Arlo Baby monitor claims to be an all-in-one wonderful baby monitor and an additional nanny. Plus, the bunny ears make it a cute looking device.
Despite the adorable design, is this baby monitor really good at its monitoring job, a worthy investment?
This article aims to discuss whether the Arlo Baby monitor really provides a reliable and quality surveillance system to parents. My Arlo Baby monitor review will highlight some of the good things about this monitor but will also point out the things some parents may find as a deal-breaker.
Let’s find out.
Arlo Baby Monitor Review: How It Works
Arlo Baby monitor works as a Wi-fi baby monitor. It connects to your home internet network and delivers the data – video, and audio to your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Therefore, wherever you have a Wi-fi signal in your home, you can access the video from the Arlo Baby monitor camera.
Moreover, it provides quality images and sound and offers you several user-friendly and exciting functions. Because this baby monitor is made by Netgear, an Arlo company subsidiary, specialized in routers and other networking equipment, I wasn’t surprised by the great connectivity.
True to the high standards of Netgear devices, the Netgear Arlo baby monitor has more parent-friendly features than their standard systems. The talk-back option, for example, seems useful to calm your baby with your voice and a list of lullabies allows the Arlo baby monitor to work as a music player.
Besides, I like the night vision and a multi-colored night light option. So, you can customize lights in the baby’s room so the baby won’t sleep in a room that is too dark.
The motion sensors are a convenient touch because you will be notified when the baby is active.
From what you get in the box, the baby monitor from Arlo seems like a good deal. You get a camera with a funny bunny character set, which you can occasionally change (other “ear” accessory has to be bought separately though) to match the nursery decor, power adapter, and all things you need for wall mounting, including a plate and screws.
The manual is easy to read and included, and the company gives you seven days of free cloud recording. That way, you can record your interesting baby moments in high resolution for free.
The camera also detects temperature and humidity in the room, but not always accurately.
Pros:
- High-video quality
- Easy connection
- Simple set up
- Interesting design
- Multiple-device streaming
Cons:
- The apps can glitch sometimes
- The alerts can be delayed for several seconds
- Temperature readings are not always accurate
Arlo Baby Monitor Review: Commonly Asked Questions
The Arlo monitor for babies is useful to many parents. It is a modern device that allows you to hang out or rest, assured that the device will notify you if the baby starts crying so that you can go immediately and calm the baby. It is also useful to get the baby used to music and sounds because of the lullabies list available.
There are a few more things to cover in this Arlo Baby review, but let’s first discuss some questions that might pop up about this baby monitor.
Is Arlo baby monitor discontinued?
Let’s set things straight – the Arlo baby monitor isn’t discontinued. The confusion about it arose due to the company’s previous intentions to create a Netgear Arlo baby monitor with a screen, similar to traditional monitors with the same name.
However, the company released a free baby monitor application for their smartphones, and it acts as a parent unit. You can download the Arlo app on Google Play store or Apple App Store.
Can Arlo baby monitor be hacked?
In general, all things connected to the internet can be hacked. However, there are several steps to take to secure the connection and use an Arlo baby monitor without worries.
These include securing your wireless router by updating your firmware and forbidding remote access to router configuration, setting up a password for your camera, a preferably strong password, and removing default login information.
You can check the Groovy Post guide on how to make Wi-fi baby monitors, including the Arlo monitor, completely secure.
Can you use Arlo Baby without Wi-Fi?
No, Arlo Baby is a Wi-Fi baby monitor so you need the internet connection to connect your phone to the camera and have access to the video streaming and notifications.
Watch the video on the Arlo Baby Monitor Set-up
Does Arlo Baby Monitor work without a subscription?
Yes, once the seven days of the trial ends, you can continue using your Baby monitor for live-streaming, talk-back function, local storage, connectivity with five cameras.
If you decide to sign up for some of the monthly subscription plans, you will get additional features, such as 30-day video history and cloud recordings.
Arlo Baby Monitor Review: Features and Benefits
The Arlo Baby monitor comes with numerous features, so it is time to discuss them more. Set your priorities and decide for yourself whether the Arlo monitor meets your needs as a baby monitoring device.
Design & Setup
First of all, the Arlo Baby camera is compact and looks cute with the bunny ears attached. It has a rechargeable battery, so you can position the baby monitor camera wherever you want.
However, I find the bunny ears charming but not necessary. For example, if you wish to put the Arlo Baby cam on the shelf, the ears might come in the way.
Luckily, you don’t have to use them, and you can easily detach them. Apart from decoration, they serve no other purpose, but they definitely look cute if you plan to mount them on a wall stand.
The setup is a breeze. If you have ever connected any device to the Wi-Fi, including your phone, then it is as straightforward as that. Still, you have to download the free app to get access to the live-streaming and all features.
Once you set up your account and choose the device from the list – the Arlo camera, you have to synchronize it, which will take around two or three seconds. The manual is pretty straightforward, and if you follow the steps, you won’t have any hiccups in the setup process.
Therefore, even if you are not handy with the apps or techs, or you are an old-school baby monitor user, you don’t have to step back from this Wi-Fi monitor.
Battery Life
The Arlo Baby monitor can be used both plugged-in and wirelessly. The battery offers decent runtime, with a maximum of six hours when there are fewer movements and alerts from the nursery, or you don’t do live video streaming. Therefore, the actual runtime of a battery is lower, but it is still good to know that the camera doesn’t always need a cable to work.
During the night, I suggest it plug the camera in to ensure a full night of uninterrupted performance.
Signal Range
As I mentioned before, the signal range depends on your Wi-Fi range. Therefore, if you want to improve your baby monitor range, you can improve the Wi-Fi signal.
The camera connects to your Wi-Fi when you place it within 300 feet of your router. While both the camera and your phone are connected to your Wi-Fi, you have access to the video. Furthermore, if you already have some “dead spots” in your home without the Wi-Fi signal, you need to avoid them to be able to get notifications.
Also, the camera doesn’t show up with any issues related to connectivity and has a stable connection from the first moment.
Audio Clarity & Video Feed
The video quality is exceptional. It offers 1080 HD video quality so you can monitor your baby in a crisp-free image and notice all details. For example, you can even see if the pacifier is there or the baby has lost it. There are not many video baby monitors that offer that kind of video quality on the market.
The sound is seamless, as well. If your baby snores, you can bet that you will hear it as well! The microphone’s sensors are sensitive and can trigger the alert on the lowest baby sounds.
On the other hand, the alerts can be delayed for a few seconds, which is something I don’t appreciate from the app.
Night Vision and Nightlights
Arlo Baby monitor has a night vision option, which is great for occasional check-ups of the baby during the night. It is also decent quality due to the infrared LEDs, so you can check whether the baby is all tucked-up with the blanket or you need to come and cover the baby again.
Arlo includes dimmable nightlights in different shades, so you can eliminate the blue light to prevent baby sleep-interference.
Baby Monitor App
The baby monitor app is easy to set but comes with plenty of different features. You can connect up to five cameras, and the app allows you to stream the video from all five at the same time. It seems like a useful feature.
However, in reality, unless you have a large screen, the chances are that the images will be so small that you will hardly see anything.
When connected with one camera, the live feed is much easier to watch. The app allows you to set the area in which the motions will trigger the alerts. Ideally, you want to set it to detect the motions in the crib and ignore everything else, for example, when you come into the room.
You can customize what the camera should do when it detects motion – to do nothing, to notify you, to record the video, and store it.
My biggest complaint is the delay. Sometimes, the app is four or five seconds, behind the situation in the nursery. In simple words, the camera does detect every little motion and sound, delivers high quality, but is several seconds late. It delivers a lot of notifications due to sensitive sensors, many of them being completely useless, but fails to notify you in time.
The apps allow you to schedule your notifications, which further made me think that Arlo isn’t intuitive enough for a baby monitor. So, for example, if you schedule them to arrive early in the morning, you will get a bunch of them, but none of them will actually tell you something useful.
With the short delay of push notifications and plenty of useless notifications, the Arlo Baby monitor leaves a lot that can be improved.
Therefore, it made me think what if my baby really needs me in the nursery, and not only that I am notified five seconds later, but the notifications can get buried with other useless ones? Luckily, I didn’t experience that situation, but the possibility of that scares me.
Also, there are so many features in the app, so you might need some time to get used to it.
Additional features to note about the baby monitor
The Arlo Baby monitor has an option to talk back to your baby so you can sing a lullaby remotely. However, if you are not skilled, you can pick one of the ten pre-recorded lullabies.
There is an option to record yourself and play it, which can be useful when a babysitter stays with the baby over the night, and the baby is used to one particular lullaby.
The Arlo Baby also offers nature sounds and white noise to keep your baby asleep for longer.
Additionally, the camera detects the current temperature and humidity in the nursery, and you can check it on the app. It can also alert you if it detects something unusual in the air.
But, as the readings and detections aren’t always accurate and reliable, I suggest you get another device and check the humidity, temperature, and air quality in the nursery.
The Arlo Baby Monitor doesn’t seem to be very smart. For example, it notifies you if the device detects something unusual in the air, but it doesn’t specify what it is. So, you might get a notification that something is wrong with the air in the room, and you can get instantly stressed.
However, it can be a dirty diaper, but you don’t know for sure. In that sense, the air quality control seems pretty useless.
Lastly, the Arlo camera does deliver exceptional quality, but you cannot remotely tilt, or pan it like some other monitors allow you to do. You can set the camera to 90- or 130-degree angle via the app.
The 90-degree angle delivers a realistic picture, but 130-degree covers more space, but with a slight fish-eye effect.
The best way to see which angle works for you is to test the camera on several positions in the room and see which angle and position allow you maximum control of the viewing area.
Arlo Baby Monitor Review: Alternatives
If the Arlo Baby monitor doesn’t seem appealing to you, I am happy to help you pick another baby monitoring device.
Let’s go through three similar baby monitors that might be the right fit for your needs.
#1 Nanit Plus
If you want to invest more money in a quality video monitor that utilizes the latest technology to deliver excellent performance, you can check the Nanit Plus baby monitor.
The monitor is easy to mount above the crib, delivers great quality picture, allows two-back communication and a night-vision. The Nanit Plus tracks sleeping and monitors breathing.
However, you have to purchase the breathing feature separately. Sleep tracking is quite a useful feature. The data you read from the Nanit after a few days of using it can show you the baby’s sleep patterns if there are any.
Similar to the Arlo Baby monitor, Nanit Plus offers nature sounds and white noise, but it doesn’t have lullabies. The motion and sound sensors are sensitive, and the baby camera has a wide angle as well.
Similarities and Differences
- Both have sensitive sound and motion sensors
- Both deliver a quality image
- Both have two-way talk function, white noise and nature sounds
- Arlo Baby includes a lullabies list
- Nanit plus tracks and record baby sleeping
You can find out more about the product here!
- ALWAYS BE CONNECTED: Get a crystal clear HD bird's eye view of your baby, day or night from anywhere on your iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, or Echo Show device. Hear or speak to your baby with two-way audio. Listen while using other apps or even when your screen is turned off with background audio. Receive real-time sound and motion notifications with adjustable sensitivity. Plus, monitor the temperature and humidity of the nursery to ensure they're comfortable.
- SLEEP TRACKING & GUIDANCE: Nanit gives you your baby's sleep stats each morning, plus a timelapse highlight reel of their sleep, so you can rewatch their entire night in seconds. Get personalized, science-backed sleep guidance and tips from the world’s leading pediatric sleep experts, right in your Nanit app.
- MAKING MEMORIES, MADE EASY: With Nanit Memories, your Nanit camera captures your baby’s finest moments automatically right in your app. Celebrate fun moments and growth milestones every step of the way, wherever you are. Share with friends and family, and hold onto their Memories forever.
#2 Cubo Ai Plus Smart Baby Monitor
Give a few more bucks and you can get a Cubo Ai Plus Smart Baby Monitor with an advanced monitoring option. This baby monitor can even alert if the baby’s face is covered with a blanket.
Moreover, you can set up the Danger zone, an area in which your baby does something potentially harmful. For example, if you have a toddler with a habit of crawling from the crib by itself, the baby monitor can alert you on time.
The Cubo Ai monitor does have similar features to the Arlo Baby. They deliver the same video quality, they offer lullabies and night light, talk-back function, etc.
However, the Cubo Ai Plus Smart Device has a more intuitive app and more options for mounting. Also, it will catch snapshots automatically once it detects smiles, rollovers, or other cute moments, so you won’t miss a thing.
Similarities and differences
- Both have exceptional video quality
- Both rely on Wi-Fi to work
- The Arlo Baby is cheaper
- The Cubo ai monitor tracks sleeping, has 18 hours of playback
- The Cubo ai monitor alerts you when the child enters the danger zone or if the face is covered
Find your Cubo Ai Plus Smart Device here!
- Pediatrician co-created, CuboAi alerts you in real-time if it detects that your baby's mouth and nose are covered or if they're face down.
- Peace of mind for parents via HD night vision, true cry detection, danger zone alerts and more, so you always know when your baby needs you.
- Sleep Analytics to check baby’s sleep health in easy-to-navigate stats. Playback up to 18 hours with tags guiding you through every event.
#3 Nest Cam Indoor Wi-Fi
If you want to keep using your baby monitoring surveillance system after the baby gets older, I recommend this Nest Cam Indoor Wi-Fi system.
The system is simple to use and delivers alerts to your phone when it detects motion in the monitoring area. For example, when the baby rolls over, you will be notified about and you can expect a charming photo of the baby moving!
You can connect the Nest Cam to several cameras. Once you don’t need to monitor your baby anymore, you can purchase additional cameras and build a customized home surveillance security system.
The Nest cam is compatible with Alexa, so you can enable voice commands.
Similarities and Differences
- Both have a 130-degree viewing angle
- Both have a night vision option
- They deliver video in 108 HD resolution
- The Arlo Baby has lullabies, thermometer, and air-quality control function
- The Nest cam has an 8x zoom option
Read more about Nest Cam Indoor Wifi monitor in our full review!
- 24/7 live stream video in full 1080p HD over Wi-Fi. Check in from anywhere at anytime. Send clips to family or friends in 1920x1080 resolution.
- Night vision featuring 8 high-power infrared LEDs provide light for clear video in the darkest conditions.
- Mobile alerts and notifications let you know as soon as your camera spots activity. Take action or save the event for sharing later. 3-hour snapshot history makes sure you don't miss a thing.
Conclusion
The Arlo Baby monitor is a handy baby monitor that makes the first couple of months of parenting easier. With the sound and motion sensors and night-vision, you don’t have to be in the same room with the baby to know if your little angel is sleeping. You can live to stream it in high resolution!
However, Baby Arlo does need some improvements in terms of promptness and remote access to camera settings. Compared to a monitor with similar features, it costs less, but adding a bit more money will guarantee that you will be instantly notified of any change in the nursery.
Maybe consider getting a Nanit Plus instead.
Did you enjoy reading my Arlo Baby Monitor review? Let me know in the comments and share this info with other parents who may find this helpful!
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Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
