Home security is a huge concern for all of us and many people rely on technology and Smart Devices to protect our homes and families. Home Security Cameras constitute an important piece of the puzzle in protecting your homes.
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Smart Home Security Systems nowadays include smart locks, lighting, complete alarm systems, smart security cameras etc. The Netgear Arlo model falls into the latter category of security cameras and is considered one of the best and most popular gadgets in the area of home security.
Netgear is a global computer networking and electronics company based in San Jose, California. It produces and sells electronics hardware for consumers, businesses and service providers. One major branch of Netgear in the home security niche is Arlo which we will describe in-depth here.
The home security cameras that we are looking at today are Arlo vs Arlo Pro vs Arlo Pro 2. All camera models work great but let’s illustrate first with a comparison table the main differences between them.
Table of Contents
- Netgear Arlo vs Pro vs Pro 2 – Comparison Table
- Netgear Arlo Review
- Arlo Security System by NETGEAR - 2 Wire-Free HD Cameras, Indoor/Outdoor, Night Vision (VMS3230C) with Extra Outdoor Mount (VMA1000) - New Version
- Netgear Arlo Pro Review
- Arlo Pro by NETGEAR Security System with Siren – 2 Rechargeable Wire-Free HD Cameras with Audio, Indoor/Outdoor, Night Vision (VMS4230)
- Netgear Arlo Pro 2 Review
- Arlo Pro 2 by NETGEAR Home Security Camera System (2 pack) with Siren, Wireless, Rechargeable, 1080p HD, Audio, Indoor or Outdoor, Night Vision, Works with Amazon Alexa (VMS4230P)
- Our Recommendation
Netgear Arlo vs Pro vs Pro 2 – Comparison Table
| Netgear Arlo | Netgear Arlo Pro |
Netgear Arlo Pro 2 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Video Quality | HD 720p | HD 720p | HD 1080p |
| Wire Free (WiFi support) | |||
| Works both Indoors and Outdoors | (IP65 certified weather-resistant) |
(IP65 certified weather-resistant) |
(IP65 certified weather-resistant) |
| Night Vision | |||
| Motion Detection Alert | |||
| Sound Detection Alert | |||
| Activity Zones | (3 zones) | ||
| 2-Way Audio (listen and talk through the camera) | |||
| Free Cloud Storage of recorded audio and video | |||
| Alerting Capabilities | Email or Mobile Alerts | Email or Mobile Alerts | Email or Mobile Alerts |
| Local Backup Storage | |||
| Works with Security Siren | |||
| Compatible with Smart Home Platforms (e.g Samsung SmartThings, Alexa, Wink etc) | |||
| Power Source | 4 CR123 Batteries | Solar or Rechargeable Batteries | Solar or Rechargeable Batteries |
| Price | |
|
|
Netgear Arlo Review
Arlo Security System by NETGEAR - 2 Wire-Free HD Cameras, Indoor/Outdoor, Night Vision (VMS3230C) with Extra Outdoor Mount (VMA1000) - New Version
$194.00
2 used from $ 183.99
Free shipping
Features
- Patented 100% Wire-Free design for easy placement anywhere
- Night vision cameras work even in the dark
- Motion activated cameras w/ Email or App notifications- Records and alerts only when motion is detected with 7 days of free rolling cloud storage
- Indoor/outdoor weather-resistant cameras
- This is the standard Arlo camera, and the Arlo Pro is a separate product
First of all, the Arlo brand is one of the best security cameras out there. The very first iteration in this camera model is still a top-notch camera device but as you can see from the comparison table above, the old Arlo model lacks many important features that the other two Pro models have.
- Almost Half the Price of the other two models
- No sound detection alert (only motion detection).
- No Siren supported.
- Not compatible with voice services and smart home hubs like Samsung Smartthings, Wink etc.
- No rechargeable batteries.
- Smaller field of view of the lens.
- Lower video resolution compared with Pro 2.
Netgear Arlo Pro Review
Arlo Pro by NETGEAR Security System with Siren – 2 Rechargeable Wire-Free HD Cameras with Audio, Indoor/Outdoor, Night Vision (VMS4230)
Free shipping
Features
- 100% Wire-free - Free of power cords and wiring hassles
- Weather-resistant - Arlo Pro cameras are Weather-resistant so you can place them anywhere-indoors and out
- Rechargeable Batteries - Arlo Pro cameras include rechargeable batteries that support fast charging
- 2-Way Audio - Built-in mic and speaker enable push-to-talk capability, so you can listen in and talk back
- 7 Days of Free Cloud Recordings - Arlo Pro comes with rolling 7-day cloud recordings. Live stream or view recorded video and audio for up to 7 days
After the initially successful basic Arlo model, Netgear developed Arlo Pro which is a step ahead with improved performance and additional features.
The Pro model is much superior compared to the older plain Arlo model in many ways. However, it has many similarities compared to the Pro2 with some minor differences as shown below:
Arlo Pro Vs Pro 2
- A little bit cheaper (around $70 cheaper) compared to Pro2.
- Better battery life (6 months) compared to Pro2 (3 months).
- 720p HD video instead of 1080p HD.
- No Activity Zones supported.
- No 3-second Look Back.
In our opinion, the small price difference between Pro and Pro2 is nothing compared to the few important extra features you get with the Pro2 option. Our recommendation is to go with Arlo Pro2 instead of Arlo Pro if you have the budget to spend on a good security camera kit.
Netgear Arlo Pro 2 Review
Arlo Pro 2 by NETGEAR Home Security Camera System (2 pack) with Siren, Wireless, Rechargeable, 1080p HD, Audio, Indoor or Outdoor, Night Vision, Works with Amazon Alexa (VMS4230P)
$449.99
Free shipping
Features
- 100% Wireless Camera - Free of power cords and wiring hassles
- 1080p HD Wireless security camera system with night vision - High quality video with sharper and brighter details. Night Vision turns on automatically in low light so you can see clearly, even in the dark
- Flexible Powering Options - Use wire-free, plugged in. Rechargeable battery.
- Weatherproof - Arlo Pro cameras are weatherproof so you can place them indoor or outdoor
- 7 Days of Free Cloud Recordings - Arlo Pro comes with recurring 7-day free cloud recordings. Live stream or view recorded video and audio for up to 7 days
Finally we’ve arrived to the newest Arlo model, the Pro 2. It works in both wireless and plugged-in modes with an enhanced Video resolution of 1080p HD compared to 720p of the previous 2 models we’ve discussed above.
Have in mind that if you plug-in the Pro2 camera on AC power, it gives you some extra capabilities like Continuous Video Recording (CVR) and Activity Zones. These features are not available when working on batteries.
Moreover, a distinct feature of this model compared to the previous two is the support for Activity Zones. This means you can place boundaries on the areas monitored by the camera. You select specific areas of the whole camera view and tell the camera to monitor only those specific areas.
Let’s see the main pros and cons between Pro2 and Pro.
Arlo Pro 2 Vs Pro
- Better video recording resolution of 1080p HD.
- Supports up to 3 Activity Zones.
- 3-second Look Back so that you get a 3-sec video before the motion trigger.
- Better support for other Smart Home Platforms.
- A little bit more expensive than Pro.
Our Recommendation
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After considering all those features, differences, pros and cons etc between the 3 models, without doubt the best one is the Netgear Arlo Pro 2.
When compared to the original Arlo model, Pro2 is far superior hands-down.
When compared to Pro model, the small price difference between the two is worth it when you consider the extra capabilities of the Pro2.
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