How Long Do Arlo Camera Batteries Last?
Ever since it was introduced in 2014, Arlo has quickly become of the most popular security camera brands in the USA, but it has also come with a lot of questions regarding its performance. One of the most common questions that people ask is, “How long do Arlo camera batteries last?”
Before the Arlo Pro was launched in 2016, all Arlo cameras would come with four CR123 lithium 3-volt photo batteries, regardless of the model. While the company initially claimed that their cameras could run for 4-6 months on the initial batteries before they needed to be replaced, consumers quickly found a caveat to that claim. The batteries in earlier Arlo cameras would only last 4-6 months if the cameras were used a mere 5 minutes per day to record. Of course, as any homeowners know, 5 minutes of recording is next to useless. If you tried to use the earlier models for longer than 5 minutes per day, the batteries generally lasted around a week.
How Did Arlo Solve Their Battery Problem and What Happened?
To solve the battery lifespan problem, Arlo teamed up with Tenergy, a battery-maker, whom they contracted to supply their cameras with rechargeable batteries and a battery charger. While Tenergy claimed that their battery was rechargeable up to 500 times, reviews on Amazon reported that the batteries had a lackluster performance. There were various complaints, ranging from battery packs lasting less than 12 hours to people reporting that the battery life drastically dropped over three months of use. Ultimately, the poor performance of the Tenergy batteries resulted in a rating of 3.5 stars on Amazon, with a majority of the reviews even saying that the rechargeable packs performed worse compared to the non-rechargeable batteries.
How Arlo Ultimately Improved Their Camera Batteries
As the saying goes, "if you want something done right, you better do it yourself" When Arlo released their Arlo Pro camera in 2016, it came with a battery pack and a charging station that was produced in-house by the company. This battery pack was a 5V 2440 mAh Li-ion battery, giving the customer longer battery life. What's more, the in-house design meant that the batteries could be swapped out much easier. These features make the battery pack popular with customers and the Arlo Pro camera became one of the most popular home security cameras during that time.
Once the company had figured out how long do Arlo camera batteries last, they stepped up their game in 2018 when they released the Arlo Ultra camera. This model came with a 3.85V 4800 mAh battery pack and its charging station. What's more, the charging station had rapid charging capabilities and could charge two battery packs simultaneously. The battery packs were so popular that they received a four-star rating on Amazon, with the only complaint being that the battery packs were quite expensive.
Arlo Camera Battery Lifespan
How long do Arlo camera batteries last? It depends on the model that you are using.
- Arlo Wire-free models – 3-6 months
- Arlo Go – 2-3 months
- Arlo Wired Cameras (Q, Q Plus, Baby) – does not use batteries
A camera's battery life will depend mostly on usage, but there are also environmental factors that can affect battery life like:
Temperature
If you are using your Arlo camera in environments that experience low temperatures (below 32⁰F), the cold can shorten battery life drastically.
Low-Light Environments
If the cameras are set in low-light environments, this will require the infrared sensors in the camera to work harder to produce a clear image.
High Video Quality Settings
The higher the video quality setting, the more battery life your Arlo camera will consume. Since Arlo cameras allow you to choose the quality of the video, you can adjust the level depending on the surrounding conditions to help preserve battery life.
Poor Wi-Fi Signal
If your Arlo camera is far from your Wi-Fi router or there is a lot of Wi-Fi noise in your home (i.e., other gadgets using the Wi-Fi to broadcast or receive signals), it can shorten your camera’s battery life as well.
How to Maximize Arlo Camera Battery Life
If you are looking for ways to know how long do Arlo camera batteries last, here are some useful tips that you can do:
1. Update Your Firmware
Arlo periodically releases firmware upgrades for all their cameras to ensure that they are running optimally. Check your cameras to ensure that they are running on the latest firmware.
2. Find the Best Position
Arlo periodically releases firmware upgrades for all their cameras to ensure that they are running optimally. Check your cameras to ensure that they are running on the latest firmware.
3. Optimize Your Camera's Settings
You can also tinker with your Arlo camera's settings to lengthen the battery life. Arlo cameras have an "Optimized Battery Life" power setting that will balance the video quality with battery lifespan. You can also program your Arlo camera to record shorter videos since Arlo cameras are not designed to take continuous videos. You can choose a time for your Arlo camera to record, for example, while you are sleeping at night or when you are at work.
Conclusion
Many factors will determine how long do Arlo camera batteries last. These factors can be related to the environment or it can be depending on your usage of the camera. While the battery packs for newer Arlo camera models do have a long battery lifespan, you can buy extra battery packs if you want to extend the lifespan of your batteries. While you can buy Arlo branded batteries, you can also opt for other alternatives from well-known manufacturers such as Duracell, Energizer, or Panasonic. Know more about Arlo cameras.
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