In the past, a home security system required miles of cable and a spare room full of grainy monochrome displays. Those days are over. Today’s wireless security cameras are easier to install, relocate, and update, and the Blink Outdoor is one of the latest to cross our tables.
This waterproof, wireless camera may be put outside your home to monitor your shed, front lawn, and everything in between. Despite relying on two AA batteries, it boasts up to two years of battery life, which sets it apart from the Wyze Outdoor Cam, which lasts three to six months per charge.
Amazon Alexa (but not Google Assistant) support, built-in speakers to scare off intruders, and temperature monitoring. The Full HD camera saves footage when motion is detected in its 110-degree field of view and sends an alert to your smartphone so you can view the current feed or review the video afterward. It’s a tempting buy because the Blink Sync Module 2 is included. If you don’t want to pay for Blink online storage, you can attach a USB flash drive to the module and store the video locally.
The Blink Outdoor is a tiny and effective home security camera for those on a budget. The Blink Outdoor camera costs $99.99 and is available at Amazon, Best Buy, Lowes, Target, Currys, Very, and Argos in the US and UK. Australia doesn’t have it.
As the Blink Sync Module 2 is included, the only additional hardware you may wish to buy is a 256GB USB flash drive for $25 to save data locally.
Blink Outdoor’s cloud storage option has a free trial and costs $3 per month afterward. You may also buy bundles with up to four cameras, including the Sync Module 2 or a single camera, if you wish to expand your setup later.
Blink Outdoor isn’t flamboyant or spectacular, and it shouldn’t be. Its tiny, black, square shape with rounded sides is pleasing to look at, and its lightweight build makes it easy to attach. Depending on where you position it, its black color may stick out or blend in, which may or may not suit you. Others choose stealthier cameras to discourage burglars.
The camera is well-made and waterproof but not submersible. During my testing, the Blink Outdoor shook off some of the heaviest summer downpours I’ve ever seen. The plastic can scratch easily, but you won’t notice it once it’s mounted.
By releasing a big screw with the provided tool, you can access the battery compartment and QR code for setup. Even a beginner DIYer can use and mount the supplied stand and screws. Despite being made of plastic, the base’s ball-and-socket joint is sturdy enough to hold any angle, albeit creakily. Blink Outdoor offers a Full HD color video with enough detail to recognize individuals. Things convert to infrared vision in low light, offering a less distinct monochrome picture.
The Blink Outdoor will pick up and display any intruders or wildlife, day or night. Despite this, the night vision performance is enough to see what’s happening outside, especially on gloomy, overcast nights. Objects farther from the camera (and its infrared beam) lose clarity and sharpness.
Motion tracking works wonderfully with the Blink Outdoor. During my time away from home, I utilized it to monitor our garden and cat’s comings and goings, so I knew he wasn’t having an impromptu stay at a neighbor’s.
My yard backs onto an alley, so knowing that any unwanted entry would be captured was reassuring (not that there were any).
I want a geofence that automatically arms or disarms the motion tracking when I enter my home. Person-specific motion monitoring would be helpful for people who want to be alerted only when people are spotted, not animals and other motion sources. If you have one of Amazon’s smart displays, like the Echo Show 10, you may ask Alexa to show you the camera feed. Blink’s Alexa-only interoperability means Google users have no options.
Blink’s app is simple and packed with useful features. The Sync Module 2 and Outdoor camera may be linked to your Blink app by scanning QR codes and entering your Wi-Fi password. You’ll then get live feeds, notifications, and more. These added features let you customize things. Renaming the camera to ‘garden’ makes bringing up a live stream on your Echo Show easy. You can also adjust the motion-detecting activity zones by selecting rectangular pieces from a grid overlay. This is excellent for ignoring notifications from a swinging tree or your cat’s napping spot.
Blink Outdoor comes with a three-day free trial that automatically saves footage to the cloud. Set motion sensitivity, retrigger time, and clip length (30 seconds being the maximum). After this period, you’ll have motion-activated alerts and a live view. Thanks to Sync Module 2, you can store videos locally by plugging in a USB flash drive.
The Blink Outdoor uses two AA batteries, which the company promises will last two years. I can’t say how quickly ‘normal use’ drains the battery because I tested the camera for a short time. Battery life depends on how often motion is detected, Live View is active, and the two-way microphone and speaker are used. Blink includes two lithium batteries with the camera, so you won’t have to search for them. You might even use rechargeable AA batteries if you want to reduce waste.
Is Blink Outdoor worth it? Not if you’re tight on cash. Compared to the Nest Cam Outdoor, which is twice as expensive, the Blink Outdoor offers outstanding value thanks to the Sync Module 2 (albeit Nest’s offering includes person detection). If you already have a Blink setup and subscription plan, add the Blink Outdoor to use cloud storage.
Blink works with Echo Show, Fire TV, and Firestick. Having a live view of a security camera is a killer feature. You’ll have to spend more money if you want a camera that only detects people. The Blink Outside can resist weather conditions, but it’s not my most durable outdoor cam. The glossy casing quickly scratches. Avoid this if you want a durable security camera. Blink Outdoor is only available in black if you want a white camera.
🖯 Buy At Amazon
Affiliate Disclaimer:Â While we receive affiliate revenue for reviews/promotions on this page, we always present honest comments, relevant experiences, and real views. We want to help you buy wisely. Our opinions are ours alone. Verify claims, results, and statistics before buying. Clicking links or buying products advised on this page may earn affiliate commissions for this website. Assume we are compensated for any transactions you make.Â
