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Editor-in-Chief Young Lim reviews the Essential Video Wire-free Doorbell from Arlo.
I got the Arlo Essential Video Wire-free Doorbell because I was tired of not being around when the couriers arrive with my online deliveries. Now I'm sure you've all experienced it before - the angst of coming home to find a slip of paper from the postman informing you that they were not able to get someone to sign over for the delivery and as a result you have to make a trip down to the post office to collect your parcel instead. What's more ridiculous is the fact that sometimes you find the slip at your door even when you made it a point to stay home (did they come or not???)!
I secretly think that all couriers are blessed with an added sixth sense of knowing the exact moment you decide to take a pee break, or when you're vacuuming the floor and can't hear the doorbell ring, just so they can enjoy the thought of you agonising over the fact that the new iPhone you ordered (and waited a week for) was actually right at your doorstep, before being whisked away from your reach for yet another 24 hours.
Of course, there are the nice courier guys, who will take the trouble to call you and ask if it's alright to leave the parcel at your door... but it irks me when I realise that my whole day can be so easily ruined because I, for some reason or other, missed out on receiving a delivery.
The Essential doorbell is well-made and sturdy looking.
So I settled on the Essential Video Wire-free Doorbell for several reasons, firstly I already have the Arlo Spotlight Camera at home and really like the high-resolution image quality. I also love that, like this doorbell, the Spotlight camera is also wire-free, which means absolutely no hassle when it comes to looking for a powerpoint. Like the camera, this video doorbell also provides a video feed as well as two-way audio capabilities! Below are some of the things I experienced during the setting-up and daily use.
The Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wire-Free is available on the Arlo website for $329 and includes a three- month trial subscription to Arlo Smart, Arlo’s AI and computer vision powered service that delivers 30-day video history cloud storage and sophisticated detection of people, vehicles, packages and more (A replaceable battery is also available for a RRP of $79). It is also available on local shopping sites, Amazon.sg, Lazada and Shoppee.
Out of the box, the doorbell looks compact and slick with rounded edges. The doorbell itself measures 4.7cm (width) by 14.3cm (length) by 0.35cm (thickness) including the rechargeable battery. The video lens is positioned at the top of the device, while the button is at the bottom. When installed, the doorbell is activated when someone presses on the button. This activates a ring of led lights around the button to glow and a chime to ring. It also connects via Wi-Fi to your mobile device and your phone will start ringing with your standard ringtone. I tried to set a specific ringtone for the doorbell on my iPhone 11 but it was not possible, perhaps it can be customised on an Android device.
Okay, so the great thing about this device is that it is almost plug-&-play right out of the box, after you've downloaded the Arlo app of course. I love that there's no messing around with wiring the doorbell outside to a chime behind the door. Actually the sound of the chime from the doorbell is quite loud and audible when you are in the living room (even though the physical speaker is located on the unit when placed outside the door), so there's no need to worry that people in the house may not hear the doorbell if it is just connected to your mobile device. I also realised that with this doorbell, it also means I don't need to use my peephole anymore as well! Good news for those who hate to have peepholes on your front door.
The pack also comes with a connector kit for those who have an existing chime behind the door! Very thoughtful touch. The battery is about half the size of the doorbell, but it's nicely hidden behind the unit when attached. While Arlo claims that the battery can last up to 6 months on a single charge, my personal experience is that the app reminds me to charge the battery once every month. Maybe because I do have a bit of couriers coming to the home during this WFH period, and the video is motion activated whenever it senses movement outside your door.
Because the wire-free unit has to be installed outside your home, the battery pack is actually very securely fastened to the doorbell to prevent anyone from disabling the doorbell. Once installed on or beside your door, you actually need to use a pin, which comes with the doorbell, in order to remove the doorbell from the attachment cradle.
Okay, so I cheated a little because the manual advises to screw the attachment cradle to the door or doorframe, but I actually just used strong 3M tape meant for outdoor usage. At just 240g (with battery), I have to say this doorbell is really light for an all-in-one wire-free package! The doorbell has been on my door for over three months so far, and it is still holding up securely fastened!
In terms of video image quality, I find the quality AWESOME! We're talking HDR 1,536 x 1,536 pixels, 1:1 aspect ratio and 180-degree head-to-toe visual field with 12 time zoom! Not only can you properly see the entire person outside the door, you can also program the doorbell to recognise parcels when they are placed outside the door too. It also works well in low-light conditions. Okay, so when someone comes to the door, the motion sensor activates the unit and it sends a message to your mobile device. You will then need to unlock your mobile device in order to access the app and view the camera footage. Similarly, if someone presses the doorbell, it triggers your phone to ring and it then connects you to the speaker on the doorbell and you can converse with the guest outside via the phone call. BUT if you want to convert the phone call into a video call, you need to switch to using the app after receiving the call... which I found a bit buggy at times, because it usually takes 5-10 seconds for me to go through the entire process I found it just easier to pick up the call, and then open the door after finding out who it is (when I'm home that is). Usually that means I didn't need to toggle to connect to the app to view the video at all.
In terms of Wi-Fi connection between the doorbell and your mobile device, the Essential Doorbell does pretty well. It takes about 1-2 seconds from the moment someone presses the doorbell or when the motion sensor is triggered, to getting a notification on your phone. There's no lag as long as your home Wi-Fi connection is stable. Now that is a big disclaimer because during my usage over the past three months, my internet connection was actually cut four times thanks to my internet provider. So during those times when the internet was down and I was out, I had no way of staying connected to the doorbell. Bleah. But the good thing is, if you have someone at home, the doorbell's internal chime still works so it does ring to let someone in the living room know the bell has been pressed.
What impresses me about Arlo's eco-system is that it offers thoughtful features throughout. With this doorbell, not only can I have two-way audio conversations and video footage, I can also program set voice messages to play or customise my own messages to sound out when someone presses the bell, as well as allow the visitor to leave a voice message. It's like a physical answering machine!
All in all, I am enjoying the doorbell tremendously and it has taken a load off my mind when I'm away from home. I never have to worry about missing that delivery I was looking forward to receiving, or be afraid that I won't be able to hear the doorbell when showering or using my earphones! The best thing is, the next time a courier claims that he came but I missed him, I'd have video footage to prove him wrong.