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Home / Reviews / Arlo Pro 5 review: video you can rely on

Arlo Pro 5 review: video you can rely on

Arlo’s latest cam can see more detail, so you can find out which rascal smashed that pane in your greenhouse

Arlo Pro 5

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.

Arlo Pro 5 box

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.

Arlo Pro 5

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.

Arlo Pro 5 screens

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.

Stuff Says…

Score: 5/5

Welcome improvements come to an already-great camera.

Pros

Excellent video quality

Well-designed

Easy setup

Low-power mode useful

Cons

Expensive

Settings can be confusing

Arlo Pro 5 tech specs

Video resolution720p, 1080p, 2K
Field of view160 degrees
Digital zoom12x
SpotlightYes
Night vision2x high power IR LEDs
Microphone1x high sensitivity
Removable batteryYes
Two-way audioYes
Battery life8 months
Profile image of Dan Grabham Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Areas of expertise

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home