Customer Ratings & Reviews

Security is huge for me! There is nothing like the peace of mind that cameras give and Arlo has done a great job with their cameras. I have been using Arlo cameras since 2020 and have 12 of them. I had some cheap cameras when I got started but the set up, tech support, camera reliability and video quality was terrible… DON’T waste money on junk and that’s how I discovered Arlo! Arlo is quality out of the box. They are built well and my older Arlo cameras have withstood the coldest Midwest winters and the hottest summer days. To be fair …when the heat is maxed I have had one or two go offline when the temp goes above their operating parameters but that is extremely rare. They say 113 degrees Fahrenheit and and -4 degrees, I’d say that's accurate but once they warm up…back online. What I like about the newest 3rd gen Essential XL is the huge battery. They say 4 times longer than before and I can attest to that.. I have the essential XL 2nd gen as well and I go months without charging !!! 3rd Gen XL is gonna be even better! I did not even need to buy the solar charger for that one! With the huge battery comes the inevitable weight issue though. If you have metal soffits that you plan to mount the XL on …make sure it is braced well and can hold it steady during a storm. The XL will give you a tremendously long battery life but it is heavy. I have opted to wall mount this camera due to the weight. A basic Arlo Essential with a solar panel might be better for soffits that are kind of flimsy. Mounting is super easy and it and they give you drywall anchors which is nice. Once mounted you can pivot the camera to angle where you need it. I love the fact that there are NO WIRES! Install and connect to the app and your off and running! The Arlo Essential XL 3rd gen and all the Arlos I own have rock Solid WiFi… they don’t drop off…ever. The operation through the app is so intuitive. The app is really helpful and I am looking at it multiple times a day. I love that with Arlo Intelligence, I know when a “vehicle”, “person” or “Animal” is getting picked up. I can set the sensitivity of the alerts to trigger a capture and then check it out it out immediately in my feed in the arlo app! I can also set the area of the view that will trigger an alert which is nice if you have a tree always blowing around that you want to cut out of the alert area. I also like the routines feature… when I leave in the morning for work the camera goes to away automatically! Having cameras is one thing but I can’t watch them all the time… Arlo Intelligence does that for me and lets me know! I also love the spotlight feature…I can set it to come on and stay on when it detects motion at night or blink. I like the blinking…I want people to know I have an invisible shield around my house and …I SEE THEM! Love it. The night time color is also very good and important to ID cars and suspects. Arlo also work flawlessly with my Google home hubs… I can say “show me the front yard” and boom I can see the camera while I am brushing my teeth before bed. With the app I can twoway communicate and sound an alarm if I needed to…but I have never actually done that…I have an alarm system for that but it’s nice to have. The app allows me to arm the cameras for home and away so if I am home the cameras won’t alert when I walk through the house or outside the house but If I am away… anyone moving in or around my house will get recorded… And recorded in amazing quality day or night in color!!! The Essential XL 3rd gen has 130 degree view and 2K video quality and it looks great on my phone or tv! I do have a subscription plan to maximize the recording features of 60 days and smart person and packages ect. I don’t think you get that functionality with out a plan but you do not have to have a plan to use the cameras. I have the unlimited camera plan and I feel it is very reasonable and well worth the money. Overall, I love the Essential XL 3rd gen video quality, easy set up, day and night color, solar panels if you need them but probably wont with such a huge battery with the XL. The app and how functional it is…. It’s a complete eye on the house and family when I am not around = Peace of mind!

For the last week, I've been testing out the new third-generation Arlo Essential XL wireless camera. I am also a current owner of the second-generation version of this same camera. Overall, this camera is easy to install, has excellent video quality and battery life, utilizes updated Wi-Fi standards, and, while subscribed to Arlo Home, it has great features. However, recharging the camera is painfully slow, viewing recorded events is slow to load, and without a subscription, the camera is just not worth owning. I like that the installation is straightforward. There is a plastic mounting plate that screws onto the desired location, and the camera snaps securely onto it with slight downward pressure. The completion of the installation is performed in the Arlo app. A few clicks and a firmware update, and the camera was available on my account. From there, the camera can be positioned in the direction I want to monitor. Video quality is excellent. The 2K resolution is crisp and clear. Even at night, the camera displays details very clearly, in color, and with very little noise. Also, the widescreen 130-degree field of view helps to protect a significantly large area. The battery lasts four times longer than the standard Arlo, which is great for reducing the frequency of recharging. From my past experience with Arlo XL, it lasts me about three months with standard traffic in front of my house (roughly about 30 events per day). While three months is a respectable amount of longevity, some drawbacks that come with it are the larger size of the camera, which increases its visibility from the street, and a painfully slow charging time of 10 hours. When it comes to performance, the Arlo does an excellent job of capturing events from beginning to end. It provides text-based push notifications within seconds of the event occurring and provides an option to activate the siren. But unfortunately, it doesn't contain a snapshot of the event, so I really wouldn't know if the event would require a siren. To view the events, I need to use the Arlo app. In the app, the events are well organized by time of occurrence, but unfortunately, displaying events has a 20-second lag, which can feel like an eternity when you need to know what is happening outside. The main thing I dislike about Arlo is that the subscription is absolutely necessary. It comes with a free 30-day trial, which allows for full functionality with the exception of continuous recording, which requires an additional fee. Without a subscription, it is just a live-streaming camera without any meaningful features. With all that said, if a subscription is not a factor, I think this is a fantastic camera with great response performance and long-lasting batteries. The few drawbacks I mention are a little nitpicky, and I could easily look past them and still be happy with this camera. However, for me, the subscription is a factor, and for that reason, I cannot recommend it.

I’m very happy with this Arlo Essential XL camera! The video quality is super clear, and setup was quick and easy. The best part is the long-lasting battery — I don’t have to recharge it often. Perfect for keeping an eye on my home with no hassle.

I got to test out this Arlo Camera for my house and I love it as this new generation captures better quality image during morning and night time as well as its long lasting batteries

Very conveniet installation and clear video/picture is produced. Worth having for security and peace of mind.

The 2K HDR video quality is very clear and I can see everything that happens outside my house. The battery power is convenient because I don’t need to worry about cables or outlets. I like the spotlight feature because it turns on when it detects motion at night. The 160° field of view covers a large area so I can monitor my entire front yard with just one camera. The one-month trial of the Secure Plan gives me time to test all the extra features before I decide to pay for it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

This works really well! The night vision is top notch and the motion alerts are very sensitive which is great!

This camera is great! Easy to install and easy to operate.

After spending a week testing the Arlo Essential 3rd Gen Wireless 2K Security Camera, I came away genuinely impressed with how much performance Arlo packed into such a compact, battery-powered unit. It’s the kind of camera that just blends into your setup — no complicated wiring, no base station required, and you still get crisp, reliable footage. Setup Experience Setup was straightforward. I used the Arlo Secure App on my iPhone, and the camera paired almost instantly once I pressed the sync button. The app walked me through mounting options, motion zones, and even adjusting detection sensitivity. Connecting it to my Wi-Fi network took maybe two minutes, and the camera updated its firmware automatically right after. I also tested it on Windows and macOS through the Arlo web portal, and the interface stayed consistent — easy to navigate, with access to recordings, live feed, and settings all in one place. Video and Audio Quality The 2K resolution looks sharp, even when I zoomed in on details like license plates or faces from a distance. Daytime footage was crisp and well-balanced, while nighttime infrared mode gave me solid visibility without too much glare. The field of view is wide enough to cover most driveways, porches, or side yards, and the two-way audio was surprisingly clear — no static or weird echo. The camera’s built-in siren can also be triggered manually from the app, which is handy for deterring unwanted guests. Motion Detection and Notifications Motion alerts came through in real-time, and the app lets you fine-tune motion zones so you’re not getting pinged every time a car drives by. Detection was responsive but smart — it recognized people versus random motion, which cut down on false alerts. Battery Life and Mounting Battery life on the standard Essential camera is rated for several months per charge, and that seems accurate so far. After about two weeks of daily use with moderate motion activity, I was still sitting at around 90%. The magnetic mount made installation quick and clean, and the camera held its position well even through light Texas wind and rain. Conclusion The Arlo Essential 3rd Gen hits that sweet spot for homeowners or renters who want a high-quality, wireless camera that’s simple to use but still powerful. The 2K clarity, real-time notifications, and dependable app make it feel like a premium product without needing a whole ecosystem to run it. If you want an easy way to upgrade your home security without monthly headaches or messy wiring, this little Arlo is a fantastic pick.

Clear video. Works great. The app is so easy to use

Excellent picture quality. Easy install. Overall great product!

This camera is excellent! It is just perfect for our front door where the traffic is more intense. The battery last a long time and it's very easy to install! Highly recommend !

Excellent camera… this is our second… bought for our vacation home. So far it’s working great!

Arlo - Essential XL 1-Camera Wireless 2K Security Camera (3rd Gen) with 4x Longer Battery Life, I have never loved a wireless security camera more, I have tried several other big name popular brands and they have not delivered quality like Arlo wireless cameras have. The cameras are have crystal clear recording and picture. Download the Arlo app quick and easy WiFi connection. With the app you get motion detecting alerts for humans, animals, cars, packages. The color Night vision also clear as day, you’re able to access your app without having to unlock your phone screen. It has an alarm you can activate to scar aware intruders or package thieves. Has a spot light, I have several Arlo around my house, yard and also inside house to be able to watch my dogs while out of the house and be able to talk to them. It is weather proof so outdoor in the open your fine no need to try and find cover for it not to get wet. You can also get a plan that records & saves data which is optional. Battery life is longer then my other rechargeable Arlo security cameras but all have great fast charging capabilities. You can also connect and control you camera with several smart home systems such as Alexa, Apple, smarting & google they can help with announcements such as visitors automatically turn lights off and on when detected movements. I wouldn’t recommend any other cameras.

Great camera for the price. Long lasting battery and hi def video image. Perfect for home security.

Amazing camera, good image quality, easy to use and install. Love it!

I live Arlo security camera , great view , various camera that’s works all around the house , great brand and I definitely recommend

Great item and great price. I will be buying more as needed!

A great camera for a great price can’t go wrong! Love the Arlo brand

I decided to add an Arlo camera to the back of my shop. My reasons aside, I had Arlo cameras at my house back when they were on the first generation. The outdoor cameras and indoor were virtually the same camera with the same battery but when outdoors, the extreme temps shortened its battery life. With this new camera, the battery life is part of the reason I chose it. I will have to mount it high enough so that it will be left alone and I also planned on installing it with a solar panel because I don't plan on ever having to get it down to charge it. This setup also has its own mount and so I won't be reviewing the mount here. I only charged it initially over a week ago. I just checked the app and it's at 97%. I'm going to love this battery life! That being said, when I first tried to set it up, it refused to connect. I had to get help with support and apparently I was picking the incorrect option so once I chose the correct option, it connected very quickly. The rest of the setup what smooth. This is a beefy camera due to the battery The mount that it comes with feels very weak in comparison. I don't care for the way that it looks like it detaches from that base. I worry that if I ever had to remove from that, it might break. It looks as though when trying, the little tab may break off that holds it in place. I can't speak of how well it works in practice since I'm not using it. The image for this 2K camera, is very good. I can use the app to zoom in and see things closer. Even the night vision is very clear and that is so important with a security camera. I like that I can choose either color or black and white for the night vision. The view on the app is great. I'm very happy with the motion detection but I am needing to tweak the time of recordings with that motion detection. I may have to set it to a fixed recording time. I'm glad there's a choice here. This camera is so much better than the originals. Arlo has done a great job improving on what it's already built. I do recommend for anyone needing a good outdoor security camera with great battery life!