Arlo Essential Security Camera (2nd Gen, 2K) review: Solid midrange pick

Arlo is one of the most trusted names in home security. Its reputation for user safety and data privacy is airtight, and its cameras stand out for quality hardware and industry-leading features. Homeowners shopping for a new system encounter dozens of options, but Arlo consistently pulls ahead in our ranks as one of the best residential security systems.

The entire Arlo collection of home security cameras, doorbells, and sensors is sectioned into different tiers, like the high-end Pro family and the entry-level Essentials line. Arlo Essential devices are easy for beginners to install and use while retaining enough advanced features to meet the needs of more advanced smart homeowners.

The Arlo 2nd Gen Essential Outdoor Security Cameras come in four different configurations: HD resolution and standard battery, 2K resolution and standard battery, HD resolution and XL battery, and 2K resolution and XL battery. This review dives into the non-XL 2K version.

Price, availability, and specs

You can grab the Arlo 2nd Gen Essential Outdoor Camera 2K for $100 through Amazon, Arlo, and Best Buy. At the time of publishing, it’s on sale for $70. It can be purchased in packs of one, two, three, or four, and no additional hub is needed to get these cams going.

What’s good about the 2nd Gen Arlo Essential Outdoor Camera (2K)?

Sharp image and video quality

Arlo never fails to deliver on image and video quality, outpacing the competition by a mile. It’s impressive how color night vision has improved in residential security cameras over the past couple of years, and the performance of Arlo’s 2nd Gen Essential Outdoor 2K Camera is no exception. The 2K picture during the day was sharp and clear, enough to identify faces even from 25-30 feet away. Arlo’s motion discernment from people, vehicles, and animals is consistent and reliable.

The camera was easy enough to install and dismount; the mounting plate needed a few simple screws for installation, and the camera slid down to click into place on the mount. It takes quite a bit of elbow grease to slide the camera up and disengage it from the mount, which may prove to be a challenge if the camera is mounted high off the ground, but hopefully, it loosens up over time.

Arlo’s user interface hasn’t changed much in the past couple of years, but you don’t fix what isn’t broken; the Arlo Secure app is clean and simple, offering quick access to your video archive, professional monitoring (if subscribed to), a dashboard showing camera feeds, and quick options to arm the home.

It’s also worth mentioning how affordable the 2nd Gen Arlo Essential Outdoor Camera 2K is. It retails for $100; the Google Nest Wireless Cam, on the other hand, is $180 for just one camera. And that’s for an HD, non-2K model, with a resolution of 1920×1080, with only infrared night vision (no color).

What’s bad about the 2nd Gen 2K Arlo Essential Outdoor Camera?

Get ready to pay a monthly fee

From hardware to specs to features, the 2nd-gen 2K Arlo Essential Outdoor camera is an excellent option for home security beginners or shoppers on a budget. However, even with Arlo being a preferred DIY home security option, using Arlo products without a paid monthly subscription isn’t easy. You can still access the cameras’ live view, but there’s no cloud storage, and the cameras aren’t equipped with an SD slot for keeping local archives.

The 2nd Gen Essential Outdoor Camera 2k isn’t compatible with any of Arlo’s SmartHubs or Base Stations either (that compatibility may be coming in 2024, says Arlo, but we aren’t privy to when), so local storage is virtually not an option for 2nd Gen Essential Outdoor Cam users. This gives other brands, like Wyze and TP-Link, an edge Arlo doesn’t have, at least not with this particular model.

Arlo’s 2nd Gen 2K Arlo Essential Outdoor Camera’s battery life is on par with similar caliber cameras, with an average length of two to four months. I put the camera through some rigorous high-sensitivity testing during its first week, having set up my preferences to record every motion instance, set off the spotlight, and send a ping to my phone. After starting with a full battery, the Arlo dropped to around 88%.

This projects about two months of battery life at these high sensitivity preferences in pretty mild weather conditions. Without recording every motion instance, more relaxed use of the camera would probably stretch its life to around three to four months.

Since we are talking about batteries, it’s unfortunate that this camera’s batteries are non-removable and can’t charge outside the camera. This means you’ll be taking the cam down to charge every time the battery’s dead unless you add on solar charging or purchase the 25-foot outdoor charging cable. Both of these charging accessories cost $40; for a solar adapter, that’s incredibly reasonable, but it’s a little high for a cable. In any case, it would be nice to have spare, charged batteries on hand for quick exchanging, but that seems to be an option reserved for higher-end devices, like the Arlo Pro 4.

Should you buy it?

The Arlo Essential 2nd-gen Outdoor Security Camera 2K sees some weakness in its battery size and subscription paywall. Still, if you don’t mind pulling the camera down every few months for charging, it’s a fine choice. Despite being Arlo’s entry-level outdoor cameras, the Essential line promises all the most desired features, including a spotlight, geofencing, and integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT smart homes.

Like anything else, the Arlo Essential Outdoor cams aren’t without flaws, albeit minor. Apple HomeKit users miss out on integration, and the mount instructions need more clarity. Unfortunately, the only video storage option is a paid, cloud-based one; a microSD slot, or expanded HomeBase compatibility to this line of cameras, would further sharpen Arlo’s competitive edge.

All in all, if you’re willing to pay a monthly subscription to access the most worthwhile security camera features, the Arlo Essential 2nd Gen 2K Outdoor Camera is dependable and powerful. It’s simple enough to be a new homeowner’s springboard into smart homes and home security and competitive enough to be a consideration for shoppers looking to take their home surveillance to the next level.