Arlo Pro 5 Review vs Arlo Pro 4 & Eufy eufyCam 3C

Earlier this week, Arlo announced the Arlo Pro 5 for the UK, which is essentially the same as the Arlo Pro 5S that launched in the US a few months ago.

The camera is an incremental upgrade to the Arlo Pro 4 I reviewed at the start of 2022. The three main improvements are:

• 12-bit colour sensor adds 6x more colour detail vs Pro 4
• 30% more battery life (8 months vs 6 months) & a new low-power battery boost mode
• Now with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

During my pre-briefing, Arlo made comparisons to the excellent eufyCam 2C Pro (eufyCam 2C review). However, the Eufy eufyCam 3C is the newer product which would make a better comparison, and as I have reviewed the eufyCam 3C , I was able to try and make some like-for-like comparisons.

Arlo Pro 5 vs Arlo Pro 4 vs Eufy eufyCam 3C Specification

As far as the spec goes, the eufyCam 3C looks a bit more appealing thanks to the 4K resolution and the ability to identify familiar faces.

There is also no monthly charge if you stick to using the HomeBase, and this can be expanded with a 2.5-inch disk drive.

On the flip side, Arlo arguably has better security policies, the cloud storage is cheaper than Eufy, and the cameras can connect to your WiFi directly. For me, the WiFi connectivity is quite useful as I use multiple access points around the home, so I don’t have to worry about the placement of a HomeBase in relation to my cameras.

The Arlo Pro 5 should also, in theory, have the best colour detail during the night. Also, both the Arlo cameras have a much better field of view than the Eufy.

Arlo vs Eufy Security

It is worth noting that Eufy has had some bad publicity recently in relation to its privacy and security. These problems appear to have been addressed now, but many people have lost trust in the brand due to the misleading claims that the cameras only use local storage for everything. Eufy also didn’t manage the problem well, trying to deny there was a problem at first and not addressing it within an appropriate time frame. I still use their cameras happily.

With Arlo, all the footage is stored in the cloud as default. Possibly because of that, Arlo appears to take account security much more seriously. They force you to have 2FA, and the app has built-in 2FA push notifications if you want to log in to my.arlo.com. You can also only have one account logged in at a time, so when I log into my.arlo.com, the app boots me out. You can then add other users to the account and control what they can access.

Eufy does have 2FA, but it is email only and not compulsory. It also has multi-users, but you can be logged into the same account on multiple devices. They have improved the web access, which now forces you to enable it via the app and then set an expiry time for the live view.

Overall, Arlo does seem much more secure than Eufy, but I am happy with both, especially as I only use outdoor cameras.

Arlo Pro 5 Set Up – Not finding the camera & DNS

Setting up the Arlo Pro 5 is mostly the same as other cameras. The initial setup requires you to use a 2.4Ghz network, you provide the password and then show the camera a QR code. Once the camera is set up, you can add a 5GHz network, and the camera will automatically select the best network for performance.

I should highlight that I experienced some issues getting the camera to be recognised at first. It would seem that the camera does not like NextDNS, which is a paid-for DNS provider that improves privacy, security and ad blocking.

NextDNS logs didn’t show anything from Arlo being blocked, but when I switched to Google DNS, the camera worked immediately. When I re-setup the Arlo Pro 4, I had no problems getting it to work with my normal network and NextDNS.

I doubt many people will experience the issues I did, and it may not even be the DNS, but rather my overly complex network. However, I felt it was worth mentioning in case anyone is struggling to add the camera.

Arlo Pro 5 New App Features

With the launch of the new camera, Arlo rolled out a new version of its app with a design and several new features, including:

• Event Feed: View in-depth details like, who accessed a door or who Armed or Disarmed your system. 
• Notifications: See what triggered an alert from your phone so you can activate the siren, call a friend, or request emergency response, from anywhere.
• Emergency Response: 24/7 Live Security Experts monitor your home, so you don’t have to.
• Dashboard: Personalise your dashboard with your favourite security widgets for quick access to Arlo devices and information. 
• Modes: Quickly and easily control arm, disarm, and standby modes with one-tap.
• Locations: Manage your security systems and customise settings, emergency response, and sirens for each address. 
• Automations: Create schedules for hands-free arming and disarming of your security system. 

I think the emergency response feature is limited to the US. For the UK, you can use the siren and call a friend function.

The automations function is perhaps the most interesting feature that gives you a wide range of actions and settings that allow you to control your cameras. These can be based on schedules or geofencing.

Arlo Pro 5 vs Arlo Pro 4 vs Eufy eufyCam 3C Video Samples

Night Time Colour Footage

In an attempt to get like-for-like footage, I experimented with swapping around the Arlo cameras and walking up the drive. 

Page 2 of this review has sample footage that I have uploaded to YouTube. I will add more low-light samples when I have them.  

All the samples were recorded at around 5.50 am. I have very bright streetlights, so my garden is never particularly dark. With all three cameras, I experimented with having the spotlight off, at 50% and at 100%. Unlike some of the fancy POE Hikvision cameras, none of these seems to have sensors sensitive enough to record colour footage without the assistance of the spotlight.

In my scenario, there is no perceivable difference between 50% and 100%, and this is well worth experimenting with to extend your battery life.

As you can see from the examples, there is a significant difference in performance. In my scenario, there is not that much benefit with the new 12-bit sensor of the Arlo Pro 5. Due to the bright street lighting and built-in spotlight, both cameras produce good colour footage.

I’d say the Arlo Pro 5 is better for avoiding dark spots and making it easier to identify colours and detail on objects. However, due to the improved sensor, it is quite sensitive to street lights, causing a lot of lens flare.

The Eufy produces 4K footage vs 2K on the two Arlo cameras. You can clearly tell this offers significantly more detail on my walls, but there is not a great deal of benefit when it comes to making out distinguishing features on me walking up and down. The frame rate is too low on all the cameras to capture a lot of detail on a moving object.

As I continue to use the cameras, I will attempt to get some more samples in darker conditions to see how much better the Arlo Pro 5 12-bit sensor is.

Day Time

I have not attempted to make a like-for-like comparison with the day time footage. All three cameras perform well in this scenario. There is plenty of detail, and you can make out what people are wearing and the colour of their clothes.

Arlo Pro 5 vs Arlo Pro 4 vs Eufy eufyCam 3C Battery

This section of the review is a work in progress. I have not had the Arlo Pro 5 long enough to comment accurately on the battery life. Also, when I reviewed the Arlo Pro 4, it was in a different location which triggered more events and therefore drained the battery more.

My current test location is on the fence of my garden, pointing inwards, so it only catches events when someone walks into the garden. I recently reviewed the Arlo Essential and the Essential XL using this placement, and I was impressed with the performance. In the review, I estimated three and six months of battery life from both cameras, respectively. I have continued to use the Arlo Essential since the review a month ago, and it is still at 69% battery. I would now expect it to last a bit longer than three months.

The Arlo Essential and Essential XL are rated for 6 and 12 months, respectively, with me estimating my real-world performance is half that.

For the Arlo Pro 4, the official rating is 3-6 months, and for the Arlo Pro 5, it is 8 Months. Based on the current discharge I have seen, it will be closer to two months for the Arlo Pro 4 and three months for the Arlo Pro 5.

The Pro models discharge faster than the Essential cameras because of the higher resolution (I assume).

The Eufy eufyCam 3C gets around two to three months. Probably less than the Arlo Pro 5, but it records at a higher 4K resolution.

With all the cameras, you can optimise the battery to suit your needs. Arlo has three battery modes, and you can also adjust the spotlight, either dialling down the brightness or switching it from a continuous light to a flashing light. Or you can switch it off completely and rely on black-and-white footage.

Similarly, activity zones will reduce recorded events. Due to the location of my cameras, I have not been using the zone.

Page 2 of the Arlo Pro 5 Review for the price, alternative options, cloud storage, conclusion and footage samples

Originally posted on mightygadget.com – Follow on Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – Mighty Gadget Latest Reviews

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.