Best answer: No, you do not need the Arlo Chime in order to use the Arlo Audio Doorbell. However, the Chime makes it possible for you to hear when someone is at the door from wherever you are in the house.
- Amazon: Arlo Chime ($50)
- Amazon: Arlo Audio Doorbell ($80)
What does the Chime do?
While the Audio Doorbell provides its own peace-of-mind, the Chime is extremely complimentary. The Chime does not require batteries to work, as it simply plugs into any standard outlet in your home.
From there, set it up in the Arlo app on your smartphone or tablet. Then, every time your Doorbell rings, the Chime will do just that, chime. This is great if you don't feel your phone go off in your pocket, or if you are running around the house and left your phone in another room.
Additionally, you can set motion and sound alerts with adjustable volumes and customizable sounds. The Smart Siren feature provides a siren measuring in at over 80 decibels so that you can't miss the sound regardless of where you are in the house.
Without the Chime
You can purchase the Audio Doorbell from Arlo by itself if that floats your boat. You can wire the Doorbell to work with your pre-existing doorbell for the chime in your home.
The added functionality of remote-communication is the biggest selling point. However, this does require you to have your phone or tablet handy in order to respond to whoever is at the door.
If you opt to forego the Chime, you're limited to receiving motion or sound alerts from the app. But since Arlo wants you to fully commit, that's kind of the point, as the company hopes that you will pick up the Chime to pair with the Doorbell for the complete security set up.
Better Together
As we stated above, you do not need the Arlo Chime in order to use the Arlo Audio Doorbell. However, bundling these two products together help to create a better overall experience for those in the Arlo camp.
The Audio Doorbell can handle the notifications on your smartphone so that you can talk to whoever is at the door. Meanwhile, the Chime provides the traditional chime alerts that you may have become accustomed to over the years.
Obviously, the most ideal situation is to pick up the Arlo Pro 2 bundle, and add the Chime after the fact. This gives you the Base Station, Camera, Audio Doorbell, and the Chime. Then you can pick up extra cameras for other areas in your home for the full Arlo experience.
Bundle and get them at the same time
If you decide to pick up both the Audio Doorbell and Chime, Arlo has created a bundle. This gives you both products, but doesn't really save you any money compared to purchasing separately.
