Netgear Arlo Q review

The market for smart security has exploded and there are so many companies that have launched amazing products. One of them is Netgear, which with its family of Arlo products has made its intentions clear from the start. Today, we test the Arlo Q (Check on Amazon.com).

What’s Arlo Q

The small camera allows you to see in real time what is happening in the environment. The Arlo Q stands out for its extremely flexible applications. You can place it almost anywhere thanks to its movable head and the flat base which can be fixed onto walls (in the pack you will find everything you need).

Compared to many other products reviewed so far Arlo Q has the looks of a security camera and its state LED betrays its presence. If you’re worried that a thief might identify and disable the camera, maybe you’d better choose a different product. However, keep in mind that you can also place it somewhere not easily accessible and videos are instantly uploaded to the Netgear cloud.

Arlo Q is also equipped with a large number of infrared sensors that will allow you to see the scene clearly even in complete darkness and far away, so it can be used outside (but remember that the device is not waterproof). In the box there is a long cable.

The app

The free application for Android and iOS may be a bit cumbersome at first, but once you figure out the various settings and menus you will quickly feel “at home”. The first thing you will see when you open the application is the list of cameras. By selecting one the camera will start streaming live and you will be able to watch, listen and even talk through it.

You will then have a library of all the clips recorded in the cloud for the last seven days and the ability to review or download them. It is the Mode section that you will have to spend some time configuring to your liking. You can simply turn the various cameras on or off, or you can program them as you like. You can choose to activate it only based on time or when no one is present thanks to a feature called geofencing. This is very useful because it will allow you to activate the camera only when no one is at home.

You can also toggle between modes and choose types of monitoring (audio/video), sensitivity, type of notifications (app/mail) and monitoring zone. This last feature is particularly convenient because it allows you to draw an area within the frame that is analyzed for movement, possibly excluding the floor where your pet wanders around.

How does it function

Arlo Q is capable of recording excellent Full HD video with good audio and live streaming quality is good even with basic ADSL speed. What surprised us most was the precision with which Arlo Q identified only the suspicious movements, precisely determining (through geofencing) if someone was actually at home offering absolute privacy. Of the tested devices, it is the only one that has never incurred in false positives.

Price

Arlo Q is available on Amazon for (Check on Amazon.com) a price in line with the competition, although not properly cheap (especially if you want to buy more than one). The basic service allows you to store all recorded videos on the web for up to 7 days.