Customer Ratings & Reviews

Really sharp images, very sensative. Works great!!

The reason these get 2 stars is because the cameras work well. The up to 1 year battery life claim is only if it detects motion maybe once a week. The real reason this review is so low is because of the subscription they force you into after the 3 month trial period is over. You don’t have to purchase a subscription but you won’t be able to look at your alerts in almost real time. You have to take your thumb drive to a computer and watch it after your car is broken into or someone comes creeping up to your window. I’m ok with paying for a subscription but, I want to know up front that one will be required to use the cameras as they were intended after 90 days. That way I can feel good about going another direction to get the service and features for the life of the camera, not just the first 90 day. Ever heard of the term bait and switch? Feels a lot like it to me.

Good camera,but the subscription is not worth it for me.

Very good, reasonably priced system, as well as easy to use.

I bought this camera to replace another one after I upgraded my internet router to a 5 GHZ system. My old cameras would only connect to a 2.4 GHZ system, so they were unusable. Although this Arlo camera only connects to the 2.4 GHZ channel, it is smart enough to connect even when the 5GHZ signal is interfering. Great job Arlo.

I purchased the Arlo - Essential XL Spotlight Camera with high hopes for top-notch security. While the recording clarity is indeed impressive, the overall experience has been disappointing. The equipment fails often, leaving me frustrated and questioning its reliability. What's worse is the lack of customer support when issues arise. Despite the promising features, the frequent malfunctions overshadow any benefits. I have replaced 3 of the four cameras and 6 batteries. When the next failure happens, I will purchase and security camera system from another brand. I am disapointed.

Best camera ever had highly recommend to anyone who need

Great product as it records & notifies every movement

Great picture and easy/quick setup. Plan on buying more.

It is easy to setup and use. The video quality is good.

Easy set up. The app works great. The video is clear.

I took this camera back to the store, was difficult to use and set up

Easy to install, only knock is that it drops connection

I have been using these for several years. I’m a Mac person and I air on the side of logic not math. So that means I found this easy to put up and follow through with adding it to my phone. Once you buy one you just add the next one in the app.

Camera is clear and setup is easy, but the battery life expectations are drastically misrepresented. If you place this thing in a doorway or room with normal foot traffic within a 2 person household, the battery depletes over half in 25-30 days time.

Picture and video have very good quality and resolution

Great video and sound quality bbbbbbb bbbbbbbccvvv

Camera is being used in an apartment on a “as needed “ basis. Like the long battery life and the fact the camera works without having a separate hub for connection like the multiple devices we had previously in our home system. Picture quality is okay and meets my needs

Really like Arlo cameras and added the Essential at my second home. Surprisingly poor connection to the network meant I had to move them around to get a decent signal before mounting. (ie stay away from downspouts). Still happy with them but it was more involved than it should be.

First, and foremost, the following review is NOT my original review. The Essential XL camera I initially received had some unknown problem that was causing the battery to drain at an incredibly-excessive rate. When I say “incredibly-excessive”, I mean the battery was completely dead after only 6 days. After being fully recharged, battery life improved, but just barely (it survived 8 days). After a third charging, it was able to achieve 12 days before dying…but, this is WAY less than the claimed “up to 1-year”. At the same time, a replacement was shipped, and so half the time I was still testing the defective unit, I was also simultaneously testing the replacement. As for how the replacement has been doing, I’ll get to that soon enough. UNBOXING & INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: Packaging is very environmentally-friendly…almost entirely cardboard, with the only plastic being a zip-lock bag with mounting screws, & the USB charging cable bag. Speaking of the charging cable, it’s VERY short (only 12”), but it doesn’t need to be long, as it’s only used to recharge the camera’s battery (which I highly recommend doing overnight, on a charger providing at least 2A. Included paperwork is incredibly minimal, but it also includes all that’s needed – a “safety and compliance information” pamphlet, and the “setting up” guide. Anything additional would just be a waste of paper. SETUP: As with most products of this type, setup is done through an app, which is “step 1” of the 2-step process. Unfortunately, the two steps are backwards. Step 2 is “Charge your camera before final installation”…charging the camera SHOULD be “step 1”. I won’t bore you with the details of setting the camera up through the app. If you’ve set up Arlo cameras, or any similar cameras (Logitech Circle, Lorex Wi-Fi, etc), then you are already familiar with the process. For those who’ve never set up wireless cameras, if you can plug in, and turn on, a coffee maker, you’re already equipped with the proper skills…the app walks you through all required steps. This is NOT to say it walks you through customizing settings…just getting it set up. As for ‘customizing’, that’s up to you to test & see what works best for your particular needs. VIDEO & AUDIO QUALITY, AND BATTERY LIFE: Arlo’s Essential line is new, initially in two models – ‘standard’ and “XL” versions. The only difference is the battery life…so, that’s where I’ll start. Arlo claims double the charge on the XL model (supposedly “up to 6 months” on the standard, and “up to 1 year” on the XL). As I mentioned, the first unit had a serious problem…but, I can confirm that the replacement is holding up considerably better. It’s been 16 days since its second full-charge, and the battery is currently sitting at 93%. In other words, it’s been depleting at an average of 0.5% per day, thus it should last for an estimated 200 days. Now, I realize this sounds like way less than the “up to 1-year”, as claimed by Arlo…but, you have to understand that I have it aimed into a very high traffic area, thus the actual battery life would, obviously, be considerably less. The fact that it should last almost 200 days exceeds my expectations by a considerable amount. As for audio & video quality, both are outstanding. I’ve got Arlo Pro 2 cameras, and I can tell you that the video quality of the Essential cameras is at least as good, if not better. Getting to the audio quality, the difference is like night & day. Whereas the Pro 2 cameras have fairly poor quality audio, the Essential cameras are a 1,000% improvement – audio is loud AND clear…SUPER clear. THE APP: I’m not going to say much here, as the majority of what would normally be needed has already been mentioned. I will, however, add that (as with all other products of this type) all monitoring, and setting adjustments, are done within the app. The best part is, if you already have any other Arlo cameras, they are all accessed within the same app. I mention this because some other manufacturers of wireless cameras & camera systems have been known to use different apps – one app for “systems”, and a different app for “stand-alone” cameras. ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS: First, I want to point out an ‘error’ in several other reviews, including some published by “professional” media. Some have incorrectly stated that recording is ONLY available with a subscription…this is NOT true. It is true that, without a subscription, you don’t get the 30-day cloud recording ability (nor do you have the Activity Zones, and “smart detection”). It’s also true that a hub (ie. Base Station) isn’t “required”. However, if you do have a Base Station, you DO have the ability to record WITHOUT a subscription, AND at No additional cost. Simply plug a USB thumb drive, or external USB drive (it MUST be formatted in either FAT or FAT32 format…NTFS will NOT work…and, depending on which Base Station you have, the maximum capacity drive the Base Station can read will vary), into the Base Station, and you instantly have recording ability, without the need for a subscription. If you don’t want/need the additional features that a subscription provides, then skip the subscription. However, if you do want/need them, adding the subscription is as cheap as $3.99/month (for one camera), or $13.49 (for up to 5 cameras). If you’re like me, where most cameras are installed inside, and you have only one camera installed outside, the single-camera subscription is perfect. Another ‘negative’ pointed out by several (again, mostly “professional” reviewers) is the built-in battery. Unlike Arlo’s other cameras, with their removeable batteries, the Essential line has sealed, non-removeable batteries. For one thing…possibly the most important thing…this is what allows the Essential cameras to achieve their IP67 certification (again, the ‘other’ cameras are only IP65), thus I can’t see the “sealed battery” matter as a ‘negative’…I see it as a ‘positive’. For another thing, you don’t have to deal with swapping batteries. In either case (sealed & swappable), you still have to remove the camera from the mount, as well as reinstall it on its mount, so there is NO “saved time” when dealing with a swappable/removeable battery. Finally, having a sealed battery is what allows for a stronger mount to be used…and, considering the size/weight of the battery (especially in the ‘XL’ model), that additional support is greatly appreciated. To me, again, having a sealed battery is NOT a ‘negative’, but a HUGE ‘positive’, and exactly what makes them suitable for outdoor use, as these three points should help everyone understand. I’ll admit, I haven’t tested the camera’s built-in siren, so I can’t yet claim to know the siren’s ‘pitch’, or how loud it is. FINAL VERDICT: When I first started testing the Essential XL camera, I was already impressed. The video quality is at least as good as the Pro 2 cameras, and the audio quality is spectacular. It doesn’t get any easier in setting them up, and accessing the cameras (via the app) tends to be faster than accessing the Arlo Pro 2 cameras. If you’re in need of wireless cameras, whether you already have other Arlo cameras (with, or without, a Base Station), or whether you don’t currently have any, the Arlo Essential, and Essential XL, will serve you extremely well. Do yourself a favor, and get one…or, better yet, get a multi-pack. Disclaimer: This product was provided free, or at reduced cost, for the purpose of reviewing the product. Nevertheless, the above review, be it positive, negative, or anywhere in-between, is a 100% honest review, and the price paid played absolutely no part in my review.