Arlo Pro 5 review: video you can rely on

Arlo’s home security cameras have traditionally been very good indeed and this latest gen model of the indoor-outdoor camera switches up a few key features and works alongside a redesigned Arlo Secure app.

Just as with rival devices like Ring’s camera lineup, you’ll need an Arlo Secure subscription ($2.99/£3.50 per month) to get the most out of your camera and enable you to save your video to the cloud for 60 days.

The key new enhancements this time around are a 12-bit sensor (instead of 10-bit) delivering 2K colour video 24 hours a day.

The improvement is clear and the quality of the video very crisp indeed, though it lacks the 4K video of the higher-end pro-level Ultra series.

Arlo says the sensor is around six times better than the already-tasty Pro 4 and with the ability to see 68 billion colours though its 160 degree view. Colour night vision also comes over from the Pro 4, too.

Video quality

The upshot of the increase in video quality is aiding you in identifying suspects whether there’s a break-in or – more likely – who from no. 23 has nicked your green recycling bin.

The bright spotlight can pick out faces from 7m away (it is strikingly bright) while there’s 12x zoom as well if you need to zoom into something specific, perhaps if you’re not at home.

Also debuting in the Pro 5 is a low-power mode that can extend the battery life by around 50% by reducing things like video previews.

The camera has around 30% better battery life than the Pro 4 anyway – a stunning eight months – but the option is there to extend it even more if you need to.

Arlo has also added the ability to connect to both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks this time around, too, which just adds to the flexibility.

App and settings

The Arlo Secure app includes stacks of settings. You can auto zoom and track, change brightness or even rotate the video if the cam is on its side.

The app also enables you to specify if you’re at home or away and change behaviour accordingly.

The camera will send you motion alerts (and people alerts if humans are detected) but you can control these or stop them altogether. You can also specify activity zones should you want the cam to avoid something such as a neighbouring drive.

The Pro 5 will happily play nicely alongside your smart assistant of choice including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri.

Arlo Pro 5 verdict

There’s no doubt it’s expensive (especially if you need to buy more than one) but the Arlo Pro 5 is a premium option with excellent detail and colour night vision.

Setup is really simple to do and the app works brilliantly, but then it should do since you have to pay that monthly sub.

If you’ve already got a doorbell from Ring or Nest you’re likely to plump for a cam from one of those companies but if not, the Arlo is simply ace.

Arlo Pro 5 tech specs

Video resolution	720p, 1080p, 2K
Field of view	160 degrees
Digital zoom	12x
Spotlight	Yes
Night vision	2x high power IR LEDs
Microphone	1x high sensitivity
Removable battery	Yes
Two-way audio	Yes
Battery life	8 months