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Arlo Pro 5
A cut above$199.99 $249.99 Save $50The Arlo Pro 5S (or Pro 5 in some regions) is the latest Arlo camera with the most advanced sensor, greater connectivity and low power modes - but it's a little more expensive.
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Arlo Pro 4
A great alternative$159.99 $199.99 Save $40Slightly older, but just as accomplished. The connectivity is slightly more limited and the sensor not quite as good with colour, but it's also slightly cheaper.
Arlo has a wide range of cameras in its portfolio, but for many the Arlo Pro is the range of choice. This family of cameras offers greater resolution and features over the Arlo Essentials range, while offering a little more affordability than the Arlo Ultra. That narrows down the selection to a couple of key models. With very close specification, deciding between the Arlo Pro 4 and the Arlo Pro 5S is something of a challenge. Here's how they compare.
Price and availability
The Arlo Pro 4 and Arlo Pro 5 are widely available. The Arlo Pro 5 is actually called the Arlo Pro 5S in the US - and we've also found that the European version also has Arlo Pro 5S labelling on the inside of the camera, it's just different on the packaging - but it is the same device. It's widely available in the regions that Arlo operates in, priced at $200 for the Arlo Pro 4 and $250 for the Pro 5S. That's the price for a single camera. In the UK, you'll find the Arlo Pro 4 and Arlo Pro 5 both cost £220, making for an easy choice.
Here are the specs for the Arlo Pro 5 and the Arlo Pro 4 for comparison.
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Arlo Pro 5 Arlo Pro 4 Resolution 2K, HDR 2K, HDR Connectivity 2.4 & 5GHz Wi-Fi, SmartHub optional 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, SmartHub optional Night Vision Yes - colour Yes - colour Power Source Battery - 8 months Battery - 6 months Field of view 160° 160° Two-way speaker Yes Yes Motion detection Yes Yes
Design and installation
The Arlo Pro 5/Pro 5S and the Arlo Pro 4 are both the same size and design. Both come in white or black options, with an external casing into which the camera can battery body slips. This provides waterproofing, so it can be used outdoors in all weather without concern. Both cameras are have a screw thread on the rear which can be used with a range of Arlo accessories, with a magnetic charging point on the base as well as the release button to remove the camera body from the external housing.
Both are supplied with a magnetic mount, which can be attached to a wall using a provided screw and plug, giving a magnetic mounting point for the camera. This allows a variety of positioning and very easy installation. You can opt to have a cable permanently connected for power (although you'll need to plug it into a socket, likely inside the house), but otherwise the battery-based system makes for easy installation. You'll just have to be aware that you need to access the cameras for recharging; equally, the standard magnetic mount doesn't lock the camera, so it could be easily removed if it's within reach of a passerby.
Camera quality and specifications
These two devices might appear at first glance to offer the same hardware configuration, but they don't. Both have a 2K resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels), with 1080p and 720p also offered, with a 4-megapixel 1/3in sensor and HDR. But the difference is that the Arlo Pro 5/5S has a 12-bit sensor rather than a 10-bit sensor. That means it can capture more data, especially colour data, and in the tests we've run on these cameras, it captures at a higher bitrate too. This is important, because while the resolution is the same, there's more data being captured by the Arlo Pro 5S than the Arlo Pro 4. The captured file sizes are larger, yes, but the detail is better too. In that sense, the Arlo Pro 5 is a better performer.
The lens is the same, however, both offering up to 160 degrees wide-angle, and you can adjust the capture area on both cameras too, if you want a narrower field. Both will also offer 12x zoom, but this is digital and doesn't look great.
Connectivity
Connectivity is another area where these cameras are different. Both will connect to the Arlo SmartHub, but neither require it - unless you want the option to storage video locally, in which case you'd need the SmartHub for the microSD card to store it on. Both will happily connect to your Wi-Fi, the big difference here being that the Arlo Pro 4 only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, whereas the Arlo Pro 5S supports 5GHz Wi-Fi too. This gives you more connection options, with the 5GHz better for higher data rates, but with 2.4GHz offering greater range - how you position your devices might have an impact on which you choose to use.
Security features
This section of the comparison is pretty easy as both the Arlo Pro 4 and Arlo Pro 5 have the same features. Both work best with an Arlo Secure plan, enabling a great range of functions like security zones, rich notifications, cloud storage and some AI functions, like being able to detect if it's a person, vehicle or animal that's triggered the camera (and the option to turn off notifications for some types).
Both also have an LED spotlight, both offer a two-way mic and speaker system as well as a siren. Both also work with the same Arlo app and will integrate with other systems such as Alexa or Google Assistant.
Battery life
The cited battery life of the Arlo Pro 4 is 3-6 months, while the Arlo Pro 5 has a 30 per cent boost, so more like 8 months. This is thanks to better management of the battery. However, the actual battery life will depend on lots of factors, like how often it is triggered. If you place it in a busy area where it can see people moving all day, the battery won't last long at all. But on a quiet driveway, you'll get months from it. Arguably, opting for the Arlo Pro 5 just makes more sense because that battery does last longer, but in real terms, there's not a hugely noticeable different in performance between the two.
Conclusions
The Arlo Pro 5 or Pro 5S depending on where you live is an update of the Arlo Pro 4 - and in practice, it's also the better camera. There is increased quality from the video that it captures because it has a more sophisticated sensor, while the additional connectivity option will give some people more versatility in how they setup their Arlo system. The boosted battery life will always be popular, although we've not personally noticed it to be hugely different to the Pro 4.
The Arlo Pro 4, however, is pretty closely matched and is a little cheaper. It's likely to have greater discounts than the Arlo Pro 5 when the sales come around, so if you're building a system of cameras, that might save you some money. On the whole, both of these cameras offer an experience that's very similar. There's a subtle difference in the quality of the video that you'll get from them and some people might decide that it's not worth the increase in price.
