Today, we are going to compare two rechargeable battery powered WiFi cameras… the Arlo Pro 2 and the Reolink Argus 2. I have recently reviewed them individually and I’ll include those links in the description down below. So, for more detailed review of each camera, check those videos out first.

First off, pricing…
The Argus is a stand alone camera and is priced at $130 dollars or $255 bucks for 2. The Arlo Pro 2 needs a base station and the minimum you can buy as a kit is a 2 pack and that includes the base station for $450 dollars.

Now, the Reolink Argus have plans on adding a base station in the future and you will see it as an option on their app when you install the camera.

Both cameras are 1080p with the Argus using a Sony CMOS sensor. Both have a wide 130 degree field of view.

The Argus 2 uses a micro SD card that is installed in the camera to record motion events while the Arlo Pro 2 has a free 7 day cloud motion recording.
It also has a subscription if you want to save footage more than 7 days. $99 per year for 30 days and $149 dollars for 60 days.

The Arlo Pro 2 also can record 24/7 but it needs to be plugged in and you need to subscribe to a separate recording plan which is $99 dollars per year and per camera for 14 days of continuous recording or $199 dollars for 30 days.

The Argus 2 uses PIR motion detection which most battery powered Wifi cameras uses. The same thing with the Arlo Pro 2 except if you choose to plug it in, then it uses software based motion detection which I’m not sure if it is used in conjunction with the PIR sensor but the benefit is that it will record 3 seconds of footage before motion has been detected.

During my testing though with the battery powered Arlo and you will see it in the footage later on is that it starts up and records pretty quick when I start to get in the frame of the camera. PIR sensors are pretty good in detecting motion if the subject goes across the camera’s field of view and not towards the camera.

Both of these cameras have short or almost instant in push notification alerts. So, you will be notified in real time if there is motion on the areas that are being monitored.

Both cameras have 2 way audio. The Argus records both sides of the conversation.
The Arlo only records the camera side.

Both cameras are weatherproof and the Arlo Pro 2 has an IP65 water resistance rating.

The Reolink Argus has an operating temperature of 14° to 131°F while the Arlo Pro 2 has a -4° to 113° degrees. So, the Argus should tolerate hot temperatures like here in South Texas and not really in the cold. And the Arlo Pro 2 should work in a -4 degree weather.

The Argus has the Starlight Night vision which can go up to 33 feet and the Arlo’s night vision on the other hand goes up to 25 feet.

Now, let’s check out the night vision between these 2 cameras. First would be with their night vision turned on and on a little to no light area.

Second, we will check the video quality if my back porch light is ON which is a 60 watt equivalent light.

As you can see, the Arlo Pro 2 didn’t change to color mode even when the Night vision is off and the same thing when it is on. It needs more than 60 watts of light to turn the camera to full color. The Argus 2 automatically changed to color mode.

Lastly, lights off.

The Argus 2 has a rechargeable battery which Reolink states that it can last from 4-6 months without recharging and the Arlo Pro 2 should last up to 6 months. Please note that it really depends on how much movement is in the monitored area. So, don’t expect it to last 6 months when it is recording more than 10 video footages a day.

Now, let’s talk about the cons of the cameras…with the Reolink Argus, I found out that it tends to stop recording pretty quick. You can still be in the frame of the camera and after 7-8 seconds, it will stop recording and will restart whenever it senses motion again. Even if you set the motion sensitivity to high, it still records short clips. One viewer suggested to contact Reolink Support because they can push an update on the camera and this is what I did and they responded pretty quick and said that an engineer will push an update and you can choose between 8; 16 or 30 seconds of recording. I emailed them back with the information that they needed and today, I noticed that they just didn’t push the firmware but actually updated the app. Now, there is another setting in the app under storage and it says record settings where you can pick and choose how many seconds you want the Argus to record after the triggered event stops..You can choose from 8, 15 or 30 secs. Kudos to Reolink for updating the app.

So, now, I really have no negative things to say about this camera. One suggestion though if they will eventually add a base station is to have an option for a backup footage recording either on a hard drive or another SD card in the base itself just in the event if the camera itself got destroyed or stolen. A cloud recording option is also a good thing to add.

Now, my main complaint on the Arlo Pro 2 is just how expensive it is as compared to other battery powered cameras in its category. Also, it only records the camera’s side audio in the recorded footage.

Also, the camera kit which include the base station doesn’t include any other accessories that can give you mounting options. You have to buy a separate mount if you want to install it in a ceiling or if you want a more secured screw on mount.

The Reolink has a screw in mount included plus a strap that if you want to install it to something that you don’t want to poke holes into like the gutter tube in this picture. It also came with a silicone skin. So, basically, you get more for the money with the Reolink Argus 2.

Arlo Pro 2 – amzn.to/2LQ5g6t Reolink Argus 2 – shrsl.com/xtz8amzn.to/2JdbhIw