This Floodlight Camera Lights up My Backyard and It’s Under $100 for Black Friday
When we bought our house in late 2022, fixing the light at the back entry door was a top priority. It was an ugly naked light bulb, it had come loose from the plaster and was always in danger of falling off, and it had a motion detector attached to it that no longer detected movement.
If you own a top fixer too, you’ll understand when I say that I never got around to replacing it until about two years later—until I had the opportunity to test out the wired flood light, security light, and camera. from Arlo. Home Depot is currently having a 33% discount on Black Friday, bringing the price down to under $100, which I think is a great buy. Let me tell you why.
Who is Arlo?
The Arlo name may not be as well known in the home camera business as Blink or Ring, but that’s likely because both of those devices are owned by Amazon, which has an interest in making them visible on Amazon. But Arlo has been around for quite some time and is actually more focused on security services than some of its competitors, and began life as a subsidiary of Netgear before being spun off into its own company in 2018.
While Blink typically caters to entry-level buyers looking for cameras that integrate with their existing smart assistants, Arlo’s offerings are a little more robust and security-focused—they sell DIY whole-home security systems, including cameras , lighting, alarm and subscription monitoring services.
If you just want a street light with a camera, the Arlo may be too much for you. But if you’re looking for a solution that will add a camera, improve lighting, and increase your peace of mind, this is a good option.
Arlo Wired Flood Camera is an Easy Upgrade
One of the reasons I avoided repairing my light fixture for two years was because I assumed I would have to hire an electrician, but this Arlo light was simple enough to handle on my own. The kit includes a QR code that you can scan to view an installation video that shows you how to connect the wires to your existing outdoor electrical box and install the light, which gave me the confidence to try it (once I was confident that turned on, turn off the power at the fuse box – if you are not sure about this, definitely do not attempt to install this or any other wired device yourself).
If you’re handy with a screwdriver and matching wire colors, you can definitely install this yourself (assuming you have the right fasteners) in 10 minutes or less.
Arlo wired floodlight camera: good combination of features and price
Although I was replacing a simple bare bulb, I wanted something more durable to light up my backyard, and the Arlo Spotlight Camera fit my needs. It features two bright LED lights that are powerful enough to light up the entire space (of course, I live in Brooklyn so my backyard isn’t that big, but it extends a good 45 feet from the back door), including the sandbox and swing set when my child and his friends from the block love to play – often in the last months of the year, when it is already completely dark.
The spotlight does its job: the 2,000-lumen beams illuminate the area well without being blinding, and you can increase or decrease their intensity via the app (more on that in a moment).
Motion detection can be set up if you’d rather not get an alert every time a squirrel wanders around the yard, and I found it worked well for detecting motion in the yard in the most well-lit areas, although sometimes if the kids were in the back near the swing set (about 35 feet from the camera), it can be hit or miss.
The 2K camera also works very well. It has a 160° field of view and, like the luminaires, can be easily positioned to provide the best view of the area being monitored. You can view what the camera sees at any time from the app, and the camera will also record videos whenever it detects motion and send them to your phone.
The video quality is quite excellent – you can zoom in to see the details. One evening I went into the garage to get something and noticed a large creature run away before I could see what it was. I checked the camera footage (which started when I entered the yard) and was able to determine what it was – a cat, in case you were wondering. I was afraid it was a possum or even a big rat (hey, this is Brooklyn).
The camera works day and night, and I found the night vision to be quite impressive, especially closer to the camera (about 25 feet)—instead of the greenish tint of some cameras, this one uses invisible infrared LEDs to create a color image. .
Full featured (but a bit confusing) app.
The real test of any smart home device is the app you use to control it, and Arlo’s is pretty decent. I only have one device, but you can use the Arlo Secure app to control all of your Arlo devices at once, including turning them on and off, setting routines, and more. Once installed, setting up your floodlight camera is as simple as pairing it with the app (make sure you have a good Wi-Fi signal in your yard—I had to add a Wi-Fi range extender in the kitchen to ensure a reliable connection).
It’s worth noting that to get the most out of your spotlight camera, you’ll need to pay a monthly subscription , which starts at around $7 per month. Without a paid plan, the camera offers motion detection and real-time monitoring via the app, as well as a few other bells and whistles. The spotlight comes with a free 30-day trial, so you can check out what it includes and decide if and at what level you should pay for it:
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Basic ($6.67 per month for one camera) offers 30 days of video history, motion detection (people/vehicles/pets), and smart activity zones.
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Plus ($15/month for unlimited cameras) adds packet detection, face and vehicle recognition that allows you to identify familiar people and vehicles, and audio monitoring.
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Premium ($20.83 per month) adds professional 24/7 real-time monitoring and emergency response, plus a possible discount on homeowners insurance.
Set traffic zones and set up notifications
You’ll use the app to configure settings and alerts. For example, you can adjust the intensity of the spotlight, set motion zones if the camera covers areas you don’t want to monitor, and set alerts to determine whether notifications actually reach your phone (perhaps you want to know whether the camera will notice a person but you don’t need to know that there’s a cat in the yard).
Speaking of which, the camera is able to differentiate the type of motion it detects and it will be specific when it sends you an alert. Various detection methods include people, vehicles, animals, packages. The “Feed” tab displays an archive of everything that the camera recorded over the last month (if you have a tariff plan). The videos load fairly quickly and are sorted by date and motion type, making it easy to find what you need.
You can set routines for when the camera monitors and choose from three settings (Standby, Arm, and Arm) to control how it behaves depending on whether you’re at home or not. You can also configure emergency alerts, including whether to turn on the siren lights when motion is detected.
You can also contact emergency services through the app. When you trigger one of the alerts (by clicking on the Emergency tab), Arlo Emergency Alert will contact first responders. It’s not exactly real-time security monitoring, but it’s useful to have if you’re considering this floodlight as a component of your home security system.
Bottom line
If you’re just looking for a simple light with a camera, the Arlo is probably overkill – although it will certainly get the job done, to get the most out of it (and justify the $150 list price) it’s probably best to think sooner. it is a home security device that requires a monthly subscription.
It performs well in this regard, recording and storing clear, detailed video and providing accurate and sensitive motion detection. I was happy enough that after my free 30-day trial of Arlo Secure expired, I signed up for a monthly subscription again, and that’s the best endorsement you’ll get from me, the legendary cheapskate.