I was chatting with a courier the other day and realised I had five security cameras from four different brands at the front of my house. Arlo, which is considered a premium brand, was not one of them at the time.
With the lack of cameras at the back of my house and an opportunity to review the Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera, I thought it was time to see what makes Arlo different.
Table of contents
Why a floodlight security camera?
I am old enough to remember a time before sensor floodlights. Dad had two 150-watt floodlights positioned at our back door that would illuminate the backyard. Over the years, these lights were equipped with a sensor, which meant that any movement in the backyard would activate the lights, providing a lighting innovation and giving a sense of security.
Next, these lights were replaced with LED, which significantly reduced the cost of running them while still providing excellent illumination. This leads us to today, where we can now have a floodlight security camera that not only illuminates the backyard when movement is detected but also alerts and records the event, providing ultimate peace of mind and a significant deterrent to any unwanted guests. A floodlight is designed to spread its light over a larger area than a spotlight.
Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera features
The Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera is a mains-powered outdoor Wi-Fi 2K security camera featuring a bright 2,000-lumen dual floodlight.
Opening the box, you will find the camera and some installation screws. As this is a mains-powered camera, you will need an electrician to connect it to a 240-volt supply. Mounting can be done on a wall or ceiling. The camera must be connected to Wi-Fi to establish a connection to the cloud. There is no internal storage, and all captured images will be stored on the cloud.
The setup of the camera is remarkably straightforward, requiring you to download the Arlo Secure app and follow the onscreen instructions. This simplicity should give you the confidence that you can set up the system with ease, even if you’re not particularly tech-savvy.
To get the most out of your new camera, you will need an Arlo Secure subscription, which starts at $6.67 per month for a single camera with 30 days of video storage. There’s also a $15 monthly plan, which includes unlimited cameras as well as smart recognition of people, packages, and animals. You can use the camera without a subscription, but you will only receive alerts and live viewing. A subscription also provides the user with a replacement product in the event the camera is stolen, as well as priority customer support and a discount on additional products.
The floodlights at 2,000 lumens are enough to read by or cook a BBQ, but more importantly, can be adjusted to direct the light where it will be most effective. The lights are triggered by movement by default. Still, they can be activated manually via the app or adjusted in various settings, such as the duration they remain on after being triggered.
The 2K resolution camera offers double the resolution of free-to-air TV and works reasonably well in low-light conditions, but why bother with night vision when you have the lights? The camera image is not quite side-to-side, offering a 160-degree field of view.
When the camera detects movement, several actions can occur. By default, the light turns on when it’s dark, recording starts, and a notification is sent to anyone with the app installed and paired with the camera.
In addition, a siren can be set to sound, which is loud enough for a neighbour and an intruder to hear, but certainly not as loud as a traditional car alarm, which is probably a good thing. You may also nominate up to three additional contacts with phone numbers that can be notified if the alarm is triggered.
Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera specifications and price
| Resolution | 2K (2560 x 1440) |
| Brightness | 2,000 Lumens via two lights |
| Dimensions | 27 x 17 x 17 cm |
| Weight | 844 grams |
| Price (RRP) | $249 |
| Website | Arlo Australia |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Using the camera
If you are already part of the Arlo ecosystem, meaning you have existing Arlo cameras, then this product is an obvious choice if you want an integrated floodlight. The benefit of being in the Arlo ecosystem is that all your Arlo devices can be managed from a single app, providing a seamless user experience. If you are starting from scratch with no cameras or already have another brand, then understand that you need an app for every brand of security camera you have. The camera feed is also compatible with Alexa and Google Home smart home devices.
There have been some unconfirmed concerns in the past about the security of recordings with certain Chinese brands, particularly regarding potential data breaches or unauthorised access to the recordings. Arlo is not a company affected by these concerns, providing peace of mind to its users.
My experience with the Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera has been nothing short of impressive. It worked flawlessly straight out of the box, a reliability that I’ve not always found with other brands. The image quality is excellent, and the floodlight’s performance is so effective that I wish I had installed a sensor light at my back door years ago. This level of performance should give you a sense of security and peace of mind.
One feature that worked particularly well was the two-way audio conversations you can have between the camera and the app on a smartphone. This feature allows you to communicate with anyone near the camera, providing an additional layer of security. I have never had a conversation with so little delay as before, which is a testament to the quality of Arlo’s technology.
For most people, using the app will centre around alerts and the initial setup. For those who want to go beyond the default settings, the Arlo Secure app allows users to adjust numerous settings. Depending on your cloud subscription, it also enables alerts and further customisation.
For example, the triggering area for the camera can be adjusted for sensitivity and exclusion, such as a shrub that blows in the wind, to prevent false triggers. Alternatively, you may wish to exclude a neighbour’s window from being recorded. A beta offering known as Custom Detection allows the camera to recognise objects or changes occurring in what the camera sees. This could be used to answer the age-old fear: Did I leave the garage door open or the sprinkler on?
Fire detection is available on this Arlo product, part of its suite of advanced detection settings, which is unique to the brand. Fortunately, I did not have the opportunity to test this alert.
This security camera only supports cloud recording, which incurs a monthly fee. Some competitors offer SD card or internal storage options, allowing for recording at no additional cost.
While in-camera recording is beneficial, it also poses a security risk in itself, as the SD card or camera can be stolen, granting the thief access to all recordings. The cloud storage comes with a free 30-day trial, allowing you to explore all its features. However, I would have liked to see basic 7-day or even 1-day cloud storage included in the purchase price. Speaking of price, it is on par with competitors who do offer some free cloud storage.
Who is the Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera for?
If you are already part of the Arlo family, the Floodlight Camera allows you to illuminate the outdoor scene without worrying about running out of battery.
New users seeking a high-quality brand and a feature-rich security camera experience should consider this camera, especially since the feature set powered by the cloud will continue to evolve as Arlo develops new functionality.
If, however, you are not prepared to pay a monthly subscription fee, the functionality dramatically decreases, and you end up with an expensive sensor floodlight with a live view camera.
The post Arlo Wired Floodlight Camera review: Illuminating home security appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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