Blink Outdoor camera review
Our Verdict
Become the Blink Outdoor if you're looking for a habitation security photographic camera nether $100 that tin withstand the elements.
For
- Inexpensive
- Records good quality audio and video
- Tin store video locally
- Long battery life
Confronting
- No person/packet detection
Tom's Guide Verdict
Get the Blink Outdoor if you lot're looking for a home security camera under $100 that can withstand the elements.
Pros
- +
Inexpensive
- +
Records skillful quality audio and video
- +
Tin can store video locally
- +
Long battery life
Cons
- -
No person/packet detection
Blink Outdoor Camera review: Specs
Field of view: 110 degrees
Resolution: 1080p/30 fps
Power: Ii AA batteries
Size: two.8 x 2.viii x ane inches
Works with: Alexa
The Glimmer XT2 was one of the best dwelling security cameras for those who wanted an outdoor camera for less than $100. Its successor, the Blink Outdoor, improves on its successor with a meliorate camera and the power to save videos locally rather than just in the cloud. You'll find in this Blink Outdoor review that everything that made the XT2 bully is still hither — and that the camera is still a deal. That'southward why it's one of the all-time outdoor security cameras for those on a budget, and why we recognized it in the 2021 Tom's Guide Awards for Smart Home.
Blink Outdoor camera: Price and availability
The Blink Outdoor camera starting time went on sale in the fall of 2020, when this review was originally published. An individual camera plus its base of operations station costs $99.99. If you want more than than one photographic camera, a 2-camera kit costs $179.99, a three-camera kit is $249.99, and a five-photographic camera kit is $329.99. Add-on cameras are $89 each.
Blink Outdoor camera review: Design
Glimmer's new outdoor photographic camera is more or less the same size as the XT2 (a small foursquare measuring 2.8 ten 2.8 10 1.two inches), but has a few refinements.
The Blink Outdoor's base station, called the Blink Sync Module 2, connects the camera to your domicile Wi-Fi network.
The Sync Module ii is the same size as the XT2'south, just the newer 1 will let you plug in a USB stick and utilize information technology as local storage for upwardly to 10 cameras. You lot can pair older Glimmer cameras with the base station too. The Wyze Cam Outdoor uses a like setup, though its base station (and camera) are much bulkier.
I set up both the Blink Outdoor and the Blink XT2 past my compost pit, about 100 feet away from the base station. Both were able to connect, only the XT2 struggled with the range; the newer Blink Outdoor had no problem.
Like its predecessor, the Blink Outdoor is weather-resistant and powered by two AA lithium batteries, which should last up to ii years on a charge. I've had the XT2 for more than a year and it and its batteries are withal going potent.
Blink Outdoor Photographic camera review: Price and availability
The Blink Outdoor Camera went on sale in September 2020. A kit that includes the photographic camera and the base station costs $99; a ii-camera kit is $179, and a three-camera kit is $249. Additional cameras are $89 each.
Blink Outdoor Camera review: Video and audio quality
While not a huge comeback over the XT2, the 1080p photographic camera on the Blink Outdoor did seem a bit meliorate when compared next.
For i, the photographic camera lens is at present flat and recessed, rather than chimera-shaped as on the XT2. I constitute this helped eliminate lens flare when the sun was shining directly at the photographic camera. Colors are a bit richer, too.
Nighttime video was very adept. I set up the Blink Outdoor next to my compost pit, threw in some fresh watermelon rinds and permit nature take its course. Over the next two weeks, the compost pit was visited by a large rat, a young opossum, and a portly raccoon. Y'all tin can clearly make out individual hairs on the raccoon as well every bit the stripes on his plush, hirsuite tail.
Only in one case did an brute have an interest in the photographic camera. The raccoon sniffed information technology once, simply went back to munching on scraps. The next week, he brought a friend.
The Blink Outdoor's microphones were very sensitive, too, picking upwardly all the cricket noises at night.
Blink Outdoor Camera review: App
Amidst budget habitation security cameras, Blink's app offers enough of customization options. You can create both motion and privacy zones and adjust the length of clips (from 5 to lx seconds), the sensitivity of the camera, how long the photographic camera should expect before starting a new recording and more than.
Because the photographic camera has a thermometer in information technology, you can even get temperature readings as well equally notifications if the temperature goes above or below a certain threshold.
However, there are a few caveats: In that location'south no mode to record a motility issue for its elapsing — yous're limited to a max of 60 seconds. Besides, Blink's cameras tin't detect people as many other security cameras can.
At that place is ane weird quirk to Blink's cameras; if you have multiple cameras connected to i sync module, you tin can't set custom schedules for each. Y'all can only create ane schedule for all of the cameras continued to that module, which is a pain.
Blink Outdoor Photographic camera review: Subscription costs
Glimmer's cloud-storage program is like to that of Ring's, which is not surprising considering both companies are owned by Amazon. The Basic plan, which costs $3/month or $30/year, gets yous 60 days of rolling cloud storage for a unmarried camera, though it's limited to 120 minutes total. The Plus plan, which is $10/calendar month or $100/yr, gets y'all the aforementioned amount of storage for an unlimited number of cameras at a unmarried location.
If y'all purchase a new camera, Glimmer is waiving its subscription fees through the cease of 2020. Also, if yous created a Blink business relationship before April 15, 2020, you'll continue to receive complimentary deject storage for any new Glimmer camera you buy.
Of course, if you don't want to pay for a subscription, you can plug a USB bulldoze (not included) into the Sync Module 2 and use that as local storage.
If you have an older Blink XT2, you get gratuitous cloud storage in perpetuity, no affair when you purchased the camera. Nevertheless, y'all can't save video locally on the Blink Outdoor base station.
Blink'due south cameras piece of work with Alexa, but not Google Dwelling house or HomeKit. If you're looking for a fully wireless outdoor security camera that is uniform with more smart home platforms, check out our EufyCam 2 review. It's a bit more expensive, though.
Blink Outdoor Photographic camera review: Verdict
Blink fabricated only modest improvements with the Blink Outdoor photographic camera, but they're enough to accept it maintain its title as one of the best outdoor home security cameras you lot tin can get for less than $100. It'southward minor and inconspicuous, and records good-quality sound and video.
While it is true that new customers won't get the free deject storage that came with the Glimmer XT2, it'south less of an result now that you can store video files locally, so y'all don't have to pay for a subscription if yous don't want to.
If you're looking for one of the best home security cameras that's weatherproof, wireless, and costs less than $100, the Glimmer Outdoor camera is the one to become.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/blink-outdoor-camera
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