Arlo Video Doorbell 2K review: Simplicity without compromise

There once was a time when I would creep up to my door and peek out the frosted glass panels flanking either side to investigate a ringing doorbell. No visitor was immune, not even a fully-anticipated pizza delivery, which turned me into a hibernating bear whose cave door had been unexpectedly flung open just as much as a religious solicitor or Girl Scout cookie peddler did.

Instead of painting UN in front of the welcome on my front door mat, I invested in video doorbells so I could watch Door Dashers and young cookie harbingers ascend my front steps without leaving the comfort of my couch. I appreciate the convenience of telling someone to leave my sushi takeout on the porch, too.

Video doorbells are usually easier to install than traditional outdoor security cameras. But overall, keeping an eye on packages, kindly telling unwelcome doorknockers to move on, and watching over my son as he waits for the school bus also make a good smart doorbell camera, like the Arlo Video Doorbell (2nd Gen, 2K), an invaluable investment.

Price, availability, and specs

You’ll find the Arlo Video Doorbell 2nd Gen 2K through a handful of online retailers, and in most places, it’ll go for about $130 at full price. Of course, it’s available through Arlo, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and Amazon.

What’s good about the Arlo Video Doorbell (2nd Gen, 2K)?

Painless install, beautiful app, sharp 2K

Finding a high-quality 2K video doorbell for under $150 is basically unicorn hunting, but I was thoroughly impressed with the Arlo doorbell’s 2K video quality. Facial definition stayed sharp up to about 20-25 feet away, at which point things started getting fuzzy.

Installation was quick and painless, accompanied by video guides in the Arlo companion app. In two months of use, the doorbell’s battery dropped to 56%, a positive affirmation of the brand’s claims to a four-month-long battery life. Other standard hardware features, like the noise-cancelling microphone and speaker, delivered clear and low-latency audio. An integrated siren is effectively loud and, hopefully, an effective deterrent to porch pirates.

Arlo’s home security app is currently my favorite companion application. When someone rings the video doorbell, a “call” is sent directly to your phone, ringing much like an ordinary call would. You can pick up the “call” and speak directly to the visitor, or if you don’t answer, they’ll be invited to leave a voicemail. Arlo’s app also allows for custom home screen widgets, quick access to device video archives, and smart motion detection and activity zones.

The Video Doorbell covers the major bases in smart assistant compatibility, with Apple HomeKit being the only major player left out. It integrated seamlessly with my Google-friendly home, but most of my controls were done on an iPhone, where the highly refined Arlo app affords tons of control.

What’s bad about the Arlo Video Doorbell (2nd Gen, 2K)?

Not much to complain about besides the aesthetic

Arlo’s 2nd Gen, 2K doorbell leaves little to be desired in the features department. We are missing out on color night vision, but I’m willing to concede that perk at this price point. A close competitor, the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (Wired), doesn’t offer color vision either, even though it costs a few bucks more.

Most of Arlo’s products share similar characteristics: a mostly plastic framework, white housing, and soft, rounded corners. I’ve felt pretty neutral about this with all the previous devices from the brand I’ve tested, but this doorbell is my least favorite Arlo product so far, at least visually speaking. The blocky profile sticks out more conspicuously than the other doorbells that’ve been in the Arlo’s place, including Ecobee’s doorbell and the Google Nest doorbell.

I prefer the Nest doorbell’s matte finish, or even the semi-glossy plastic of the Ecobee, over the highly reflective, highly scratch- and fingerprint-prone surface of the Arlo doorbell. Since the Arlo doorbell’s front place is segmented into two pieces, it also looks less cohesive and a bit cheaper than the Ecobee competitor.

I also want to mention that there are no storage options outside Arlo’s paid cloud storage plan. This doorbell isn’t compatible with any of the brand’s base stations, there’s no microSD slot onboard, and there’s no amount of free cloud storage, not even a few hours like what’s offered by Google. In October 2023, the brand said base station compatibility was slated for a future firmware update, but we still haven’t seen this come to fruition.

Should you buy it?

Not the most capable doorbell, but still a good value

I recommend the Arlo Video Doorbell (2nd Gen, 2K) to shoppers who can’t do any hard-wiring in their installation, but want to explore options outside Amazon’s Ring or Google Nest. These two brands are obvious choices for existing Alexa or Google Assistant ecosystems, but Arlo’s doorbell also integrates with those smart assistants while boasting a sharper yet more affordable video. Ring’s $150 Battery Doorbell Plus only offers 1.5K resolution and a narrower field of view, but it also includes color night vision. The Google Nest Doorbell’s resolution is even lower, but offers dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, which you won’t get in either the Ring or the Arlo.

There’s also the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (Wired). This option produces a softer, less detailed picture than the Arlo 2nd Gen 2K, but it captures a wider scope with its 187-degree diagonal field of view and 30-foot night vision, which is a 10-foot advantage over the Arlo. So the Arlo 2nd Gen 2K, like every other video doorbell we’ve taken for a spin, will impress some with its strongest features and underwhelm others with its handful of weaknesses. It’s a great choice for Google and Alexa homes, but users say that Ring devices are (obviously) still the best choice for Alexa-centric homes.

It’s also not a visually impressive device, and I wish Arlo would adopt the idea of a modest free video archive, especially since several of their devices aren’t compatible with any base stations. Still, the Arlo Video Doorbell (2nd Gen, 2K) won’t disappoint shoppers on a budget who seek the best image clarity possible for a reasonable price.