Arlo Audio Doorbell Review

There are many products designed to ensure your home’s safety, but the Arlo Audio Doorbell takes a unique approach.

It alerts you of when someone is near your home and provides two-way audio between you and those at your doorstep. Based on tester feedback, requires only a few minutes to set up, it’s easy to use, and it’s compact.

With that said, this smart doorbell won’t be a great fit for everyone. A few testers found it was too expensive, disliked having to buy additional equipment, or were displeased about its incompatibility with all Arlo security cameras.

Even still, are these minor issues or complete deal-breakers? Let’s take a closer look at the Arlo Audio Doorbell and find out.

Arlo Audio Doorbell: The Details

Specs

• Product Dimensions: 2.9 x 3.1 x 1.1 inches.
• Product Weight: 6.4 ounces.
• Product Type: Smart security doorbell.
• Compatible with Amazon Alexa? Yes.

How Does It Work?

Installing and operating the Arlo Audio Doorbell is easier than you’d imagine, especially if you pick the wireless option.

To begin the set-up process, first install two AA batteries into the doorbell’s base. Luckily, they are included with the package.

From there, the doorbell’s plate effortlessly screws into your door frame or any other surface near your door. Afterward, the doorbell base slides right onto the plate. Just fix a small security screw near the bottom of the bell, and that will keep everything firmly in place.

Next, you can download the Arlo app on your smartphone. Syncing the doorbell with the app will require about a minute.

Once that’s finished, you can arrange for it to send alerts to your phone when someone approaches the door. You can also sync it to an Amazon Alexa-enabled device and control the doorbell with voice commands.

If you have Arlo security cameras, you can set them to turn on when someone unexpectedly arrives near your home.

You will need an Arlo Base Station if you don’t currently own one. This base enables the doorbell to connect to your wireless network. The doorbell, unfortunately, can’t be used as a standalone product.

Arlo: The Brand

Founded in 2018 as an independent company, Arlo first began in 2014 as a division of Netgear. They started off making wireless security cameras and then expanded from there.

Arlo now produces multiple different wireless cameras, doorbells, and security lights, as well as all the accessories that go with them. Their mission is to “protect and connect with the people and places we love.”

Arlo Audio Doorbell Review

The Positives

Easy to Set Up

Setting up the Arlo Audio Doorbell could not be easier. Once everything has been unboxed, you need only screw the back doorbell plate onto your doorframe, put the batteries into the doorbell, and slide it onto the plate.

Download the app and it will lead you through the rest. You will barely need the instructions; it’s that easy. You won’t need any techy know-how or experience being handy. This doorbell is designed to be easy for anyone to install.

With only a screwdriver or drill, twenty minutes of time, and a smartphone, you can better safeguard your home. And an easier set-up means you can have a safer home sooner than later.

Easy to Use

The Arlo doorbell is also quite easy to use. The controls and alerts are all handled via the app on your smartphone.

When someone walks up to your door, the motion sensor in the doorbell will spot them and send an immediate alert to your phone.

If you have the Arlo camera set up, you can personally view who is there. Otherwise, you’ll receive a general notification that you can check manually.

So, if you’re expecting a package delivery, you can ignore the alert, but if you aren’t expecting someone, you can take action.

When someone approaches but doesn’t press the doorbell, the Arlo will light up. This will catch the person’s attention to either press the button or move on from your home.

Using the audio feature on this doorbell, if you are home, you can communicate with the person without opening the door. You can ask them what they want, say hello, or warn them to leave. It just takes a press of a button!

You can also easily program triggers for the doorbell. For example, lights or a camera may turn on if the doorbell senses a presence.

Convenient

Based on tester feedback, this doorbell is highly convenient.

No one can lurk outside your doorstep without your knowledge, you’re not forced to manually answer the door to communicate with strangers, and you’re consistently alerted to any visitors – even before they ring the bell.

So long as you have a phone or an Alexa-enabled device nearby, there’s no need to even get off the couch.

This convenience is enhanced with an Arlo camera. If someone approaches and the doorbell senses it, it can trigger the camera to activate and provide you with a clear view of the visitor through your app.

That’s incredibly efficient and guarantees you know who is near your home at all times.

Compact

While this doorbell has many great features, no one wants a big, clunky box hanging near their door. Luckily, that is not a problem here.

The Arlo is very compact, with an appearance similar to most basic doorbells. At a little under 3 x 3 inches, it can easily fit on any door without taking up too much room.

Thanks to its minimalistic design, it makes it easier to fit seamlessly within your decor and won’t attract attention from passersby.

A compact doorbell means its lightweight, which makes it much more durable against the test of time and when faced with less than ideal weather.

Weather Resistant

Speaking of weather, Arlo thought ahead. If you’re going to be keeping this on the exterior of your home, it’s going to have to be able to withstand the elements.

The Arlo doorbell is weather resistant, protecting the doorbell and its insides from humidity, rain, and snow as well as hot and cold temperatures.

This is so you won’t have to worry about your doorbell failing should the temperature shift or it starts to pour.

Since this doorbell is wire-free, it also opens up a variety of places where you can keep it, and you won’t have to worry about electrical wires messing with the connection.

Do Not Disturb Options

Just because you have a smart doorbell, doesn’t mean you always want to be disturbed. Arlo clearly knows that and included a do-not-disturb function with this smart doorbell.

‘Silent mode’ allows you to mute your doorbell so you’re not disrupted. You can set this at night when you’re going to sleep, or if you need a little downtime to unwind on your own, this setting will definitely come in handy.

This handy function means you won’t have to always be at your door when someone calls. They can leave a message and you can contact them later at your convenience.

You can also set responses and replies on your doorbell if you’re in a hurry. If you’re expecting a package but miss the bell, you can leave instructions letting them know what to do. Or if a neighbour has missed you, you can tell them when you’ll be home.

The Negatives

Requires Additional Purchases

Sadly, testers noted that you need to buy additional equipment for the doorbell to work at its full potential. Specifically, you need to own the Arlo base station, since the doorbell is essentially useless without it.

Furthermore, if you want to view who is at your door, at least one camera will be necessary – which is a separate purchase. Luckily, you can find all-inclusive sets, but that will cost a pretty penny.

Not Compatible with All Cameras

Speaking of cameras, testers also had issues finding cameras that were compatible with the Arlo Audio Doorbell.

Make sure to read all the information carefully, since not all Arlo cameras work with this doorbell. You may risk buying a useless item if the specs are incorrectly matched up.

Expensive

Since you need a base station and cameras to fully leverage this smart doorbell, the cost of this device is not as affordable as it may seem.

The doorbell is under $100 on Amazon, but once you add the base – which runs at around $80 – the price goes up to nearly $200. That’s quite expensive for this basic unit, especially if you aren’t provided with visuals.

An Arlo camera can cost over $100. As such, outfitting your door with a deluxe set-up may become highly expensive very quickly.

Customer Service

Even though Arlo includes a 1-year warranty, some customers weren’t pleased with the company’s customer service department.

It always helps when customer service is responsive and receptive. In case something were to go wrong, you want a company who cares about their product and customers.

While purchasing through Amazon means you’ll have some extra insurance, this could deter some people from purchasing from this brand.

This video shows what the Arlo Audio Doorbell looks like out of the box and installed.

Overall Verdict

After looking over all the positives and negatives, we do recommend the Arlo Audio Doorbell – but only if you can afford the price tag.

If the price is too steep, then it’s wise to keep shopping. There are a wide range of options on the market that are affordable and have the same or similar features as this product.

If you are willing to spend at least $200 (should you not currently own the Arlo base), this is a pretty great product. It helps you keep your home safe and doesn’t require technical know-how to install or operate.

Where to Buy the Arlo Audio Doorbell

As mentioned this isn’t this brand’s first bout in the tech world. Thanks to their business know-how, they’ve been able to make the Arlo a popular product, available around the globe.

Thanks to this brand’s success and popularity, it won’t be a hard task to find the Arlo Audio Doorbell both in-store and online.

While it’s usually best to check tech, home department and renovation stores, you can kick-start your search with the following online retailers.

• Best Buy (from $77)
• Wal Mart (from $129)
• London Drugs (from $99)

And of course, you can also find this smart doorbell on Amazon.

That’s the end of this Arlo Audio Doorbell review. Tempted to give this smart doorbell a try?