Arlo Essential Review 2022

Arlo'due south first-always SmartHub-gratis outdoor camera.

4.3 out of 5 stars

4.25

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    $thirty off on Amazon right now

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    No hub necessary

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    Advanced object detection

  • X

    Paywall

Brianne Sandorf

Staff Writer, Home Security & Smart Abode

Read More than

If Arlo puts you off because y'all take to buy the company's expensive base station to brand its cameras piece of work, your days of frustration are over. The Arlo Essential doesn't require actress hardware to function, and it has virtually every condom feature a camera could use.

As with most Arlo cameras, you'll demand to pay for a programme earlier you can use all of the Essential's features. Merely since you aren't shelling out money for a base, the plan is a lot more affordable.

Light Bulb

This review is well-nigh the Arlo Essential photographic camera, as well known as the Arlo Essential Spotlight camera. Arlo too recently released an Essential indoor camera, which we take non however reviewed.

Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera price and details

Product

Price

Storage plan price range

Automation

Learn more

$99.00

$2.99–$xiv.99

Icon Yes  Dark Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT

Amazon.com List Prices (as of 02/11/2022 eleven:twenty MST). Full disclaimer

Arlo Essential features

Advanced detection! Sirens! Multiple colors! No base stations!

In our estimation, the most significant difference between the Arlo Essential and other Arlo outdoor cameras is the Essential's lack of SmartHub.

That's right; you don't need an Arlo base station or SmartHub to connect with this camera. Arlo recommends using the hub if you accept 1 (for i thing, you need it to admission local storage), but information technology'southward not required.

Three-pack of Arlo Essential cameras

Only that's non all this camera has up its sleeve. Here'south a full list of what yous tin can expect from your Essential.

Arlo Essential features:

  • 1080p video without subscription
  • 130° viewing angle
  • Indoor-outdoor use
  • Two-manner audio
  • Color night vision
  • Move detection
  • Customizable motion zones
  • Geofencing
  • Packet detection
  • Person detection
  • Vehicle detection
  • Animal detection
  • Spotlight
  • Siren
  • Solar capabilities
  • Rechargeable batteries
  • Local and deject storage
  • Two color options

Info Box

According to the Arlo website, the Essential Wireless Security Cameras come in both white and black. That's a new stride for Arlo, a company that'southward known for its white photographic camera shells.

That's a lot of features! Simply some of them are out of reach unless you choose to use a paid subscription.

Advanced object detection

This camera is far from the first to include person, package, vehicle, or animal detection, but it'south ane of the few we've seen with all four.

The unlike movement-detection settings are scattered across the app, making it challenging to manage them. Essentially, though, you can toggle all settings on or off. And so if yous desire to become notifications for your Amazon delivery and your neighbour's cat, you can. Too, if you want to exclude people, packages, vehicles, or animals from your motility detection, yous tin do that, too.

Said exclusion option is more helpful if you live on a busy street. If you live on a street with average traffic or choose to use the camera indoors, we recommend keeping all motion detection settings on.

This camera offers a test that helps you lot decide if your motility detection is working, which we like.

Spotlight

The spotlight definitely has the potential to startle intruders! We placed the camera on a landing for virtually of our tests. Information technology gave the states a scrap of a shock every time the light snapped on when we walked up the stairs in the dark.

Siren

You tin can set the siren to actuate automatically, or y'all can activate it manually from the app.

The siren comes with a warning that information technology's "extremely loud," only it didn't sound very loud to us. The Essential siren doesn't hold upward next to the Arlo Ultra siren; we're non sure you'd be able to hear it unless you're close by.

Solar capabilities

This camera volition piece of work with Arlo's upcoming Essential Solar Console. We're not exactly sure when the panel will be set up, but we like the idea of harnessing solar power vs. recharging the batteries.

Heads Up

The batteries in the Essential Camera are supposed to last vi months on a charge. But we institute that later on a few days of use, the bombardment levels dropped by 9%. While that'southward nothing to sneer at, it's not promising if you desire your batteries to last one-half a yr without taking the camera down to accuse.

Arlo Essential pricing

The price of this camera is more cheap than steep.

To buy this camera on its own, it's $99. If you desire three, it'due south $269.99* While Arlo isn't the near upkeep-friendly camera manufacturer out there, these prices aren't astronomical. Especially if you compare the toll to Google Nest.

It looks similar Arlo as well plans to sell this camera as a bundle with the solar panel, although we don't yet know when or how much information technology will cost.

*Amazon.com List Prices (as of 02/xi/2022 1:00 MST)

Storage plans

The Arlo Essential comes with a iii-month-long trial of Arlo Smart Premier. After that, if you want cloud storage or annihilation else that comes with a college-tier plan, you need to pay.

Arlo Smart cost and deject storage comparing

Features Arlo Smart (no plan) Arlo Smart Premier Arlo Smart Elite
Toll Free $2.99/mo. for 1 camera; $9.99/mo. for upward to 5 cameras $4.99/mo. for 1 camera; $14.99/mo. for up to 5 cameras
Max resolution 1080p 2K 4K
Cloud storage

Icon Yes  Dark 7 days

Icon Yes  Dark 30 days

Icon Yes  Dark 30 days

Push notifications

Icon Yes  Dark Yep

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Icon Yes  Dark Yep

Custom activeness zones

Icon No  Dark No

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Avant-garde object detection

Icon No  Dark No

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

E911 emergency call service (with multi-camera plans)

Icon No  Dark No

Icon Yes  Dark Yeah

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Details

Data effective 06/17/2021. Offers subject field to modify.

As yous can run across, many of the best features are subconscious behind the paywall, which is disappointing. Information technology's hard to justify buying the Essential without the features when you lot can become a cheaper camera with everything included.

Only the subscription is pretty affordable for a single photographic camera, so if there's a feature you really desire, the cost likely won't be insurmountable. Take the coin you didn't spend on the base station and get a few years of video storage instead! Nosotros would advise the Smart Premier over the Smart Elite, unless you feel you tin't do without 4K.

Arlo Essential home automation

The Essential works with the usual suspects and more than.

The Essential camera works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT, which is pretty typical. Less typically, it also connects with Apple HomeKit and Samsung SmartThings. If you're an Apple or Samsung stan, this is one of the only leading camera brands that will piece of work with your favorite hub.

You need the Arlo base station or SmartHub to connect with Apple HomeKit.

Arlo still lacks integration with Z-Wave and Zigbee, which means you tin't directly connect your camera or your Arlo business relationship to many smart lights, smart locks, and other home devices. But with the existing compatibility, yous can indirectly connect to well-nigh anything. The links just take to become through a central hub or protocol.

Arlo automation aid

Pin

If you demand help connecting your Arlo products to your smart home assistant, we have guides for Alexa and Google Assistant users.

Arlo app

People aren't crazy about the Arlo mobile app. It has iv-ish star ratings on both the App Store and Google Play, and users are constantly criticizing it in their Amazon reviews.

It'southward not the worst app we've see. But we do wish that some of the settings were easier to find. It's style more intuitive to click on a single device and adjust all its settings from 1 screen than it is to hunt down settings beyond the app.

Arlo Essential installation

This DIY security camera isn't too difficult to gear up.

If you dearest DIY home improvement projects, yous'll be thrilled to know you'll set up this photographic camera yourself. (Unless, like some of our squad members, you know someone who loves to do manual labor in commutation for dinner.)

Arlo Essential installation steps:

  1. Accuse the photographic camera.
  2. Download the Arlo app.
  3. Create an Arlo account.
  4. Select Devices > Add New Device > Cameras > Essential.
  5. Select your Essential model.
  6. Choose whether to connect the photographic camera to a SmartHub.
  7. Connect the app to your Wi-Fi network.
  8. Follow the app instructions to consummate the camera setup.
  9. Secure the Arlo mountain in the desired location.

Make sure you secure the camera in a place you can accomplish again since (until the solar console comes available) you'll have to dismount information technology at least twice a year for bombardment recharges. Or you can mount it within an extension cord'due south reach of an outlet if yous'd rather bring the charge to the camera.

Recap: Is Arlo Essential adept?

We retrieve the Arlo Essential is very good overall

When all is said and done, if you're looking for an Arlo camera, this would be 1 of our first recommendations. The base of operations station-free blueprint only can't be beat out, and the upcoming solar ability function is some other step in the correct management for user convenience.

  • Features: This photographic camera has a lot of safety features, including multiple types of motion detection, a low-cal, and a siren.
  • Pricing: The Arlo Essential isn't the cheapest camera on the market place, just for a leading safety brand, information technology's a lower cost.
  • Home automation: You'll get enough of indirect smart product connections with this Arlo camera.
  • Installation: The Essential shouldn't be as well hard to install in your habitation.

If you desire a fuller overview of how the Essential compares to other Arlo cameras, read our consummate Arlo review. You can also bank check out our Arlo Ultra and Arlo 2 vs. Arlo 3 pieces for fifty-fifty more insight.

Arlo Essential FAQ

Nosotros've got answers to a few questions that might exist on your mind.

Is the Arlo Essential an indoor or outdoor photographic camera?

Nearly of Arlo'southward cameras are indoor-outdoor, and equally far as we tin can tell, this one is also. But regardless of the designation, you lot can utilize all outdoor cameras indoors. You simply accept to be okay with paying more, since outdoor cameras are typically more than expensive due to waterproofing.

So, in curt, in that location'south no reason you tin't use this camera both indoors and outdoors. Just if y'all just need indoor use, you can always look until the cheaper Essential Indoor Camera drops.

Is a paid Arlo Smart plan worth information technology?

Paying $2.99 for advanced object detection, better video quality, and cloud storage seems like a pretty good deal to us. Even if you pay more for even higher paradigm quality, the toll is yet reasonable.

If y'all choose to utilise local storage, remember that you lot'll accept to buy an Arlo SmartHub (and an SD carte du jour). That volition crave a lot more coin upward front than a subscription programme will. And with the local storage, yous'll take to remove the SD card from the hub to view the videos on a computer. Which is manageable but not very user-friendly.

How does the Arlo Essential compare to the Arlo Pro cameras?

The Arlo Pro and Arlo Essential have a lot of the same features since some of Arlo'southward top tech comes through the subscription plan, not through the camera model. But there are some differences.

The Pro 3 (the well-nigh recent model) is more expensive, has a wider field of view, and has local storage in the camera itself. It also requires a SmartHub. And while it has a siren, it doesn't have a spotlight. (You can, however, buy a version with a floodlight.)

Should I get an Arlo doorbell?

Should you get an Arlo video doorbell instead of the Essential? Not necessarily. While the video doorbell is cheaper and has some of the same features, it tin can only be placed in one spot. You lot have to make sure yous definitely want a camera on your door before you purchase.

Should you get the doorbell in addition to the Essential? Sure. It'south a decent video doorbell, and you'll be able to access both cameras at once using your Arlo ecosystem in the app.

Learn more from our Arlo video doorbell review.

Does Arlo sell a home security system?

No, Arlo doesn't sell a total security system. We've heard rumors for the concluding few years that the company will soon suspension into the proper habitation security industry, but so far, nothing's happened.

However, with its many, many cameras, Arlo is certainly a forcefulness in the security photographic camera arrangement space.

Which security photographic camera is the best?

"Best" is a relative term, just we've broken down the dwelling security photographic camera scene and called some top recommendations. You tin detect our write-upwardly here.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon.com. This content is provided "as is" and is subject to change or removal at any time. Product prices and availability are accurate equally of the date/time indicated and are discipline to modify. Whatsoever price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this production. Reviews.org utilizes paid Amazon links.

Brianne Sandorf

Written by

Brianne Sandorf

Brianne has a degree in English and creative writing from Westminster College and has spent 6+ years writing professional person, enquiry-based content. Before joining Reviews.org, she wrote safety and security content for ASecureLife.com. Her pieces and quotes are published across the web, including on MSN.com, Social Catfish, and Parents.com. Hobbies include wearing a seatbelt, wearing a life jacket, and keeping her arms and legs inside the ride at all times. Contact her at brianne@reviews.org.

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