Arlo Ultra Camera Review

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

• Ultra 4K resolution: Arlo Ultra has something many other DIY security cameras don’t have: 4K resolution. This is the best resolution on the market, guaranteed to provide a clear view of what’s happening at your home.
• Enhanced night vision: You won’t only have a clear picture at night. The Ultra outdoor camera also sees color in the dark, which can come in handy if you need to hand your video over to authorities.
• Integrated spotlight: The motion-activated spotlight not only has the ability to scare the bad guys away, but it will also provide a better picture in the dead of night to help you see what's happening on your property.
• Two-way talk: With two-way communication, users can both talk to whomever is on the other side of the camera and also listen in.
• 180-degree field of view: This wide-angle picture will provide a better look at the entire area, without the distortion users find in other security cameras.
• Noise cancellation: This feature cancels out noises like wind, rain and car noise to give you better audio of the sounds you really want to hear.
• Smart home automation: Arlo Ultra is compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa and other devices to help turn your home into a smart home.
• Close up zoom: Some cameras don’t provide zoom at all. Arlo Ultra has an impressive zoom feature that can pick up details like license plates.
• Auto zoom and tracking: The Arlo Ultra is pretty smart. It can detect movement and automatically track it and zoom to make sure you catch any important activity.
• Wireless: You don’t have to worry about difficult installation or unsightly wires with the Arlo Ultra, thanks to a wire-free design.
• Weatherproof: This Ultra outdoor camera can stand up to Mother Nature and will work in wind, rain, snow or heat.
• Siren: If you spot someone in your yard or home who shouldn’t be there, you’ll be able to activate a loud siren to scare them away and alert neighbors to trouble.

Nearly every Arlo Ultra review you read from customers mentions incredibly simple installation, and for good reason. Its wireless design makes Arlo Ultra one of the easiest-to-install security camera on the market.

Arlo says it takes about 10 minutes to set up one of its cameras. With Arlo Ultra, you can simply plug in the base station and log into the Arlo app to begin setup. Users can follow along with instructions, and your smart phone will link to the equipment automatically.

The Arlo Ultra comes with a magnetic camera mount, or it can just be placed on a flat surface anywhere inside your home.

An Arlo Ultra camera must be used with a hub. Price for one camera with a hub starts at $399. Two cameras and one hub costs $500, and a 3-camera kit runs $799. Bundling cameras will save some money, if you want more than one. If you already have an Arlo hub, you can purchase an add-on camera for $299. (All quoted prices are the accurate MSRP at the time of writing - they may change over time.)

Arlo VMS5240-100NAS Ultra - 4K UHD Wire-Free Security 2 Camera System

• UHD video quality - Zoom in to see sharp details with Arlo Ultra’s 4K & HDR advanced image quality technology
• 180 Degree diagonal field of view - See more with a wider angle lens that has auto image correction reducing the fish eye effect
• Enhanced night vision - See what’s lurking with color night vision allowing you to see video in color rather than traditional black and...
• Integrated spotlight - Light up the night using Arlo Ultra’s integrated spotlight
• Smart Home Security featuring superior video and audio quality

$379.99

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Arlo offers 7 days of free video storage, but if you’d like to keep any video beyond that time, you’ll need to purchase one of the storage plans. Pricing is as follows:

• Arlo Smart plan: This plan offers 2K video quality storage, and comes with intelligent alerts, 30 days of video storage, cloud activity zones, and a one-touch 911 call option. It costs $2.99 per camera per month up to 5 cameras. Any purchase over 5 cameras, and users receive 50% off for each additional camera.
• Arlo Premiere Plan: This plan comes with all the features above, except you’ll get 4K video storage, which is higher resolution. It costs $4.99 per camera per month up to 5 cameras. After that, customers get 50% off each additional camera covered.

Purchasing an Arlo Ultra will allow users to create their own smart home ecosystem. It is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and IFTTT and some other third-party integrations. Customers will be able to stream live video feeds, and even create rules with IFTTT technology. While Arlo itself doesn’t have its own line of smart home products, it does provide several opportunities from third parties for home automation features.

There is no professional monitoring option with any Arlo camera. You’ll be able to monitor your own Arlo Ultra, receiving intelligent alerts on your device if the camera detects a person in your home or yard. The Ultra outdoor camera also has a siren that the user can activate when someone suspicious is seen. When you purchase a video storage plan, you’ll also have the option of a 911 button in the Arlo app, which provides a simple way to notify authorities in an emergency.