Arlo Doorbell Review: Is It Worth It?

Closeup of a package delivery man ringing a video doorbell

Video doorbells have become increasingly popular over the course of years. They play a significant role in enhancing home security, and also make it easier and more efficient to receive packages. But which doorbell to opt for? 

The Arlo doorbell is an ideal choice for someone looking for a smart doorbell for their home. It is easy to install and comes in a stylish design.

It includes a built-in siren, which is unique among doorbell cameras and will deter intruders. Pre-recorded welcomes are saved, which were previously only accessible on the more costly Google Nest Doorbell.

This guide will discuss the top three most used Arlo Doorbells that are loved by the users. So without further ado, let's get on with the reviews!

Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell – HD Video, 180° View, Night Vision, 2 Way Audio, Direct to Wi-Fi No Hub Needed, Easy Installation (existing doorbell wiring required), White – AVD1001

Arlo's Wired Ring Doorbell with a camera may help you achieve smart-home goals. This efficient doorbell makes it possible to get a 180-degree view of visitors and even packages on the ground. HDR video ensures you can see clearly even in low light or bright circumstances to get a crisper image. It's one of the greatest new home essentials since it connects straight to Wi-Fi without needing additional hardware. Thanks to its weather-resistant feature and quick and simple set-up instructions, installing the Arlo Essential Doorbell Wired is a cinch. 

You'll always know who's lurking in the shadows with night vision. With the smart door sensor, you can observe what prompted a motion event even before it occurred, so you'll never miss a thing again. Before every motion-triggered recording, the video doorbell records the video. With this excellent doorbell, you can send prerecorded messages when you're too busy to answer the phone and hear and talk to guests at your front door.

Receive alerts for guests, cars, and packages with the Arlo Secure plan, which includes three months of coverage, and respond faster by sounding the siren, calling a friend, or calling 911. In addition to this, the Arlo app may automatically activate the siren to scare away intruders. With the Arlo SmartHub or Base Station’s local storage option, you can access your recorded videos almost anywhere. 

Devices are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings. Electrical wiring with a voltage between 16V AC to 24V AC and a 10V transformer are critical installation requirements. For Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wired to work with Apple HomeKit, you'll need to connect it to a compatible Arlo SmartHub or Base Station, which are available for purchase separately.

Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell

Photo source: amazon.com

Features of the Arlo Video Doorbell

Two-Way Audio

Audio communication in which both parties may hear each other. Once the doorbell is rung, and you take the call on your smartphone, the audio begins. A guest does not have to touch the doorbell's button to get a notice from the Arlo doorbell's motion sensors.

Quick Installation

The Arlo app provides step-by-step instructions for installing these doorbells in less than 10 minutes. If you have to drill new holes for the mounting screws, it might take a bit longer.

Needs No Base Station

The Arlo Essentials Video Doorbells need no base station and function straight out of the box. When you install them, they connect to your Wi-Fi network without the need for any additional equipment, saving you money. You can get an Arlo SmartHub base station if you want local video storage, but some people consider it not worth the additional cost over the doorbell individually.

High-Definition Video Quality

Using the square aspect ratio of Instagram, Arlo's video doorbell captures 1536p recordings. Ring's widescreen video can't compete with this view of your doorstep. The doorbell cameras from Google Nest and August, for example, have a similar aspect ratio. With its maximum quality, Arlo captures crystal-clear videos at any time of day or night.

Monitoring Technology Is More Sophisticated Than Ever Before

People, animals, vehicles, and parcels may be distinguished by the Arlo Video Doorbell's artificial intelligence capabilities. According to research, Arlo's doorbell camera has a lower rate of false alarms than other comparable devices.

Are They Good?

Because it offers many of the same functions at a lower price point, the Arlo Essential Wired Video Doorbell competes with Google's Nest Doorbell. In addition, it features high-quality video and can be used with a broad range of smart home devices. While the e911 service provides an additional layer of protection for your house, it might be costly if you just have one camera.

Because of a long number of intelligent features that go beyond just conversing with guests on your doorstep, this is one of the finest video doorbells available out there.

Wire-Free Video Doorbell - HD Video, 180° View
$69.99

by Arlo Essential 

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02/19/2024 03:38 am GMT

Arlo Essential Wire-Free Video Doorbell – HD Video, 180° View, Night Vision, 2 Way Audio, Direct to Wi-Fi No Hub Needed, Wire-Free or Wired, White – AVD2001

This Arlo Essential Wire-free Video Doorbell makes it possible for you to easily keep an eye on your front door. The wireless doorbell ringer may be set up on any router in your house or office. With HDR video from the door camera Wi-Fi, you'll get a sharper view even in high or low-light situations.

This Wi-Fi doorbell for the house eliminates the need for any additional hardware. It offers a fast, simple, and weather-resistant installation for a wide range of camera views. Installing the Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free all year round is a snap, thanks to its user-friendly design and quick and simple set-up. The Arlo Essential Wire-free doorbell will protect your property, and is recommended by security experts.

Design

The Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free has the same white exterior and black front as its wired predecessor. Although it's a touch too large for a door frame to suit the Google Nest Hello, it's a lot more elegant than Ring's video doorbells, with a slender, rounded shape comparable to the Google Nest Hello.

The huge doorbell button is placed below the camera lens in the upper section of the device. Motion detection and doorbell pressing activate the LED ring around the doorbell. If you wish to hear an audio alarm in your house when the doorbell is pushed, you'll need to buy an optional Arlo Chime.

To set up the doorbell, you’ll need to screw it into your door frame and follow the app's instructions for connecting it to your home's Wi-Fi network, which can be done easily.

Performance

The Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free is easy to set up and operate, like most other video doorbells. Although the sleek design is hard to miss, until someone rings the doorbell or the camera on the doorbell senses movement, you won't even notice this small device. Hence, it acts as an ideal security device.

As soon as someone presses the doorbell, an alert will go out on your smartphone, which you may pick up to initiate an audio or video chat with whoever is at your doorstep. You can also choose to refuse the call, in which case the caller will be allowed to leave a voicemail for you. The time it takes for your phone to ring after pressing the doorbell varies greatly depending on your Wi-Fi signal quality. The video and audio should be crystal clear as soon as you answer the call.

A notification will appear on your smartphone if the doorbell detects any movement in its area of vision. The app will let you know whether the movement was caused by a human, an animal, a car, or any other kind of object. You may see a video clip of the occurrence on the Arlo app by pressing the alert button. A subscription to Arlo Smart allows you to examine the video footage captured by the camera in case you missed the doorbell or motion alert.

With a wide viewing angle, you can get a complete picture of the person in your doorway, making it easy to identify them. Additionally, Arlo Smart allows you to establish motion zones, so that you are only informed about activity in certain areas, decreasing the amount of annoying alerts you get.

To dissuade intruders, the doorbell contains a built-in siren that can be triggered automatically when motion is detected or manually through the smartphone.

Arlo's Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to see the camera's live stream on an Echo Show or Google Nest hub, for example. There is currently no support for Arlo Video Doorbell's new addition of Apple HomeKit.

Arlo Video Doorbell notifications on phone

Photo source: amazon.com

Are They Good?

A great video doorbell should come as no surprise when you consider Arlo's reputation for high-quality home security cameras. When it comes to the camera's video quality, the field of vision, and other features, this one is hard to beat.

Arlo Secure is required if you want to use many of these functions, but they are free with the Nest Doorbell (Battery). You also receive up to three hours of free video storage and people, animal, and vehicle detection and the ability to create custom activity zones.

Arlo's wireless video doorbell is a no-brainer if you currently own or are contemplating purchasing one of the company's other cameras. However, in terms of video doorbells, there are more capable models available.

Wire-Free Video Doorbell White with Echo Show 5

by Arlo Essential 

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Arlo Essential Wire-Free Video Doorbell White with Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 Release) Charcoal Bundle

To guarantee you receive an accurate image of your doorstep, the Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell has a very wide field of vision, which is the greatest feature observed in any video doorbell. This is a highly sophisticated alarm system, with numerous adjustable detecting zones and the cleanest two-way audio.

Essential Wire-Free Video Doorbell and the Echo Show 5 are included in this package deal (2nd Gen, 2021 release).

With a single charge lasting six months, you'll spend less time recharging this excellent doorbell.

Additionally, you don't need a hub to get Wi-Fi coverage in every part of the room. The wire-free installation allows for more installation freedom and a more precise camera vision since it is faster and easier to install.

See a person from head to toe or a parcel on the ground with a 180-degree view right at your front door. Additionally, the HDR video assures that you get a better and enhanced view of things even in low or bright light conditions outside. Hence, this doorbell is the ultimate solution to all your home security needs.

Design

There are a few things to keep in mind with the Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell. This is a hefty gadget, in keeping with the design of battery-operated doorbells. When a person approaches, an LED ring around the button's outer border begins to pulse.

Despite its plastic exterior, the Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell is a more attractive option than many of its rivals. Here, you don't receive the faceplate choices with Ring cameras' video doorbells.

In low light, the LED ring automatically pulses when motion is detected. If you want to get the most out of the rechargeable battery, you may disable the LED. If your current doorbell wire has a voltage ranging from 8 volts AC to 24 volts AC, you may connect this video doorbell to it.

Setup

You can easily set up the Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell. You may install the Arlo app on your phone, and you can use a screwdriver to secure the mount. In addition to the flat and angled brackets and screws, the kit comes with everything else you need. The kit and instructions for wiring are available, but you can only try it as a wire-free device. Just insert the pin tool supplied into the doorbell's top and pull it out to recharge the battery.

Once installed, it's safe, but a thief might be able to make off with the doorbell. If you reside in the United States and have an Arlo subscription plan, you may submit a claim for an Arlo Theft Replacement, but you must first file a police complaint.

Because every smart doorbell requires a strong Wi-Fi connection at the front entrance, the Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell isn't without its drawbacks. The 2.4GHz frequency is used to establish a direct connection with your router.

Performance

The Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell has excellent image quality, which is essential for a video doorbell.

The video is razor-sharp and rich in detail because of the high dynamic range (HDR) and 1536×1536 pixel resolution. With the fisheye effect bending the corners, users have not experienced any problems identifying who is at the door.

The Arlo Essential Wireless Footage Doorbell's 180-degree field of vision and 1:1 aspect ratio are the most apparent aspects of its video compared to other video doorbells.

The two-way audio quality of the Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell is a major advantage over some of its rivals. The audio quality of recordings and live chats is excellent, with little to no distortion or stuttering. The sound of the siren is also an exceptional feature that users love about this doorbell. Unexpected.

Unlike other smart doorbells, when someone rings the doorbell, your phone will ring as though a normal call is going through. Smart doorbell lag is a common issue. However, the Arlo rings the phone more quickly and reliably than other options. Many users reported that their phones ring in five seconds flat in their houses, and they can respond right away. Depending on the signal strength, it may take a bit longer, but overall, it's better than some other competitors in the market.

When night falls, the doorbell activates the night vision mode immediately and will show black and white images. The vision might be different from that when in sunlight, but it's still clear and detailed. You may use a color video if you turn off night vision, but lighting outside must be sufficient for good results.

Woman setting up custom activity zones for her Arlo video doorbell coverage

Photo source: amazon.com

Final Thoughts

Video doorbells are an essential component of one’s residence. Therefore it is crucial to invest in a worthy, long-lasting, and trustable company. Arlo is a renowned brand when it comes to the manufacturing of doorbells. This guide mentions different types of Arlo doorbells that are reviewed in to help you choose the most suitable one for you.

Installing a smart doorbell can significantly boost your capacity to improve your home security systems. The first thing to note is how simple it is to install these Arlo doorbells and connect them to your home Wi-Fi network and any other smart technology you may have.

A video doorbell adds an additional degree of protection to your front door that was just not conceivable only a few years ago. You may monitor a live video feed of your front door area and answer the door to visitors whether you are upstairs at home, at work, or on vacation using an easy-to-use smartphone app.

The ability to readily monitor video feeds and footage from your smart doorbell that is saved in the cloud increases the security of your home security systems, and Arlo makes this possible. 

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