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Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free review

Priced at $229.

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CHOICE Expert Rating

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What is the CHOICE Expert Rating?

CHOICE Expert Rating

This is the product's overall performance score, based on key tests conducted by our industry experts in the CHOICE labs.

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Good points

The product's best features and benefits

Bad points

Drawbacks or issues you need to know about
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Recommended View more details.

We recommend products with an overall score of 70% or more.

CHOICE Expert Rating View more details.

The CHOICE Expert Rating is an overall score is made up of video (30%), sound (20%), application (20%), installation (10%), recharging (10%), privacy and security (10%).

Video score View more details.

The score is made up of a night, day and total darkness assessment of the video quality.

Sound score View more details.

Sound quality for both the person at the door and the householder.

App score View more details.

How easy it is to use the controller application.

Installation score View more details.

Ease of installing the app and creating an account, mounting the doorbell and registering it within the app. We also look for automation of software updates.

Recharge score View more details.

How well the unit performs for battery recharging.

Privacy and security score View more details.

We look at the ability to reset the password, and any aspect that may compromise security.

Availability View more details.

'Available' indicates the model can still be found in shops and online. 'Discontinued' indicates that they are no longer available.

Tested model
Price View more details.

Recommended retail or typical retail price.

$229
Dimensions (mm, H x W x D)
14.5 x 5 x 4
Weight (g)
255
Battery type
Proprietary Li-ion battery pack
Resolution View more details.

Most of the units support 1920 x 1080 (1080p) but that doesn't necessarily mean the video quality is good.

Not stated
Angle of view View more details.

Measured in degrees. The higher the number wider the coverage

180°
Installation View more details.

Wired Must be hardwired to an existing powered doorbell with an AC power supply
Wired or battery allows you to use a rechargeable battery or hardwire to an existing powered doorbell
Battery offers a rechargeable battery option only for the smart doorbell main unit



Wired or battery
Power doorbell View more details.

Some models need power while others can operate on a rechargeable battery.

Inbuilt rechargeable battery or can be hardwired to existing powered doorbell
Power chime View more details.

Model can either support a battery, AC adapter or use the existing powered chime.

Can utilise the chime of a pre-existing AC-powered doorbell
Durability claims View more details.

Durability claims range from weather resistance up to an IP65 rating which means dust-proof and protection from water jets from any angle.

Weather resistant
Internal storage View more details.

Some models have internal storage for video while others support removable microSD cards.

None
Storage security View more details.

Some models have a security screw, while others store the content away from the device either in the cloud or in a separate device.

N/A
Chime tones View more details.

The number of chime sound choices.

Varies depending on chime device
App tones View more details.

The number of tones you can associate with an action.

Varies depending on platform
Camera light View more details.

An infrared light can help with video quality in dark conditions.

Infrared
Wi-Fi version View more details.

Most support Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), with some supporting Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).

4
Country of origin
Indonesia
Website
arlo.com
HDR (High Dynamic Range) View more details.

HDR or WDR support may help in seeing details in the shadow areas of a scene.

Yes
Cloud storage View more details.

Cloud storage allows you to view your video online at any time.

Yes
Record app View more details.

An app lets you record live video.

Yes
Activity zones View more details.

Lets you set areas where the camera ignores activity, for example a high traffic area.

Yes
Human detection View more details.

Some units can tell the difference between human and non-human movement around the camera.

Yes
Alexa View more details.

Support for Amazon Alexa by saying 'Hey Alexa' followed by a command.

Yes
Google Assistant View more details.

Supports Google Home by saying 'OK Google' and the command.

Yes
IFTTT View more details.

Supports If This Then That, a feature that lets you create actions for your device based on activity.

Yes
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Average rating

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