REASONS TO BUY
Prolonged battery life
Weatherproof
REASONS TO AVOID
Subscription required
Low-quality video/sound
Harsh streaming limits
Blink Outdoor Review
An overall low-quality product that requires a subscription to do almost everything
Credit: Blink
RELATED: Best Security Camera of 2024
Our Verdict
We do not recommend the Blink Outdoor as it performed below average in all of our tests and evaluations except for the monitoring performance metric. It yielded so-so results with nothing of note in either the pro or con column. However, this camera suffered significantly on account of the manufacturer's subscription paywall blocking the most basic functions and settings. Additionally, there is no onboard storage which completely blocks the possibility of working around the subscription. All told, this device's performance was lacking and did not make up for its cost in the long and short term.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Blink Outdoor | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Camera |  Best Camera On a Budget | |||
| Price | $100 List Check Price at Amazon | $40 List $39.98 at Amazon | $30 List $27.95 at Amazon | $36 List $31.33 at Amazon | $30 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A poor-quality camera with limited functionality hidden behind a paywall | An exceptional and affordable camera that builds on the success of the previous model | This very affordable security camera offers exceptional performance | A top-performing camera at a below-average price that doesn't require a subscription to unlock most of its features | A reasonable, do-it-all camera at an affordable price |
| Rating Categories | Blink Outdoor | Wyze Cam Pan v3 | Wyze Cam OG | Wyze Cam v3 | YI 1080p Home |
| Recorded Video Quality (35%) | |||||
| Monitoring Performance (35%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Specs | Blink Outdoor | Wyze Cam Pan v3 | Wyze Cam OG | Wyze Cam v3 | YI 1080p Home |
| Camera Type (Indoor or Outdoor) | Indoor and Outdoor | Indoor and Outdoor | Indoor and Outdoor | Indoor Only | Indoor and Outdoor |
| WiFi Type | 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n |
2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n |
2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n |
2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n |
2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n |
| Encryption Types | AES 128-bit | H.263 | 256-bit encryption and SSL |
AES 128-bit | AES 128-bit |
| Resolutions Available | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| Video FPS | Up to 30 FPS | 20 FPS Day 15 FPS Night |
N/A | 20 FPS Day 15 FPS Night |
20 FPS Day 15 FPS Night |
| Wired or Battery | Battery | Wired | Battery | Wired | Wired |
| Smart Device Compatability | Amazon Alexa | Amazon Alexa Google Assistant IFTTT |
Not Supported | Amazon Alexa Google Assistant IFTTT |
Amazon Alexa Google Assistant IFTTT |
| Siren Volume (dB) | N/A | 67.6 dB | 70.2 dB | 67.8 dB | 66.0 dB |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Our evaluation of this camera revealed a half-baked product that failed to follow through on the most basic security camera functions. As such, we cannot think of a single reason for recommending this product. We encourage you to stop here and go look at other, better-ranked products in our review.
Performance Comparison
Don't judge a book by its cover. This sleek-looking camera was one of the lowest performing devices in its class.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Recorded Video Quality
We'll be frank; the Blink Outdoor performed terribly in our recorded video metric. The 1080p resolution video is easily washed out in bright light, subjects' faces are hard to make out, and the images get blurred if there are any quick movements. Finally, you cannot make a recording with this device if you don't pay for a subscription with the manufacturer. Given its limitations, the Blink received a below-average score in this evaluation.
Additionally, the Outdoor does not have color night vision, which would have been fine, except its non-color night vision is extremely blurry and dark, making it hard to see anything at all. Moreover, the camera's field of view is only 116 degrees, while the camera lacks a panning function. This would be a good field of view for greater depth of field framing, but video quality doesn't support such shots.
The Outdoor's night vision is among the worst in our comparative assessment.
Credit: Matt Spencer
Monitoring Performance
It's hard to imagine, but the Blink Outdoor performed worse in the monitoring metric than in the recorded video quality metric. To begin, the camera suffers from almost three seconds of latency between real events and their depiction on screen. The video wasn't terrible, but we wouldn't describe it as good either. Yet, the audio produced a lot of feedback, fuzz, and static. Accordingly, the Outdoor received another below-average score.
The Blink Outdoor camera doesn't allow continuous video monitoring. As it is, every 30 seconds, the app kicks you out, requiring you to manually reenter for an additional 30 seconds of viewing. It's extremely frustrating if something interesting is happening on screen. Finally, we would say that the sound produced by the camera's onboard speaker was unremarkable, but it doesn't produce an alarm for some reason.
Despite having an onboard speaker, the Outdoor lacks an alarm. That said, it does produce halfway decent sound.
Credit: Chris McNamara
Ease of Use
The Blink Outdoor did not fare much better in the ease of use assessment than it did in the previous two evaluations. We awarded the Outdoor very few points in this assessment because it has limited settings and features in its app, and the ones it does have are locked up behind a paywall. Particularly frustrating is the camera's lack of local storage, thus requiring the need for a subscription to record to the cloud. All told, we did not find this camera easy to use, let alone enjoyable.
Value
Given this security camera's poor showing across every metric in our assessment, it shouldn't be too surprising that we do not think this camera offers consumers a good value. In most of our assessments, this camera's performance does not match its cost both in the long and short term.
Conclusion
The Blink Outdoor is a low-quality product. It is relatively expensive; it locks away its features behind a paywall, and, even with the subscription, it performs very poorly in every regard. We strongly advise consumers looking for a home security camera to look at the less expensive, much higher-ranked products in our review. You'll be happy you did.
—
Nick Miley, Matt Spencer, and Austin Palmer
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