Those looking for a budget option among the best outdoor security cameras should check out the Blink Outdoor and the Wyze Cam Outdoor, but the Arlo Pro 2 is still an excellent option. I found the cameras were good at differentiating between people and everything else, and they send prompt alerts. Each camera also has a gear icon that takes you to a Settings screen and a Play button that launches a live video stream.

With these, the camera uses its PIR motion sensor to wake up and start recording, but this time cloud processing checks if the movement was outside of a zone and discards the information. Just make sure your cameras are within 300 feet of the base station—spotty reception may mean that walls or obstructions are limiting the signal and the cameras need to be moved even closer than 300 feet. It also helps that there are no plug sockets to worry about, so there is no restriction as to where they need to be placed (and no wires running up walls either).It’s super loud and if you have anyone in the house who is sensitive to sound, I would be cautious about using it too much. After following setup instructions, you can use Arlo's variety of mounts from our accessories collection to position your camera in your desired location.

However, when viewed through the web portal on a large computer screen, highlights were blown out and pixelated. You may want to use the included wall mount, which requires one screw and has a magnet on the front for securing your camera. Looks like these cameras have a lot going for them, but let’s take them out of the box and see what we are working with. You can start with Arlo’s latest lineup, but if that doesn’t satisfy you, check out these top-rated security camera providers.

That makes it possible for users to subscribe to Arlo's continuous video recording (CVR) cloud option, as well as to use an optional solar panel. Of our two test cameras, one was outside about 75 feet from the base station; we had a steady, reliable signal, though it had to travel through four thick exterior walls and two rooms (one filled with storage).

Both Pro and Pro 2 cameras drained at the same rate when we tested them for our video and used them in the months since, but it’s worth noting that other users have found that Arlo Pro 2 runs out of battery more quickly.If you need to get a closer look at something in the footage, you can just pinch to zoom on your smartphone. I then inserted a battery pack into each camera (they come fully charged out of the box) and made sure the cameras were within three feet of the base station.

If you hit the Mode tab, it will take you to hub settings where you can arm or disarm your system, schedule alerts and turn on geofencing. Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. Most cameras come with some form of mobile notifications, but I just wanted to note that the Arlo Pro 2 has both motion and sound-triggered notifications, a pretty unique feature. While the Arlo Pro 2 doesn't include a slot for a memory card, the base station can accommodate an external USB hard drive. A powerful camera that is easy to install with a wire-free setup, with state-of-the-art features like 2K HDR video, color night vision, 12x zoom and a 160° field of view.First, you don’t get free cloud storage with the Ultra base station, instead getting a free one-year subscription to the new Arlo Smart system.