Best Blink Security System Reviews in 2021
Blink Cameras Review 2021
Blink cameras are for people who want high-quality video in an affordable, minimalist package. All three of Blink’s current camera models are small, powerful, and easy on your wallet. Plus, they have long battery lives that don’t require much maintenance.
The most expensive Blink camera costs less than $100 and lasts two years on a couple of AA batteries
Blink Outdoor camera features
The Blink Outdoor is the model you want for backyard/front yard/driveway monitoring. This wire-free camera can go on a wall, ceiling, or even in a tree, so you can get the positioning just right. The Blink Outdoor comes with a swivel mount you can use to put the thing on a wall and an extension you can use to hang it from a ceiling.
Blink Outdoor camera features:
- Wire-free design
- IP65 weather rating
- -4º to 113º F (-20° to 45° C) operating temperature
- 110º field of vision
- 2-year battery life
- AA battery-powered
- Cloud storage and local storage
- 1080p HD resolution with 30 fps
- Night vision
- Two-way audio
- Adjustable motion zones
- Up to two privacy zones
- Amazon Alexa integration
- 2.4 GHz network compatibility
- 1-year limited warranty
IP65 weatherproof rating
The Blink Outdoor is really similar to Blink’s indoor camera, except for weatherproofing. While the Blink Indoor doesn’t offer much protection from the elements, the Blink Outdoor comes with an IP65 rating that will keep this little beauty safe from rain, snow, and dust.
While the Blink Outdoor’s operating temperature makes it suitable for most snowy or sunny locales, people who live in extreme environments might want to check the numbers. If your town regularly gets colder than -4º Fahrenheit or hotter than 113º Fahrenheit, then you’ll need a hardier outdoor camera.
(Mostly) good two-way audio
Two-way audio lets you talk to people in your yard and hear what they say back to you. The Blink Outdoor’s two-way audio is decent—it doesn’t sound like a robot is speaking to you through a tin can.
But, if it’s windy outside, the Blink Outdoor’s incoming audio suffers. This camera doesn’t have noise cancellation, so you’ll hear every gust of the wind running across the microphone.
(Mostly) good image quality
The Blink Outdoor records in 1080p HD resolution, which is high enough to show you crisp details on your neighbor’s shirt or the expressions on your kids’ faces. Its night vision, on the other hand, is not so great.
This camera has a bad habit of washing out faces in night vision mode, so you can’t tell your spouse from a burglar. The Blink Outdoor’s night vision also doesn’t stretch very far. Everything starts to look extra fuzzy when it’s more than about 10 feet away from the camera.
Blink Indoor camera features
The Blink Indoor camera is a lot like the Blink Outdoor but without the weatherproofing. This camera is a bit cheaper than the Outdoor, but it’s meant to stay inside.
Other than that, you’ll have a very similar experience with both. Both the Blink Indoor and the Blink Outdoor record in the same resolution, offer the same app settings, and have the same battery life.
Blink Indoor camera features:
- Wire-free design
- 110º field of vision
- 2-year-battery life
- AA battery-powered
- Cloud storage and local storage
- 1080p HD resolution with 30 fps
- Night vision
- Two-way audio
- Adjustable motion zones
- Up to two privacy zones
- Amazon Alexa integration
- 2.4 GHz network compatibility
- 1-year limited warranty
- 32º to 95º F (0º to 35º C)
Wire-free design
Just like the Blink Outdoor, the Blink Indoor has no wires to speak of. That’s especially great for an indoor camera because it means you can put it on any flat surface (or wall or ceiling) you want, without worrying about power cords.
Set the Blink Indoor on a bookshelf, mount it above a doorway, put it in a toy box—take your pick.
Amzon Alexa integration
The Blink Indoor works with your favorite Amazon Echo device to let you view the arm and disarm the camera, as well as view the livestream. If you don’t want to pick up your phone and open the app, then your Alexa Show can give you an inside view.
Blink Mini camera features
The Blink Mini uses the same app and recording functionality as the Blink Indoor and Blink Outdoor cameras, but it comes in a smaller package, and it doesn’t need any batteries.
Blink Mini features:
- Camera removable from swivel stand
- 110º field of vision
- Cloud storage and local storage
- 1080p HD resolution with 30 fps
- Night vision
- Two-way audio
- Adjustable motion zones
- Up to two privacy zones
- Amazon Alexa integration
- 2.4 GHz network compatibility
- 1-year limited warranty
- 32º to 95º F (0º to 35º C)
Uses a power cord
The snack-sized Blink Mini camera has a power cord, which is a plus if you don’t want to change batteries. It’s also detachable from its included swivel stand, which effectively gives you a mini version of the regular Blink cameras (hence the name).
On the flip side, that power cord has some drawbacks. While the cord means you don’t have to go searching for extra AA’s, it also means you can’t put this camera anywhere you want. It has to be within reach of a power outlet, and you might have to awkwardly string the cord up a bookcase or across a room.
Doesn’t work with Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit
All of Blink’s cameras work with Amazon Alexa, but none of them work with Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit, including the Blink Mini. That’s because Amazon owns Blink, and Amazon and Google sometimes refuse to play nice.
The Blink Mini doesn’t work with Apple HomeKit either, but Apple fans are pretty used to that. But if you want a security camera that works with your Google Home, there are tons of other options out there. In the meantime, we’ll keep pleading with Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai to kiss and make up.
FAQ
Do Blink cameras work with Ring?
No, Blink cameras are a totally separate system from Ring cameras, and they don’t work together. But, the Blink Home Monitor App does work with Ring’s Neighbors program, so you can see clips other camera users have captured in your neck of the woods.
Last we checked, you couldn’t post Blink footage directly to the Neighbors app from your phone. You have to save the video first and then upload it manually.
Are Blink cameras waterproof?
Only one Blink camera is water-resistant: the Blink Outdoor, which has an IP65 weather rating. Blink’s indoor cameras are not waterproof, and we don’t recommend leaving them out in a rainstorm or dropping them in a bathtub.
Are Blink cameras compatible with Google Home?
Currently, no. Google and Amazon (Blink’s parent company) are always squabbling, and their devices don’t always work together. Blink is currently caught in the tech wars crossfire, and you’ll have to look elsewhere for a camera that works with your Google Home.
Are Blink cameras wireless?
Yes, all three of Blink’s cameras are technically wireless, but only two of them are wire-free. Camera terminology can be confusing, and wireless just means they connect to your internet network “wirelessly.”
If you want a “true” wireless camera (a.k.a. wire-free), then you’ll want to get the Blink Indoor or Blink Outdoor. They run off batteries and don’t have any cords. The Blink Mini camera uses a power cord.
Do Blink cameras require a subscription?
If you want to use cloud storage, then yes, Blink cameras require a subscription. But you can skip the subscription in favor of local storage if you get the Blink Sync Module 2. It stores your footage on a flash drive, and you don’t have to pay a monthly fee. (You do have to pay for the flash drive, though. It’s not included.)
