Heads up that the Pro 2 hasn't been available for some time.  

Check out Arlo's current offerings here.

I found the Arlo Pro line of security cameras back in early 2018 and have been a fan of them from the moment I took them out of their box.  Our use case had to do with keeping an eye on an elderly parent with dementia.  We used the cameras to non-intrusively check to make sure everything was okay inside the house.  We also got value from these cameras via using them to monitor the front and back doors to make sure there weren't any unplanned walkabouts going on.  Here we are 6 years later and these cameras are still going strong!

What I love about this product:

• They were super simple to set up and put to work right away.

• The included mount requires a single screw to hold it in place then the camera snaps into place via a strong magnet.

• We have 5 cameras and all are still going strong.  I think 1 of them might be losing its night vision, but I can't confirm this as it is in use in a dark attic with no ambient light. 

• They are truly wireless and have good range.  I have a camera outside on the far corner of the house - about 40 feet from the included Arlo hub - and it connects just fine.

• The battery lasts up to 6 months in low traffic zones.  Typical battery duration between charges in moderate traffic zones is an average of 3 months.  

• Charging the battery is simple and fast.  3 hours from the time I plug it in with about 5% fo 10% capacity left in it to 100% full charge.

• You can set up triggers based on audio and video events.

• Triggers can also be used to activate the alarm in the hub which is LOUD!

• Multiple schedules with multiple recording options can be created and blended to provide you with optimal coverage for recording needs.

• Alerts can be sent to the accompanying App, via Text, or via Email.

• The Arlo Pro 2 came with free cloud storage for up to 7 days of recordings on average.  If you record more often or your recordings are dense (highest resolution setting), I found that the storage would be consumed in 5 days.  Easily remedied by tweaking a few settings.

• If you capture something and want to keep it, simply download the recording.  Otherwise, the old content gets deleted on a rolling 7 day basis.

• My kit came with a bridge that enables the recordings to be saved locally to an attached USB drive you provide.

What I don't like:

• Each camera has a mic and speaker that is designed to enable two way communications.  The mic works fine, but the speaker is pretty pitiful.  You can't understand a word being said in most cases.

• The App is great, but the developers have a mean streak.  The Alarm button moves around the UI quite a bit - and it almost always lands right next to a frequently used soft button making it a little dicey hitting the correct button.  That said, I have only hit the Alarm button once in 6 years.  The alarm is LOUD but easily deactivated if you can focus on what you did and undo it.

Prior to writing this, I checked in on a few things.  One was whether or not the free cloud storage offering is still available.  It seems it is not, but Arlo declared it won't end the service for legacy Pro 2 customers.  There is a little recent news indicating that they might end it for these customers after the Pro 2 goes end of life / end of support.   We'll see! 

Storage options are now fee based and start at $12.99 a month for unlimited cameras (as of Jan 2023).  I didn't search to see if other camera providers offer a great product with free storage, but I can tell you that Arlo was unique on this point back in 2018.  It was one of the deciding factors when I decided to spend, what was at the time, a lot more per camera to get the Arlo 2 4 camera kit.

I had such a great experience with Arlo, that I'd have to consider them again when the cameras need to be replaced.  The product experience has been that amazing.  But...I just have a hard time with monthly agreements - which might sway me to buy something else.

Good luck with your purchase!  I hope this was helpful in some way.

Coming next!