Since late 2022, my primary home security camera setup has been a Reolink NVR system. I am very satisfied. We have cameras installed around the house, so you can see every corner of the property. Most are fixed, but for more complex areas we upgraded to what Reolink calls a PTZ camera. Instead of being stuck in one place, you can pan, tilt, and zoom. Everything is connected to the Reolink NVR and has 12TB of storage, so you don’t have to worry about losing anything important.
Around the house, I’ve been a long-time Arlo user. Since I don’t need constant monitoring inside the house, I chose a less permanent solution. Arlo cameras have no wires and run on battery power, so I didn’t have to worry about running wires or having charging cables dangling all over the place. But last month I decided to ditch his Arlo for several reasons and switched all of our indoor cameras to Reolink models.
I have been an Arlo user for almost 10 years at this point since Arlo was a Netgear brand. I’ve certainly had my ups and downs over the years.
The early days were a little rough, and I encountered countless issues with the Arlo app. It was pretty bad for a while, but most of the wrinkles seem to have gone away at this point.
As for the camera itself, there are pros and cons. Most of my cameras have decent battery life since I rarely use them, but some of them drain quickly for no reason. Video quality is generally pretty good, but false alarms were always a huge pain. This is one of the main reasons I originally decided to ditch all my outdoor Arlo cameras and switch to a POE system.
My biggest gripe with Arlo these days is primarily a matter of principle. I had a video doorbell and a number of indoor cameras that I rarely used, but due to a policy change a few years ago I now have to pay for an annual subscription to access key features. did. Are you okay.
And last month, my subscription costs were higher than usual. When I contacted support, I learned that the price of my subscription had increased without warning. Not only that, but I was told that the next update would cost more because the price had gone up again.
I decided enough was enough, and it didn’t take me long to realize that there was a brand to turn to for a replacement camera.
I was so happy with my Reolink NVR that I decided to use the Reolink battery camera as well. Now that I’ve made the switch, I couldn’t be happier.
Reolink has cloud storage plans available for a fee, and that’s okay. However, unlike Arlo, Reolink doesn’t force you to pay. Instead, you can use the company’s battery camera for free and stream live video whenever you want. If you want to use it for recording, just insert a microSD card.
I have purchased three types of Reolink battery cameras so far. Most of them are Reolink Argus 3 Pro models that record and stream 2K video. I also have one of his Reolink Argus 3 Ultra models that are 4K capable and the resolution is great.
So I picked up the Reolink E1. This is a wired camera, not a battery-powered model. He has one spot where the power cable is completely hidden from view, so it’s helpful to have a camera there that can pan and tilt for almost 360 degrees.
We set a schedule so every movement event is recorded while you sleep during the night. However, most of the time it is in standby mode. With this setup, we see each camera’s battery drain at less than 1% per day, and you can expect more than 3 months of battery life between charges. This is about 33% better than most Arlo cameras.
The only drawbacks I’ve found so far are minimal.
Sure, it would be nice to be able to record to a Reolink NVR instead of a microSD card. But it obviously shortens battery life. The only reason I actually care about the difference between his POE camera and battery camera is the fact that you can’t group them together in the app.
The only other thing is limited smart home integration. There are ways to integrate Reolink systems with smart home platforms, but they’re all complex and really only suitable for tinkerers, not regular users. Since Arlo is cloud-based, I was able to easily connect my Arlo account and camera to SmartThings, the smart home platform I use.
If your setup and usage is similar to mine, I highly recommend checking out the Reolink battery camera.I’ve tested several other brands over the years and this Reolink setup provides the best experience overall
Additionally, Reolink battery cameras are much cheaper than comparable Reolink models. I still can’t believe how much Arlo charges for some of their cameras.
