling. In service, I believe this camera compares extremely favorably to the more expensive pro model. It is smaller than previous generations/styles while retaining the same overall look. The spotlight for color night recording and deterrence is nice and bright. This camera has a USB-C type charging port (covered with a simple rubber plug) rather than the magnetic style of my other camera. I rather like this as it does not require me to have a proprietary charging cable that I am apt to lose or could become useless from damage. Charging with this connection was somewhat faster than the other camera, but I can’t say if it is the connection, the type of battery or the age of the device that makes the difference. Unlike the magnetic mounting of the Pro camera, this one comes with a very simple plastic base. I did not like this mount at all as it has limited flexibility, and it was difficult to make fine adjustments to placement when “dialing in” the view after mounting. The camera does come with a threaded socket in the size that appears to be ubiquitous for cameras. Because of this I was able to use a mount that was included with a trail camera which had the flexibility and ease of motion I desired. This type of mount is dirt cheap, so even if you don’t have one laying around like I did you can easily and inexpensively pick one up. Once mounted and added to my Arlo account through the Secure App I found this camera very simple to set up for use. With a wide variety of setup and customization options I was able to set this camera the way that I wanted. Users can configure power management, video brightness and zoom, night vision (B&W with infrared lighting or color with spotlight), spotlight brightness, audio (mic & speaker volume), and activity zones. By setting the activity zone where I want it to activate and record I eliminated a lot of unnecessary recording and nuisance notifications. In operation I have seen literally no difference between this “Essential” camera, which very affordable and the (admittedly older) “Pro” camera. Video is just as crisp and clear; the Pro boasts 4k resolution, the Essential is rated a 2K device. Motion detection is excellent. Audio is clear on both sides. There is a significant lag making actual conversation difficult, but not impossible. This is true of all my Arlo devices (running with excellent signal strength on a 500 mbps network). Battery life has really impressed me as well. This camera is reasonably compact and light, and I had thought I would be taking it down regularly to charge. At the time I am writing this the camera has been in use for 2 weeks and the battery is currently at 85%. Overall, I have been impressed and completely happy with this camera. In fact, I picked up a second and added it to my home security so that all sides of my home are now covered. For ease of use, operational quality and value this is easily a 5-star device to me. Some may not comfortable with a cloud-based system or a subscription service, so this may not be the end all be all for everyone, but I certainly won't blame the device for this and would recommend it based on how I am using it.

DO NOT BUY! These cameras are useless unless you pay a monthly fee that starts at $13/mo. I wish i had known before buying and installing these.

Cameras overall suck!!!!!notifications take forever and live view most well all the times doesn’t work!!!! It doesn’t even deserve one star!!!

The camera’s work fine but I didn’t know for them to work? I’m talking about recording? You have to have a subscription or they are useless

Do not buy false advertisement you need a paid subscription to use this product properly. Do not buy. this product is generating false advertisement

Only one of the cameras I bought works properly the other one had an issue straight out of the package.

The Arlo Essential 4-Camera Outdoor Wireless 2K Security Camera (2nd Generation) is a great option for those looking for an affordable and easy-to-use security camera system. It offers 2K resolution video, color night vision, and a variety of other features, all at a reasonable price. Arlo Essential 4Camera Outdoor Wireless 2K Security Camera (2nd Generation) Here are some of the key features of the Arlo Essential 4-Camera Outdoor Wireless 2K Security Camera (2nd Generation): • 2K resolution video: This means that you can capture clear and detailed footage of everything that happens in front of your camera. • Color night vision: This allows you to see clearly in low-light conditions, such as at night or in dimly lit areas. • Wireless design: The cameras are wireless, so you don't have to worry about running wires from your house to the cameras. • Easy setup: The cameras are easy to set up and use, and you can control them from your smartphone or tablet. • Long battery life: The cameras have a long battery life, so you don't have to worry about charging them often. • Weatherproof design: The cameras are weatherproof, so you can use them indoors or outdoors. • Two-way audio: This allows you to talk to people through the camera, which can be useful for deterring intruders or answering the door. • Motion detection: The cameras can detect motion and send you alerts to your smartphone or tablet. • Customizable settings: You can customize the settings of the cameras to your liking, such as the sensitivity of the motion detection and the length of the video clips. Overall, the Arlo Essential 4-Camera Outdoor Wireless 2K Security Camera (2nd Generation) is a great option for those looking for an affordable and easy-to-use security camera system. It offers a variety of features that can help you to keep your home safe, and it is easy to set up and use. I would recommend this camera system to anyone who is looking for a reliable and affordable way to secure their home.

Very disappeared. Poor quality, subscription required after 30 days. Eufy is the way to go!

The Arlo security system comes nicely packaged in sturdy boxes. There is a film on each camera telling you to fully charge - which did not take very long since they were partially charged from the factory. It only comes with one cord for the four cameras, but it is a standard C type so easy to find other cords to charge at the same time. I've had other Arlo systems, and there are a lot of improvements with this one starting with new wall mounts and plates that are simple to install (they have directional arrows), and they swivel, so you can position the cameras quickly. These cameras are high quality and the system comes with a sturdy security sign for the yard. The system was easy to install with a new app and had step by step instructions for each camera that included pairing it, checking for WiFi strength and even specifics on how to mount. I named each camera "A", "B"... etc. and then wrote the corresponding letter with permanent marker on the back of each so they'll be easy to identify. The app itself is improved and includes a dashboard to see all cameras (you can add or delete devices), as well as what type of movement it indicates (person, vehicle, animal). You can shut off alerts for one or more types. One of the best new features is a spotlight on each camera which lights when it detects movement. The feed (which shows recorded movements) can be filtered by date and each thumbnail has the time, type of motion, which camera and the length of the video. Of course the most important feature is the high video quality playback. The videos are super clear. The battery life is good - especially considering we have a lot of movement with animals and cars. Overall, I am super impressed with the Arlo Essential security system.

I'm a big fan of the original Alro Essential Spotlight camera. At the time, the color night vision and built in spotlight was really nice, even if only at 1080p. They finally released the Gen 2, now with 2K. It's a definitive improvement in quality and app experience but the battery life looks like it will be a weak point. So what's different? The Gen 2 has a much thinner profile, to start. But this means a smaller battery and just with a few days of usage, I can already tell this will have to be charged at least twice as often as the gen 1. The battery life is labeled as up to 4 months based on usage which is significantly less than the original model. I plan on having mine permanently plugged in eventually so this won't be an issue for me. However, the Essential XL boasts a 16 month life based on usage so if you can't use wires or the solar panel and charging isn't as convenient, that may be the better option for you. But the biggest draw here is the 2K video quality. The picture is crisp and clear and looks great. The light also seems to be brighter than before, greatly improving night time video. Detection and alerts seem to be working well as usual with no noticeable issues. Additionally, this camera now connects directly to wifi and a base station is no longer required. I do still wish you had the option to connect to it because sometimes it seemed those devices respond better when they are. Not to mention being able to utilize a USB device as well. Though, so far I have been pleasantly surprised with how well the gen 2 is working on just the wifi. The biggest changes you'll see is within the app. During setup, it says the device requires an upgrade to the new app experience which it automatically does for you. I had just updated the app through google play so I'm not sure if it only upgrades with a purchase of a gen 2 device? Anyway, it takes some getting used to since they moved things around and changed how you do things quite a bit. At first it seemed like more steps to change the usual settings I was used to but after understanding where everything was, I started to like it more. There's a few notable changes I particularly like. First, there is an option for a low power mode which takes snapshots instead of video. You can set it to auto turn on at the threshold (10-30%) you desire. Second, unlike the first Essential Spotlight camera, you can now customize the brightness of the spotlight as well as change it to flashing instead of constant. Third and my favorite, all the original rules you used to have to set for each device in each routine is now listed under the individual devices settings. You can create all the defaults here which will then be used in your routines (now arm away, arm home & standby). From routines, you can further tweak actions, if needed. This is nice because there are a lot more settings to change for each device and this makes things a lot more efficient. The reorganization of these modes was a welcome change as well. Now with the three modes (instead of just arm and disarmed) you have greater control over your current security needs. What I don't like is they added notifications for every time you arm and disarm now with no way to turn this off at the moment. Also, the feed doesn't manually reset to the top, making you have to scroll up every time you view new clips. For Alexa, while the usual commands still work, I hope eventually I can select which mode she sets Arlo in (as in 'home' instead of just 'away'). There are a couple of other minor issues as well that aren't worth mentioning but hopefully these things can be addressed at some point.

As a whole, I do like these cameras and this system. I think they can work for most people and their needs. There is quite a bit to like here, but there is a thing or two that I wish were different or maybe could be done better. Set-up for me was a simple process. Just be sure to charge everything beforehand. It is more or less just follow some steps and you will be good. No issues for me. Installation though? Well, that was a bit of a mixed bag. While this will probably be dependent on your situation and where you are installing them, I just do not love the mounting options. I should say, more specifically, I wish the mounts offered a little flexibility. The hardware works, and is not bad to install, at all, but you really need to have your lines perfect as there is not a lot of range to move or change the angle of the cameras. It just made what could have been the perfect install, just a little worse. Also, it kind of limits any changes you may want to make down the road. Or at least makes them more difficult. Again, that may not be your experience, but just something to note. As for the cameras themselves, they give a detailed, nice, and clear picture (with zoom). Day or night (in color). They also come with quite a few options, which is always nice to see. Same with the app and operation. Two-way audio. Motion detection (very quick). Deterrence features (spotlight and siren). Alerts. Notifications. All of these things work well and are very welcome. The app, frankly, is not the best, but it is “good” and gives you what you need. I just wish there was a little more integration with other platforms, but notifications are very quick. Given that, I can live with some limitations and hope for the best going forward. Build-wise, obviously, time will tell. That said, I think everything should last. Everything is well-built and I think it will hold up. Again, it is going to have to be a wait and see thing. We shall see. I know this is the nature of the product, and on some level why the installation was so quick, but I am a little hesitant about the batteries. To be clear, in the limited time I have had them installed, the battery-life has been good, and they are rated for several months, but I am just not sure how I feel about removing them, charging them, etc…Again, I knew this going in, but I will have to see how my usage does with the batteries. If they perform well, but the batteries turn out to be an issue I may explore wiring them. Of course, this too is a wait and see kind of thing. For all that I like about these cameras, and despite some of my minor concerns that I touched upon to this point, my main “problem,” if you want to call it that, is the reliance on a subscription to truly unlock all that this system can do. To be clear, the cameras do work, and can work for a lot of people without it, but you kind of only get the most basic features. There is no recording, zones, or differentiated detection. It is a bit of a letdown. That said though, honestly, the sub costs are quite reasonable, and for most people are probably worth it. I just wish they offered a little bit more without the need for the sub, as they did with prior products (some I still have). Ultimately, this is a good system, the cameras are solidly built, and they work very well. I think, as is, they are a good value. I would suggest really know your use case and what you want out of a system like this and if you are willing to pay for a subscription to get it (or want local or cloud storage).

Got this system to expand our current wired system. Our current system has some blind or non covered spots that we identified needing camera coverage. We were looking at expanding our existing system, but is older and is a wired system that would require a lot of work, time and expense run wires and outlets to add on. This wireless system was far cheaper and easier to set up as an add on. Out of the box set up is a breeze. Download the app, charge the cameras, set up, name place where you need them. Good to go. They have spotlights, motion detection, sirens and audio. You can choose when to arm them for automatic recording when triggered by motion or use live view. You can also customize the field of view the motion detection focuses on to avoid accidental or nuisance motion alerts. Good feature for certain areas. One of the best features for our use is that each camera is basically independent from a connection standpoint! We have more than one wi-fi system due to the size of the property. Connect each camera to the signal feeding that area. You just need to be on that network when you access it. Reviewing and recording/sharing videos is such a snap. Way easier and more user friendly than our existing system. We are subscribing to the monitoring. It is cheap enough and going with the no monitoring plan you lose the ability to review and detect, they become only live view monitors, though you can record that way. For our needs, we want to record and review later if needed. I honestly am considering expanding this system to eventually replace our exiting wired system. That one is outdated and this is just so easy to use and set up. Totally recommend it!

You pay a lot for the cameras then you have to purchase a plan from them its not worth it

I have used Arlo cameras for quite a few years now, so I’m already paying for the “Secure Multi-Camera” subscription. If you’re already a subscriber, too, then this camera is a good option for adding to or upgrading existing cameras. I’ve got the old Pro and Pro 2 cameras that are going end-of-life in January 2025, so these may be a good option for replacements. The old ones are still working great, however, (other than being poorer video quality) so I’m not in a hurry to replace them. I miss the super-easy magnetic mount capability of the older cameras, which the new ones do not have. I’m able to quickly place the old cameras on t-posts, the metal tubing on my gates, or other metal objects. I can also quickly remove them to recharge the batteries, then stick them back up. This camera comes with a bare-bones wall mount that is pretty much useless for my applications. The base only fastens to a flat surface and the camera tilt isn’t adjustable at all. I know this is probably okay for some people, but not even one of my current 12 cameras is mounted like this. My solution was to toss the included mount and buy a new magnetic adjustable mount. That works well for most of my camera locations now, but that’s an additional $15 I hadn’t expected to spend. Beyond the mounting issue, I think the camera is great. It was really easy to set up and get added to my WiFi network. This camera doesn’t use the Arlo hub like my old cameras, which is an advantage for me. I have a mesh WiFi system, so I actually have a much larger coverage area this way than trying to use a hub (or two). The disadvantage of this, however, is that you can no longer store your videos locally on the hub. I never did that anyway, so I don’t miss it. The 2K video quality is noticeably much better than my old Pro/Pro 2 cameras. The battery life is better, too, although that could just be the advantage of a new battery. I’m using this one at extreme range (about 280’ from the house) to monitor my front gate. At that range, the battery drains faster and I know it also misses a few motion events, but I expect that. I have always used two cameras at the gate and if one misses something, the other almost always catches it. One surprise I had this week when I went to recharge it was that water got into the charging port on the bottom. We had some freezing rain the day I took it down to recharge, and I noticed the USB port was packed with ice underneath the rubber flap. It’s possible I didn’t have the flap pushed in all the way, so I’m not ready to call it a problem yet. But I’ve secured the flap this time and will check next time it rains again. Hopefully that won’t be an issue. Overall, I’m very happy with Arlo cameras. I’ve tried many other brands, but these have been the most reliable for me. They don’t lose connections and need to be rebooted or have other problems. They just seem to work, and that’s why paying the subscription for them is worth it to me.

The Arlo Essential 4-Camera Outdoor Wireless 2K Security Camera caught my attention as a promising security solution for its high-resolution video quality and outdoor functionality. Setting up the cameras was pretty much hassle-free. The 2K resolution delivered clear and detailed footage, capturing just about every part of my outdoor space. However, the I wasn’t so thrilled when I realized that accessing the camera’s full potential required a subscription plan. Without it, you can’t view recordings from the cameras. You’ll get a notification but can’t actually view it if you don’t have a subscription. This limitation felt restrictive, especially considering the initial investment in the camera system. It seemed like the real value was tucked behind a subscription paywall. Arlo’s subscription plans, while offering additional services, come at a cost that might give users pause. By this, I mean that you have to have a subscription to do almost anything with the cameras. If you plan to buy these cameras, you absolutely will need to plan on paying for a subscription. Otherwise, there’s not much point to even having the cameras…since you can’t view anything they record without the subscription. An additional drawback is the absence of local storage options. Depending solely on cloud storage might not align with users who prioritize data privacy or want more control over their footage. Moreover, internet outages or server issues could temporarily leave users without access to their recordings. Long story short, the Arlo Essential 4-Cameras delivers on its promise of security and video quality. However, the dependency on subscription plans for essential features and the absence of local storage options may be off-putting for some users. If you’re comfortable with a subscription and good with cloud-based convenience, the Arlo system could still be a suitable choice. Otherwise, you might want to consider alternatives that offer more flexibility without sacrificing essential features.

The connection time take 15 minutes sometimes by then it to smh

The Arlo Essential 4 Camera Outdoor Wireless 2K Security Camera (2nd Generation) offers a compelling security solution with its impressive features. Setting up the system was a breeze, thanks to user-friendly instructions and well-designed hardware. The inclusion of a yard sign enhances the overall security setup, providing a visual deterrent to potential intruders. The mobile app complements the system seamlessly, offering intuitive navigation and real-time access to the cameras. Monitoring your property from anywhere becomes a convenient task, and the responsiveness of the app ensures a smooth user experience. The ability to customize settings and receive timely alerts adds to the camera system's flexibility. Video quality is a standout feature, delivering clear and detailed footage in 2K resolution. Whether it's daytime monitoring or checking footage during low-light conditions, the cameras consistently perform well. The wide-angle lens captures a broad field of view, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the surroundings. Audio quality is another strong point, allowing for two-way communication. This feature proves useful not only for monitoring but also for interactive purposes. Whether communicating with delivery personnel or deterring potential intruders, the audio capabilities enhance the camera system's functionality. In overall use, the Arlo 4-Camera system proves reliable and effective. The weather-resistant design ensures durability in various outdoor conditions. However, a minor improvement could be made in the field of view adjustment, providing users with even more control over the monitoring angles. While the Arlo system earns a solid 4-star rating from me, there's always room for enhancement. The addition of advanced features like AI-based object recognition or further integration with smart home platforms could elevate it to a higher tier. Nonetheless, for users seeking a comprehensive outdoor security solution with a user-friendly interface, the Arlo - Essential 4-Camera system stands out as a commendable choice.

Good when they work always lose wifi not happy with them at all

These cameras are an upgrade to the older arlo cameras I have. The cameras came partially charged, so I fully charged them before setup. I already have the Arlo app on my phone, but I had to upgrade the app to connect these new cameras which was not a big deal. I liked that these new cameras could be added and with along with my older Arlo cameras that already up and running. That made my life easier. The viewing angle and the image quality is very good. I setup one of the new cameras in my garage and the night vision works very well. The two issues I have is that the Arlo outdoor charging cables for this cost $39.99 each. That is pretty pricey if you have to buy four of them. Since I only use these cameras when I'm not home or having a party, I will wait and see how long the batteries lasts. I haven't had to charge any of the cameras yet, but I'm more comfortable having the cameras plugged in at all times. The second issue I have is that the new cameras take longer time to come up when I view them live. I guess that is just something I have to deal with when you're in 2K territory. Overall, I am happy with these cameras and I am giving them a five star rating.