Should you buy an Arlo Audio Doorbell?

Best answer: If you want to avoid the hassle of batteries and cables, you should pick up the Arlo Audio Doorbell. This doorbell also offers two-way communication without you needing to actually answer the door, which other Arlo products don't have.

• Amazon: Arlo Audio Doorbell ($80)
• Amazon: Arlo Base Station ($80)

Wire-free Life

Back in November 2018, Arlo debuted its first non-video smart doorbell with the Arlo Audio. This offered a new wire-free setup that can make life easier for a lot of customers.

In an effort to rid your smart home of more cables, the Audio Doorbell simply operates on batteries. While the Audio Doorbell uses just two regular AA batteries, Arlo claims that these will provide about one-year of life before needing to change them out. This can be a big deal for those who don't want to worry about routing cables around your home.

Two-way Communication

Forgoing the decision to include a camera makes more sense once you see what the Audio Doorbell includes. The downloadable Arlo application notifies you whenever someone presses the doorbell of your lovely abode. However, the fun with this smart doorbell comes with its "remote communication functionality." After the doorbell has been rung, you can talk with the visitors directly from your smartphone or tablet.

Additionally, if someone rings the doorbell but you aren't home, they can leave a voice message. Then you can find out why that person decided to pay you a visit when you weren't home.

Compared to the Arlo camera included with the Arlo Pro 2 kit, it's way more convenient. Sure, you could view whoever is at your door with the camera, but there's no way to interact with that person. The Arlo Audio Doorbell serves the same purpose at a lower cost for you and you get the added bonus of being able to communicate with your visitor.

Now, it's important to note that you'll still need the Arlo Base Station, but that's to be expected with many smart home products. You'll need the Base Station because it acts as the "brains" of the operation. All of Arlo's products connect to the Base Station, and then you can interact with them directly from the Arlo application on your smartphone.

What does it work with?

If you're planning to join the Arlo family, chances are you're wondering what other products the Audio Doorbell works with. Well, you're in luck (mostly) if you're looking to combine the Audio Doorbell with other Arlo products.

Specifically, Arlo states that the Audio Doorbell will work with a few of its own cameras. That way, you can speak with whoever is at the door while also getting a view of what they are doing.

Another product that the Audio Doorbell works with is the Arlo Chime. This offers the chime alerts, along with motion and other sound alerts when using the Audio Doorbell from Arlo. The company has also included a Smart Siren, which uses an 80+ decibel sound that can be triggered.

There are some limitations though. The Arlo Audio Doorbell will not work with the Arlo Baby, Arlo Go, or Arlo Q. If you're planning to pick up one of the aforementioned cameras, be aware of the limitations.