Arlo Pro 5S 2K Spotlight Camera - 2 Pack - Security Cameras Wireless Outdoor, Dual Band Wi-Fi, Color Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Home Security Cameras, Home Improvement, White – VMC4260P (Renewed)

Why it's worth it

The Pro 5S 2K posts the best person-detection numbers in this group, with color night vision, a built-in spotlight, and dual-band Wi-Fi that grabs whichever band is stronger. It's fully wire-free, and this particular listing is a renewed two-pack.

If false alarms are what made you give up on cameras before, start here. RTINGS.com's lab testing measured 97.3 percent person-detection accuracy for the Pro 5S, against 91.8 percent for the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro. Those few points are the difference between trusting a midnight notification and swiping it away without looking. Trust is the whole product.

2K with 12x zoom is the sweet spot for most yards. It's noticeably sharper than 1080p where it counts, at the porch and the gate, without the huge files and stuttery streams that 4K brings on a weak connection. Dual-band Wi-Fi helps too, since the camera hops to 5GHz whenever that signal is the stronger one.

From our review of 7 outdoor smart home security cameras, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +If false alarms are what made you give up on cameras before, start here
• +2K with 12x zoom is the sweet spot for most yards
• +Mounting is genuinely quick

What to know

• –Battery claims and real life diverge fast
• –Most of the smart extras — package and vehicle alerts, longer clip history — sit behind an Arlo Secure plan, charged per camera