Hands-On With the Arlo Home Security System

Home security these days is much easier than it used to be, and having a home security system that you can customize and expand as needed makes it even easier to know your house is always safe.

I've used several different brands of home security products (like the Blink Outdoor 4 Wireless Floodlight) and systems and have—more than once—Frankensteined together systems from various brands of equipment. So, when Arlo offered up the chance to give their Keypad and Sensor hub (with a couple of sensors), video doorbell, and the recently released key tags a try, I was all in. Why not see how this shakes out against the others that I've used?

One thing is certain, it's nice having a single system that controls everything from your motion sensors and cameras to open doors, at-home alarms, and the front doorbell camera. That also means only having a single app to keep track of, which is a dream scenario for me.

Setting Up the Arlo Home Security System

The system I tested has three parts: The Arlo Home Security System with All-in-One Sensors, the Arlo Video Doorbell, and the Arlo Security Tags. You can also get indoor and outdoor cameras and floodlights, too, but I didn't test them.

The way I set the system up was probably a little out of order, but it just goes to show that you can do it however you want and add to it as you go. The first thing I installed was the Arlo Video Doorbell 2K (2nd gen). It can be wired or wireless, but I opted to go the wireless route. It's shaped much like the Google Nest DoorbelI and also requires a little key (like the ones you use to pop out a SIM card) to take it down for charging once it's mounted. But I was able to mount it, connect it to the Arlo app, and get it working in less than 15 minutes.

Quick note about the Arlo App: I love how simple it is to use. It's well-designed, and there are plenty of options for controlling motion detection, using the doorbell camera to speak to visitors, and prompting visitors to leave a message if they don't answer the door. What it's missing, though, is the neighborhood social network that Ring offers for its video doorbell camera, which I did find useful for staying updated on what's going on in my neighborhood.

The Home Security System and All-in-One Sensors were up next. This is where I hit a little stumbling block. For some reason, my phone would not allow the Keypad Sensor Hub to connect to the local network, but a quick call with Arlo got me up and running. After that, I was able to set up the hub, add sensors, and test everything in a matter of minutes. The Sensor Hub is also equipped for motion detection, so I chose to set it up near a door that doesn't have a sensor. That way, when the system is armed if someone comes through that door, I'll be notified about it.

The Security Tags, which you use to disarm your alarm system, were equally as easy, except it might have taken all of two minutes to get them up and running. All you have to do is add a device in the app, tell it what the device is, and then tap the key tag to the Sensor Hub. Done. Every part of this system was easy to add. If you take the little bump in the road out of the picture, that's a grand total of about half an hour to have sensors, a doorbell camera, and key tags all connected and working together. I can't imagine it would take much longer to add cameras to the mix.

Using the Arlo Home Security Devices

Once the system is set up, there isn't much more to do. The video doorbell (which is rechargeable) automatically monitors for and notifies you of motion at your door, and if someone presses the doorbell button, you'll get a notification. You can tap into the app at any time to see a live feed from your doorbell, and if you have a security plan (we'll get to that), you may even have some cloud storage for videos.

The Sensor Hub monitors the All-in-One Sensors, which can be used for opening/closing doors and windows, breaking glass, water, fire, CO2, and more. You can arm the system for Home or Away, and (again, with a security plan) there's even an emergency button to call police or fire if needed.

The Security Tags are just to disarm your system, and you can use them at the Sensor Hub. If your system is set to Away, you can tap the tag on your Arlo Video Doorbell to disarm your system before you even open your front door.

All of these devices will work without a subscription to an Arlo Security Plan, but you'll get more features if you have one. The plans start at $7.99 per month for the most basic plan servicing one camera and go up to $24.99 per month for all the benefits, including professional monitoring. You can get a bit of a discount on those prices if you purchase a yearly plan instead. But do you need a plan? That really depends on what you need a home security system for. If you're not sure, Arlo has a limited-time trial you can access to get an idea of how helpful the plan might or might not be.

Are the Arlo Security Products Worth It?

The big question is always whether a product is worth the price. The Arlo Home Security System with two All-in-One Sensors will cost you about $200. Additional sensors run around $30 each. The 2K Video Doorbell will cost you about $130, and the Security Tags are $20 for a two-pack. Then you have to consider the cost of the Security Plan if that's something that you think you need. That put Arlo's security products in the same general price range as other home security providers.

For me, though, the winning element of the equation is the ease with which I connected everything and added to it as I needed to. It's definitely an expandable system, and in most cases, you don't need one specific element to purchase any other. If you want to start with the doorbell camera and grow it from there, you can. Or a security camera first, and then a Home Security System with All-in-One sensors. However best suits your needs. That's what pushed it over for me, and it's exactly why I would say yes, Arlo Home Security is worth it, and it does everything I need it to do.

Arlo Home Security System

Arlo Video Doorbell