Arlo Ultra 4K UHD Wire-free 3 Security Camera System

I bought this bundle a few months ago and had to return it as it was quite disappointing...Pros- Good quality video- Wide viewing angle- The app is nice and can be integrated with Google Home- The design is quite nice with the magnetic charger and mounting optionsConsThere are 3 major issues which led me to replace the Arlo cameras with cheaper brand but more stable.Battery Life - this is a major one, in a busy area the battery will barely last for 24 hours, I lowered the sensitivity and video quality but didn't help. In a less busy environment would last 4-5 days, the advertised months of battery life is with close to zero recording and defiantly not using 4K.Connectivity - another major item, the cameras disconnect all the time, sometimes after a few ... MoreI bought this bundle a few months ago and had to return it as it was quite disappointing...Pros- Good quality video- Wide viewing angle- The app is nice and can be integrated with Google Home- The design is quite nice with the magnetic charger and mounting optionsConsThere are 3 major issues which led me to replace the Arlo cameras with cheaper brand but more stable.Battery Life - this is a major one, in a busy area the battery will barely last for 24 hours, I lowered the sensitivity and video quality but didn't help. In a less busy environment would last 4-5 days, the advertised months of battery life is with close to zero recording and defiantly not using 4K.Connectivity - another major item, the cameras disconnect all the time, sometimes after a few minutes, sometimes after 15-20min, sometimes one camera will disconnect, in some cases all cameras become unavailableBase Station - this is a major design issue, the Arlo cameras can work only with the base station, which is using its own and dedicated SSID broadcasted from the base stations, the cameras are connecting to this SSID.In large areas it might not be enough, but the most significant issue is the interference with the existing WiFi.Arlo recommend not to place any WiFi routers/APs between the base station and the cameras but this might be impossible in some cases.I have very decent WiFi set up with 3 APs so why not to use that to connect between the cameras and base station.

Avoid Arlo like the plague

We purchased a three-camera Arlo system to protect our whare around four years ago. It was expensive ($1650) but promised much. The performance, when it works, is generally good, though fine-tuning is challenging, (even for a technophile like me). There are two main issues for our low rating 1) the outside systems fail very quickly in our salt-heavy kiwi air. I've had to replace two of the three cameras, which are expensive, and the solar chargers twice, which are also expensive. 2) support is non-existent, or at least it may as well be. We'll be replacing this entire system with a different, more kiwi-friendly and reliable brand soon.

Beware ongoing subscriptions

Solution itself is initially great.Wireless reception is great, I have cameras in locations mobile can't detect WiFi but cameras detect base station no issues at all, Arlo base station is next to my WiFi router!Disadvantage of wireless over wired is that you miss the first second of activity and with Arlo max recording time is 2 minutes before you need next activity to be detected for recording to restart.Beware though, with the Ultra camera cloud subscription expires after 1 year and there is no basic plan. Local SD card storage is possible but difficult to work with. Consider the Pro cameras as the free cloud subscription doesn't expire. Cloud subscription is based on cameras, not Arlo base station.If you're happy paying the monthly cloud subscription and ... MoreSolution itself is initially great.Wireless reception is great, I have cameras in locations mobile can't detect WiFi but cameras detect base station no issues at all, Arlo base station is next to my WiFi router!Disadvantage of wireless over wired is that you miss the first second of activity and with Arlo max recording time is 2 minutes before you need next activity to be detected for recording to restart.Beware though, with the Ultra camera cloud subscription expires after 1 year and there is no basic plan. Local SD card storage is possible but difficult to work with. Consider the Pro cameras as the free cloud subscription doesn't expire. Cloud subscription is based on cameras, not Arlo base station.If you're happy paying the monthly cloud subscription and prefer wireless over wired then this is a great product.I can't recommend as if I'd start fresh I'd install a wired solution next time.

Does what's advertised

Easy setup, a simple wall mount comes with the cameras that can be screwed into the wall. The mount is magnetic which the cameras just attach to and can be removed from easily (although one out of the 3 attaches via a clip for some reason). This makes it easy to grab them when you need to re-charge them, which unfortunately is every 3 days or so depending on traffic through the area.It'd be nice if there was a bigger battery (maybe 3 - 10 times the size) as the small rechargeable battery means the system is no good for any period of time away. Really, it's a camera system that lets you see who's outside but not the greatest for security purposes (also because the cameras can be grabbed and de-mounted easily - even if they are still recording and transmitting ... MoreEasy setup, a simple wall mount comes with the cameras that can be screwed into the wall. The mount is magnetic which the cameras just attach to and can be removed from easily (although one out of the 3 attaches via a clip for some reason). This makes it easy to grab them when you need to re-charge them, which unfortunately is every 3 days or so depending on traffic through the area.It'd be nice if there was a bigger battery (maybe 3 - 10 times the size) as the small rechargeable battery means the system is no good for any period of time away. Really, it's a camera system that lets you see who's outside but not the greatest for security purposes (also because the cameras can be grabbed and de-mounted easily - even if they are still recording and transmitting wirelessly).If you want or need security, commit to getting a proper wired security system installed. But for what this does - or if you're still on the edge and need a system you can test out, or one that you and setup and remove to relocate elsewhere on a whim, the footage quality is great and the app is easy to use. The cameras work within a decent range of your WiFi network (and with much better range than I expected there to be).

Exactly what I needed

Despite all the negative reviews on this product I actually like them. Everything was easy to set up even when I included 2 Solar panels to charge the cameras that where way out of reach I also bought 2 Proper mounting brackets for these 2 as I did not feel the magnetic mounts would be enough. These cameras have been working for more than three weeks now and are charged fully every day. I also use a micro SD card to only record to this rather than using the cloud. The night vision when recording with the light give accurate color video. I would suggest making sure all the settings are adjusted to your own personal needs and so far I am happy to recommend this system.

Looks great but doesn't do the job

I have 2 hubs, 2 4K Ultra cameras and 2 1080p Spotlight Essential cameras. Its almost unheard of to have all 4 cameras online at any one time. The only time we had a parcel stolen happened to be an "offline" day. Spent heaps of time resetting to factory settings and pairing again and again. I just leave it and some cameras randomly will come back online. All 4 are within 5 meters of a Arlo Hub. They look lovely but Arlo is refusing to enable Apple HomeKit Secure Video as it competes with their own cloud storage system. This will be the death of Arlo. They could do what Sonos did with Airplay 2 and just build great cameras that work with HomeKit Secure Video. They wont.

Not worth the money

I have had a Arlo ultra system for 2 years.Bought an additional 2 cameras, one of which died after 11 months. Over 50 emails to “support” and 5 months - still haven’t received the replacement.Tonight found a camera on the ground smashed.My advice is don’t buy anything Arlo, simply due to the appalling support.If you have an Arlo system and rely on magnetic mounts, use something to “catch” the camera when it falls, such as an additional wire or string to prevent the camera hitting the ground.My third camera (charged by the solar cells) won’t hold a charge, even in summer facing north.Leaving 2 cameras on a 5 camera system actually working.Seriously, buy an alternative brand.

Promises the world... but be prepared to pay!

Purchased this with the hub but without a subscription you can't preview any recordings and they dont even give a thumbnail, so the system is nearly useless as you need to download every clip onto your phone to find out what it is.No back capture and average quality video even at 4K.Feel like the advertising is deliberately vague about the features this system has. Once purchased you discover that eveything the system promises requires additional subscriptions to work. Save your money and get something else.

Smart features do not work, worst customer support

All the smart features this product boosts about do not work. Arlo charge you extra. Too much money for a basic product feature set and worst customer support ever. Please learn from my mistakes and other reviwers mistakes it seems. I decided to give Arlo the benefit of the doubt and start paying for the additional smart features via a Smart plan subscription, in the hope it would bring my product back to working condition. Amazeingly, it made it worse. Go figure. The system would tell me I had all the features added and that I had no account at the same time. Two exact oppsites at the same time - only other place that happens is in quantum physics. I contacted Arlo support three times. They ignored every case report. No support and no follow up. I asked for a ... MoreAll the smart features this product boosts about do not work. Arlo charge you extra. Too much money for a basic product feature set and worst customer support ever. Please learn from my mistakes and other reviwers mistakes it seems. I decided to give Arlo the benefit of the doubt and start paying for the additional smart features via a Smart plan subscription, in the hope it would bring my product back to working condition. Amazeingly, it made it worse. Go figure. The system would tell me I had all the features added and that I had no account at the same time. Two exact oppsites at the same time - only other place that happens is in quantum physics. I contacted Arlo support three times. They ignored every case report. No support and no follow up. I asked for a refund to the subscription I paid for but never got to use any of the features: Arlo refused and disconencted my call without saying goodbye. First class service eh. I have the screenshots to prove it. Customer support ratings are just as important as the product. I advise to do look elsewhere. You can alwyas have my cameras - I'll give them to you for free!

Way beyond expectations

I’ve owned and used the Arlo Pro 2 for five years and upgraded to the Arlo Ultra. It’s incredible and way beyond my expectations. The response time is instant with motion detection recording which is why I needed to upgrade from the Pro 2. Even with 4K the battery life is longer than the Arlo 2 Pro. This purchase was worth every cent. I’ve paired this with high speed NBN. I’ve tried other products and nothing compares to the quality of Arlo.