Reolink Argus 2 review, by Bryan Kollar

Reolink Argus 2, the completely wireless wi-fi security camera. In my opinion, a major upgrade from the Reolink Argus in many ways. (Click here for my review of the original Reolink Argus.) The $130 price tag is well worth it’s weight in gold. No need to replace batteries. Just set it in place, and forget about it until it’s time to recharge. Or - never - if you purchase a solar panel to go with it!

Just like the previous model, this cam feels good in your hand. Not some cheap plastic ‘toy.’ Most of the weight of this cam is from the detachable battery. It comes with the following components:

• Reolink Argus 2 camera
• Rechargeable Battery
• Outdoor Security Mount (with hook & loop strap)
• Very strong magnetic base
• Rubber skin for better protection with weather conditions
• Reset needle
• Surveillance sticker
• All necessary mounting hardware & templates
• Micro USB cable

February 2018

With the original Reolink Argus 1, you either had to swap the batteries out or recharge them when they expired, which could be every 3-4 days depending on activity. With the Argus 2, you simply plug a USB cable in to charge it. The battery pack lasts a lot longer than replacement batteries by far, but the only slight issue I see is that when the batteries do run out, you have to take the cam out of service until they have a charge again. There are two solutions to this slight issue. 1) Get a second replacement battery and keep it fully charged (you can charge the battery without it being on the camera with a simple micro usb cable). There is a charging light on the battery itself so you know when it’s fully charged. 2) Purchase a solar panel for $30 that will keep it charged so you NEVER have to take your cam out of service. (See below for solar panel review.)

I really love the fact that this cam uses the same mount as the other cams. I didn’t have to do a thing but unscrew the old, and put in the new.

Setup of the cam was extremely easy with the Reolink app. Thankfully it uses the same app as their other cams, so all I had to do was scan the bar code on the cam and follow the on-screen prompts and voice guidance. Literally within seconds, I setup my cam using my in-home wi-fi. If needed, both model cams can be setup using cellular signal.

The Reolink Argus 2 has better wi-fi capability than it’s predecessor. With the Reolink Argus 1, I had to purchase a wi-fi extender, just to get the signal to the cam. The distance between my router and cam was only about 50 feet and there wasn’t any obstacles blocking it’s path. With the Argus 2, I have removed that wi-fi extender since it’s no longer needed. If you plan on using this cam far away from a router, you still may want to consider a wireless range extender. A good model is only about $50.

When you first bring up the app, it displays all the cams you have connected to your network. From here, you can either click on the cam you want to view, or once viewing the cam, you can view all cams at the same time. If you prefer, you can set the app to start live view of the cams as soon as you open it.

In the app settings, you can set it to start recording as soon as it detects movement and either send you a notification via the app, or send you an email with photo attachment of what it captured (or both.) It will continue to record until it doesn’t detect movement any longer (which is a HUGE improvement from the Argus 1.)

Then, if you want, you can log into your camera and view live what the cam is recording, from anywhere in the world. You can even talk to whatever is setting off the motion.

You can also adjust the sensitivity of each cam independently, and weather or not you want to be notified if it detects movement.

Even in the dead of night, the cameras night vision is superb. In the snapshot below, the only light here was coming from the moon.

The only fault in the app I came across was when you get a notification that something set off your cam, it doesn’t tell you which cam - until you log into the app to find out. Since the app works well with my smartwatch, it would be great to see it immediately without logging in.

Although you can use the Argus 2 without the solar panel, I do recommend getting one. It is only an additional $30, and well worth it. I no longer have to swap batteries out every few days like I did with my Argus 1. The solar panel will keep a charge to the camera.

The cable is long enough (a bit too long, to be honest), but if you need to mount the solar panel far away from the cam, you have that option. Better too long than too short!

The panel is larger than I thought it would be, which limits the space as to where I was able to place it on my small porch, but the bigger the panel, the more charge it’s going to hold in the cam, so I’m fine with that.

I was a little disappointed that the base wasn’t magnetic like the cams base was. Where I needed this mounted was very difficult to install, which was on top of my metal awning. It would have been so easy to just reach up, set it in place, and it’s done. Otherwise, I’d have to get on a ladder and do some drilling, which would put me in a very awkward position on the ladder. How hard would it be to design a magnet that screws into the bottom of the base? But I found a different way....

A simple zip tie through the bottom of the base, wrapped around an opening on the side of the awning.

So... in conclusion, I see no reason not to purchase one of these brilliant security cams and solar panels. From the ease of setup to the peace of mind knowing that my home is secure... That I never have to worry about batteries dying on me. That I can check on my dog in the backyard to make sure she’s ok.... All from the comfort of my couch.

A month later after writing this review, I still haven’t had to charge the batteries. The solar panel keeps it at a constant 98%-100%.  I’ve already upgraded my two existing Argus cams!

The only complaints I have is the Reolink app. It’s kind of tedious to take a video clip directly from the app and save it to the phone. If I pop the MicroSD card into an adapter and then into my computer, I can access the files a lot quicker and easier. Also the app doesn’t tell you which cam the alarm is coming from.

Other than that, cant complain and super satisified!!