We have had an opportunity to review a number of camera systems over the years. All of them have their pluses and minuses, and the great thing is that the price point is getting more and more affordable and the cameras and technology are improving.
Arlo Security System received.
One thing with these camera systems that is always an issue for exterior use is the need to be plugged in for power. Most say they are wireless, and this is true for connecting to your WiFi system and sharing video, but they still need to be plugged into an electrical outlet. That’s why I’m excited to be a NETGEAR Ambassador where I received the Arlo Security System in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion, and review.
Netgear came out with the VueZone system a couple of years ago, which was one of the only battery powered and truly wireless options at the time. There was plenty of room for improvement, but I still loved those little cameras and how they could be placed anywhere and sense motion and share images thanks to the battery power.
Now, a couple of years later, Netgear has provided an updated model! We just had the chance to review the new Arlo Security System, ours came with 2 HD cameras (with options available at 1, 2, 3 or 4 HD cameras).
The Arlo cameras are built to be sturdy and weatherproof, around the size of the palm of your hand, not too big, you can easily place them anywhere. These cameras are pretty versatile, and 100% wire free! as long as you are within range of your base station you can put them anywhere . . . in a tree, on the roof, in the house, on a tower, pretty much anywhere you can get to, the Arlo camera can go too.
This includes full exposure to the elements (I am guessing severe cold – under 14 degrees – may lower the battery life) – the one thing to keep in mind however is that you will have to change the batteries every 3 to 6 months depending on how you use your system, so you have to be able to get back to your camera location!
The specs of the Arlo system say the cameras can be placed anywhere within a 300 foot range of the base station. We tried ours out at a couple of different locations and found that once you get over 200 feet away (including some walls and doors in our house) the signal weakens a bit and the video lags or takes a bit longer to load.
Not a major deal, as long as you can have your cameras close enough, which for us and most, is not a big problem.
You are also able to set up the cameras so that you receive notifications when there is motion detected by your camera, this is really cool because you have a couple of options here.
You can record anytime that motion is detected and depending on your plan, which ranges from free to $14.99/mo and keep those recording for 7 days to 60 days with different amounts of cloud storage available.
The motion detection is for areas in front of the camera primarily. In my (not very) scientific experiments, it seems as tho the Arlo camera can detect motion if it is within 50 feet of the camera, anything more than that, I haven’t had much success with, but for most, if you want to pick up motion by a door or entryway, that is not an issue, and it works great for us.
The most impressive thing in my opinion about Arlo is how the cameras interact with the app. The free app lets you view a live feed of the camera(s), go through a library of existing videos that were triggered by motion, set schedules and additional settings & preferences.
We set our cameras up by the front door, under the awning, so it is hidden, but with a perfect view of who comes and goes, and this is great for deliveries as well. Our 2nd camera is setup in the trees aiming at our garage door and driveway, so if someone pulls into the top half of the driveway, we can see the car, which is really cool and handy – it also lets us check to make sure the garage door is closed too!
The picture provided by these cameras is truly worthy of being called HD, I am very impressed with the picture and the range of view, and the night vision even works pretty well too.
The Arlo Security System is not perfect, but for someone who is looking for a 100% wire free security camera with easy installation, it is great. This allows you to place the cameras anywhere without having to worry about running an electrical line to the camera, and that in itself is nearly priceless.
The Arlo succeeds in making security and being safe . . . simple and easy. Whether you are looking at monitor your home while on vacation or work, your child or baby, your work, or even your pet, these wire free security cameras, combined with the app will make an excellent addition to your home. Starting at under $200 the Arlo System is affordable and makes perfect sense for those who want to keep an eye on what’s important to them
This looks like a great alternative to a traditional alarm system and monitoring company.