Arlo Pro 5S 2K Review

Arlo’s Pro 5S 2K ($249.99) outdoor security camera closely resembles its top-rated Pro 4 Spotlight Camera ($199.99) and shares many of the same capabilities, but dual-band Wi-Fi, a low-power mode, and support for the company's SecureLink technology (helpful if you have an Arlo Home Security System) make it a worthwhile upgrade. The main downside is that it's not compatible with Apple's HomeKit platform like its predecessor. That omission ultimately makes it less compelling, especially since you can get the TP-Link Tapo C420S2 ($119.99) for much less. That camera doesn't have as wide a field of view or dual-band Wi-Fi, but it still captures 2K footage and supports local storage via a microSD card slot. Whether the premium features of the Arlo are worth its extra cost depends on your needs.

The Pro 5S 2K looks exactly like the Pro 4. You can choose between a white and black finish for the weather-resistant enclosure (Arlo did not provide an IP rating as of this writing), which measures 3.5 by 2.0 by 3.0 inches (HWD). The glossy black slide-in camera assembly holds a removable, rechargeable battery pack. A magnetic charging port and a button that releases the camera assembly sit on the base, while the back has a threaded hole for screwing the camera to the included mounting bracket.

It uses the same battery as the Pro 4 but a new Low Power mode extends the runtime to up to eight months (compared with six months). When this setting is active, the Pro 5S simply takes snapshots of triggered events rather than video clips. You can activate this mode manually in the app or set a power threshold for it to turn on automatically. Set aside several hours to fully recharge the battery.

The imaging specs haven't changed; it's a 4MP HDR camera that captures 2K (2,560-by-1,440-pixel) video, offers 12x digital zoom, shows a 160-degree field of view, and integrates a motion-activated spotlight (Arlo didn't specify the brightness in lumens) that enables color night vision. Also inside the assembly are two IR LEDs for black-and-white night vision, a motion sensor with a 130-degree range, a noise-cancelling microphone, and a speaker. The unit includes a dual-band Wi-Fi radio and an 80dB siren, too.

The camera records video and sends alerts (both push and email) when it detects motion or sound. Auto-zoom and motion tracking capabilities let you get a clearer view of the offending subject, while a subscription-locked smart motion detection feature differentiates among people, pets, vehicles, and packages.

You can configure the camera to store recordings locally if it is connected to a $99.99 Arlo Smart Hub (which supports external USB drives). For comparison, the TP-Link Tapo C420S2 makes local storage much easier because it has a microSD card slot.

If you don't have an Arlo Smart Hub and don't plan to buy one, you must subscribe to an Arlo Secure plan to access recordings in the cloud. For $4.99 per month (or $47.88 per year), you get 30 days' worth of full-quality recordings for a single camera. The plan also unlocks smart motion detection features, cloud-based activity zones, sound-based smoke and CO alarm alerts, and interactive notifications. You can also pay $12.99 per month (or $119.88 per year) to get those features for an unlimited number of cameras. For $17.99 per month (or $179.88 per year), the Arlo Secure Plus plan adds a 24/7 Emergency Response feature.

The Pro 5S 2K supports IFTTT applets, which means it can interact with lots of other smart devices from third-party manufacturers. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice services, as well as the SmartThings home automation platform, but Arlo left off support for Apple HomeKit. That omission is a major reason to consider the previous model if you can still find it at retail. Whether or not the camera supports Matter is unclear.

If you have an Arlo Home Security System, you can connect the camera to the system's hub via Wi-Fi or use Arlo’s SecureLink feature, which keeps the camera online if your Wi-Fi goes down and helps extend its battery life by offloading connectivity tasks.

The Pro 5S uses the same Arlo Secure mobile app (available for Android and iOS) as other devices from the company. On the Dashboard screen, you see widgets for each Arlo device you have, along with Arm Away, Arm Home, and Standby buttons that you can use to quickly apply a set of rules. For instance, you can enable motion and sound detection, allow event recording, and turn the siren on for the Arm Away mode, but disable some of those options for the other selections.

The bottom menu of the app includes Dashboard, Feed, Emergency, Devices, and Routines icons. The Dashboard button takes you back to the main screen from wherever you are in the app. The Feed button shows you thumbnails of event recordings from all your devices. To play, share, download, or delete a video, simply tap the thumbnail. Choose the Emergency button to activate the siren and place a call to contacts on your Call a Friend list.

Press the Devices button to see all your connected Arlo hardware. Here, the Pro 5S 2K appears in a dedicated panel that shows the last still-image capture and a play icon that launches a live stream. Function buttons below the live feed let you take a snapshot, manually record video, initiate two-way talk, mute the sound, and activate the spotlight. Tap anywhere on the panel to view thumbnails of event recordings; you can play, share, download, or delete any of those.

Finally, the Routines button lets you customize rules for the aforementioned modes on the Dashboard, as well as create schedules for the camera to switch between them at a specific time of day.

The gear icon at the top of the screen opens the Device Settings, where you can turn the camera on and off, check the battery level, configure Wi-Fi preferences, and create motion activity zones. In the Video settings section, you can enable HDR for enhanced highlight and shadow detail, adjust the brightness, enable Auto Zoom and Motion Tracking, and configure flicker adjustments.

Meanwhile, the Default Mode section lets you adjust motion- and audio-detection sensitivity levels, set the video recording length, and change the siren volume. Finally, use the Power Management settings to enable and configure the previously mentioned Low Power mode, as well as to toggle between it and the Best Video, Optimized, and Best Battery Life modes. Other settings allow you to tweak the spotlight brightness and speaker volume, turn the microphone on or off, and configure color night vision settings.

Installing the Pro 5S was a snap. To start, I charged the battery fully, downloaded the app, created an account, and tapped the plus icon at the top of the Devices screen. Then, I selected Pro Series from the Cameras menu, chose the Pro 5S, entered my Wi-Fi details, and confirmed that the battery was in place. When the LED began blinking blue, I used the camera to scan the QR code that appeared on my phone, tapped Continue when I heard a chime, and waited a few seconds for the camera to connect to the app. I gave it a name, and it immediately appeared in the app and on my Alexa device list. After a quick firmware update, I took the camera outside, mounted it to my backyard deck post using the included screws and bracket, and tapped Finish to complete the installation.

The Pro 5S 2K is a top-notch performer. Recordings have excellent detail and good color saturation during the day, while black-and-white captures look sharp and contrasty. Color night-vision clips look better than those from most competitors, though they aren't as high-quality as ones shot during daylight hours.

Motion and sound alerts arrived quickly, and two-way communications came through loud and clear. Streaming video to an Amazon Echo Show using Alexa voice commands worked wonderfully, as did an Alexa routine I set up for a Wyze Bulb to turn on when the camera detected motion. The auto zoom and motion-tracking features functioned as intended, and the siren was loud enough for me to hear throughout my house.

For testing, I set up the Arlo Pro 5S 2K as part of an Arlo Home Security System and created a rule for it to begin recording when one of the sensors detected motion. The integration worked every time. Finally, I moved the camera to the front of my house to test its smart alert prowess. It had no trouble detecting packages or differentiating among people, pets, and vehicles.

The feature-rich Arlo Pro 5S 2K outdoor camera captures highly detailed 2K video, offers plenty of third-party integrations, and gives you all the bells and whistles you might expect from a premium model, including color night vision, an integrated spotlight and siren, intelligent alerts, and Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls. It's also quick to install, thanks to a rechargeable internal battery. Just keep in mind that you must pay for a subscription plan to unlock smart detection features, and that you don't get HomeKit support this time around. If you need dual-band Wi-Fi or as-long-as-possible battery life in a wireless camera, the Pro 5S 2K is a worthwhile premium option. But don't dismiss the much cheaper TP-Link Tapo C420S2, which offers local microSD card storage and the same 2K recording resolution for half the cost.

It lacks HomeKit support, but the wireless Arlo Pro 5S 2K outdoor security camera delivers crisp 2K video, is a cinch to install, and offers nearly every feature you could need.

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