Arlo Video Doorbell Review: Pros & Cons and Verdict

The days of wondering who’s by the door are long gone. Video doorbells have revolutionized the doorbell world. Peepholes are a thing of the past, and you can see what’s happening on your doorstep while you’re miles away.

If you’re here, that means you’re ready to upgrade your doorbell experience, and not a moment too soon. Arlo has been a bit slow coming to the video doorbell market, but now that they’ve arrived, they’ve made a big splash. 

You probably have visions of friendly exchanges with delivery men while you aren’t even home, or maybe scaring away thieves. Are these realistic expectations?  What should you look for in a video doorbell? How do you pick the right doorbell for your needs? And more importantly, is the Arlo model the doorbell for you?

We’ll discuss a few key features that make the Arlo model unique, and what weaknesses you should be aware of. You’ll also be able to see what other customers think about the model in balanced reviews. By the end of the article, you’ll be well equipped to make an informed decision. 

Let us see what the Arlo Video Doorbell has to offer. 

How to Choose the Right Video Doorbell: 

Be Realistic: 

It’s important to know what you want from your video doorbell. You need to have realistic expectations or else you’re going to be sorely disappointed no matter what you do. Why do you want to monitor the foot traffic on your doorstep?

The answer to this question will determine what kind of video you should get. Is it enough to simply see the space by your door? Or do you want a 180-degree viewing angle that will allow you to see much more than your welcome mat? 

The doorbell won’t be the answer to all your security needs. It would be a good idea to install an alarm with the video doorbell. The video doorbell will enhance your security system but certainly won’t replace it all together.

Common Features: 

Something to look out for would be common features such as Wi-Fi connectivity, night-vision support, motion detection, high-definition recording, and wide-angle recording. Some models come with smartphone interaction and built in Wi-Fi.

Some people would view those features as essential while others would view them as unnecessary. It’s important to know what you want before you buy something that won’t suit your needs. For example, if you have a smart home then you will have to make sure that whatever you buy will be able to integrate into the systems you have in place. 

Product Design: 

Before you go out and find yourself a brand-new doorbell, look at the one you’re replacing. What kind of mount does it use? Is it small or big? When you buy your new device, you’ll need to make sure that it will fit where you want it to go.

You wouldn’t want to get home and realize that you can’t install your new doorbell because the mount you have won’t support it, or it’s too big to fit in the space where your old doorbell used to be. 

How’s The Wi-Fi? 

Do a small test before you purchase your new doorbell. Take your smartphone and put it close to where you want to install the doorbell. If the connection isn’t great, you might want to relocate your router, or find a different spot for your video doorbell.

This will prevent frustration further down the road. Check to see that the model you’re buying can also pick up Wi-Fi well. You wouldn’t want to miss crucial images just because your Wi-Fi dipped. 

Now that you’re well equipped to make a good decision and know what to look for, let’s see if the Arlo Video Doorbell meets your needs. 

Advantages and Disadvantages

Let’s discuss the pros and cons of the Arlo video doorbell to understand its strong sides and the shortcomings, too.

These are the advantages and disadvantages of the Arlo Video Doorbell. While the chart broadly examines the product, let’s dig deeper to understand Arlo’s full potential and capabilities.

Features

Have you decided which features you simply can’t live without? This is where we’ll discuss which features make the Arlo Video Doorbell worth buying, and which ones could use some work. 

Video

The doorbell shoots in a maximum of 1536 by 1536 pixels, so it feels like you’re actually there watching what’s going on. The camera also has HDR that helps to prevent discoloration. Most of the other video cameras on the market have an aspect ratio of 16:9, while Arlo’s has one of 1:1. What does this mean?

Basically, you’ll be able to see a large vertical block which will show you everything from the person’s face at your door to the welcome mat at their feet. This is great news because you won’t have to angle the camera in a special way. 

It also has a wide field of view at 180-degrees with the ability to zoom in 12 times. You’ll be able to see exactly what’s happening at your doorways in crisp HD. 

Audio

One of the most important features in a video doorbell is the two-way audio. Otherwise, you’d have to open the door and talk to those on the other side. If you have two-way audio, you’ll be able to answer the door no matter where you are. 

Not only does the Arlo model have two-way audio, it has a feature that lets you leave pre-recorded messages, and allows your guests to leave messages for you. The sound is clear enough so that you won’t have trouble understanding the message.

There’s no doubt that your visitors will have some fun leaving you pre-recorded messages. Who would’ve thought that one day our houses would have voicemail? 

Night Vision

If a video doorbell doesn’t have decent night vision, then what would be the point in buying it? The device would be useless for a massive chunk of time. This feature is particularly useful in the winter when the sun sets early. Be careful between choosing infrared night vision and color night vision.

If you have color night vision, then you’ll have to deal with an obvious bright light shining over the doorbell announcing to all guests that they’re being filmed. 

Thankfully, the Arlo has infrared night vision which works better and will allow you to see who’s at your door even when it’s dark outside.

Storage

With the Arlo Video Doorbell, you’ll get a week of free cloud storage, but after that you’ll have to subscribe to Arlo’s Smart Subscription Plan for $3 a month. This would be a good idea since the doorbell doesn’t have any local storage (to be fair, it’s only a doorbell). 

Smart Home Integration

The Arlo Video Doorbell only works with Alexa, so this might not be a good idea to buy this model if you have Apple Homekit or Google Assistant. Although there are rumors that Arlo is working with Google to make it possible to integrate the doorbell with Google Assistant soon. 

If you have Alexa, you’ll be able to ask the doorbell to show or hide the doorbell’s footage, and you can also ask Alexa to show you the last motion detected by the doorbell. 

Artificial Intelligence

The Arlo Smart Subscription includes a feature called person detection. This means that the doorbell can’t tell the difference between a person’s movements and those of cars or animals. This convenient for a number of reasons, but mostly because it means that you’ll only receive notifications when someone is at your doorstep. You won’t get annoying alerts every time the cat walks past. 

Arlo also offers a pet or package detection feature. This could come in handy when you want to tell the delivery person where to put your package. You’ll also be able to see what your pets are up to when you’re not around.

It will also prevent you from jumping up in excitement when you get a notification thinking it’s your package when it’s actually just your pet playing around.

The Arlo App and Smart Subscription Plan

The Arlo app offers a lot of useful features which will make you want to sign up for the Smart Subscription Plan. You’ll be able to monitor your settings, see your cloud storage, live stream footage, speak through two-way audio, turn the camera on and off, record messages, and listen to messages your guests recorded. 

The app has a 3.7/5 star rating and mostly has positive reviews. Although some users noted that it wasn’t very user-friendly. We also noticed a general consensus about a three to five-second lag on live content. While we didn’t experience this delay ourselves, we thought that could get rather frustrating if we were trying to have a real time conversation.

The app also works well with other existing features. You can use the app to arm or disarm the doorbell. When the doorbell is armed, it means that the motion detection and video recording is active. If it’s disarmed, then you won’t receive any alerts.

You also have the option of setting a schedule of times when you want your doorbell to be armed. You can even set the doorbell to work according to the location on your phone. This means that the doorbell will know when you’re home and disarm the doorbell, or arm it when you leave the house. 

If you don’t have the subscription, then the app won’t do much for you. You’ll only be able to get alerts when it detects motion or is armed. However, with the app you’ll get many advanced features such as custom alerts that tell you what caused the motion. 

You can activate the doorbell’s built-in siren whenever you want to, and thanks to the wide viewing range, you’ll be able to see exactly what’s going on when the siren goes off. The siren is especially useful for if something bad is going on at home. It allows you to call emergency services and may be able to prevent crime before it happens.

The built-in siren can be set up to be activated automatically or manually to prevent any false alarms. If something’s wrong, you can hit the panic button and a loud siren will sound out, startling the intruder and you’ll get the option to call for help from emergency services. 

Besides all this, you can also customize the area where motion is detected. You can draw a zone where you want the doorbell to pick up motion, and it will ignore anything outside of your zone. 

It has another useful security feature called tamper detection. If anyone tries to remove the doorbell, you’ll get an immediate notification. 

If you have an Alexa smart speaker, you can use a feature that will cause the speaker to announce when visitors arrive at the door. 

Not only does this doorbell have impressive video capabilities, it also has live-streaming. Sure, some customers have reported that sometimes it lags by a few seconds, it’s still a very useful feature. 

While it took a while for Arlo to come out with its video doorbell, the company made a splash with this doorbell. When paired with the Arlo App and Smart Subscription Plan, the doorbell boasts advanced features that you might not be able to find elsewhere. Considering the price, you get a lot for your money too. Now that we know what the doorbell can do, let’s see how it looks. 

Design

The Arlo Doorbell is by no means inconspicuous. It’s a bit bigger than other models, and visitors are sure to spot and recognize the device. It has a height of 5 inches, and 1.7 inches wide, making it one of the biggest models on the market. You’ll have to keep this in mind when it comes to installation. 

While it may be big, the design is decent and sleek, albeit a little bulky. It’s shaped like a pill with a white rim and glossy black face. Although you can also choose to buy the black rim instead of a white one. 

The doorbell also requires an existing doorbell and chime setup with the electrical system in place. This will be discussed more in the installation section. You’ll have to keep all of this in mind when picking a place to install the doorbell. The good news is that you’ll never have to worry about batteries running out. 

Arlo claims that the doorbell has been built to withstand all sorts of weather from heat waves to snow. The doorbell is protected from temperatures ranging from -4 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In terms of design, the doorbell isn’t as compact as some of the other models on the market, but it doesn’t look bad. Let’s see if its performance makes up for its unwieldy size. 

Performance

Thanks to its ability to distinguish animals from people, the Arlo Video Doorbell has become a popular product. It makes big promises, and follows through well, which has convinced a lot of people to buy the model. A lot of video doorbells will simply detect motion and send you an alert. This can be annoying, especially if you have pets who run around on your property.

However, the Arlo doorbell lets you know what was moving, and you can decide for yourself if you want to be alerted about it. Do you want to know every time a vehicle drives past? Or do you only want to know when people are on your doorstep? It’s up to you to decide. 

How well does the motion detection work? When tested, it consistently provided accurate information as to what was moving around. However, if your pet decides to sit within the camera’s field of vision, you’ll have a hard time seeing past it. Don’t worry, the doorbell will let you know exactly what’s blocking its view. 

How about the video and audio? The video quality is crisp and free of shadows or glare that might distort the image. Most customers report that they can clearly hear their guests over the audio, even in their pre-recorded messages. 

Overall, the Arlo Video Doorbell performs well, and you won’t regret it buying it. However, if you buy a model, how would you install it? Thankfully, installation isn’t too difficult. 

Installation

Arlo provides an installation guide that’s simple to follow, but if you have any trouble then it would be a good idea to ask an electrician to be safe. Unfortunately, the Arlo doorbell does require a hardwire setup, so you will require an existing doorbell setup. Don’t worry, the process is simple enough. 

The Arlo app will take you through the installation and setup process from start to finish. You’ll find the installation and initial configuration a breeze. You can start by downloading the app and creating your account. The app will take you through the entire process, starting with turning the power off at your circuit breaker to install the power kit.

This is an adapter that will link the doorbell chime to regulate the power that goes to the doorbell. Thankfully, the doorbell will connect directly to your wireless network, so you won’t need a special hub. The doorbell will work with a digital or mechanical chime. 

The installation shouldn’t take too long, and if you’re confident to do it yourself then you should be done within 20 minutes. However, if you’re confused or unsure about something, it would be better to call an electrician to do the job for you. 

Arlo includes an optional angled mountain plate if you’re planning to install the doorbell on an uneven surface. 

After the installation, you get to do the configuration which includes naming your doorbell. There’s a QR that you can scan that will complete the setup for you while you think of a cool name to give your device. Or you could just name it “front door”, whatever works for you. 

Who Should Get This?

The Arlo Video Doorbell comes with impressive and advanced features at an affordable price. Its security features will give you peace of mind when you leave the house, and its intuition and A.I will anticipate your needs. However, if you’re not planning to use all the features then it might be better to get a simpler model.

This model is for people who want to know what’s going on at home and have to keep intruders from getting in. From annoying relatives to burglars, the doorbell is going to give you plenty of warning before they get in. 

The doorbell’s enticing features include HD video, crisp audio, and the Arlo app mean that the doorbell is well worth its price tag. Many customers and reviewers have concluded that this model is their favourite video doorbell on the market, and it scores well with Amazon users. This doorbell will meet all your needs and more.

In fact, once you get the Arlo Video Doorbell, every other doorbell will seem as though its stuck in the dark ages. This doorbell is for the tech-savvy and for those who need peace of mind when they leave the house. If this sounds like something you need, don’t hesitate! Your life will never be the same again.