Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera review: Shine on

With a built-in solar panel, the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is designed to keep an eye on hard-to-reach places.

Wireless security cameras that connect to your Wi-Fi network make it easy to spread cameras around your home, inside and out. Of course, the trade-off is that they still need access to power, which is particularly troublesome in hard-to-reach outdoor locations.

That’s where solar-powered cameras come to the rescue, with a few hours of sunshine each day enough to keep them up and running 24/7. This way, it’s easy to keep an eye on things night and day.

In this review6 sections

• First impressions
• Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera specifications
• Features
• Quality
• Who is the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera for?
• Review scores

First impressions

Most solar-powered cameras rely on a standalone solar panel connected via a cable, but the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera has the panel built into the top of the camera.

At $189, the Essential Solar Security Camera is more affordable than solar-powered rivals like the $249 Tapo C460 KIT and $599 Uniden App Cam Solo Pano. 

The compact design also makes the Arlo easier to install, because you only need to mount the camera and don’t need to worry about a separate mount for the solar panel.

To be fair, the Tapo C460 KIT offers the best of both worlds, with the option to attach the solar panel to the camera’s mount or locate it separately.

The downside of the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera’s all-in-one design is that it’s harder to find the perfect place to install it.

It needs a spot that has both a good view of the surroundings and a good view of the sky to catch the sun. You probably don’t want to install it on the south side of the house, assuming you live south of the equator.

This could be a problem if your roof has overhanging gutters, eaves or an awning that will cast a shadow on the solar panel. Likewise, you’ll struggle if nearby buildings or trees will constantly block the sun.

All of this means you need to be absolutely sure it’s in the perfect spot before you go to the trouble of screwing the mount onto a wall. Remember, you can’t even tilt the panel to catch more sun without also changing the angle of the camera.

Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera specifications

Resolution	2K – 2560 x 1440 pixels
Sensor	4 MP
Video	2k, 1080p, 720p at 24 fps (15 fps night mode)
Zoom	Digital 12x
Lighting	Spotlight
Night vision	Colour and IR B&W
Field of view	130° diagonal, 110° horizontal
Audio	Two-way audio with echo cancellation
Onboard storage	N/A
Power	Built-in solar panel + USB-C cable for indoor charging
Battery	14,790-mAh
Wi-Fi	2.4 GHz & 5 GHz
Dimensions	140 × 39 × 103 mm
Weight	470 gm
Price	$189 RRP
Warranty	1 year
Official website	Arlo Australia

Features

Setting up the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is very simple using the Arlo Secure app on iOS or Android. A sync button connects the camera to your phone via Bluetooth, rather than requiring the camera to generate its own Wi-Fi network during setup.

Video tutorials walk you through installation and help you check for good Wi-Fi and sun coverage. Support for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi reduces the likelihood of problems with connecting to your home wireless network.

The boxy shape is unusual for a security camera, but thankfully it’s not too bulky, so it shouldn’t look too out of place. You’ll want it up high to have a good view of the surroundings, but not so close to the eaves that it’s in constant shade.

The camera offers a 130-degree diagonal field of view, which works out at around 110 degrees horizontally. The 2K image quality produces a decent picture, with support for 12x digital zoom when watching the live feed or instant replays.

That said, if you really want to make out fine details in the distance, you might prefer to upgrade to a 4K camera.

The security camera features night vision, along with a built-in spotlight and siren. This is great for warning off strangers lurking in the shadows, but these features naturally chew through power.

Thankfully, the Arlo app lets you adjust these and other settings to ensure the battery doesn’t drain too quickly. There’s also an auto-low power mode that dials things back when the camera is running low on juice. 

As part of the setup process, you get a 31-day free trial of the Arlo Secure subscription service. Like many security cameras, the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is probably not worth using without the subscription. 

Arlo Secure Basic ($8.33 p/m single camera, $12.50 p/m unlimited cameras) offers a 30-day video history in the cloud. Without it, you’re restricted to watching the live view from the camera.

Keep in mind, unlike some cameras, there’s no option to insert a microSD card for local storage. 

The Basic subscription also enables activity zones, so you’re only notified if something occurs in certain areas of the camera’s view. This is great for reducing false positives, such as watching for someone climbing over the back fence without reacting to your pets wandering around the yard.

You also get thumbnail previews in notifications on compatible smartphones and watches. 

Stepping up to Arlo Secure Plus ($16.67 p/m unlimited cameras) adds AI-powered facial, vehicle and package recognition, along with advanced audio and fire detection. Whether these are useful depends on where you’ll install the camera.

It’s worth mentioning that Arlo offers a range of indoor and outdoor cameras as well as video doorbells, all of which can be covered by the one subscription. It’s something to consider if you’re looking to simplify your smart home and reduce your subscription bills.

Quality

Put to the test, the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is quick to respond when it detects something of interest. The 2K resolution and 12x digital zoom offer a decent amount of detail and are just enough to make out pixelated faces at a range of up to about 8 metres.

While it’s important to think about placement to catch the sun, the good news is that the panel only needs around two hours of sunlight each day to top up the battery. 

It’s more forgiving than you might expect. Even if it’s not in direct sunlight, ambient light on a sunny day is still enough for it to charge. It struggles more in overcast conditions, but should still manage to capture a few rays even on an overcast day.

In theory, the generous 14,790-mAh battery can run the camera for six months on a single charge. In practice it probably wouldn’t last that long, but it’s enough to ensure that it should make it through a few days of terrible weather in the middle of winter.

Who is the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera for?

If you’re looking for the convenience of solar charging on a tight budget, the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is a tempting option. The big question is whether you can find the right spot for it, considering that the solar panel can’t be mounted separately.

If you can’t make it work, keep in mind Arlo also sells the standalone $89 Arlo Universal Solar Panel, which is compatible with most Arlo cameras.