Arlo Essential Review 2022

Arlo'southward first-ever SmartHub-costless outdoor photographic camera.

Brianne Sandorf

Staff Writer, Home Security & Smart Home

Read More than

If Arlo puts y'all off because you lot have to purchase the company's expensive base of operations station to make its cameras piece of work, your days of frustration are over. The Arlo Essential doesn't crave extra hardware to function, and it has well-nigh every safety characteristic a camera could use.

As with most Arlo cameras, you'll need to pay for a plan before you tin can use all of the Essential'southward features. Simply since you aren't shelling out money for a base of operations, the plan is a lot more affordable.

Light Bulb

This review is nigh the Arlo Essential photographic camera, also known every bit the Arlo Essential Spotlight camera. Arlo also recently released an Essential indoor camera, which we have not notwithstanding reviewed.

Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera price and details

Production

Cost

Storage plan cost range

Automation

Learn more

$99.00

$2.99–$xiv.99

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

Amazon.com List Prices (as of 02/eleven/2022 11:20 MST). Full disclaimer

Arlo Essential features

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

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

That'southward right; you don't need an Arlo base station or SmartHub to connect with this camera. Arlo recommends using the hub if you have one (for one affair, y'all demand it to access local storage), but it'south not required.

Three-pack of Arlo Essential cameras

Just that's non all this camera has up its sleeve. Hither'southward a full list of what yous can look from your Essential.

Arlo Essential features:

  • 1080p video without subscription
  • 130° viewing angle
  • Indoor-outdoor use
  • Two-way audio
  • Color night vision
  • Motion detection
  • Customizable motion zones
  • Geofencing
  • Bundle detection
  • Person detection
  • Vehicle detection
  • Creature 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 up in both white and black. That's a new step for Arlo, a visitor that'due south known for its white photographic camera shells.

That'southward a lot of features! But some of them are out of attain unless you cull to use a paid subscription.

Advanced object detection

This camera is far from the get-go to include person, package, vehicle, or animal detection, but it'southward i of the few we've seen with all four.

The different motility-detection settings are scattered across the app, making information technology challenging to manage them. Substantially, though, y'all tin can toggle all settings on or off. And then if you desire to go notifications for your Amazon commitment and your neighbor's cat, you tin can. Likewise, if you lot want to exclude people, packages, vehicles, or animals from your motility detection, yous can do that, as well.

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

This photographic camera offers a examination that helps you determine if your motion detection is working, which we similar.

Spotlight

The spotlight definitely has the potential to startle intruders! We placed the photographic camera on a landing for nearly of our tests. It gave us a flake of a shock every time the light snapped on when we walked up the stairs in the dark.

Siren

You can set the siren to activate automatically, or you can actuate information technology manually from the app.

The siren comes with a alarm that it's "extremely loud," but it didn't sound very loud to us. The Essential siren doesn't agree up next to the Arlo Ultra siren; we're non certain you lot'd exist able to hear it unless you're shut by.

Solar capabilities

This photographic camera will work with Arlo'southward upcoming Essential Solar Panel. 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 concluding six months on a charge. But we plant that after a few days of utilise, the battery levels dropped past 9%. While that'south nothing to sneer at, it'south not promising if you desire your batteries to last half a yr without taking the photographic camera downwards to charge.

Arlo Essential pricing

The cost of this camera is more than cheap than steep.

To buy this photographic camera on its own, it'due south $99. If you lot want iii, it'due south $269.99* While Arlo isn't the most budget-friendly camera manufacturer out at that place, these prices aren't astronomical. Especially if y'all compare the price to Google Nest.

It looks like Arlo also plans to sell this camera as a bundle with the solar panel, although we don't withal know when or how much it will price.

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

Storage plans

The Arlo Essential comes with a three-month-long trial of Arlo Smart Premier. Later on that, if you want cloud storage or anything else that comes with a college-tier programme, you lot need to pay.

Arlo Smart price and cloud storage comparing

Features Arlo Smart (no program) Arlo Smart Premier Arlo Smart Aristocracy
Price Free $2.99/mo. for one camera; $9.99/mo. for up to v cameras $4.99/mo. for i photographic 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 button notifications

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Custom activity zones

Icon No  Dark No

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Advanced object detection

Icon No  Dark No

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

E911 emergency phone call service (with multi-camera plans)

Icon No  Dark No

Icon Yes  Dark Yes

Icon Yes  Dark Aye

Details

Data effective 06/17/2021. Offers subject area to change.

As you tin see, many of the best features are hidden behind the paywall, which is disappointing. Information technology's hard to justify buying the Essential without the features when you can get a cheaper camera with everything included.

But the subscription is pretty affordable for a single photographic camera, so if there's a feature y'all really want, the cost likely won't exist insurmountable. Take the money you didn't spend on the base station and go a few years of video storage instead! We would suggest the Smart Premier over the Smart Elite, unless y'all feel you can't do without 4K.

Arlo Essential home automation

The Essential works with the usual suspects and more.

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

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

Arlo still lacks integration with Z-Wave and Zigbee, which ways yous can'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 tin indirectly connect to almost anything. The links just have to go through a central hub or protocol.

Arlo automation assistance

Pin

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

Arlo app

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

It's non the worst app we've run into. But we exercise wish that some of the settings were easier to notice. Information technology'southward way more intuitive to click on a single device and adjust all its settings from one screen than information technology is to chase down settings across the app.

Arlo Essential installation

This DIY security photographic camera isn't besides difficult to ready.

If you love DIY home comeback projects, you'll be thrilled to know you'll fix up this camera yourself. (Unless, similar some of our team members, you know someone who loves to do transmission labor in commutation for dinner.)

Arlo Essential installation steps:

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

Make sure you lot secure the camera in a place yous can accomplish again since (until the solar panel comes available) you lot'll take to dismount it at to the lowest degree twice a year for battery recharges. Or you tin mountain it within an extension cord's reach of an outlet if yous'd rather bring the charge to the camera.

Recap: Is Arlo Essential skillful?

We think the Arlo Essential is very expert overall

When all is said and washed, if you're looking for an Arlo camera, this would exist 1 of our get-go recommendations. The base station-free blueprint just can't exist trounce, and the upcoming solar power function is another step in the right management for user convenience.

  • Features: This camera has a lot of rubber features, including multiple types of motion detection, a light, and a siren.
  • Pricing: The Arlo Essential isn't the cheapest photographic camera on the market, but for a leading safety brand, it's a lower price.
  • Home automation: You'll get plenty of indirect smart product connections with this Arlo camera.
  • Installation: The Essential shouldn't be too hard to install in your home.

If yous want a fuller overview of how the Essential compares to other Arlo cameras, read our complete Arlo review. You can as well check out our Arlo Ultra and Arlo 2 vs. Arlo 3 pieces for fifty-fifty more insight.

Arlo Essential FAQ

We've got answers to a few questions that might be on your mind.

Is the Arlo Essential an indoor or outdoor photographic camera?

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

So, in brusque, there's no reason y'all can't use this camera both indoors and outdoors. Simply if you just need indoor use, you can e'er await until the cheaper Essential Indoor Camera drops.

Is a paid Arlo Smart programme worth it?

Paying $2.99 for advanced object detection, ameliorate video quality, and cloud storage seems like a pretty good deal to united states. Even if you pay more for even higher image quality, the price is still reasonable.

If yous choose to employ local storage, think that you'll have to buy an Arlo SmartHub (and an SD card). That will require a lot more coin upwards forepart than a subscription programme will. And with the local storage, you'll have to remove the SD carte from the hub to view the videos on a computer. Which is manageable but not very convenient.

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's top tech comes through the subscription plan, not through the camera model. Merely there are some differences.

The Pro 3 (the most recent model) is more expensive, has a wider field of view, and has local storage in the camera itself. Information technology also requires a SmartHub. And while it has a siren, information technology doesn't have a spotlight. (Y'all can, nonetheless, buy a version with a floodlight.)

Should I become 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 simply be placed in one spot. You have to make sure you definitely want a camera on your door earlier you buy.

Should y'all get the doorbell in improver to the Essential? Sure. It's a decent video doorbell, and you lot'll exist 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 organisation. We've heard rumors for the last few years that the company will soon pause into the proper domicile security industry, but so far, null's happened.

However, with its many, many cameras, Arlo is certainly a force in the security camera system space.

Which security photographic camera is the best?

"Best" is a relative term, but nosotros've broken down the home security camera scene and chosen some top recommendations. You can find our write-upward here.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon.com. This content is provided "as is" and is subject area to modify or removal at any time. Production prices and availability are accurate as of the engagement/time indicated and are subject area to change. Whatever price and availability data 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 past

Brianne Sandorf

Brianne has a degree in English and artistic writing from Westminster College and has spent 6+ years writing professional person, research-based content. Earlier joining Reviews.org, she wrote safety and security content for ASecureLife.com. Her pieces and quotes are published across the spider 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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