I have used various security systems over the years, and when it comes down to having a family you want to keep them safe, as well as your possessions. In the past, camera installation has been costly due to the cabling and recording setup costs. Although, with the emergence of wireless security cameras and cloud computing we see a considerable reduction in installation and running costs, ease of installations and something you can do yourself. Although, not all camera setups are equal, and that is why I have researched the options to find the overall best camera setup.
What is the Best Wireless Home Security Camera (Indoor & Outdoor)? from my research, it is the Arlo cameras, it has the best overall options and is a high-quality product and is America’s #1 internet connected camera brand; the cameras are HD, although at CES 2019 they will reveal their 4K Cameras – yet HD is more than enough for Home Security for most families and even small business. I have now been using Arlo Pro 3 myself, the 4 camera setup for over one year without issues and recently installed a 3 camera set-up at a friends office that only took me 40 minutes to fully installed and set-up to detect and record based on a schedule for after work hours. You can also add more cameras and it is quick and easy to do so.
The cameras have weatherproof housing and are great for the indoors and outdoors; it is also IP65-certified (meaning it is rated as “dust tight” and protected against water projected from a nozzle.).
The main feature I love is that it records when motion is detected and notifies you via your Smart Phone and Email. You can then use the Arlo App or Website to view the footage. Having set-up a camera at my front door, it’s like having an automated doorbell and even if I am not at home I can talk through the cameras 2-way audio to the person at the door.
The Arlo Pro 3 includes:
- Base station with a built-in siren
- Rechargeable batteries
- Night vision
- Indoor/Outdoor (Weather Resistant)
- 1080p (HD Resolution)
- 2-Way Audio
- Wall Mounts
- 1 to 6 camera kits
- Cloud Storage (7 Day Cycle Included)
- Local Storage using USB drive (Optional)
- Upgrade to 24/7 CVR (Optional)
Camera Motion Detection
The Arlo Cameras have the top of the line motion detection and records when it detects movement in the Day or Night, this allows for a longer period between battery charges, which can be up to 3 months, yet it depends if the camera is in a high traffic area or not. You do have the option of buying a solar recharger, yet I found that 2 to 3 month between recharges was not a hassle. You can buy an additional charging unit to do two batteries at a time as well. I found that wind blowing tree branches didn’t trigger the motion detection as it seems they have worked hard on what triggers the camera to record. Having used Arlo for one year, it has captured people, vehicles, and animals. So I am very happy with this. There is also an option to trigger a recording when a sound is detected.
Recent Addition – Manage Arlo Smart
This is a recent addition, with each camera you can specify if you want it to detect:
- People
- Vehicles
- Animals
- All Other Motion
By default, the camera will detect all motion, yet with this feature, you can fine tune each cameras detection behavior to suit a specific purpose, such as ignore your dogs, cats or local wildlife.
Recordings
By default when you install the Arlo App on your mobile phone, it will send you notifications when motion is detected and recorded; the recordings upload automatically to the cloud, you receive 7 Day / 1 Gb rotation for free, I found this to be enough for a home solution, as you can download any videos you need to keep or want to share. You can log into the Arlo website to view the recordings or use the Arlo App. and you can turn on a live feed of the cameras and start recording manually if you wanted.
I have used the live feed feature on numerous occasions to do things like, check the weather outside or at home if out; it is a handy feature.
Arlo Mobile App
The Arlo App is a great tool; you can view all cameras showing an image from their last capture, see how much battery life each camera has, indicates if motion has been detected and even allows you to turn on the camera and view a live feed with audio.
You can also talk via the App to the camera, this is handy to talk to people at the door (if home or not), to tell people to leave and even used it to tell my wife to get her phone she left upstairs as I was trying to call her. There is a slight delay in talking, yet it works to communicate with someone near the camera.
Low Profile
The Arlo cameras are low profile cameras, and even though you may think they would stick out, I find most people do not notice them. I have 2 cameras at the front of the house, the front door one usually captures interesting conversations of people visiting and a few months ago I had a couple of people scope out the house, I had some great face video shots, yet they never noticed the cameras; they saw one of the Home Security stickers that come with Arlo, and got out of there; even so I had enough video footage of them to send to the police to assist with local area security.
Other Devices
Arlo connects with many options to extend its capabilities and ease of use. Arlo Pro 3 works with Amazon Alexa, Echo Show, Fire TV, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, and more.
Video Storage (Cloud & Local)
You receive a rolling 7 days of cloud recordings with your purchase of Arlo 2 Pro and setup of your My Arlo account. I found this to be enough for a house, as you can download videos you want to keep via the Arlo website and the App.
You can also add a USB drive to the Arlo Pro 3 base station if you want local storage of the videos.
Front Door Idea
As you are notified by SMS and via the Mobile App. when motion is detected, you can set up a camera at the front door, so if anyone comes knocking you can talk to them via the camera if you are not home or just can’t be bothered going to the front door. I have used this on numerous occasions, and it is very handy, especially as you can hear the conversations people are having while waiting at your door. There are other solutions dedicated to this, yet Arlo is a better solution and if suite for many other situations.
Best Sellers for Arlo Cameras
The Arlo Pro 3 is definitely a commendable Home Security Camera that I would suggest to be used in any home, and also for small business. With its advanced motion detection and alert system, you have a professional system ready to notify you of possible trespasses, family members coming home, a package being delivered and many more scenarios.
I have experienced notification within seconds of a motion being detection and with the camera being easy to relocate, you can test out camera formations around the house with ease. They are low profile and I would suggest you use the stickers (Arlo Security Cameras in use) in highly visible places, just so people are aware they are being filmed as it is best that people don’t try to break in and just leave.
I have confidence in this brand and the quality of the products, they also continue to innovate and now have a new doorbell and sensor lights that I will be trialling out soon.
Check out the camera images above, clicking on them will take you to Amazon with further details about the product and you can check out the other Arlo products available.
