Arlo Pro 5S Review 2026: Is It Worth the Price?
In-depth Arlo Pro 5S review covering 2K video, color night vision, battery life, smart features, and Arlo Secure costs.
SmartShieldHQ Editorial Team
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The Arlo Pro 5S is Arlo’s flagship wire-free security camera, and it sits at the top of many best-of lists for good reason. But at $249.99 with an almost-mandatory subscription on top, the total cost of ownership demands scrutiny. We put the Pro 5S through four months of real-world testing to answer the question every buyer asks: is it actually worth the price?
- 2K HDR video quality
- Color night vision with spotlight
- 160-degree diagonal field of view
- Two-way audio
Design and Build Quality
The Pro 5S is a compact, rounded-rectangle camera finished in matte white or black. It measures 3.5 x 2.0 x 2.6 inches and weighs 4.9 ounces — small enough to mount unobtrusively under an eave, on a fence post, or on a bookshelf indoors.
The standout design feature is the magnetic mount. The camera snaps onto its base with a strong magnet, letting you aim it in any direction and detach it in seconds for charging. After four months of testing through rain, wind, and a few hailstorms, the magnetic mount held firm without any repositioning needed.
Build quality is excellent. The camera carries an IP65 weather resistance rating, which means it handles rain, snow, dust, and temperatures from 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The rubberized charging port cover seals tightly and showed no water intrusion during our testing.
Video Quality: 9/10
The Pro 5S captures 2K HDR video (2560 x 1440) with a 160-degree diagonal field of view. In daylight, footage is sharp and richly detailed — you can read license plates at 20 feet and clearly identify faces at 30 feet. Colors are accurate, and the HDR processing handles mixed lighting (bright sky behind a person, for example) better than any Arlo camera before it.
Color night vision is where the Pro 5S truly shines. The built-in LED spotlight activates automatically when motion is detected, illuminating the scene in full color out to approximately 25 feet. Compared to traditional infrared night vision, which renders everything in grainy black and white, the color footage is dramatically more useful for identifying clothing colors, vehicle details, and facial features.
In our side-by-side testing, the Pro 5S night footage was noticeably better than the Ring Stick Up Cam and comparable to the Reolink Argus 4 Pro — both of which also offer color night vision but at lower resolutions.
The 160-degree field of view is among the widest in any battery-powered camera. A single Pro 5S mounted above a garage covered the entire driveway, front walkway, and most of the front yard in our test home. Barrel distortion at the edges is minimal and does not affect usability.
Connectivity: Dual-Band WiFi
The Pro 5S supports dual-band WiFi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), which is a meaningful upgrade over older Arlo cameras that were limited to 2.4 GHz. The 5 GHz band provides faster data transfer and less interference in congested wireless environments.
In our testing, the 5 GHz connection delivered more consistent streaming with fewer buffering interruptions, particularly when viewing live feeds in 2K resolution. The camera maintained a stable connection at up to 150 feet from the router through two interior walls. Beyond that distance, we recommend using a mesh WiFi system or switching to the 2.4 GHz band for better range.
The camera connects through the Arlo SmartHub or directly to your WiFi router. Direct WiFi mode is simpler to set up but drains the battery slightly faster. The SmartHub adds local USB storage and a more reliable connection but costs extra ($79.99).
Battery Life: 7.5/10
Arlo claims up to six months of battery life on a single charge. In our real-world testing with moderate activity (15-25 motion events per day), we achieved roughly three to four months before needing to recharge.
The rechargeable battery charges via magnetic USB cable, and a full charge takes about five hours. Arlo also sells a solar panel ($79.99) that keeps the camera perpetually charged — we tested this and found it effective even during a cloudy Pacific Northwest winter, though very short winter days occasionally caused the charge level to dip slightly.
Battery drain increases significantly if you use features like 2K recording, the spotlight, and frequent live viewing. If your camera faces a busy street, expect closer to two months between charges.
Smart Features and AI Detection
The Pro 5S includes Arlo’s on-device AI processing, which handles basic motion detection without a subscription. The camera can distinguish between general motion and significant motion (a person walking versus a tree swaying) using on-board processing.
However, the advanced AI features — person, vehicle, animal, and package detection — require an Arlo Secure subscription. This is the major asterisk on the Pro 5S. Without the subscription, you get motion alerts and live viewing but no cloud recording history, no smart alerts by category, and no activity zones.
Other smart features include:
- Two-way audio with noise cancellation that works well for brief conversations
- Built-in siren (approximately 80 dB) that you can trigger remotely
- Activity zones to focus detection on specific areas (subscription required)
- Emergency response integration through Arlo Secure Plus
Smart Home Integration
The Pro 5S works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT. This is the widest platform support of any major security camera. You can view the live feed on an Echo Show or Nest Hub, include the camera in HomeKit automations, and trigger recordings from SmartThings routines.
HomeKit Secure Video support is a notable feature for Apple users. With an iCloud+ subscription, you can use HomeKit’s on-device analysis for face recognition and activity detection, bypassing the need for Arlo Secure entirely. This makes the Pro 5S one of the few cameras that offers a meaningful subscription alternative.
What We Like
- Excellent 2K HDR video with vivid color accuracy
- Outstanding color night vision with built-in spotlight
- 160-degree wide field of view covers large areas
- Magnetic mount makes aiming and removal effortless
- Works with Alexa, Google, HomeKit, SmartThings, and IFTTT
- Dual-band WiFi for faster, more reliable connections
- HomeKit Secure Video as alternative to Arlo Secure
Could Be Better
- Advanced AI features require Arlo Secure subscription
- Battery life is 3-4 months in practice, not 6
- Camera and subscription together make it expensive long-term
- SmartHub sold separately for local storage
- Spotlight can startle visitors at night
Arlo Secure Subscription Costs
This is the conversation every Arlo buyer needs to have with themselves. Here is what the plans cost:
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlo Secure | $7.99 | $79.99/yr | 30 days cloud storage (1 camera), smart alerts, activity zones |
| Arlo Secure Plus | $17.99 | $179.99/yr | Unlimited cameras, 24/7 emergency response, theft replacement |
| No Subscription | $0 | $0 | Live view, basic motion alerts, two-way audio, siren |
Over three years with the basic plan, you will spend about $240 on subscriptions — nearly the cost of the camera itself. Over five years, that climbs to $400. The Secure Plus plan pushes the five-year total to $900.
Alternatives to Arlo Secure: If you use Apple devices, HomeKit Secure Video with an iCloud+ plan ($2.99/month for 200 GB) provides cloud recording, face recognition, and activity zones at a lower cost. The Arlo SmartHub adds local USB recording for a one-time $79.99 purchase.
Our Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Video Quality | 9/10 |
| Night Vision | 9.5/10 |
| Battery Life | 7.5/10 |
| Smart Features | 8/10 |
| Build Quality | 9/10 |
| App Experience | 8/10 |
| Value | 7/10 |
| Overall | 4.5/5 |
Who Should Buy the Arlo Pro 5S?
Buy it if:
- You want the best video quality in a wire-free camera
- You need wide platform support (Alexa, Google, HomeKit, SmartThings) — a smart home hub ties all these platforms together
- Color night vision is a priority
- You are willing to pay for Arlo Secure or use HomeKit Secure Video
- You need flexible placement with the magnetic mount
Skip it if:
- You refuse to pay any subscription fee and do not use HomeKit
- You want 24/7 continuous recording (battery cameras record on motion only)
- Budget is your primary concern — the Wyze Cam v4 at $35 is a better value play
- You need a wired power source for reliability (consider the Arlo Pro 5 wired instead)
- You have many cameras — the per-camera subscription cost adds up fast
Comparison: Arlo Pro 5S vs. Alternatives
| Feature | Arlo Pro 5S | Ring Stick Up | Reolink Argus 4 Pro | Wyze Cam v4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 2K (2560x1440) | 1080p | 4K (3840x2160) | 2K (2560x1440) |
| FOV | 160 degrees | 130 degrees | 180 degrees | 130 degrees |
| Color Night | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | 3-4 months | 3-6 months | 4-6 months | Wired only |
| HomeKit | Yes | No | No | No |
| No-Sub Recording | No (live only) | No (live only) | Yes (microSD) | Yes (microSD) |
| Price | $249.99 | $99.99 | $129.99 | $35.99 |
Final Verdict
The Arlo Pro 5S is a premium security camera that delivers premium results. The 2K video quality, color night vision, and 160-degree field of view are among the best in any battery-powered camera. The magnetic mount is genuinely clever, and cross-platform support with HomeKit, Alexa, Google, and SmartThings means it fits into any smart home setup.
The catch — and it is a significant one — is cost. The $249.99 camera price is just the beginning. Without Arlo Secure, you lose cloud recording and smart detection features that make the camera truly useful. Factor in the subscription, and the three-year cost of ownership approaches $500.
If you value top-tier video quality and multi-platform compatibility, and you are prepared for the subscription commitment, the Arlo Pro 5S earns its place as one of the best security cameras of 2026.
Score: 4.5/5 — Highly Recommended
