Arlo Essential 2K Indoor Security Camera review

Arlo Essential 2K Indoor: Introduction

• Type: Indoor wireless camera
• Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
• Ecosystems: Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings

Arlo remains of the biggest names in home security cameras and, while the feature can always be relied on to tick plenty of boxes, there is a wide range of models, at massively different price points, to choose from.

The good news is that Arlo recently made things a bit more simple at the entry-level end, with the launch of its Essential range a couple of years back.

The range, of which a new generation of products have just launched, not only comprises indoor and outdoor security cameras but a video doorbell too.

On test here for this review, we have the Arlo Essential Indoor 2K Security Camera that, as the name suggests, is designed to live indoors.

If you’re looking for a weatherproof Arlo option from the range to protect your perimeter then consider one of the two outdoor Essential 2K cameras that the San Jose brand offers.

With a two-pack costing a bit less than the top-end Arlo Pro 5, you aren’t getting all of the bells and whistles that an Arlo security camera can offer, but you are getting a solid indoor camera to expand your Arlo system.

A single camera costs around the same as the 4K-boasting Eufy Security Indoor Cam S350, which is a better all round performer, but Arlo does offer savings if you buy a 2-pack.

Read our full Arlo Essential 2K Indoor Security Camera review to find out more.

Design and installation

• Small compact form factor
• Familiar black and white design
• Can be mounted or just placed on a surface
• Can be used with or without SmartHub

On initial inspection the 2K Indoor looks like any of the Arlo range over the last five years. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though; it’s a slick aesthetic that other brands have tried to replicate over the years.

The 2K, therefore, features a white body with a black front, allowing it to blend into its surroundings, with some nice curved edges on its otherwise rectangular shape. 

It’s actually really diddy too, so it’d be easy to hide on a shelf or tucked up in a corner of a room; measuring just 47 x 97 x 36mm and weighing less than 95g.

You can simply place the 2K Indoor on a flat surface using the adjustable base, or you’ll have no issues mounting it with the included plate, which simply requires a couple of screws drilled in to hold it in place.

On the front of the camera you’ll find that the lens has a physical shutter, giving you and people in its vicinity piece of mind that no sly-recording is being done and round the back you’ll find the power chord.

In the box you’ll get a USB-power plug that the wire needs to plugged into; there’s no battery on board the 2K Indoor.

Unlike higher end Arlo cameras, which use an Arlo SmartHub base station, the Indoor 2K connects directly to your home Wi-Fi (2.4GHz) but you can also use the SmartHub option if you want also.

The Indoor 2K also features a built-in siren so you can use it as part of an Arlo Security System.

Features

• Subscription needed for most features
• Live view footage in the app
• Uses Arlo Secure app

Once you’ve paired up the Indoor 2K with your home Wi-Fi, using the excellent Arlo Secure app, you’ll see it appear as a device in the app, alongside any other Arlo cameras or doorbells that you already have installed.

It’s the same app the excellent Arlo Security System uses and, if you one of those already set up, the 2K becomes an extra tool in your home security system setup, as it allows you to create automations with alarm triggers, home/away mode and so on.

For example, you could have motion detected by the Indoor 2K trigger an alarm alert if the system in set to away mode, or during night time hours. As mentioned, the 2K also has its own built in siren too, so creates an extra alarm option for the system.

Even without the Security System in place you can, of course, have motion trigger the siren too.

The Arlo Secure app lets you view a live stream from the devices page, and it’s just as case of tapping the camera’s thumbnail to jump into a more detailed page, which includes a scrollable timeline of events. However, to see those events you’ll need an Arlo plan in place; which I’ll talk about more soon.

The Arlo Indoor 2K is compatible with SmartThings, Alexa, Google and IFTTT smart home platforms, but there’s no HomeKit support.

Streaming security video footage to a smart speaker with a display, such as an Echo Show 8 or Echo Hub, is possible with voice commands for both Google Assistant and Alexa on offer.

It also boasts a single microphone, noise reduction and echo cancellation functionality. 

There’s two-way audio so you can speak to anyone near your Arlo Essential camera through the Arlo Secure app on your device, and the cameras is also compatible with Arlo’s Live View feature that allows you to see what is going on when you receive a notification. 

The app manages when the camera records, offering Away, Home, and Standby modes akin to those found in alarm systems. Within each mode, you have the option to designate which cameras are on and which are off.

You can also automate these modes using IFTTT, or by setting schedules and enabling geolocation within the app.

When the Indoor 2K isn’t recording, the privacy shutter is closed and, as it’s white, it’s easy for guests to see that they aren’t being filmed.

As with all Arlo cameras, in order to get the range of advanced AI features, like person detection, as well as that events timeline, you’ll need to sign up to an Arlo Secure subscription.

Without an Arlo Secure subscription, the out of the box functionality includes just basic motion notifications, set privacy areas and have the ability to watch live feeds of your cameras; which for many people will be enough.

It means you could get a motion alert and immediately click on it to see what is happening but you wouldn’t be able to go back and see what had happened if you saw the notification a few hours later, for example. 

And you’ll miss out, with no plan in place, on all the clever stuff like smart notifications, where you can choose to be alerted for your choice of people, vehicles, animals and the like and the option to add activity zones.

And the plans aren’t cheap either. Arlo offers Secure, Secure Plus and Safe & Secure Pro in the US. You’ll find Secure Single Cam, Secure Multi-Cam, Secure Plus, and the Arlo CVR Plan in the UK. 

Prices range from $7.99 per month to $24.99 per month depending on what level of protection you want. Check out our guide to Arlo Secure Subscriptions to learn more.

Performance

As you probably guessed from the name, 2K resolution video footage is on offer, with a 130-degree field of view and a 12x digital zoom.

I had the camera balanced on the top of a water tank in the garage of our Florida test lab and, as you can see from the sample video below, it covered the wide area with no problems, with floor to ceiling all within range.

The Indoor 2K shoots at 2560×1440, but you can also choose 1080p or 720p if you wish. At the top setting, you can see from the video below that it is more than capable of shooting sharp images, particularly during the day time and that the night vision kicks in quickly when it is needed.

Unlike the Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor Camera, which uses a built-in spotlight to shoot full-color night vision, it’s just IR black and white night vision with the Indoor model.

Images are clear enough, if somewhat overly saturated for white and light objects.

Final thoughts

As we always say with Arlo reviews, it’s a shame you have to cough up extra for the top Arlo features but, at the price-tag that the Indoor 2K is on offer for, it’s still a solid camera in the lower-mid end of the smart security camera market. Daytime video quality is great, the Arlo Secure app is brilliant and it’s an obvious camera to choose if you want to beef up an existing Arlo system without breaking the bank.

How we test

When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.

Smart security cameras usually live within an ecosystem, or a range of products that – supposedly – all work in harmony. Therefore, it’s impossible to use a security camera for a week and deliver a verdict.

Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular camera compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.

Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device.

Read our guide on our review process for smart security cameras to learn more.