February 8, 2025

The Arlo Important 2K XL Outside Safety Digicam is a good wi-fi cam that cuts the price-tag however not the function set though, this being Arlo, you’ll have to cough up for a premium plan to profit from the high-end options. Out of the field although, it’s a stable performer, with nice 2K visuals and an outstanding battery life.


  • Big battery life

  • In-built siren

  • Glorious Arlo Safe app

  • Nice 2K day footage


  • No HomeKit

  • Coloration evening imaginative and prescient not the very best

  • Costly subscription wanted for key options

Product title: Introduction

  • Sort: Outside wi-fi digicam
  • Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
  • Ecosystems: Alexa, Google Residence, SmartThings
arlo xl front
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)

Arlo is among the greatest names in residence safety cameras and, whereas the function units can all the time be assured to tick just about all of the containers, there’s a variety of fashions, at massively completely different worth factors, to select from.

The excellent news is that Arlo made issues a bit extra easy on the entry-level finish, with the launch of its Important vary a few years again.

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The vary, of which a brand new technology of merchandise have simply launched, not solely contains indoor and outside safety cameras however a video doorbell too.

On take a look at right here for this overview, now we have the Arlo Important 2K XL Outside Safety Digicam that, because the title suggests, is the bigger of the 2 outside Important 2K cameras that the San Jose model gives.

As you’ll be able to see from the picture beneath, it’s a good bit chunkier than its non-XL associate in crime:

arlo xl and arlo
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)

With a two-pack costing across the similar because the top-end Arlo Professional 5, you aren’t getting the entire bells and whistles that an Arlo safety digicam can provide, however the 2K XL continues to be an outstanding choice with a staggeringly lengthy battery life.

Learn our full Arlo Important 2K XL Outside Safety Digicam overview to seek out out extra.

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Design and set up

  • Largest Necessities digicam
  • Acquainted black and white end
  • Straightforward to put in with mounting plate
  • Can be utilized with or with out SmartHub

From the surface the 2K XL seems to be like all of the Arlo vary over the past 5 years. That’s not a foul factor although; let’s be sincere – it’s a toned-down aesthetic that different manufacturers have tried to duplicate through the years.

The XL, subsequently, contains a white physique with a black entrance, permitting it to mix into its environment, with some good curved edges on its in any other case rectangular form. 

side big arlo xl
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)

The place the XL stands out from its non-XL brethren is that it’s far more cumbersome on the rear, with its 57.27 x 96.56 x 82.59mm type issue permitting additional room for that massive battery, which I’ll discuss extra of in a bit.

Weighing in at 454g, it’s fairly heavy for a wi-fi digicam however you’ll don’t have any points mounting it with the included plate, which merely requires a few screws drilled in to carry it in place.

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arlo xl mount stuff
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)

That plate permits you to pop the XL excessive and you then’ve bought a ball and socket joint to angle the digicam to the precise place you need.

arlo xl bracket
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)

Reasonably than the proprietary magnetic charger that older Arlo cameras use, the brand new Important vary use customary USB-C, with the port protected by a water-proof cowl. You may, subsequently, cost with any USB-C cable however you have to to take the digicam right down to cost it as there’s no detachable battery.

You may also, if you need, preserve the battery topped up by plugging one in all Arlo’s photo voltaic panels into this USB-C port.

arlo xl micro usb
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)

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In contrast to the upper finish Arlo cameras, which use an Arlo SmartHub base station, the 2K XL can join on to your private home Wi-Fi (2.4GHz). You should use the SmartHub choice if you need additionally.

Subsequently, in case you’re pondering of utilizing it outdoors, ensure you have the Wi-Fi protection to permit it to attach.

If you happen to’re utilizing a mesh system you would possibly get away with attaching it to the surface of your home and getting an excellent, stable connection. If you happen to can add a mesh node to your backyard, you then would possibly be capable to go even additional, and have the additional benefit of fine outdoors protection.

The Important XL 2K is a weatherproof digicam with an IP65 certification, permitting it for use outside, in addition to indoors.

There’s no privateness shutter, nevertheless it does boast each a siren and a inbuilt highlight that may illuminate as much as 7m when movement is detected.

Options

  • Subscription wanted for many options
  • Dwell view footage within the app
  • Makes use of Arlo Safe app

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When you’ve bought the XL synced up with your private home Wi-Fi utilizing the wonderful Arlo Safe app, you’ll see it seem as a tool within the app, alongside every other Arlo cameras or doorbells that you have already got.

arlo secure app
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)

It’s additionally the identical app the good Arlo Safety System makes use of and, if in case you have that in place, the XL turns into an additional weapon in your house safety defence setup, with integrations with alarm triggers, residence/away mode and the like.

Within the Arlo Safe app you’ll be able to view a stay stream from the gadgets web page, or you’ll be able to faucet the digicam to enter a extra detailed web page that features a scrollable record of occasions, offered in a pleasant timeline. Nevertheless, to see these occasions you’ll want an Arlo plan in place; which I’ll discuss extra quickly.

The Important XL 2K gives compatibility with SmartThings, Alexa, Google and IFTTT good residence platforms.

It additionally boasts a single microphone, noise discount and echo cancellation performance. 

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There’s two-way audio so you’ll be able to communicate to anybody close to your Arlo Important digicam by the Arlo Safe app in your system, and the cameras can also be suitable with Arlo’s Dwell View function that permits you to see what’s going on if you obtain a notification. 

The XL contains a inbuilt siren if it’s good to scare off undesirable guests. As a result of it is a battery-powered digicam it’s clearly not ‘on’ the entire time. It makes use of a PIR sensor to detect movement and begin recording, thus saving unneeded battery drain.

You may also select the standard of the video to assist to make battery life final a bit longer within the settings, in addition to tinkering with movement sensitivity, evening imaginative and prescient and the like.

The app manages when the digicam data, providing Away, Residence, and Standby modes akin to these present in alarm methods. Inside every mode, you’ve the choice to designate which cameras are on and that are off.

Whereas handbook management is useful, you can even automate these modes utilizing IFTTT, or by setting schedules and enabling geolocation throughout the app.

Streaming safety video footage to a sensible speaker with a show, reminiscent of an Echo Present 8 or Echo Hub, is feasible with voice instructions for each Google Assistant and Alexa on provide.

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Nevertheless, to get the vary of superior AI options, like individual detection, you’ll want to enroll to an Arlo Safe subscription.

That’s the kicker right here actually; with out an Arlo Safe subscription, the out of the field performance contains simply primary movement alerts and the power to observe stay feeds of your cameras.

Meaning you would get a movement alert and instantly click on on it to see what is occurring however you wouldn’t be capable to return and see what had occurred in case you solely noticed the alert a couple of hours later for instance. 

And also you’ll miss out, with no plan in place, on all of the intelligent stuff like good notifications, the place you’ll be able to select to be alerted to your selection of individuals, automobiles, animals and the like and the choice so as to add exercise zones.

And the plans aren’t low cost both. Arlo gives Safe, Safe Plus and Secure & Safe Professional within the US. You’ll discover Safe Single Cam, Safe Multi-Cam, Safe Plus, and the Arlo CVR Plan within the UK. 

Costs vary from $7.99 per 30 days to $24.99 per 30 days relying on what stage of safety you need. Take a look at our information to Arlo Safe Subscriptions to study extra.

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Efficiency

2K decision video recording is on provide, as you in all probability guessed from the title, with a 130-degree subject of view.

I had the digicam mounted on the again wall of our Florida take a look at lab and, as you’ll be able to see from the pattern video beneath, it greater than coated the entire again yard.

The Important XL boasts HDR and, taking pictures at 2560×1440, you’ll be able to see that it’s greater than able to taking pictures sharp photographs, notably in the course of the day time.

At evening, the Arlo Important 2K Outside Digicam can makes use of that in-built highlight to shoot full-color evening imaginative and prescient.

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The picture sensor used isn’t fairly nearly as good because the one on the Professional 5, although, so that you’ll see that there’s a good bit of graininess to the footage and that, as a result of it’s utilizing a entrance going through highlight, something near the sensor reminiscent of flying bugs, trigger a light-weight flare.

The Important XL 2K has, in response to its makers not less than, a battery lifetime of between 16 to 24 months.

Clearly we didn’t wish to wait 2 years to convey you this overview so I can’t confirm that precisely. Nevertheless, we arrange the XL on the finish of Could and now, about 2 months later, it’s nonetheless sitting at 78%; that’s with round 4-5 movement occasions per day.

So, you’re in all probability prone to get a least a yr between expenses. When it’s time to juice up, a full battery cost time of 13 hours is required.

Last ideas

It’s a disgrace you must pay by the nostril for the highest Arlo options however, on the price-tag that the 2K XL is on provide for, it’s nonetheless a worthy contender on the lower-mid finish of the good safety digicam market. The video high quality is nice, the combination with the Arlo Safe app is excellent and the battery life is critically spectacular. 

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How we take a look at

After we publish our evaluations, you’ll be able to relaxation assured that they’re the results of “dwelling with” long run checks.

Sensible safety cameras normally stay inside an ecosystem, or a variety of merchandise that – supposedly – all work in concord. Subsequently, it’s unattainable to make use of a safety digicam for every week and ship a verdict.

As a result of we’re testing good residence package all day, on a regular basis, we all know what issues and the way a selected digicam compares to options that you may additionally be contemplating.

Our evaluations are complete, goal and honest and, after all, we’re by no means paid on to overview a tool.

Learn our information on our overview course of for good safety cameras to study extra.