Blink Outdoor Camera Review 2023

Getting Started with Blink Outdoor

Blink Outdoor Packaging

Our initial thought once we unboxed our Blink Outdoor is that it’s a big improvement over its predecessor, the now discontinued Blike XT2. You might remember the XT2 from our broader Blink camera review. Aside from sounding like something out of an 80s action flick, the XT2 was Blink’s battery-operated indoor/outdoor camera. It was pretty versatile, but it wasn’t without some pretty serious drawbacks.

With the latter Indoor and Outdoor releases, however, we’d essentially replaced our Blink XT2 2-pack camera system with two better, stronger cameras and an adjoining Sync Module 2.

Blink Sync Module

Typically, sync modules and hubs are paired with security cameras to ensure a smoother connection in homes with standard Wi-Fi. In the case of Blink, you’ll need a sync module to use the cameras, which, as we know, can be a turnoff for some users who would rather not have yet another static electronic device taking up space around the house.

But we do want to note that Blink’s Sync Module is much smaller than the hub you’d get in a Swann camera system, with their bulky recorder boxes that resemble circa-1990s laptop computers. Instead, Blink brings the same subtle, minimalistic design to their Sync Module 2 that they bring to their cameras, allowing for easy, discreet placement. (Just make sure it’s close enough to your router to get a strong signal.)

Setting Up Blink Outdoor

Blink Outdoor Equipment

Now we’ve set up just about every type of security camera there is and shared plenty of tips and tricks over the years. But with Blink, there’s no secrets or even recommendations. It’s one of the easiest cameras to set up. Great news if you’re not technologically inclined, and even better news if you’re looking to outfit your home inside and out. The Blink Outdoor’s little sister, the Blink Mini, is even easier to work with. Read more about that in our full Blink Mini review.

One of the main reasons for this is that Blink’s whole ethos is based on simplicity. There’s no complicated AI features to set up or temperamental setting adjustments to make. Unbox it, sync it to your phone, install it on the wall above your deck and, boom — you’re good to go. If you’re looking for more high tech features, though, you’re always going to want to expect a longer setup time. See our review of Canary Flex for more insight on dealing with setup problems.

All that is to say we didn’t have any trouble getting this or any other Blink camera to integrate into our network. Adding it to the Blink camera system we were already testing took no longer than 5 minutes, but do keep in mind it’ll take longer than that – up to 10 minutes – to pair the camera if you’re using Blink for the first time.

Blink Outdoor – Installed

Once we’d scanned our QR code2 to the Blink Home Monitoring app, the rest was self-explanatory, allowing us to follow in-app prompts and simply wait and watch for the camera and the app to sync up. This simplicity is par for the course in DIY cameras; the technology is strong and powerful, but still easy to use for almost anyone.

Clearly, if you’re looking for easy installation, you’ll get that and more with Blink Outdoor. (Rhyming not intended.)

Our Full Experience with Blink Outdoor

Since it’s a Blink camera, we knew Blink Outdoor would be reliable and effective even before we opened the box. Having the backing of a global e-commerce giant like Amazon3 sure doesn’t hurt, either.

But as far as aesthetics, it’s important to remember that this is a pretty simple camera that’s meant to be discreet. At 2.7 inches tall, it’s the same size as Blink Indoor. We also want to note that Blink Indoor is available only in white, while Outdoor comes in black. You can read more about Blink’s indoor device in our hands-on Blink Indoor review here.

As far as the picture goes, you’re only going to get a 110-degree diagonal field of vision. That’s not terrible, but you wouldn’t really consider this wide-angle. If you’re trying to cover a broad swath of yard (or driveway, or woods, or whatever), you might consider reading our review of Lorex cameras. Most of those have 160-degree lenses on them, which means you wont miss the details out at the margins.

Blink Outdoor Installed Outside our Window

As experts, we know that some people want their cameras to look tough and intimidating rather than sleek and stylish. In our view, that can really help with peace of mind, plus it’s a logical way to display security equipment that shows you mean business.

We’ve reviewed lots of cameras that fall into this category. Chief among them is the Ezviz CN3, a bullet-style device that lets intruders know that their dirty deeds aren’t going undetected. While Ezviz4 isn’t the most illustrious brand when it comes to features, it still has a foreboding look that will surely make the crooks think twice. For more stats and insights on the brand, see our full Ezviz review.

So while we wouldn’t exactly call Blink Outdoor intimidating, we do tend to favor cameras that blend into our home’s decor, rather than stand out from it. Blink, with its simple cubic face and only a small plastic stand for mounting, does that in spades.

HD Video

Here’s something that’s important to remember about DIY cameras: they might claim to record in 1080p, but that doesn’t mean they do so all the time.

Let us explain. Blink Outdoor is built for up to 1080p HD video resolution, but it’s also built to be fluid. As our home Wi-Fi signal tends to fluctuate throughout the day, the camera essentially solves for this by reducing the video quality automatically, and bumping it up again when the network is stronger. This is key for folks with standard Wi-Fi connections, us included.

Of course, this also means the quality suffers, but in our tests, the difference was negligible. It’s far more important for us to have a camera that conforms to our home and sends us prompt motion alerts than a camera that takes flawless pictures.

On cool, clear Ohio afternoons, though, we were happy to watch that bright-yellow school bus pull into the neighborhood and prepare to drop off our kids in full HD. Check out the short video we made of Blink Outdoor…

Two-Way Audio

Cameras without two-way audio are becoming more rare as the security industry evolves. Personally, we really like this feature because there’s nothing like using our own “outside voice” to spook potential burglars.

It’s especially helpful for times when you want said burglar to think you’re home … when maybe you’re not. Now, we don’t go around recommending this strategy for every situation, because it can be risky. But in testing this camera’s two-way talk, we did conclude that a simple “May we help you?” could go a long way toward letting the bad guys know they’ve picked the wrong property.

Two-Year Battery Life

Now you might be a little worried about purchasing a wireless outdoor security camera. “Won’t I have to take it down all the time to replace the batteries?” you might ask. And we might answer with laughter.

Seriously, the Blink Outdoor will last an absurd two-years on two AA batteries. Now we can’t say we’ve had one running for that long, but we’d believe it. In our tests, the charge seemed extremely solid, and the camera ran reliably in all sorts of conditions. Now, your mileage will of course vary, but you’re not going to be dragging out the ladder every two weeks.

Speaking of wire-free, the majority of cameras we test that claim to be “wire-free” are powered by a rechargeable battery pack, rather than the disposable AA batteries Blink uses. When we tested a battery-powered Ring Spotlight camera as part of a recent review of Ring cameras, for instance, we did like being able to pop the battery pack right out of the camera’s housing to recharge it without having to take the whole camera down.

Indeed, this is the tradeoff with wire-free devices. Either way, you’re going to have some basic legwork to do. But with Blink, the difference is that the cameras are so lightweight and easy to install, taking the camera down to replace two AA batteries every two years really isn’t a hard sell. In fact, it’s something we prefer.

Back of the Blink Outdoor Camera

But beyond operation time, we found that adjusting the camera’s settings can have a big impact on battery life, too. For instance, we went into Activity Zones in the Blink Outdoor’s motion settings and drew a horizontal line across the midsection of the feed to block out the street. This way, we would stop receiving alerts every time a car passed by our house. Not only did this make our lives generally less annoying, it also kept the battery from running down too fast. A win-win, we like to say.

Blink App – Activity Zones

Night Vision

It couldn’t quite match the clarity of a camera with colorized night vision, but Blink Outdoor’s infrared night vision technology was still strong enough to keep the camera running smoothly in black and white each night of our testing period.
Without the colorization or additional lighting built into the camera, though, you’re not going to get a spectacular nighttime picture with the Blink Outdoor. If you do want to see how your yard looks in full color at night, though, we suggest checking out our review of Reolink’s Argus Eco, a functional outdoor camera with dazzling color night vision.

But don’t count Blink out just yet for nighttime viewing. While we can’t say whether our Blink Outdoor picked up every possible activity in our dimly lit yard in the wee hours, it did manage to capture this rotund visitor:

Pricing on Blink Outdoor

Blink Outdoor Camera

The Blink Outdoor usually retails for $99.99, but right now it’s on sale for $69.99. We’d say 30 percent savings is nothing to look down your nose at, so if what we’ve told you thus far has your interest, now might be a good time to buy.

Overall, Blink cameras are priced just right, and Blink Outdoor is no different. They’re also slightly less than the industry average. An Arlo Pro 3 camera, for instance, is as easy to set up and use as Blink Indoor, but with more automation options and upgraded features, it might make it worth the extra money (Arlo Pro 3 costs $169.99 as an add-on and about $300 as a 2-camera system with a hub).

Here’s a breakdown of Blink’s costs, but we also suggest checking out our Blink pricing guide for more detail on how much you’ll pay for equipment, package and bundling options, cloud storage fees, and other features.

Blink Camera Cost Breakdown

Video Storage Options

When it comes to storing the camera’s video history, no two brands are exactly alike. Some offer low equipment costs and pricey video storage; others offer everything upfront and no monthly subscriptions; and still others prefer to keep both equipment and storage costs low. We’ve found advantages and disadvantages in all of those formats, so we can’t really say that one is better than the other.

In the case of Blink Outdoor, we now have a USB port in our sync module to add a flash drive for local storage – something we didn’t have in our first go-round with Blink cameras.

Blink Sync Module

We did find a catch, though. When Blink released the indoor/outdoor XT2 cameras (now discontinued), they came with a basic cloud-based storage plan, so we could store some of our video history at no extra charge. Now, to our slight dismay, Blink is no longer offering that plan. But including an updated sync module, with a port for local storage, appears to be the compromise Blink offered to users who’d grown accustomed to Blink’s free plan.

Either way, we’re seeing flexible options here for storing video both locally (via a micro SD card or flash drive) and through the cloud that make Blink Outdoor a worthwhile choice, despite the loss of some free storage.

Blink Cloud Storage Plans

Blink Outdoor: Is it Right for You?

Closeup of the Blink Outdoor Camera

With Blink Outdoor, we found a powerful camera with minimalist design principles. Video quality remained strong through each of our tests, and we felt secure and confident with a Blink Outdoor camera keeping an eye on our home’s exterior.

While far from a flawless experience, we love the customization Blink offers through the app. We can add or remove activity zones, adjust video resolution and sensitivity, and schedule alerts for certain times of the day. We can even set the camera to connect with our Amazon Echo Show for a more integrated smart home security. That’s a lot of control at our fingertips, and who doesn’t love that?

All in all, Blink Outdoor gets our recommendation as a top pick for securing small spaces. For more ways to keep your small space safe, check out our renter’s guide to apartment security.

Frequently Asked Questions