Arlo Essential 2nd Gen review – extra resolution, but at what cost?

I thought I’d have fun and give the Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor Security Cameras the names ‘Fred’ and ‘Doris’. This is mainly because the alerts ‘Person detected on Fred’ and ‘Animal detected on Doris’ made me laugh. You may be less ridiculous than me and want to give your cams more boring names (perhaps their locations). Hey, I’m not judging.

Of course, I had to download the Arlo Secure app to use and name them - and it wasn’t easy to pair the app with the devices. Holding down the cam’s button until the light blinked didn’t ensure it would pair. Weirdly, when I took each cam upstairs individually and tried this, the pairing was much more straightforward, so perhaps the app was getting confused by the fact that there were two cams in front of it?

It’s very easy to mount and angle the cams wherever you want. You can check the live view and then reposition the cam if it’s not showing what you’re after.

As static view cams go, these are among the best outdoor security cameras in 2024. Made by the reputable Arlo Technologies from California, up there with Nest and Ring in the home security camera category, they’re full of stand-out features.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Specifications

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Price and Availability

These cams are currently available for $99 each or $189.99 for a pair - fairly steep at either price. You get a 30-day free trial of the Arlo Secure plan - after this, you still get the live view, notifications and two-way audio but have to pay for the footage. Prices start from $8.33 per month or $12.50 for multiple cameras. (£10.99 per month). Ouch! Though yearly payment gets a discount and this is broady in line with other cloud cameras, it seems a lot.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Build and handling

The Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor Security Camera is a chonky boi. Doris and Fred are weighty and solid with lovely curves, but I’m not saying they should go on a diet and lose weight: it’s reassuring to feel a hefty chunk of camera in your hand. Not that it’ll be in your hand much, I imagine; it’ll be mounted to your fence or wall with the mount provided.

Also, Fred and Doris are very unlikely names for such aesthetically pleasing cams. They’re sleek, monochrome and wonderfully glossy.

In fact Arlo offers even chunkier versions in the form of their 'XL' variants (they have been binging on charge and house bigger batteries). Perhaps I'd have been better off with them, but I'll get to that.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Performance

I mounted Doris to the side of the garden and Fred at the back, and together they alerted me to all the wildlife. Doris filmed a lovely clip of a fox cleaning itself at night, though the first part of the clip is in black and white, and it only switches to colour halfway through.

When the app notified me of an event, which was often, the notifications would contain a little thumbnail of what the cam had detected, which added to the fun.

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The battery life is quite poor – I had to charge the cams every week, not every 4 months as promised, though they didn’t take long to charge. (More fox visits means more activations, which partly explains it.)

The actual footage captured was brilliantly clear. I would just worry that the cams would conk out moments before an intruder breaks in, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the battery percentage in the app.

The spotlight is blinding and would definitely stop a burglar in their tracks.

The two-way audio is tinny, which is standard for these cams, but it was definitely audible.

You can easily designate privacy and activity zones in the app, but my garden is the size of a very small hamster so it wasn’t really practical.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Sample Video

The video shows how quick the camera is to engage the spotlight for color video.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Verdict

Overall, the Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor Security Camera is a great cam (well, pair of cams).

The clarity of the 2K footage is outstanding, the notifications come with a little helpful thumbnail, the spotlight is glaringly bright and the two-way audio works well. Doris and Fred have outdone themselves. If only their battery life were better, the price wasn’t so high and the subscription not so expensive (especially for people buying a multi-pack of cameras) then this would be a 5/5 review.

It is fair to add that if budget is a serious concern, then the 1080P (lower resolution) version of the camera is half the price – I was testing the 2K version. It's definitely worth asking if you need the extra resolution, though of course faces and license plates do gain detail and the monthly sub is still the same per camera rate.

Alternatives

The Ring Outdoor Camera Battery (Stick Up Cam) is much cheaper at £49.99 each, and the footage is a third of the price.

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Consider reading about the best HomeKit camera if you're an Apple user and want to find a way to avoid adding smart security cameras to your home but no more regular subscriptions.

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