As with most Arlo cameras, you’ll need to pay for a plan before you can use all of the Essential’s features. But since you aren’t shelling out money for a base, the plan is a lot more affordable. That’s right; you don’t need an Arlo base station or SmartHub to connect with this camera. Arlo recommends using the hub if you have one (for one thing, you need it to access local storage), but it’s not required. Arlo Essential features:
1080p video without subscription 130° viewing angle Indoor-outdoor use Two-way audio Color night vision Motion detection Customizable motion zones Geofencing Package detection Person detection Vehicle detection Animal detection Spotlight Siren Solar capabilities Rechargeable batteries Local and cloud storage Two color options
Said exclusion option is more helpful if you live on a busy street. If you live on a street with average traffic or choose to use the camera indoors, we recommend keeping all motion detection settings on. This camera offers a test that helps you determine if your motion detection is working, which we like. The siren comes with a warning that it’s “extremely loud,” but it didn’t sound very loud to us. The Essential siren doesn’t hold up next to the Arlo Ultra siren; we’re not sure you’d be able to hear it unless you’re close by. It looks like Arlo also plans to sell this camera as a bundle with the solar panel, although we don’t yet know when or how much it will cost. But the subscription is pretty affordable for a single camera, so if there’s a feature you really want, the cost likely won’t be insurmountable. Take the money you didn’t spend on the base station and get a few years of video storage instead! We would suggest the Secure Plan over the Secure Plus, unless you feel you can’t do without 4K. It’s not the worst app we’ve run into. But we do wish that some of the settings were easier to find. It’s way more intuitive to click on a single device and adjust all its settings from one screen than it is to hunt down settings across the app. Arlo Essential installation steps: Make sure you secure the camera in a place you can reach again since (until the solar panel comes available) you’ll have to dismount it at least twice a year for battery recharges. Or you can mount it within an extension cord’s reach of an outlet if you’d rather bring the charge to the camera.
Features: This camera has a lot of safety features, including multiple types of motion detection, a light, and a siren. Pricing: The Arlo Essential isn’t the cheapest camera on the market, but for a leading safety brand, it’s a lower cost. Home automation: You’ll get plenty of indirect smart product connections with this Arlo camera. Installation: The Essential shouldn’t be too hard to install in your home.
If you want a fuller overview of how the Essential compares to other Arlo cameras, read our complete Arlo review. You can also check out our Arlo Pro 4, Arlo Pro 4 vs. Arlo Ultra 2 pieces for even more insight. So, in short, there’s no reason you can’t use this camera both indoors and outdoors. But if you just need indoor use, you can always go with the Essential Indoor Camera instead. If you choose to use local storage, remember that you’ll have to buy an Arlo SmartHub (and an SD card). That will require a lot more money up front than a subscription plan will. And with the local storage, you’ll have to remove the SD card from the hub to view the videos on a computer. Which is manageable but not very convenient. The Pro 4 (the most recent model) is more expensive, has a wider field of view, and has local storage in the camera itself. It also requires a SmartHub. And while it has a siren, it doesn’t have a spotlight. (You can, however, buy a version with a floodlight.) Should you get the doorbell in addition to the Essential? Sure. It’s a decent video doorbell, and you’ll be able to access both cameras at once using your Arlo ecosystem in the app. You will also have the option to purchase a wired or wireless version. Learn more from our Arlo video doorbell review. With its many, many cameras, Arlo is certainly a force in the security camera system space.
