The Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell (AVD2001-100NAS) is a feature-rich video alert device that involves convenient setup, a 180-degree field of view HDR security camera, and two-way communications. With its impressive capabilities, the Arlo video doorbell is designed to enhance home security, package protection, and peace of mind. And wireless video doorbell monitoring by Arlo provides great utility with or without a subscription.
We found Arlo’s wireless video camera doorbell to be a great overall home security experience, especially as an on-the-fly, add-on doorbell that doesn’t require wiring and can be used with either Arlo’s Smart Base Station or via a direct Wi-Fi connection. It offers a full suite of notification capabilities, motion alert types, and a security camera with a good field of view. While the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell camera packs enough features, some may come at an additional subscription cost for your home security regimen.
Pros
Cons
Arlo’s wire-free video doorbell is slim but somewhat bulky in design and quite obvious from a distance. The size is inevitable though, requiring storage of a battery that can provide up to 6 months of continuous wireless operation. It’s visually appealing, featuring a smooth, streamlined design with futuristic sophistication that can match virtually any home decor.
The size and form almost acts as a deterrent in itself. From a distance, it lets people know ahead of time that they’re going to be watched and alerted as they approach from a sidewalk or street. The mounting bracket is slightly angled, providing better positioning if you need to mount the video doorbell to a side of a wall as opposed to a front facing wall.
Using the included release pin, you can quickly remove the housing to access the battery and charge it separately indoors. I wouldn’t go as far to say it’s a NEMA-like weatherproof enclosure.
However, the housing provides a tight enough seal to brush off rain and snow.
Close attention should still be paid to where the doorbell is mounted - particularly in open overhead areas without protection from rain or snow dripping from above. The Arlo doorbell can operate in temperatures ranging from -4 to 113℉.
The Arlo Essential doorbell offers convenient phone call notifications, ensuring that you never miss a visitor at your doorstep. When someone rings the doorbell, you'll receive a phone call or text message directly to your smartphone or tablet, allowing you to answer and communicate with your visitors remotely.
With its advanced smart alerts, the Arlo doorbell keeps you aware of any activity near your front door. The doorbell utilizes intelligent detection technology to send instant alerts to your phone whenever motion is detected. This allows you to monitor your home and promptly respond to any potential security concerns.
The Arlo video doorbell offers an optional emergency call service, providing an additional layer of security. In case of an emergency, you can quickly call for help with a single tap on the Arlo app, ensuring the safety of you and your loved ones.
Equipped with advanced motion and package detection, the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell provides comprehensive monitoring of your front entrance. Whether it's detecting motion in the designated field of view or identifying package deliveries, this doorbell keeps you informed about every important event at your doorstep. Some advanced detection features, also known as “Smart Alerts” in the Arlo app, require an Arlo Secure subscription.
Another note on package detection: A camera is required to be mounted in an overhead and angled position in order to receive a dedicated alert for packages. This is most likely due to needing a better angle for Arlo’s AI to detect and distinguish packages from other objects.
The Arlo wireless doorbell delivers exceptional video and audio quality. With its high-definition security camera and wide aspect ratio, you can enjoy clear and detailed visuals of your visitors. The two-way audio feature ensures consistent communication, allowing you to have conversations with visitors directly from your phone or tablet.
The Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell offers convenient ways to answer the door. Whether you're at home or away, you can use the Arlo app on your phone to see and talk to visitors in real-time. This feature allows for a secure and hassle-free interaction, ensuring that you're always in control.
The Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell seamlessly integrates with popular smart home platforms, including Alexa and Google Assistant. You can conveniently control and manage your doorbell through voice commands, making it a valuable addition to your smart home ecosystem.
In addition to its core features, the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell offers a range of bonus functionalities. These include a built-in siren to deter from either potential intruders or to protect packages, night vision capabilities for round-the-clock monitoring, and the option for enhanced video quality and additional storage with a subscription to Arlo's premium services.
The Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell offers seamless wireless notifications, ensuring you stay informed about visitors and events at your front door. To receive alerts using the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell, you need to follow a simple setup process.
These notifications provide real-time information about who is at your door or any potential activity. You can also choose to receive chime notifications on compatible devices, such as Google Home or Alexa-enabled devices, to hear an audible alert throughout your home. For those who may be disabled or handicapped, this extra feature can pay dividends.
With the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell's two-way audio capability, you can even have conversations with your visitors directly through the app. Additionally, the doorbell offers features like night vision, high-definition video quality, and compatibility with Arlo's subscription services for enhanced video storage and advanced features.
In our research, it was unclear whether standard motion detection (alerts from motion picked up by doorbell without pressing a button) were included as a default service or required an additional subscription to Arlo Secure.
The Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell offers both free and subscription-based services to cater to different user needs known as Arlo Smart. The Arlo subscription plan levels include:
It's important to note that while the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell functions perfectly well without a subscription, the plans enhance the doorbell’s access to additional features and cloud storage options. To manage your subscription and access its features, you can use the Arlo app on your smartphone or through the Arlo web portal. The app allows you to customize your settings, view recorded videos, and receive notifications based on your preferences. While the subscription plans come at an additional cost, they enhance the functionality and performance of the doorbell, providing a comprehensive home security solution.
Installing the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell is a straightforward process that allows you to set up your video doorbell quickly and easily.
One confusing aspect of the setup process included package detection. When configuring the Arlo doorbell to detect package deliveries, the app states that a camera is required to be mounted overhead and at an angle in order for the AI to detect a package. Hence, we’re not sure whether you needed a second camera mounted above versus solely using the wireless doorbell.
Obviously it would not make sense to mount your wireless doorbell camera at an elevated position where you cannot reach the button! In our brief tests for detecting package deliveries with the Arlo Essential Wireless doorbell, packages could not be detected using the doorbell’s only camera.
The Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell offers seamless integration with popular voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, enhancing its functionality and convenience. Here's how the integration works with both Alexa and Google Assistant:
Once linked, you can use voice commands with your Alexa-enabled devices, such as Echo speakers or Fire TV, to interact with the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell. You can ask Alexa to show the live feed from your doorbell on compatible devices with screens or view recorded videos from your Arlo cameras and doorbells.
Additionally, you can create routines or automation using Alexa, allowing you to customize actions based on specific events or voice commands related to your Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell.
Once linked, you can use voice commands with your Google Assistant-enabled devices, such as Google Nest speakers or displays, to control and interact with the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell. You can ask Google Assistant to show the live feed from your doorbell on compatible devices with screens or view recorded videos from your Arlo cameras and doorbells.
Similar to Alexa, you can also create routines or automation using Google Assistant, allowing you to customize actions based on specific events or voice commands related to your Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell.
Once connected, the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell maintains a stable and reliable wireless connection to your Wi-Fi network. It ensures consistent performance and minimizes interruptions in video streaming and communication. It supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks.
This dual-band capability provides flexibility, allowing you to connect to the most suitable frequency based on your network setup and requirements. The doorbell is designed to have an extended Wi-Fi range, enabling it to connect to your network even if the doorbell is located at a considerable distance from your Wi-Fi router.
Arlo utilizes industry-standard security protocols to protect your Wi-Fi connection and ensure data privacy. This includes encryption algorithms and secure authentication methods, safeguarding your network from unauthorized access. Arlo has designed the doorbell to work with common Wi-Fi standards, including 802.11n and 802.11ac.
Arlo is designed for network resilience, handling fluctuations in Wi-Fi network conditions effectively. It employs mechanisms to adapt to varying signal strengths and maintain a reliable connection, even in challenging wireless environments.
Customer reviews state timely and informative responses when reaching out to Arlo for assistance. Their service team has been commended for their technical knowledge and ability to troubleshoot issues related to the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell. Users have mentioned receiving step-by-step guides, connectivity notes, software updates, and other technical concerns.
Their customer service representatives have been described as accommodating and efficient in processing warranty replacements or addressing any defective units. The company offers a wealth of online resources, including product guides, FAQs, and video tutorials. Arlo maintains an active online community forum where users can seek advice, share experiences, and get assistance from fellow users.
While the majority of customer feedback regarding Arlo's customer service is positive, there may be isolated instances where users have encountered challenges or delays in their support experience. However, such cases appear to be less frequent compared to the positive reviews overall. It's important to note that customer service experiences can vary, and it's always advisable to reach out to Arlo's official support channels for personalized assistance.
But how does the Arlo Essential Wire-Free Video Doorbell stack up against its top competitors in the market? In this review, we’ll compare it to three other popular wireless video doorbells: the Nest Hello, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, and the Eufy Security Wireless Video Doorbell.
The Nest Hello is a wired device that offers HD video, facial recognition, and 24/7 recording. It costs $229 MSRP, but you can also find it on sale sometimes. It requires a Nest Aware subscription to access recorded video and smart features, which starts from $6 per month or $60 per year. The device works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, and other Nest devices.
The Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus is a battery-powered device that offers 1080p video, pre-roll feature, and adjustable motion zones. It costs $229.99 MSRP, but you can also find it on sale often. It works with Ring Protect plans, which start from $3 per month or $30 per year for video history and features. The device works with Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, and other Ring devices.
The Eufy Security Wireless Video Doorbell is a battery-powered device that offers 2K video, human detection, and facial snapshot notifications. It costs $159.99 MSRP and comes with a wireless chime and local storage included. It does not require a subscription plan to access recorded video and features. The device works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and other Eufy devices.
By leveraging its Wi-Fi connectivity features, the Arlo Essential Wireless Doorbell provides you with the convenience of accessing live video feeds, receiving notifications, and communicating with visitors through the Arlo app. Its stable and extended Wi-Fi range ensures that you can confidently monitor your front door.
The overall experience, especially for existing Arlo customers adding cameras and monitoring solutions to their current setup, was flawless. The video doorbell’s operation was dependable and the equipment seemed reliable over the course of our tests. Once setup, you do find certain offerings from the subscription service to be confusing.
For example, are you able to detect motion and receive video alerts using the video doorbell when not subscribed to Arlo Secure? Is package detection available if you don’t have a second overhead camera (as described during the app setup for package detection with the video doorbell)? Are custom alert sounds a problem inherent to Arlo or the phone’s OS? In our attempts to research this, we found conflicting information online.
Despite subscription questions, Arlo’s video doorbell performed very reliably in almost every encounter I threw at it; operating day or night. It’s highly configurable and resilient in its connections, providing a smooth home security experience well deserving of our recommendation.
