<div data-location="CARDS" id="d7dca5b8-95db-4dcd-a11e-e42158c47948" edition="us" editorsday="1" editorsmonth="04" editorsyear="2024" editorsdate="2024-04-01T18:41:07.828Z" innovationday="1" innovationmonth="04" innovationyear="2024" innovationdate="2024-04-01T18:41:07.828Z" techobjectinfo="{}" usepricing="true" data-key="reviewcard__d7dca5b8-95db-4dcd-a11e-e42158c47948" position="NaN" contenttype="Review" isleftrailtemplatereview="true" imagecredit="CNET/Tyler Lacoma" imagecaption="
Blink’s Outdoor 4 cam is easy to mount and reliable for watching an outdoor space.
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- Compact outdoor-ready design
- Long-term AA battery life
- Easy mount
- Great app interface
- Hub included with no additional cost
- High-quality view for an HD cam
Available at $100 or below, this outside camera isn’t a budget model, but it’s not breaking the bank either. And considering Blink’s excellent ease of use, the two-way audio, video storage options and effective person detection, the Outdoor 4 gets a lot of things right — especially if you’re willing to pay around $3 per month for a Blink subscription plan. We wish it had compatibility beyond Alexa, and Blink’s model doesn’t have every bell or whistle (no spotlight, for example), but it remains the sort of outdoor-ready camera that most people are looking for.
Blink Outdoor 4: Design and durability
Blink’s live view improved greatly once the Sync Module 2 was placed closer.
The Outdoor 4’s cam is rated at 1080p/HD, with a field of view stretching to 143 degrees. In practice, I found that resolution very clear for an HD-rated cam, enough to spot any movement and plenty of details across the yard, from blades of grass to flitting birds. The image does get a bit stretched at the edges to fit all the detail in, but once you are used to the view it poses few issues.
However, streaming the live view posed a separate challenge. When I first tested the Outdoor 4, the Sync Module 2 was a bit more than 30 yards away indoors. Relaying the Wi-Fi connection from that far away created streaming troubles, with stuttering live video that struggled to catch up to its HD potential, sometimes lagging out into fuzzy patches.
In a quick test, I tried moving the Sync Module 2 much closer to the Outdoor 4, around 10 yards away from the outdoor camera. This immediately solved my streaming issues, presenting a consistently clear image that didn’t struggle to buffer. My recommendation is to find an indoor spot for the Sync Module 2 that’s as close to the outdoor cam’s location as possible — not an easy task for every placement.
Blink Outdoor 4: Motion detection and object recognition
Blink’s streamlined menu makes arming the cam or checking the live view effortless.
One of my favorite things about Blink cams is the app. It makes setup swift even for beginners (have your Wi-Fi password handy), and settings are easy to figure out. Adjusting motion sensitivity and volume is a breeze, switching between objection detection or armed modes offer intuitive icons and all triggered videos are saved in the Clips section for quick review.
When you head into live view by selecting the cam image, you are met with a selection of other easy-to-use tools, including save, mute/unmute to talk and speaker on/off to listen. Device settings let you look at battery life turn on temperature alerts, change the cam name and more. Nothing is overly complicated or out of place — it’s simply one of the best security cam UIs around.
Blink Outdoor 4: Battery life
Blink, Ring and other cameras work with Alexa and devices like the Echo Hub or Show.
As an Amazon brand, Blink is built for Alexa. That’s great for Alexa fans: I was able to set up Blink in Alexa and start controlling the cam and viewing it through Echo Shows in under a minute. Alexa is also happy to enable two-way audio through the cam or give announcements when it detects a person.
The downside to the seamless Alexa experience is that the Blink Outdoor 4 doesn’t really work with anything else. Google Assistant and Siri fans won’t get the same options, and the cam won’t play well with existing home security systems from brands like Vivint or Adobe.
Blink Outdoor 4: Final thoughts
The Blink Outdoor 4 occupies a sweet spot in the outdoor security world, a general-use cam ready for the elements and providing high-quality services with a simple-to-use interface. It’s not exactly high-end — the resolution, field of view, audio and detection features fall short of the top cams we’ve tested. But it’s very good at what it does, at a relatively reasonable price ($100) and a long-term wireless design.
Add in the very compact design with its simple mount, and the Outdoor 4 is hard to beat for homeowners that want an all-purpose eye on their yard or driveway. If you’re looking for a few more upgrades like a spotlight, extra object detection or higher resolution, hop over to our guide to the best outdoor cams and the best cameras with lights before making up your mind.
Overall Score: 8.25
Performance: 8
Usability/Settings: 9
Features: 8
Design/Durability: 8
Value: 8
