Arlo Doorbell Camera Review

Here are some of the features Arlo offers that stood out to our SecurityNerd.

• HD video: Arlo cameras are known for their sharp pictures, and the Arlo doorbell is a stand out too. You’ll get a clear view of who’s at the front door no matter the time of day.
• Motion detection: The Arlo video doorbell can alert you when motion is detected outside the front door, and you can customize the sensitivity to fit your own security needs.
• Night vision: Night vision allows you to see someone at the front door or in the front yard even if the sun isn’t shining.
• Activity zones: Create customized activity zones if you only want the camera to pick up motion in certain areas. This, however, does require a subscription plan.
• AI technology: The Arlo doorbell camera can tell the difference between a person, object and even a package. You won’t only be getting notifications about motion, but you’ll know exactly what the camera sees without even checking the video feed.
• Wide viewing angle: The 180-degree viewing angle and 1:1 aspect ratio means you can see a person from head to toe at your front door. Many other smart video doorbells don’t offer that type of bird's eye view.
• Two-way audio: When someone knocks on the door, you’ll be able to talk to them and see them. They can also communicate with you even if you aren’t home.
• Alexa, Google, IFTTT compatible: Ask Alexa or Google Assistant  to bring up the Arlo video doorbell feed on your television or let you know when someone’s at the door. IFTTT can also open up a whole host of smart home options.
• Live streaming: Get a glimpse of your front door with the camera’s live streaming option. Some doorbell cameras only let you view recorded videos from motion events.
• Pre-recorded messages: Whether you’re too busy to get to the door, or you don’t really want visitors, just pre-record messages for whoever is knocking.
• Weather-resistant: Whether you live in hot or cold weather, windy or wet, the Arlo doorbell is weather-resistant and made to withstand the elements.
• Built-in siren: Whether it’s an emergency situation, or you just want to scare off an unwanted person in your front yard, Arlo doorbell offers the user a siren option from inside the app. The doorbell will give off a siren, and hopefully the unwanted visitor gets the message.
• 12x zoom: Is something going on in your front yard, but you'd really like to see something a little closer up? Arlo video doorbell provides 12x zoom, which gives you the chance to examine what’s going on with clarity.
• E911 feature: This is perhaps one of the best features of the Arlo doorbell. In an emergency, you can press just one button and you’ll have authorities headed to your home. It’s  important to note, however, that this is only available with the multi-camera subscription plans.
• Free 7-day cloud storage: The Arlo video doorbell gives users a generous amount of storage. You’ll get a week of video recordings without having to pay a dime.
• App: You’ll get a highly-rated app to use along with the Arlo doorbell where you can see a live stream of your home and download and share videos across all your Arlo devices.

If you’re comfortable with the average DIY project, chances are installing the Arlo doorbell won’t be too much of a challenge. You don’t need any specialized skills in order to set up the Arlo video doorbell, but if wiring makes you nervous, it may be a job for a professional.

You start by removing your existing doorbell and attaching Arlo’s provided mounting plate. You’ll pull the doorbell wires through the center of the plate and connect them to the new doorbell. Once the new doorbell is in place, just run through the final steps to connect it to your Arlo app.

The Arlo video doorbell is $149.99, and it can certainly be used without any subscription plan. However, if you want to utilize the doorbell to the best of its ability, you can choose from one of the two subscription plans below.

• Premier plan: $9.99 per month for 5 cameras, $2.99 per month for one camera. This plan comes with 30 days of rolling video storage, person/vehicle/animal/package detection, smoke and CO detection, cloud activity zones, rich push notification and the e911 feature (this feature is not available in the single camera option).
• Elite plan: This plan is the same as above, except the 30 days of cloud storage is in 4k resolution. The premier plan is in 2k resolution.

While there are definitely home automation options that work with Arlo, the Arlo doorbell only has the following smart home options: Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT.

Even though the smart home options aren’t necessarily as robust as its competitors, what you can do can be pretty useful. You can do things like ask your Alexa or Google Assistant to pull up the video feed on your television, or have them announce when someone is at the door or when a person is detected in your yard.

IFTTT allows you to create your own smart home “recipe” and link third-party home automation products with your doorbell camera. For example, if you have IFTTT-compatible smart lights, you can create a rule that whenever someone knocks on your door, the lights turn on. IFTTT opens up a world of options to create a smart home ecosystem exactly the way you want it.