- VERDICT
The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera is an excellent camera that’s easy to set up so you can remotely keep an eye on the onside of your house and with the privacy shield – it will respect your privacy as well.
Arlo has taken the technology from its popular and award winning outdoor wire-free security cameras to a new indoor camera model but it has one feature the other camera don’t – a privacy shield.
Not everyone would be comfortable with a camera inside their homes which is why Arlo added the privacy shield – this is literally a cover that masks the lens so your privacy in your own home can be protected.
And you see at a glance when the shield has been activated because it’s white and easy to see on the Arlo’s black front face.
The shield can be opened manually through the app or when placed in armed mode when you leave your home.
Customers can use the camera to not only detect and film intruders but to also check in on their home or holiday home or to see and talk to their pets while they’re at work.
Apart from its automated privacy shield, the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera also has full high definition video and can record in 1080p, two way audio so you can clearly talk to whoever is near the camera and also night vision so the camera can still see and record video in the dark even without a light.
Also onboard the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera is a speaker-based 80 decibel siren which can be triggered automatically if an intruder is detected or manually through the Arlo app.
And like Arlo’s other cameras, the Indoor camera will send the user notifications when it detects motion.
Now being an indoor camera, the new Arlo Essential doesn’t run on a battery but connects to power with a USB cable so no need to remember to recharge a battery.
Set up is also a breeze with the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera – it takes less than two minutes to link the camera to your network, name it and be watching live video through the camera.
The camera can monitor inside your home to give customers added peace of mind.
Another use is watching over the new baby in the nursery or checking in to see what the kids are doing after they get home from school and keeping an eye on an elderly relative.
With the camera at home it can make sure your home is protected and send notifications when it detects motion or sound so you can take action.
The privacy shield comes in to play when you’re home so your privacy is respected.
One the camera is disarmed through the Arlo app, the privacy shield is instantly activated.
It can also be manually closed and opened through the app.
In terms of placement inside your home, the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera comes with a swivel stand so it can be positioned on a surface or mounted on a wall.
Included in the box is a mounting plate and screws if you did want to put the camera on the wall.
Included with the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera is a free three-month subscription to Arlo Smart – a service which can store your recordings for up to 30 days and also provide smart alerts which can distinguish between people, animals, vehicles and packages.
At the end of the three months, customers can choose to continue the service from $4.49 a month.
The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera is now available and is priced at $159.
Features of the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera include:
- Automated Privacy Shield: Ensure your moments are private when needed by closing the automated privacy shield
- Full High Definition Camera: Capture clear details in full high definition with the ability to record video in 1080p
- Motion Detection and Alerts: Alerts sent directly to your phone when motion is detected
- 2-Way Audio: Hear and speak to visitors clearly with superior audio quality
- Night Vision: See at night, even without a light thanks to black and white night vision that turns on automatically once it’s dark
- Built-in Siren: Siren can be triggered automatically or manually from the app
- 130° Viewing Angle: Keep an eye on more of what matters with a wider field-of-view
- Platform Compatibility: Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT for easy interaction, automation and control
VERDICT
The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera is an excellent camera that’s easy to set up so you can remotely keep an eye on the onside of your house and with the privacy shield – it will respect your privacy as well.
