Arlo joined a number of other wireless home security devices like the Dropcam Pro, Belkin NetCam HD and Closeli SimpliCam, while it does not pack any Minority Report style characteristics like facial recognition, its camera are waterproof which means they are just as comfy at the bottom of the garden as they are in the living room.

Functionality

The Arlo’s HD cameras record at a pixel-resolution of 1,280 x 720, which is high enough to clearly make out subjects and pick out details in the environment. Where you position cameras depends on whether you will need make an adjustments point one at a door, for instance, and the default sensitivity will do just fine.

It provides good picture quality, highly flexible camera positioning and an easy to use interface that will not confuse you if you are getting stuck into an internet-connected home security system for the first time. That said, its flexibility can be a doubled-edged sword when it comes to camera placement and battery life.

Setup

Cameras connect to the base station, rather than directly to routers using WiFi, which allows them to operate in a low-power state and lie dormant until needed to achieve their long battery life. Once the base station is connected to the router’s ethernet port you will have to insert four batteries into each of the cameras, which is done using a simple release mechanism on their underside. Once powered up, pressing the sync buttons on the cameras and the base station at the same time pairs them.

Opinion

The flexibility of Arlo makes it easy to recommend for indoor and outdoor use. The setup has the potential to shine when multiple cameras work together around the home as part of a rules-based system, and the ability to view camera feeds in real time is a real bonus.