3 Disadvantages of Using a Flashing Camera

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If you’re diving into the world of smart home security, Blink cameras are likely among the first options you’ll come across during your research. These devices are popular and aggressively priced, and Amazon owns them, so they’re integrated into the Alexa ecosystem. Whether you choose a Blink Mini for your living room or the Outdoor 4 model to keep an eye on your front yard and driveway, the initial appeal of these security cameras is hard to deny. However, as with any budget-friendly consumer technology, there are a few downsides to consider before handing over your credit card, such as fees, battery life issues, and sensor lags.

To be clear, Blink makes solid hardware for the price, and the brand offers some of the best outdoor security cameras, according to Consumer Reports. But as is the case with any entry-level smart home device, a low upfront cost can often come with a few hidden issues, like usability quirks or additional costs. The good news, however, is that you don’t have to live with these inconveniences forever. By understanding the limitations of the Blink camera hardware and changing a few settings, you can easily get around the biggest obstacles. Let’s break down the most common drawbacks of using a Blink camera, what you can do to avoid them, and even consider some similar alternatives.

One of the big annoyances of Blink cameras is that the entire utility of the hardware is tied to a recurring monthly subscription. It’s worth noting that Amazon offers basic features if you opt out, including live viewing, motion-activated alerts, and the ability to manually update your camera’s thumbnail image.

But if you want more from your home security cameras, you’ll need to select one of Blink’s four plan options: Basic ($3.99 per month), Plus ($11.99 per month), Basic AI ($6.99 per month), or Plus AI ($19.99 per month). That’s just a hair more than other budget options like Wyze, but just a hair less than Ring (Amazon’s most premium home security camera brand) and Arlo. However, purchasing large subscriptions is one of the most common mistakes owners make with smart devices.

Since these cameras are meant to be dedicated security devices, it’s frustrating not being able to save or view any of your footage without paying a subscription. Luckily, there’s a way to avoid that monthly ransom and keep your images too: buy the Blink Sync Module 2. You’re still giving Amazon money, but it’s a one-time purchase. The device is a hub for up to 10 of your Blink devices, and you can plug in a USB drive to save your motion-triggered clips locally rather than on Amazon’s servers. Note, however, that loading clips over Wi-Fi from a USB drive is likely slower than loading from the cloud, but it may be worth it if you’re looking to ditch yet another monthly fee.

Blink’s claim of “up to two years of battery life” for its wireless cameras is one of the camera series’ biggest selling points. Hell, it’s printed on the front and center of the packaging. This huge selling point sounds great, but for many real-world users, it ends up being one of the biggest downsides to their experience with the Blink camera. Many customers have complained that their camera batteries die within months, not years.

Additionally, Amazon officially recommends using only non-rechargeable 1.5-volt Energizer Lithium batteries for its Blink cameras and states that “performance may vary with other battery types.” Lithium batteries are definitely the better choice for things like outdoor cameras, compared to their alkaline counterparts; they are more resistant to extreme weather conditions and can maintain constant tension. They are also much more expensive than alkaline options. And if your camera is constantly triggered by motion and sending you alerts, that cost will add up quickly.

There are things you can do to help reduce this leak, however, and they involve being more strategic with the settings and where you place your cameras. First, try to avoid pointing battery-powered cameras at high-traffic areas like streets; instead, angle yours more so that it only covers your yard and driveway. Next, open the Blink companion app and do these three things: reduce the clip duration, lower the motion sensitivity, and try not to use Live View as much. Together, these should be enough to help you keep your camera up and running for much longer.

Since Blink wireless cameras are fundamentally designed to save power above all else, they rely on a passive infrared sensor to “wake up” the device if it detects motion. This causes a slight delay in recording. By the time the camera accurately detects motion, wakes up and starts recording, the subject may already be completely out of the frame.

Blink cameras also strictly enforce a mandatory “retrigger time,” meaning that once a recorded clip is finished, the camera goes to sleep for at least 10 seconds before it can trigger again. This makes it very difficult to record continuously and you may miss some crucial moments during this sleep window. In the future, you can alleviate this problem by reducing the retrigger time in the settings menu from the default 30 seconds.

However, if continuous recording or delay-free capture is essential for your peace of mind, you may want to consider other cameras that don’t have these issues. The Tapo ColorPro C325WB is a solid wired alternative with built-in local storage via a microSD slot, with no subscription required. Alternatively, the wired Eufy SoloCam series offers instant recording capabilities and consistent power, also without a subscription. Blink or not, however, there are many cheap home security cameras that exceed their price range; it just depends on what features you think are worth paying for.