When it comes to home security, make no compromises. Installing a cheap quality camera will not help because it defeats the very purpose of the camera itself!
To really secure yourself from intruders, it is important you invest in a good quality camera that will give you alerts when needed and more importantly, clear footage to help identify intruders.
This is why investing in a good quality camera is vital for the security of your home and family. But that is easier said than done because the market is flooded with thousands of models. It is hard to know which are the better choices, or rather, which ones are more ideal for you than others.
To navigate through this maze of home security cameras, we have identified two well-known models and we will be comparing them against each other on many parameters.
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Arlo Pro vs Ring Spotlight Cam: Pros & Cons and Verdict
We have chosen a few parameters that are important for home security cameras, and we will be comparing the two models against those criteria to see which of the two perform well in which areas. Based on what parameter is important, you can buy the right product.
Design
Ring Spotlight comes in white or black color, and you can choose either one depending on your decor and personal choice. It is 4.9 inches high, 2.7 inches wide and 2.9 inches deep. Comes with a short removable mounting arm with a ball at the end, and is conveniently designed so that it can be clamped on to the mounting bracket that comes with it.
The bracket is made of good quality materials and is flexible enough to mount it anywhere. You can mount it on a wall upright or even upside down on soffit. This camera comes with a setup button located right at the top of the enclosure and a 160-degree motion sensor right at the bottom.
The overall design of Arlo Pro is also nice and appealing. It has a white outer coating and the lens area is black. The design is compact and serves the purpose well.
When it comes to deciding which of the two is better in terms of design, it is purely a personal choice. Whichever of the two is more appealing to you, that is the winner!
Day or night, rain or shine, Spotlight Cam Wired has you covered. Get alerts when motion is detected. See, hear and speak to people on your property. And protect your home with lights and sirens. All from your phone, tablet and PC.
Battery
The battery is an important aspect for home security cameras for two reasons. The first and the most obvious one is that the battery life should be good if you want to take good images and videos. A weak battery may compromise on the quality of the final images.
Secondly, replacing a battery can cost quite a bit of money. So, you want a battery to last at least a few months, if not more. This is why choosing a camera with a solid battery life is important while buying home security cameras.
When it comes to battery life, Ring Spotlight has the same battery pack that powers the popular Ring Video Doorbell. It also contains a mini charging port and can last anywhere from six to 12 months, depending on the usage levels and spotlight activity.
There is also no chances of a weak battery affecting the performance because Spotlight can hold two battery packs and can switch over automatically when the charge levels in one battery go below a specified threshold limit. This way, you can rest assured that battery will not impede the quality of your images and videos.
To top it, the battery packs are not too expensive either when it is time to change. You can get battery starting from about $29, and this is hardly anything if you have to change just once or twice a year.
If you prefer, Ring also sells a wired Spotlight version, where the cameras are charged with a wire, so you don't have to worry about batteries at all. It is just a personal choice between the convenience of going wireless and spending time and effort on changing the batteries once or twice a year.
Arlo Pro has a good battery life too. There is no wired option in this model, and if you do prefer a wired version, go for Arlo Pro 3. But the good news about Arlo Pro is that it can be powered both by battery and solar power. So, when you opt for the solar power, it could save you money and is good for the environment as a whole.
So, who is the winner in this category? We think both because they are good in their own ways. The battery life of Ring Spotlight is good and the dual pack ensures that the switch happens automatically.
Moreover, you can track the battery life through the app, which gives you greater control over the overall operations. Likewise, Arlo Pro is good too, especially the fact that you can use solar power for some part of its charge, if not completely.
Arlo Pro wire-free security cameras let you watch over what you love from every angle, indoors and out, day and night. Arlo Pro includes rechargeable batteries, motion and sound-activated alerts, 2-way audio, a 100+ decibel siren, and 7 days of free cloud HD video recordings. Arlo covers every angle to help keep you safe and protected.
Features
One of the biggest factors that would decide the best camera is the feature set. Some cameras may have a feature set that is more ideal for you than other cameras. This is why we will explain the features of both the products in depth to help you get an understanding of the more ideal one for you.
Video Resolution
An important feature is the video resolution and motion detection because they are the staples of a home security camera. Ring Spotlight captures video at 1080p which is phenomenal because the images are crystal clear and highly detailed.
In comparison, Arlo Pro records images at 720p. In today's digital world, 720p is the norm for videos, so there is nothing exceptional about Arlo Pro in that aspect. But since Ring Spotlight records videos at 1080p, it gives that extra touch to the videos, that in turn, impact the overall output.
When it comes to viewing angle, Ring Spotlight has a 140-degree angle, which is good because it can cover a wide range of motions. It also comes with two strips on either side, with each strip having four LEDs to give an overall brightness of 700 lumens and a 4K color temperature. This enhances the overall quality of video recording.
Moving on to Arlo Pro, the night vision capabilities are simply phenomenal. Like Ring Spotlight, it also comes with eight infrared LEDs to give you excellent footage at night.
One thing to note about night vision in general. Both the cameras need some kind of background light like the streetlight because the sensors present in these cameras require photons to capture images. So, you have to ensure that there is some kind of ambient light for these cameras to give you the best footage possible.
Additional Features
Besides these important features, Ring Spotlight also comes with a few others that enhance the recording as well as the overall security of your house. It uses four infrared LEDs for night vision, so when combined they can capture good images for up to 30 feet.
There is also a built-in 110dB siren to warn you. Though this siren can be a little loud for normal listening, it is nevertheless good to have a siren that will awaken you when something is wrong.
Arlo Pro comes with its own set of additional features that help to extend its functionality. One significant technology that Arlo Pro supports is geofencing.
This technology gives the exact location of your camera at any point in time, regardless of which part of the country you live in. Using Wi-Fi or GPS, it can even trigger a particular event based on the predetermined radius of your device. With this option, you have the flexibility to program your device the way you want it.
One aspect we would like to mention about this technology is its inherent limitation. At the time of writing this piece, geofencing is only at a nascent stage, so it has to improve before it can be a life-changing aspect for home security.
For example, geofencing doesn't usually work if you are living in a remote location with little connectivity or when you are living in the top floor of a high-rise apartment in the heart of the city.
It works well only under certain conditions, and this could be a spot of bother if you plan to buy Arlo Pro merely for its geofencing capabilities.
Mobile Application
Mobile apps are another thing that we have taken for granted. Ring Spotlight uses the same Android and iOS mobile app that is used by Ring Floodlight cam and almost all models of Ring doorbells.
This app has a clean interface and good navigation. You can go to the dashboard of this app to turn on or off the motion settings, check battery levels and even play around with alarm settings. The Live View button will even give you a live video stream of in landscape mode, so you can always stay on top of what is happening in and around your house.
You can also do other things with the app such as sharing a video clip with your neighbor or family members, use the two-way audio, mute the sound, end the live stream and so much more. Overall, this app gives you complete control over your home security camera.
Mobile app of Arlo is also well-developed and comes with many features that enhance the usability of the device as a whole. It works well on both iOS and Android and can be accessed through a web interface as well.
Day or night, rain or shine, Spotlight Cam Wired has you covered. Get alerts when motion is detected. See, hear and speak to people on your property. And protect your home with lights and sirens. All from your phone, tablet and PC.
Audio Capability
An important feature that distinguishes both the cameras is audio. In Ring Spotlight, there is a Wi-Fi radio, speaker and a microphone for two-way communication with audio.
This means when someone is near your camera, you can ask them who they are before allowing them to enter your home. This two-way audio is a handy feature that can greatly ease the use of home security cameras.
Unfortunately, Arlo Pro does not have audio at all, and this could be a huge disadvantage. It is only ideal for monitoring the exterior part of your premises and recording videos based on a motion trigger.
Besides that, Arlo Pro cannot help you to interact with anyone through the camera. It is surprising that Netgear did not include this feature because it is something basic that we have to come to expect from many home security cameras today.
Video Recording
One aspect that is missing in both the products is pre-buffered recording capabilities. Typically, these cameras are triggered by some motion and the video recording starts about two seconds after the motion is triggered.
The problem here is that two-second lapse could cost because the person or thing that triggered the motion in the first place would have moved by two seconds. This means you will not be able to get a complete view of what or who triggered the motion sensor to record the video.
While this may not happen always, there is a nevertheless a possibility to miss the crucial aspect. If you think, pre-buffered recording is absolutely essential, you are better off going for models like Arlo Pro 3 because it comes with this capability.
Similarly, both the models do not offer continuous recording. At the most they can record is eight minutes and that too, when a motion is detected. Otherwise, the cameras go into sleep mode to conserve battery.
This is not really a drawback because that is the overall design of all wireless home security cameras. Continuous recording requires an extensive amount of battery, so this option is practical only if you are using an AC adapter for charging. If you want to go for wireless cameras, this is probably the best you can get.
Based on the above discussion, Ring Spotlight is clearly a better choice because it comes with a few additional features that are not available in Arlo Pro.
The most significant of these features is the audio or rather the lack of it in Arlo Pro. This greatly limits the usability of Arlo Pro when compared to Ring Spotlight.
Another difference is the quality of the recording. While Ring Spotlight records in 1080p, Arlo pro records only in 720p. Some reviewers argue that there is not much difference when it comes to 1080p and 720p, but our tests show that there is definitely better clarity and more detail in these recordings.
In fact, this detail could make a difference in identifying an intruder, in the unfortunate event of a break-in. Due to these aspects, Ring Spotlight is the winner when it comes to features.
Cost
Cost is another important aspect that could tilt your buying decision in favor of one product. Arlo Pro retails at a lower price while Ring Spotlight is a little more expensive. Not much of a difference really.
For comparison sake, Ring Spotlight is better because it comes with many important features, mainly two-way audio, for an extra bucks. Also, additional features such as better video resolution add to its appeal.
This is the retail price of both the products, but you can always get them at a discounted price on Amazon as they have some sale or the other going on all the time.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Though we did a detailed comparison before, it is still good to be able to quickly glance at the pros and cons of each product to know which of the two works best for us. This is why in this section, we list out the pros and cons to give you a bird's eye view of each of the two products.
Arlo Pro Pros and Cons
Arlo Pro comes with many handy features that can greatly enhance the security of your home. Some of the advantages that come with using this product are:
Comes with a highly sensitive motion detector. This means, even the slightest of motion can trigger recording
Works great with smart home systems such as Alexa, SmartThings, and IFTTT
Battery life is fairly long and lasts even up to six months. Though the life depends on usage, environment, and other factors, it is quite good when compared to other models in this price range
The design is attractive and at the same time, highly functional
Easy to install and use, regardless of age or technical expertise levels
Has many unique features that extend the functionality of this home security camera
Weighs less and can be transported easily
One of the biggest shortcomings of this product is that it does not provide audio. This can be a bummer in a home security camera recording
Another big drawback of this product is it starts recording only after a two to three-second lapse. Essentially, this lapse will not record the motion that triggered this recording
Doesn't work with an AC adapter, so there is a restriction on the recording time and the availability of other features
No continuous recording is possible. The maximum amount of time it records is eight minutes
As a user, you have no control over the area that is being monitored. In the sense, you cannot zoom in or out to get the view you want
Though Arlo Pro comes with many unique features, we've also listed the drawbacks to it.
Ring Spotlight Pros and Cons
Ring Spotlight comes with many advantages and a few drawbacks:
Easy to install
Completely wireless, though there is also a wired option if you prefer
Motion-triggered recording
Sharp video quality and a loud siren to warn you
Works well with both Alexa and IFTTT
You have to pay the subscription to view the recorded video
No pre-buffering is possible
It is not compatible with Samsung's SmartThings home automation system
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We hope these pros and cons give you an idea about the two products and what they offer for you.
The Bottom Line
Now it is time to decide which of the two is the winner. After considering all the above aspects, Ring Spotlight is better in terms of its features and the value it offers for your money.
One of the main aspects that tilts in favor of Ring Spotlight is audio capability, as this can greatly enhance user experience.
For this reason, Ring Spotlight is the better of the two and is the winner in this review.
Day or night, rain or shine, Spotlight Cam Wired has you covered. Get alerts when motion is detected. See, hear and speak to people on your property. And protect your home with lights and sirens. All from your phone, tablet and PC.
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