Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Review

The Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight just launched. It’s a camera and floodlight combination unit with motion detection and other smart features. Is it right for you? Let’s find out.

Pros

• Wire-free outdoor camera; battery-power or solar-powered
• Ultra-bright floodlight up to 3,000 lumens of brightness
• 2K HD video resolution with color night view

Cons

• Does not include any cloud-based storage without a subscription

What’s new with Arlo’s Pro 3 Floodlight?

Here’s a quick list of new features on the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight that aren’t included on older Arlos.

• 2K resolution (Arlo Pro 2 has 1080p)
• 160° field of view (30° more than the Arlo Pro 2)
• HDR. provides brighter highlights to the image and a wider range of color detail; In addition, this technology also makes it possible to have colored video, even in night mode.
• Ultra-bright floodlight— the Arlo Ultra and Pro 3 have integrated spotlights, but this cam is the first Arlo with a floodlight, which puts out between 2,000-3,000 lumens of brightness (depending on power source)

Performance

10 SECOND SUMMARY: The video quality of the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight is identical to the standard Pro 3 in terms of video resolution and audio quality. The biggest difference here is going to be the addition of the ultra-bright floodlight (up to 3,000 lumens), while provides extra visibility and security, as well as night mode in full color.

Video: Day vs. Night

For indoor surveillance, we would expect the video quality to be the same to the Arlo Pro 3, as shown below. The imagery here is at 2K video resolution and figures are clear from a wide range of distances.

Outdoor surveillance would also mimic that of the Pro 3, since they have similar specs.

In daytime conditions, the floodlight doesn’t provide too much of a difference, but nighttime surveillance is where this model really starts to separate itself.

The image below shows the Pro 3 footage indoors in a dark room. The clarity with this camera is exceptional and provided a large degree of detail and sharpness.

Outdoors at night, the Pro 3 Floodlight would have even more definition and than the image below from the standard Pro 3.

The Pro 3 has an integrated spotlight that has an output of about 1,000 lumens. Packed with power, the Pro 3 Floodlight has up to 2,000 lumen output on battery power and up to 3,000 lumens when plugged into continuous power.

RELATED – See more Modern Castle home security camera reviews.

Audio

The audio capabilities on the Pro 3 Floodlight will match that of the Pro 3. It has full-duplex, which means you can hear audio on-site and speak through the speaker simultaneously.

Full-Duplex vs. Half-Duplex | Less advanced cameras only have half-duplex which works like a walkie talkie. With half-duplex, you can hear the audio or you can talk, but you cannot do both at the same time. This is not the case with the Pro 3 Floodlight.

The Arlo App

All Arlo cameras use the same app regardless of model or features. The app wirelessly connects your smartphone or tablet to the camera. Using the app, you’re able to:

• View live feed
• Set up modes
• Timeline viewer (24-hours for free)
• Add a new device

The app also can also access some general features including:

• Armed: arms the system and alerts you of any motion detection
• Disarmed: turns off the motion detection feature
• Schedule: sets up schedules for when the system needs to be more or less alert, based on your personal settings
• Geofencing: uses your location to help determine when motion detection may be most important

How user-friendly is the Arlo app?

The Arlo app is easy to use and simply organizes all of your recorded footage into a single location. The files are stored in a digital library on the Arlo Cloud, but they can also be stored directly on the camera using an SD card.

An SD card isn’t included with the initial purchase, but if you prefer local storage or don’t want the expense of a monthly subscription, it’s a great option.

RELATED – See our Arlo Pro 3 review here.

Arlo Design

The design of the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight looks similar to the Pro 3 with the addition of the floodlight.

It has a black face with white trim and a white body.

The Pro 3 has a small spotlight at the top of the camera, while the Pro 3 Floodlight is flanked on the left and right side with a wide floodlight.

Is it 100% wire-free?

The answer is yes. The Pro 3 Floodlight is the first Arlo with an ultra-bright floodlight and simple wire-free install. Power is provided from a click-in battery pack or a solar panel, depending on your needs.

The Pro 3 Floodlight mounts to any exterior vertical surface using the simple mounts provided

Field of View

The Pro 3 Floodlight has a max range of up to 160° For comparison, the Pro 2 has a max range of 130°.

The Floodlight

The floodlight on the Pro 3 is a really great add fo this camera and is brighter than anything Arlo has brought to the market to-date. The integrated spotlight on the regular Pro 3 or the Alro Ultra has the brightness of about 1,000 lumens.

By comparison, the light on the Pro 3 Floodlight cam is 2-3 times as bright, depending on the power source:

• With battery power: max 2,000 lumens
• With wired power: max 3,000 lumens

WHAT IS A LUMEN? A lumen is a term of measurement when talking about how bright a light is. For example, a traditional 60W bulb would be equivalent to about 800 lumens.

In addition, this camera has an ambient light sensor that can automatically turn the light on when it gets dark.

You can choose from different light modes as well:

1. Constant
2. Flashing
3. Pulsating

Constant light would be great for visibility while flash or pulsating light would be good for alerts to draw attention to suspicious activity.

How does it work?

When motion is detected from the Arlo Pro, the floodlight will turn on to enhance the quality of the recorded video and deter suspicious activity. If you use the ambient light sensor, you can also set up the light to turn on whenever it starts getting dark.

You will also get a push notification on your smartphone, which can prompt a response. You can choose to:

1. Ignore the alert.
2. View the video playback of the activity.
3. Audibly speak through your phone or enable live-stream audio.
4. Engage the audible in-camera siren (up to 100 dB).

Top Features

Some of the top features of the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera include:

• Motion notifications: sends a push notification to your smartphone when the camera detects motion in the camera’s view
• Custom motion zones: customize exact areas where you want more sensitive motion or sound alerts
• Duplex audio: allows you to talk through the camera as well as hear what is going on on-site simultaneously.
• App control: view the camera footage from your smartphone or other device using the Arlo app
• Multiple pairing: pair multiple cameras together (indoor or outdoor) for whole-home security

One thing to remember: The Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight does not include free cloud-based storage, like some of the lower-resolution Arlo cameras. This is mainly due to the high resolution of the Pro 3 camera, which requires more space to store footage on the cloud.

For recorded video, you can opt for:

1. Local storage using an on-board SD card (sold separately)
2. Cloud storage with a paid subscription starting at $2.99 / mo

You can view the live feed at any time using the app, but this footage will not be saved unless you do one of the options listed above.

RELATED – Arlo vs. Ring side-by-side camera battle.

What’s in the box?

Out of the box, the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight comes with a pretty basic set of contents. With the initial purchase, you’ll get:

Parts & Accessories include:

• Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight wireless camera
• Rechargeable battery pack
• Mounting screw (optional)
• Drywall anchor (optional)
• Magnetic mount
• Battery charger and charging cables (USB to micro USB)
• USB power bank

Required Accessories

Does the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight require a Smart Hub or Base Station?

Yes, it does.

All Arlo cameras, excluding wired cams like the Arlo Q, require a hub or base station. This accessory is sold separately, but you can pair up to 10 cameras to the hub. So once you buy it, it’s not a purchase you’ll need to repeat.

Arlo currently manufactures two different products that get the job done:

1. SmartHub
2. Base Station

“Base Stations” refer to the first round of Arlo communication devices. The second generation was renamed “Smart Hubs”.

For the sake of our performance tests and review, we used the Arlo SmartHub (VMB5000), since that is the newest hub option and has the best performance, according to Arlo.

Base Station vs. Smart Hub

Setup & Usability

Setup and usability for the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight is straightforward and setup takes only a couple minutes since the system is wire-free.

To get going, follow the steps below:

1. Unbox the Arlo and remove all original packaging.
2. Unlock the battery compartment and insert a rechargeable battery pack.
3. Bring the camera close to the base station or SmartHub.
4. Sync camera to base station.

You’ll know that the camera is correctly paired if the LED lights indicate the connection.

How to Pair the Arlo Pro to the Smart App?

1. Install the Arlo app to your smartphone.
2. Follow the prompts as the app tries to locate your camera.
3. Once the app locates it, the setup takes less than 5 minutes.

How easy is Arlo to install?

To install the Pro 3 Floodlight is simple. This camera is designed for outdoor applications.

Use the provided mount and install directly onto your exterior. Attach the camera and install the battery.

The light is already installed around the camera as one piece so the addition of the light requires no extra setup.

Adjust the angle of the camera until the correct scene is in view.

That’s it, you’re done.

Power Options

Arlo offers a couple of different options when it comes to power.

Options include:

1. Battery-powered (rechargeable battery included)
2. AC power that plugs into a wall outlet (required for continuous video)
3. Solar panel (solar panel sold separately)

Does Arlo require a subscription?

The Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight does not require a subscription, but adding one certainly does enhance the performance of this camera.

The biggest add you’re getting with a subscription would be cloud-based storage.

Due to the high resolution of this camera, it doesn’t offer any free remote video storage.

It does have the option of local storage using an SD card, but you’ll need to buy the card separately and that footage can’t be viewed without having the camera in-hand.

Without an Arlo paid subscription, the Pro 3 Floodlight provides the following features:

• Live remote video streaming
• Limited local storage
• Email motion alerts & push notifications
• Support for up to 5 cameras
• 2-way audio
• Custom motion zones

With a paid Arlo subscription, you can get Cloud-based video storage as well as higher resolution storage.

The two smart Arlo packages are:

• Premier
• Elite

Arlo Smart Premier

• Cost (single camera): $2.99 / monthly
• Cost (up to 5 cameras): $9.99 / monthly
• Description: offers rolling 30 days of video storage with up to 2K video resolution for 1 or 5 cameras

Arlo Smart Elite

• Cost (single camera): $4.99 / monthly
• Cost (up to 5 cameras): $14.99 / monthly
• Description: offers rolling 30 days of video storage with up to 4K video resolution for 1 or 5 cameras

Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Specifications

Should you buy the Arlo Pro 3 Camera?

I would recommend the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight if you’re looking for the following in a security camera:

• Integrated Floodlight: The integrated floodlight offers up to 3,000 lumens of brightness, 3 different modes, and can turn on when activity is detected or when it starts to get dark. It’s a great advancement to the original Arlo Pro 3 camera.
• Wire-free: The click-in battery on this camera is easy to install and can power the camera for up to 6 months. If you want a brighter floodlight, you can also power the camera with an outdoor power adapter or solar panel charger.
• Don’t mind paying for Cloud Storage: The biggest disadvantage of this camera is the lack of free cloud-based storage. You’ll have to pay for it if you want any at all (starts at $2.99/month). You can access local storage using an SD card, but the only way to retrieve that footage would be to have the camera in-hand.

Click here to learn more about or to buy the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera.