Why are the Arlo Home Security Cameras so popular?
Arlo only has 4 home security cameras, which can also be used as nanny cams, but recently they have been flying off the shelves – so why is that?
What is so good about these surveillance cameras that makes them so popular? I mean there are plenty of other security cameras and nanny cams on the market (many of which I have reviewed) that have more features than the Arlo cameras.
What gives?
Well, the popularity of these Arlo Home Security Cameras comes down to three factors:
- They look sleek and fabulous.
- An awesome combination of features.
- Easy to install and to use.
We are going to compare the 4 Arlo Home Security Cameras, so you can see exactly what each one offers. The beauty of these nanny cams however, is in their flexibility and that you can add all 4 to the same system and benefit from all of the features on one network.
It is rare that you find one security camera or nanny cam that has all of the features you want, so you end up settling for one that has the most features on your list. Since you can mix these Arlo Home Security Cameras together, you can have everything you want to keep your family safe.
| Original Arlo | Arlo Pro | Arlo Q | Arlo Q Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080P HD video | No - 720P | No - 720P | Yes | Yes |
| Digital zoom | Yes x8 | Yes x8 | Yes x8 | Yes x8 |
| Field of view | 110 degrees | 130 degrees | 130 degrees | 130 degrees |
| 2 way communication | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Night vision | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 100% Wire Free | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Weatherproof | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Sound and Motion detection | Motion only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smart Alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Optional 24/7 recordings | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SD card slot | No | USB port | No | Yes |
| Free cloud recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 |  |  |  | |
| Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review |
The Arlo Smart Home Wire-Free Security Camera
As you can see from the table, the absolute best feature of the Arlo Wire-Free Nanny Cam is that it is waterproof.
This means that you can put it next to the pool or outside in the rain and it just keeps on working.
Another great feature of the Arlo Wire-Free nanny cam is that it is wireless! So you don’t have to worry about locating it close to a mains power outlet, because it doesn’t need to be plugged into the wall.
It also has a battery life of up to 4 to 6 months, before the lithium batteries need replacing, but this would depend on how often the camera is triggered to record motion alerts – it can be much less.
The Arlo Smart Home Wire-Free Camera doesn’t have 2 way communication, which is pretty much a necessity when you want to keep in touch with your family. This is where the Arlo Home Security System comes into play, because you can add the Arlo Q or the Arlo Q Plus to your network and both of these have 2 way communication – as does the new Arlo Pro below.
The new Arlo Pro
The problems with the original Arlo have been resolved in the Arlo Pro. That’s not to say that there is anything wrong with the original Arlo above – it is a great nanny cam and home security camera.
The issues are that it doesn’t have rechargeable batteries, so customers were having to pay a fortune replacing the batteries. Then it doesn’t have 2 way communication, which is important if you want to use the Arlo as a nanny cam to keep an eye on your children, elderly relatives or your pets.
It also doesn’t have a pan and tilt, which the Arlo Pro doesn’t have either – but whilst the original Arlo has a 110 degree wide angle lens, the Arlo Pro has a 130 degree wide angle lens. So whilst you can see just about all of the room with the original Arlo, you can see even more with the Arlo Pro.
You also have something which has become very popular with home owners and that is a siren with the Arlo Pro. This is located in the base unit, so whilst you can interchange the original and the Arlo Pro with both base units, you will only have the siren with the new Arlo Pro base unit.
Don’t forget that you now have a USB port, so you can save your live recordings locally, as well as on the cloud (which is still free for 1 GB of storage), an option that you don’t have with the original weatherproof Arlo.
One last upgrade with the Arlo Pro is that you now have both sound and motion detection and notifications, not just motion detection as you do with the original Arlo. Everything else is the same between the two Arlo cameras. The Arlo Pro is expensive, but it is definitely worth a look, if the additional features are important to you
The Arlo Q Security Cam
With the Arlo Q you have 2 way communication and 1080P HD resolution (the Arlo Wire-Free has 720P), a slightly wider viewing angle than the Arlo Wire-Free (130 degrees vs 110 degrees) and the Arlo Q detects both sound and motion (the Arlo Wire-Free only detects motion).
You would buy the Arlo Q if you didn’t need a wireless or waterproof nanny cam, but you did want sound and motion detection and a wider angle lens.
As I said earlier, the Arlo Q fits in nicely with the Arlo Wire-Free security cam on the same network.
The Arlo Q Plus Security Cam
The Arlo Q Plus has all of the features of the Arlo Q, but in addition it has an SD card slot and the flexibility of using a PoE connection.
The SD card allows you to have a backup of your live video recordings, if the internet goes down and it is a great feature to have in your nanny cam.
You can’t actually save non-triggered events to the SD card (or to the Arlo cloud), so if you want this functionality in your nanny cam then check out my recommended nanny cam here.
So the Arlo Q Plus is one step above the Arlo Q giving you two extra features – an SD card slot and PoE connections.
Cloud storage options for your Arlo Home Security Cameras
With all 4 Arlo Home Security Cameras you have 7 days of free cloud storage. This gives you up to 1GB of storage on the cloud and if you exceed this limit within any 7 day period, you either have to manually delete the videos to free up space or wait until they are automatically deleted after 7 days.
On the other hand, if you want more storage space or you want to save your live video recordings for more than 7 days, then you can upgrade your subscription plan. You can also opt for a subscription that includes live video recordings on both the Artlo Q and the Q Plus, but not the Arlo Wire-Free camera.
The cost of 30 days video storage on the cloud is currently $9.99/month and for 60 days is $14.99/month with 10GB and 100GB of storage respectively.
Arlo Home Security Cameras FAQ
Q. Do Arlo Cameras record sound?
Both the Arlo Q, the Arlo Q Plus and the Arlo Wire-free home security cameras all record sound and motion in your live video recordings.
Q. Do Arlo Cameras work through windows?
NO. The Arlo cameras do not detect motion though windows, as the motion alerts are triggered by a change in heat.
Q. How are Arlo Cameras powered?
The Arlo Wireless Smart Home Camera is wireless and operates solely on rechargeable lithium batteries. The Arlo Q and Q Plus are both operated on mains power (not batteries).
Q. How long do batteries last in Arlo Cameras?
Only the Arlo Wireless Smart Camera requires batteries and they will last for around 4 to 6 months, before needing to be recharged, but this does depend on the amount of live recordings that are triggered.
Q. How many cameras can Arlo support?
With the Arlo Q and the Q Plus you can view 5 video streams at the same time, and with the Arlo Wire-Free cameras you can view 4 video streams at the same time.
The Arlo Home Security System can support up to 5 cameras at the same time on the Basic Plan (Free), but for more cameras you need to upgrade to the Premier or the Elite paid subscriptions (10 and 15 cameras respectively).
Q. How can I connect the Arlo Cameras?
You simply need to add each separate camera using the Arlo app and they will all be joined on the one network (up to 5 cameras can be added on the Basic Plan, more on the paid Plans).
Q. How can I install the Arlo Cameras?
All you need to do is to download the free Arlo app and follow the prompts. You can watch the installation video below.
Q. How can I turn off the Arlo Cameras?
You can either turn the camera off completely via the app or create a mode for no motion detection and that camera will not be triggered by motion events. You can also turn off alert notifications, if you still want the camera to be triggered and take live recording, but you don’t want to receive notifications all the time.
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