An outdoor security camera is one of the easiest and best ways to protect your property. It allows you to keep an eye on things even when you are not around. However, with traditional security cameras, the problem is that you would need to wire them.
All the necessary wiring severely limit the flexibility of where you can place your camera. You would either have to put it near a power source, or run a long cable to your camera. Thankfully, there are wire-free cameras available now, such as the Reolink Argus and the Netgear Arlo Pro.
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Reolink Argus
Reolink Argus is a totally wire-free camera. It does not need any power cables, nor does it require a base station. You do not even wire it to get connected to the Internet. Instead, the Reolink Argus uses four lithium CR123A batteries and connects to your Wi-Fi network. It stores recorded videos on a microSD card. These features allow you to put the security camera just about anywhere you want to put it.
The Argus is weather-proof. It can work in below freezing conditions and during very hot weather, too. Operating temperature range for the Argus is -10 to 55 degrees centigrade. And if the weather gets any colder or hotter than this, you can store the camera at temperatures of -40 to 70 degrees Celsius. It is also resistant to humidity and has an IP65 waterproof rating.
The Reolink Argus comes with a built-in speaker and microphone, allowing the camera to capture both audio and video and to make two-way communication possible. Moreover, the Reolink Argus gives you high-definition videos in H.264 formats with a frame rate of 15 frames per second.
Excellent camera
More than just being hardy and durable no matter what the weather is, the Reolink Argus also has an impressive camera. It comes with a 1/2.9″ CMOS sensor that gives you full HD videos with resolutions of 1920 by 1080 pixels, or a pixel count of 2.0 megapixels. The camera has a wide-viewing angle at 130 degrees, or 105 degrees horizontal and 55 degrees vertical. It also has night vision capabilities that allow you to see things in the dark from 33 feet away. The camera also has motion detection capabilities.
Compatible with iOS and Android devices
The Reolink Argus connects to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to access a live stream of its feeds wherever you are. You can connect up to eight different iOS and Android devices, as well as Mac and Windows computers to your camera. This way, up to eight users can check on what’s happening at home.
Design
The Reolink Argus has a unique design, which makes it look like a white capsule. It feels rather robust, with no parts that can break off. It is made of plastic, but it does not seem tacky. This camera measures 4.4 by 2.6 by 2.1 inches and weighs only 0.6 pounds.
What you would love about the Reolink Argus
The Reolink Argus allows you to save money. With its low price, this security camera does not require you to pay for a subscription to watch or store your videos. It will send you alerts, it will save its recordings on a microSD card, and it will stream the footages over the Internet. It will do all of these for free.
What could be better
The Reolink Argus has a frame rate of 15 fps for its videos. This is a good frame rate as it allows you to see what’s happening in the areas you are monitoring without consuming too much data or bandwidth. However, this is lower than the frame rates offered by other security cameras, some of which provide 30 frames per second. Having a higher frame rate means that you can have better slow motion videos, which might be useful in some instances such as trying to see what a burglar really looks like.
You might also not like the camera’s plastic build. Although it does look great and it is designed to blend into the background, most other outdoor security cameras have a metal body or feature metallic accents. You cannot find that here.
Also, the camera’s motion detection capabilities are somewhat limited. For instance, it can only send you alerts when it sees something moving. It does not have facial recognition technology, which means that the camera will not be able to know if it is a person that tripped up the motion detector or just your dog. What’s more, the Argus does not offer any digital zoom.
Furthermore, this security camera only connects via Wi-Fi. It does not connect over Bluetooth and any other platform. Lastly, the Reolink Argus only records your videos on the microSD card. If you want to use a cloud service to store the recorded videos, you will not be able to do this. The company has yet to offer a subscription or free cloud service for video storage.
Netgear Arlo Pro
The Arlo Pro is an outdoor and indoor security camera. This wire-free camera is similarly weather- resistant, with a waterproof rating of IP65. It also delivers high-definition video recordings, live streaming, and a mobile app. The Arlo Pro also alerts you when it detects movement or hears an unusual sound.
How is the Arlo Pro different from the Reolink Argus?
Design
The Netgear Arlo Pro is similar to the Reolink Argus in that it has a white body and a black face. Both cameras are made mainly of plastic. The Arlo Pro measures 3.1 by 2.8 by 1.9 inches, making it smaller than the Argus. From afar, however, the Arlo Pro looks like the Argus camera without a stand. The Arlo Pro is also half as light as the Argus.
Pricing
The most significant benefit of getting the Reolink Argus is its affordable price tag. For an affordable price, you can get the Reolink Argus. Meanwhile, the Netgear Arlo Pro sells on Amazon (Check out the latest rates here!). Part of the reason for that higher pricing is because the Arlo Pro comes with a hub, which you would need to operate the camera. The Argus is hubless.
Battery
Reolink Argus uses four CR123A batteries that will power the camera for six months. Meanwhile, the Netgear Arlo Pro comes with a rechargeable battery that can last up to six months on a single charge.
With Reolink Argus, you will need to buy more batteries as the years go by. That’s an added expense. What’s more, CR123A batteries might be harder to find than regular batteries.
Video resolution
This is another area where the Arlo Pro loses to the Argus. Argus delivers full high-definition videos with 1080 pixels, while the Arlo Pro delivers only up to 720 pixels.
However, both cameras have a wide viewing angle at 130 degrees. Both are also capable of live streaming but not continuous recording.
Local storage
Both the Argus and the Arlo Pro offer local storage. With Argus, you only have to put a microSD card into the slot on the camera. Meanwhile, with the Arlo Pro, you can insert a USB drive to the base station to record videos.
The Arlo Pro offers better local storage. This is because the USB drive is located separately from the camera itself. You can still access the recorded videos even if somebody steals the camera. Meanwhile, when somebody takes the Argus, they will not only get the camera itself but also the microSD card inside.
Cloud storage
Another plus for the Arlo Pro is the seven days free cloud storage. You get video clips recorded every time the camera is tripped by motion or sound. The Argus does not have an option for cloud storage.
Third-party integrations
Here is where the Netgear Arlo Pro shines. You can have your security camera work with Samsung SmartThings. You can also use IFTTT recipes to make it work with other services such as e-mail or Facebook messages. The Reolink Argus works independently and does not offer any third-party integrations.
How does Arlo Pro compare to the Arlo Q? Read here!
Side-by-side comparison: Reolink Argus vs. Arlo Pro
Here is an easy way to compare these two security cameras.
| Model | Reolink Argus | Netgear Arlo Pro |
| Price | (Check out the latest rates here!) | (Check out the latest rates here!) |
| Color finish | White | White |
| Dimensions (inches) | 4.4 x 2.6 x 2.1 | 3.1 x 2.8 x 1.9 |
| Weight | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Type | Indoor/outdoor | Indoor/outdoor |
| Power source | Four CR123A batteries | Rechargeable battery, power adapter |
| Resolution | 1080p HD | 720p HD |
| Expected battery life | Six month | Six months |
| Field of view | 130-degree viewing angle | 130-degree viewing angle |
| Live streaming | Yes | Yes |
| Continuous recording | No | No |
| Cloud storage | No | Yes |
| Local storage | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes, Android and iPhone | Yes, Android and iPhone |
| Web app | No | Yes |
| Night vision | Yes | Yes |
| Alerts | Motion and audio | Motion and audio |
| Activity zones | No | No |
| Two-way audio | Yes | Yes |
| Operating temperature range (°C) | -10 to 55 | -20 to 45 |
| Third-party integrations | No | IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings |
Final say: Reolink Argus vs. Arlo Pro
The Netgear A. rlo Pro is a much better security camera than the Reolink Argus because it offers cloud storage and third-party integrations. However, the Reolink Argus has roughly the same features with a higher definition resolution at less than half the price of the Arlo Pro.
Even if the Arlo Pro is much more expensive, it still does not have activity zones for its motion detector. Overall, if you need a security camera that you can use to keep an eye on your property, you should get the Reolink Argus. But if you have a smart home with connected devices that you would want to use with your security camera, then you should get the Netgear Arlo.
Further read,
Patrick Sinclair is a geek; make no mistake about that. He runs All Home Robotics in his spare time so he doesn’t have to think about his depressing cubicle and it gives him an excuse to buy expensive gadgets to review!
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