Reolink Argus PT Review

Do It for the Aesthetics

When we first laid our eyes on the Reolink Argus PT, we couldn’t help but notice that it was a bulky camera, and a conspicuous one at that. With a 335-degree pan and 140-degree tilt, it’s a camera better suited outside, where there’s more to see than inside.

The IP rating — the level of protection against a solid object or liquids from various weather conditions — is 64, so it’s protected from water spray from any direction (i.e. rain) and completely dust-tight. The Reolink Argus PT can withstand temperatures between —14 degrees to 131 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a good choice for warmer climates than colder ones.

We also noticed that the camera has a power switch, which we don’t come across very often with other security cameras. Some caveats: the battery wasn’t removable, which meant that we had to take down the camera to charge it, and it didn’t have a long battery life. A one full-time charge lasted between one to four weeks in normal use, which isn’t very long.

In contrast, in our Ring Spotlight Cam Battery review, we noted that their camera has a battery life of six to 12 months, which is the standard. For the Reolink Argus PT, we’d recommend using the Reolink Solar Panel, which was what we did to avoid the hassle of taking down the camera to recharge the camera on a regular basis. Rather, the solar panel charges continuously, making for no downtime whatsoever.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Here’s where we start to get into the thick of things. For the most part, the Reolink Argus PT left quite the impression, but that’s not to say it’s without its flaws.

Strengths

• 1080p HD video quality: The Reolink Argus PT fits the bill when it comes to standard video quality for security cameras. At 1080p HD, we viewed crisp footage of our backyard without any glares or shadows. Units sold now can even go as high as 2K HD.
• Infrared night vision: What was also impressive was the infrared night vision, which enabled the camera to capture high-quality footage in low-light to completely dark conditions. Rigged with six IR LEDs, the Reolink Argus PT let us view night time footage clearly in black and white.
• Expansive field of view: If not for the pan and tilt feature, the Argus PT’s 122-degree field of view wouldn’t be impressive. Fortunately, it can pan horizontally up to 335-degrees and 140-degrees vertically, which expands the camera’s scope greatly. This way, the camera captured even our neighbor’s fence, which came in handy. Every so often, their Tabby cat leaped over the fence and landed in our backyard, so it was helpful that the camera covered areas that would otherwise be difficult to see without the PT’s pan and tilt.
• Audio: As with most security cameras, the Reolink Argus PT incorporated two-way audio, which gave us many opportunities to speak to delivery folks and listen to visitors’ responses. A siren was also included, along with the ability to record a custom voice alert of up to five seconds. This saved us the trouble of pausing our activities to speak with a stranger; we recorded “Can we help you?” in the best steely voice we could muster, hoping to scare off potential intruders.
• Motion detection: Passive Infrared, or PIR, motion sensors are designed for security and optimized for person and pet detection. The Reolink Argus PT was intelligent enough to detect our passing neighbors rather than leaves blowing in the wind. We scheduled motion alerts when we wanted to receive them instead of spontaneously as the activity occurs.

• Local and cloud storage: The Reolink Argus PT includes local storage with a slot that holds up to a 128 GB micro-SD card as well as multiple cloud options via the Reolink Cloud. Since we used the Reolink Argus PT as an outdoor camera, there was a lot of activity, which further prompted a larger video history that we either backed up locally or on the cloud. As for cloud storage, Reolink Cloud offers four plans, one of which is the free Basic Plan. This supports one camera and includes seven days of cloud history, one GB of cloud storage, and eight-second clips. The other plans are noticeably affordable, which you can find in the chart below.

• Notifications: When the Reolink Argus PT detected motion, we received push notifications on our phones. We had the option to set up email notifications as well, but we’d like to avoid filling up our inbox. Of course, we modified the notifications that we received based on motion detection levels and the times that we wanted to receive them. Wouldn’t want a barrage of alerts during an important Zoom meeting!
• Accessing footage: We self-monitored our live feed on our phones or on compatible smart devices. We also recorded any footage that involved movement, whether that was the delivery guy hauling a 50-pound box to our backyard where it was safer or our neighbor’s Tabby cat prowling around. On the Reolink app, we viewed motion recordings in the playback history.
• Shared access: During days or nights when we were too busy to monitor our home, we granted access to the Reolink Argus PT with our friends and family. We simply shared a QR code — no account signup required. This proved useful when we traveled abroad and the time zones changed. While we were sleeping in another country, our friends and family kept an eye out on our home for us during the daytime.
• Works with Alexa and Google Assistant: It goes without saying that security cameras are more convenient to use when there’s voice assistant compatibility. The Reolink Argus PT paired up nicely with Alexa and Google Assistant, both of which we tested with the camera. We viewed footage hands-free by saying commands like, “Hey Google, show me the backyard” making our footage appear on our Chromecast-enabled TV.

Weaknesses

• Downloading clips is a hassle: Instead of downloading clips in one go, we could only download 30-second clips on our phones. If there was a two-minute clip, it would take four separate downloads. This felt counter-intuitive given the generous amount of storage that Reolink provided both locally and on the cloud.
• Short battery life: We mentioned this earlier, but the Reolink Argus PT’s battery life doesn’t have any bragging rights. On standby mode, when there’s no access to the camera or any motion-activated activity, the camera lasts around two months. On normal use, a full charge lasts anywhere between one to four weeks. In continuous trigger and a one-time full charge, the camera only lasts for 18 hours, which is somewhat ridiculous.

>> More info: Best Battery-Powered Security Cameras

Overall, the Reolink Argus PT offered a strong set of features. It’s also on the more affordable side compared to Reolink’s other cameras, such as the Reolink GO solar-powered camera. To learn more, read our Reolink GO review. Also, be sure to check out our Reolink pricing page for a broader overview of Reolink cameras and their costs.

Equipping Our Home With the Reolink Argus PT

While the Reolink Argus PT is both an outdoor and indoor camera, we wanted to make full use of the camera’s pan and tilt feature, so we decided to set it up in our backyard. To start, we charged the camera first before turning it on. Like most security camera setups, we downloaded the companion mobile app and followed the on-screen instructions. We added the device, scanned the QR code on the bottom of the Reolink Argus PT, and voila — the camera was ready for mounting.

With the Reolink Argus PT, we turned the camera upside down and installed it about two to three meters off the ground. Before that, we screwed the mounting bracket to the wall and then attached the camera to the bracket. But wait, there was more! As a bonus, we purchased the Reolink Solar Panel and set that up right next to the camera. We made sure that there was enough sunlight directly hitting the panel so that the Reolink Argus PT was always fully-charged. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are now 81 gigawatts of solar capacity installed nationwide, which is enough to power 15.7 million homes.1 Lucky for us, it’s mostly sunny where we live.

Using the Reolink App

Did you know that in the second quarter of 2020, there were approximately 37.8 billion app downloads combined from the Apple App Store and the Google Play store?2 These numbers don’t surprise us, especially when most of the security cameras that we’ve reviewed have a companion mobile app. Reolink is no different.

The Reolink app gets three out of five stars on both Google Play and the App Store. That’s not a bad rating, but it’s also not great when there are security camera apps like Nest and Ring that average more than four stars. Lucky for us, we don’t just rely on user reviews. We tested the app ourselves and it was mostly good. It was user-friendly with familiar icons and easy navigation.

We could’ve also downloaded the Reolink software on our computers, but we preferred to use the mobile app. That said, not very many security brands offer PC-compatible software that allows access to their security cameras, so we appreciated the alternative option, especially for those who’d rather view footage on a bigger screen.

Video Review

That’s a Wrap

As it stands, the Reolink Argus PT is an affordable outdoor and indoor camera, priced at $167.99, with a bunch of features to tickle your fancy. We liked that person and vehicle detections were included with the camera rather than part of a separate monthly subscription. This helped reduce the number of false alerts on our phones. On top of that, we really enjoyed scheduling when to receive alerts. The short battery life, however, was not a shining moment for the Reolink Argus PT.

All in all, the Reolink Argus PT holds a lot of weight for the affordable price tag. We loved the pan and tilt feature, which covered more areas of our backyard. Despite the growing competition, we’re confident that the Reolink Argus PT is a strong contender. If you need a primer on some similar cameras, be sure to check out our best wireless security cameras of 2024.