Arlo Essential Indoor Home Security Camera System CCTV, 1080p, 2-Way Audio, Animal Detection, Alerts, Built-in Siren, Night Vision, Wired, With 90-Day Free Trial of Arlo Secure Plan, Black
HD video and night vision
Get a clear picture of who and what is in your home with 1080p HD video and crisp night vision.
Instant motion alerts to your phone
Receive an alert when your camera detects motion or sound and check the live video feed to see what triggered it.
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Easy installation
Plugs into your mains power for straight forward set-up and 24/7 power.
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Connect direct to WIFI
No base station required – simply connect to your 2.4Ghz wifi network for the doorbell to work.
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Built-in siren
Integrated siren that can trigger automatically when motion is detected or be set-off manually.
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2-Way Audio
Hear and speak to anyone in your home from your smartphone, through the built-in speaker and mic.
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Privacy shield
Disarm your cameras audio and video when you are home for more complete privacy.
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Arlo Service Plans
Sign up to an Arlo Secure service plan for a monthly fee to unlock advanced features on your camera
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Visual Security
Monitor your home & store the videos on the cloud, in the resolution they were recorded, for 30-days
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Advanced Detection
Store your videos on the cloud, in the resolution they were recorded, for up to 60-days
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Faster Response
Arlo service plans enhance our cameras with advanced A.I. features to identify security risks
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Greater Peace of Mind
Easily set-up or cancel – and if your camera is stolen your plan entitles you to a free replacement*
Arlo Home Security Cameras: Protect What You Love Most
 Essential Indoors |  Essential XL |  Essential White |  Essential Black |  Wirefree Video Doorbell | |
| Video Quality | 1080P HD | 1080P HD | 1080P HD | 1080P HD | 1080P HD |
| Battery Life | Wired | 12 months | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months |
| Field of View | 130 degree | 130 degree | 130 degree | 130 degree | 180 degree |
| Wireless | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works without Base station | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Color Night Vision | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spotlight | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Alarm Siren | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weather Resistant | NA | -20° C to 45° C | -20° C to 45° C | -20° C to 45° C | -20° C to 45° C |
| Wifi Bandwidth Required | 2.4 GHz wifi | 2.4 GHz wifi | 2.4 GHz wifi | 2.4 GHz wifi | 2.4 GHz wifi |
| Local Storage | Base station required | Base station required | Base station required | Base station required | Base station required |
| Weight: | 427 g |
| Size: | 1 Camera Indoor |
| Dimensions: | 5.2 x 4.9 x 11.32 cm; 427 Grams |
| Model: | VMC2040B-100EUS |
| Part: | VMC2040B-100EUS |
| Colour: | Black |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Manufacture: | Arlo |
| Colour: | Black |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Size: | 1 Camera Indoor |
I found them easy to set up and install. Apps is easy to use. If you have lots of motion then the batteries will get used up more quickly So depends where they are.
Absolutely fantastic purchase and worth every penny! Would have been nice if it came with the magnetic holder. Needs screwing up the holder to the wall
Easy installation,app works brilliant. Very clear video, bright light at night motion. Only downside is you get notified if bird /cat crosses field of vision however video notification will specify animal.
Well made quality camera, first class motion sensor & light and fantastic vision quality
Will buy more from ARLOW & AMAZON
I had a eufy, and wanted another camera. A friend showed me what his arlo could do and the app. I was particularly impressed with the app and how easy it was to view the history of recordings. far better than eufys. ok there is a subscription but worth it as I can leave the notifications turned on as they are clever and only show actual movements, rather than a cat walking by. I wasn’t going with eufy after finding out they store my data in China, whereas arlo is stored in Europe.
I also liked how the app gives a preview image on the lock screen.
the image quality is good for my needs, I’m not fussed about 4k.
and I didn’t expect it but the spotlight does really work.
For security in front and back of a 3 floor townhouse it is so easy to access from anywhere in the world.
I have a arlo pro which was fine, this is alot better. I was going to go with eufy cause they are cheaper, but when you look into who is behind them, and I’m conscious of who has my data and videos. so I’m ok with paying a little extra for this peace of mind.
the 1080p is a good bit better than the pro I have. so happy.
I’ve never been satisfied with Arlo camera wake-up and record time, until now. Had I known how slow Arlo cameras are to wake up I would not have bought several of them, however this new Essential camera is the mutt’s nuts
he camera works very well, is the pay monthly for the store tha put me off.
Happy with the product. For the price you can’t beat i
It’s good but not sure it’s going to be worth paying for the downloads angler free period
It’s quite easy to set up but it requires 2.5 GHz WiFi for set up.
The app could use some improvement.
Not the best video / picture quality, depending on the distance, for example closer is better.
Requires a paid subscription! (3 months trial included which activates when you set up the camera)
The 4 seconds lag which drives me crazy and I find it annoying.
Siren and speaker is a bit to quiet
Micro USB charging port (I was expecting type C )
Good night vision and motion detection.
Individual active areas can be set to detect movements.
Good battery lifetime
Easy to install
Overall good, but at this price (239.99) range other options could be considered .
This was our second attempt at outdoor cameras- the first were really poor quality and ended up sending them back. Replaced them with the arlo camera- this was a huge upgrade!! Cameras are great quality!
Arlo Indoor Home Security Camera System CCTV is a product that is giving us peace of mind, especially when we are away from home for longer.
The device was completely effortless to set up and Arlo’s app does everything I need. There are subscription services available for cloud storage and monitoring that I will consider when the trial is up.
It took me only 5 minutes to set it up. Make sure you connect the 2.4 GHz network, not the 5 GHz. It won’t connect on the 5 GHz network.
The video is clear, has IR night vision, the siren is quite loud and annoying which is perfect to scare the intruders, and the privacy shutter is very reassuring!
The voice response is slightly delayed, as to be expected with something having to go through the internet, but still very nice for quick messages to delivery drivers and guests. The camera is very easy to mount and comes with a detachable mounting plate.
Overall, this is a very nice, inexpensive camera.
Thank you for reading my honest and unbiased review, I hope you found it helpful! 🙂
very good small camera, easy to set up. connects to your phone via an app, very easy to set up.
this is my second Arlo camera, my first had the option to fit a solar charging panel, this one does not have that option, which means you have to remove the camera from its mountings & charge it indoors & then re-mount the camera & spend a minute or two making sure it points in the correct direction.
subscription needed to store video, about 2.50 a month, more if you want the deluxe package
Easy to install, and really like the Arlo App. Being wire free made installation a doddle. Neighbours saw ours and the picture quality, and are about to order one themselves. Would recommend. Battery life unlikely to meet the 6 months suggested, bit unclipping it 4 times a year to recharge is not a major chore.
Battery doesn’t last that long and there is quite a delay with things happening to you being alerted. You can watch things happening live.. but then it Dosent record things at the same time. Ok for the price but think hard wired ones would have been bette
It works really well, even better than many other brands and was easy to attach to our other, Arlo outdoor cameras to view them all on the same hub in the app. It also has a privacy filter you can put up if you want to make sure you aren’t being watched while you’re home.The image quality is really good no complains about that.The only big downside is that if you want to have all functionality of this camera you gonna have to pay for a monthly subscription. 3 month trial is included, after the trial you still can use it and have functions such as receive push notifications and email when motion is detected or hear and see what is moving around and sound alarm if warranted. But on negative side live feed will be a significant delay, no capturing video automatically when motion is detected and storing it for review later.So overall nice stylish indoor camera, good image quality, but after 3 months you need to pay a monthly subscription to have full functionality. 2k plan for a single camera will cost 2.79/mo and 8.99 for unlimited cameras, 4K 12.99/mo
Great little camera, gives a fantastic picture during the and night, perfect security camera, good to do business with you
A good product well made and fully weather proof. Only point is that as we have an active space being monitored the battery is going down a lot faster than the stated 365 days. In fact if we are in I am switching off during the day and only use if we are out or at night time. Would recommend if you can get it at the sale price.
Despite fully charging before use and adding a solar panel during one of the hottest periods of the summer the battery is almost fully discharged after 13 days. The motion detection is great and the picture during daytime is detailed, though much less so at night, but this is almost useless if two weeks is all I get from a supposedly 6-month battery life.
Love this CCTV camera. It is really easy to set up. It took me about 20 minutes and that included fixing the bracket to the porch. It even recognises the difference between a vehicle, person or animal moving in front of the camera.
Got this as a friend from work has the system too, works very well indeed
I’ve also reviewed the Ultra 2 kit, but this is very different
It is also very good. But as with the Ultra 2 system it’s not perfect.
So what’s good?
– Fairly easy setup (you need a new-ish smartphone to benefit from this)
– Totally wireless solution – NO base station required!!!!
– OK image quality
– Decent smart detection
– Customisable alerts depending on when and what you want to secure
– Good snapshots and video
– For an extra charge you can have 24/7 recording of the last month
The not so good
– After 3 months the subscription cost is not cheap. For up to 5 cameras you’re looking at around 16 a month
– Battery life could be better – and the batteries are not user replaceable
– Micro USB charging… why not USB C???
– You have to pay another extra charge for 24/7 recording
– The mounts can be a bit fiddly
So there are ups and downs, as with the Ultra I hate the monthly subscription cost, equally I think image quality could be a bit better.
However, as a totally wireless solution, with no base station required, this is very good.
Works well with our older arlo base station. Easy to set up and get operational. Will be interesting to see how long the charge lasts. So far so good…very pleased.
Always been a fan of Arlow cameras, and this new addition it’s great. Love the privacy shield
You can hear through them and talk to any intruders
Nicely packaged and as per usual for any Arlo product. High quality and reliable.
Unboxing was satisfaction and as Arlo is a high-quality product it made whole process amazingly simple. Clear instructions are included, and setup is straight forward. Minor IT knowledge is required.
Camera worked after setting up immediately and no issues to me. All features are present and useful, night vision especially and at some points it offers smoother image/video than on daylight.
2-way audio is clear and works very well.
12- months battery life is to be tested but a month has gone, and it is still up and running.
UPDATE:
After getting my hands on the second set of Arlo cameras, to be more precise, set of 3 Arlo essential cameras I would like to add few more things to the review and compare them with Arlo Pro 4 set as I got them as well.
It seems that from the first review things and information about battery have changed a lot. First it was stating battery will last 12 months and then 6 months. Unfortunately as from other reviews as well battery lasts only 2 weeks to a month depending on activity and working hours of the camera.
Keeping that in mind, it is time to mention charging of the camera. Arlo Essential compared to Arlo Pro4 has micro USB port and cameras cannot be taken out of the casing but they need to be detached, brought inside, charged and put back to use which, for someone could be much work to do and loosing recording time.
Image quality for 1080p which is highest resolution of Arlo Essential is good. Expectations cannot be super high. Even then these cameras are in the higher quality range and 1080p resolution is a lot better than on some other cameras, if that makes sense.
One major thing I would like to mention and most of people are interested in is additional features like cloud storage, recording, richer activity notifications. Please keep in mind that you will not get any of these but free trial. After 30 days free trial you are left bare skin and will have to pay for all those features otherwise you will have only live streaming and few notification options.
I can’t fault these cameras at all and their price. These are high end, quality cameras and they do their job just perfectly and as described except few information like battery life. 3 Cameras as a set have roughly the same price as if you buy them separately so it is up to you to choose. Subscription and prices are acceptable as we can see Arlo is developing their products and bringing high standards to every day users and those who are after security systems
I bought as a replacement for another camera that died only a few months after purchase. Set up was easy as was installation. I have had to reset once as the WiFi dropped but seems ok since. Just make sure your router or extender is as close as possible for optimal strength. Motion detection seems ok and can be adjusted if too sensitive.The microphone seems ok, I’ve even spoke to the postman whilst at work. All in all for the price it’s a decent little camera with great video quality.
Easy to instal and use. Excellent video quality and features. App is particularly impressive.
A good 1080p camera that can work out of the box straight to your WIFI network and on to your phone app, alternatively, and if you’re an existing Arlo camera system owner, it can connect to an Arlo hub and be part of your camera system that connects to the app. It has an internal battery in a sealed system but can be charged. Arlo boast 1-year battery life but I would charge this if I knew I was going to be away for any length of time, and because there are power management settings within the app, I would always go for video quality over any economic use of the battery, so check your charge levels. There are so many different settings to use with this camera and the options only grow with a subscription plan, you get a 3-month trial included, but if you are getting this just as a first camera, I would not even bother with a subscription.
The image quality is very good as is the audio up to about 20ft I had no problem. At night, the IR footage is OK and as expected, but when the spot light is on and in colour mode at night the footage is not perfect, it displays some artefacts and is not as clear, I am unsure whether this is because of interference from the camera to my router or not but I have a very robust WIFI set up so I think this is what you get from a lower resolution camera at night, oh and the spot light is so strong, if this doesn’t scare a prowler, it’s going to blind them. All in all, this is a good additional camera for an already existing Arlo ecosystem or if you have an Arlo subscription plan, as a standalone camera it’s OK not the best but OK. Over all this is a great entry level camera – I am blown away that I can have this up and running in straight out of the box, no subscription no hub no wires just me my network and a smart phone, very impressive and for that you get security with 130 cover in colour or in IR at night and it works pretty dammed well and you would be hard pressed to find all this at a cheaper price.
I’m quite a big fan of the Arlo range of wireless cameras, and have a few around my property (mostly the Arlo Pro style battery powered wireless outdoor cameras, which use a base station).
If you have one of the more modern base stations (the Arlo Pro range onwards I think), then this camera can also connect via that. But it’s not essential & can cloud connect directly as a standalone device.
This one is mains powered (no battery option). I’ve noticed they have several different devices under the same listing, so the Amazon reviews get mixed together – please check which specific device is being reviewed as they’re all different in terms of use / battery vs mains / etc. This device I’ve reviewed is the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera, product code VMC2040, which was selling for around 120 when tested.
Setup was simple enough – remove from the box, plug in, connect to WiFi and away you go. The instructions aren’t bad, but it’s even easier if you watch the various videos (including one from Arlo) which you can access online.
Video quality is reasonable, especially in daylight. It’s 1080p resolution, so technically HD, and the automatic settings (colour, brightness, focus, etc) all work well.
Night vision isn’t bad – as ever this hinges hugely on how much ambient light. The camera has integrated infrared LEDs so can operate in zero light, but if you have some ambient light, the quality is significantly better.
WiFi range is reasonable also. I’ve managed to get this connected 3 rooms away (stone walls) from my WiFi router – so it’s decent enough for most domestic properties.
If you want a standalone mains powered camera, I can certainly recommend this. My more general experience of Arlo kit is positive, and on the couple of occasions I’ve had issues, I’ve had no difficulty contacting them for technical support. So overall, they’re a company I’d be comfortable to recommend.
This camera is well made was good when we put up just out of the window. We were happy as we could watch the birds and wild life in the garden worked well for a few days. After a few days we found the battery was and the WiFi were both giving a lot of problems. We could not catch the birds in the early hours on checking found the battery and the camera were not getting enough of signal and that the battery had to work harder. In our excitement we forgot to check all. We had to immediately make changes to the position and we then brought it indoors on the window sill and now got it set well. Surprisingly not only see wildlife but also managed to catch a peeping Tom thanks to this camera something we weren’t aware of. It’s very easy to set up with the app. It is a very sensitive camera for WiFi signal is concerned. After the initial battery scare now we are fine. The biggest negative is the camera has no SD slot and will have to think about the cloud rate. We will try putting it out in another month or so to see if we can work the correct position and will then review it again.
I’ve been looking for a discrete camera that’s small yet powerful enough to do what I need – which is to keep my family safe! This camera ticks all the boxes, it’s compact, wireless, 2 way audio for when we’re not home and clear recording including colour night vision – plus it’s got a spotlight! It all seemed brilliant, just what I wanted, that’s until I realised that the battery life isn’t 12 months as described in the product description! I understand that every household is going to be different, but I need to point out that we don’t have a lot of visitors (just come out of lockdown!) and we don’t constantly go in and out of our front door!! The reason I suspect the battery is draining is down to having 2 cats! The camera will trigger every time the sensor picks up movement, yes this is a good thing especially as it’s got the sensitivity to detect a cat but it also means that the battery isn’t going to last a year, I’ll be lucky if it lasts a few months! Despite the shorter battery life than expected I’m still happy with it, I didn’t want to have to wire a camera so I guess I can’t have it all ways – to be fair it was easy to fit and was up and running in no time.
The picture clarity is fantastic and there are a range of functions to suit your needs available via the App. If you’re looking for home security then you really won’t go wrong with this camera.
I unpacked the camera, fitted the unit in a location which would be easy for me to access but not so easy for an intruder and paired it with the WiFi. All good so far and now to check the performance over the next few days. We have NOVA WiFi mesh type extenders connecting all of our house, outbuildings and even the majority of our garden and therefore we do not find the WiFi issues that some reviewers have identified.
A couple of things we have noted already in regard to performance. We have fibre broadband, but live in a rural location with fibre to the cabinet (fttc) rather than fibre to the premises (fttp) and so our download speed at best is around 12 mbps and our upload about 0.5mbps. It really is not fast enough to transmit images at any speed to the cloud and renders the voice option redundant: not a fault of the camera itself, but one potential purchasers should be aware of, particularly as this camera relies on much faster upload speeds. We have a different re-chargeable system protecting our home and find that the combination of SD storage and only accessing WiFi to review live or recorded footage and receive notifications more flexible and significantly faster: that said the images from this system are far better than my other camera units. We have noticed though that the delay is so significant that by the time the camera starts to upload the image that the camera has missed it. I can only reiterate, that as far as we can see, it is our broadband which renders this unit less effective than it should be.
I have no negative comments to make about this camera as we struggle to test its performance properly at the moment. It has a light which is effective and when triggered enhances night vision makedly.
Unfortunately we have removed the camera as whilst I would happily keep it in place as a deterrent, as a Vine reviewer, I cannot provide an honest appraisal at this time. I have therefore installed the camera at my niece’s home and with her feedback I will provide a more accurate review.
Ease of setup, use and quality image day or night from small package. The lack of storage and need to purchase monthly subscription to get the fuller use of camera was why lost star. Older base station models still working but need additional cameras and these fit the bill.
Arlo CCTV is easy to install and easy to use. It identifies different sources of movement (animal, person, car) and you can talk with the delivery person by it.
Clear daylight pic, relatively fast alarm response on phone, battery 90% after a month
I didn’t think that the spotlight range was as good as I had hoped, but black and white night time recording ie with the spotlight turned off isn’t bad.
Nice looking functional camera and easy to install. Slight delay on pictures getting to mobile device but I knew that was an issue before purchasing.
Seems to detect and alert everything in cameras view which is a little annoying even though I have blocked off areas where I don’t want alerts
Should be straightforward to install, but we had to run the setup process many times, on several devices, before finally getting it added to our Netgear account. Once set up, though, it’s been fine – good image and audio quality, and motion detection seems very good. Having to dismount to charge with USB is a bit of a pain, but it would be the same with batteries. Overall, happy with this camera, but it could be easier to install!
I was looking for a CCTV camera that was easy to install and operate. Having revied the Arlo Essential this looked like the perfect solution. Only had it for seven days but very impressed with the device and Arlo support.
So much easier than the earlier Pro I have to set up and have the ability to set off an alarm, hear what is happening and talk to them.
Easy to install. App is very good and simple to navigate.
Excellent cameras – placed on front of house overlooking driveway and at the side of the house. Can see who comes and goes very clearly
The security camera itself is excellent but the app that is used with it not so much as there is a delay and always seems to buffer .
This Arlo Essential CCTV camera system gives a good initial start up to the world of CCTV. Everything you could need to get started is included in the box.
Initial set up was easy as possible. Download the app. Create an account. Turn on the camera and scan the QR code that is on the base of the camera. Links together flawlessly.
You attach the base mount where you want the camera to be secured with the supplied screws & plugs), then the camera attaches to the base mount via a standard tripod style screw thread. I would be a bit cautious of securing this outside due to the ease of removing. A thief could be off with your expensive camera within seconds f they were able to reach them. Even several feet high could be taken if the thief is determined enough.
They connect via wifi, and do not require a base station. So you need to ensure you have a good signal where you install this, to ensure good coverage.
You can adjust and set activity zones to ensure the camera activates when movement is detected within those set zones.
The battery lasts us about 2 weeks, then we take it down, charge it up with the supplied USB to Micro USB cable. Charging takes a few hours.
We used these internally, facing outwards, in our porch. One thing to note is that cameras that use IR motion detection, such as this, as opposed to pixel motion detectors do not always work through windows/glass or plastic. This also affects the night vision and the spotlight, if you used those settings. So it is worth checking if that is how you was planning to use this camera. If you did have the spotlight and/or night vision activated, you will only have the reflection visible.
You get a 3 months free subscription to the Arlo cloud storage services. Then its 7.99 or 12.49 per month for 2k or 4K 30 day clip storage. There is no way to locally store data on the cameras.
There is also a Siren and two way communication function, if you needed to communicate to someone on the other side, perhaps to a delivery driver or the postman. Although this never seems to work on the first attempt.
The camera quality is excellent, however once zoomed, the image becomes very pixelated.
The pricy subscription lets this camera down. But you have no choice to get this, as you cannot locally store the data. Otherwise you will just have the camera that you can view live, but can’t record at all.
This is a excellent diy camera system that is very easy to setup and install. Would recommend this, if it meets your needs.
For me, though, the Arlo Smart Plan cloud subscription cost makes them uncompetitive. The only reasons I’d buy, vs. my Netatmo Presence cameras, are (1) for compatibility with other Arlo equipment I already owned or (2) the need for battery operation (but there are other battery cameras to consider). The two-way audio is useful too (Presence only offers a mic) except that, in my set-up, the cameras would be too far away from likely subjects.
You can’t really get away without a subscription. That’s mainly because there’s no local storage, but also because a subscription is the only way you get other key features that are standard with Presence, such as Person/Vehicle/Animal differentiation.
There are two subscription options but there seems little point in buying quality cameras and then storing clips at reduced image quality, so you pretty-much have to go for the 4K plan, and that costs 12.49/month for 2 to 5 cameras — call it 150 p.a. Even then you only get 30 days’ storage. I have a 35-night holiday booked in February, with little internet access, so want at least 36 days’ storage. Even if you don’t mind losing some image quality, and hence choose the 2K plan, you’ll have to pay almost 100 p.a.
If you need battery cameras, these are good. My Presence cameras are mains-powered; their mains adapters are plugged in to sockets indoors with wires through small holes in the wall to the cameras. Presence has on-board microSD storage and also lets you forward clips to Dropbox, a NAS drive or an FTP service — no subscription needed. Unlike Arlo, it offers pre-record, so you get a few seconds of whatever was happening before motion was detected. It also sends a thumbnail image to my Apple Watch of whatever triggered an alert. It isn’t perfect. There’s no speaker, for a start, it’s bulky because of the built-in floodlight, and isn’t pretty.
If you own other Arlo devices or really do need battery operation, this set of Arlo cameras is hard to beat. Quality is high and functionality is rich, if not fully comprehensive. They’re certainly worth the capital cost. It’s just that subscription that would stop me buying.
I hope that ramble helps a little, whether you choose Arlo, Netatmo Presence or something else.