When we talk aboutsmart home devices, we usually think of speakers, bulbs, and plugs. However, smart cameras and video doorbells are not only a great way to keep your home safe, but they can also bring an extra layer of automation to your life. The Blink Video Doorbell is one of the most affordable options available on the market, with similar features to some more expensive rivals, including motion detection, night vision, video recording, and automation.

Blink’s parent company, Amazon, is an expert when it comes tovideo doorbells, considering its subsidiary,Ring, is one of the market leaders in this domain. Ring doorbells are also known for their relatively high price, which can make them less attractive. This is where Blink’s option can be more interesting. Let’s see if it’s worth a few bucks.

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Amazon’s Blink video doorbell includes most of the essential features without any of the expensive extras. While this doorbell is wireless, you can also wire the Blink doorbell to sound with your in-home chime. It comes with a simple mount to secure and attach your doorbell to for a wireless setup. Plus, it’s battery-operated and uses standby mode to conserve charge, so you won’t have to replace batteries as often. To receive alerts on your mobile devices, you can connect Amazon’s Blink video doorbell via Wi-Fi to the Blink app compatible with all devices.

It is highly recommended to use it with a Sync Module to benefit from most of its features and enjoy better response times. It will also let you save video footage locally, as long as you have a USB drive handy. Alternatively, you can sign up for a Blink subscription plan to save them on the cloud, but this isn’t required to unlock any of the features.

Google Home icon with some gadgets around it.

The Blink Video Doorbell is relatively discrete, thanks to its slim design and sober color choice of white or black. It’s tall and narrow, which makes it easier to fit into tight areas next to your gate or door, as long as you mount it vertically since you can’t rotate the image.

The actual camera is located in the upper part of the doorbell, housed in a black square module, together with the IR lights. Immediately underneath it is the microphone, with the doorbell button placed in the lower part of the product. The speaker is nicely concealed at the bottom and isn’t visible once the doorbell is mounted.

A T-Mobile coverage map on a smartphone.

Blink has done a great job making the camera both secure and easy to install while simplifying the replacement of the two AA batteries, which should occur about once a year, according to Blink. To achieve this, the doorbell latches securely to a plate mounted to the wall using the screws and anchors provided in the box. In addition, a small tool is provided to detach it, preventing ill-intended visitors from removing the doorbell from the wall or the door frame.

Unfortunately, even though corner mounts and wedges are available to place the doorbell anywhere, they’re not included in the kit and must be purchased separately. Thankfully, the Blink Video Doorbell is IP65-certified and operates within -4 to 113° F, similar to most other smart doorbells. Blink has thought of everything and even included a template to clearly identify where you need to drill for the anchors.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL held up next to a Pixel 7 Pro

You are also given a choice when it comes to powering your doorbell, as Blink provides two AA batteries in the box and cables, allowing you to pick whichever power source works best for you.

Amazon products are known to be easy to install, and Blink is no exception. To set up the Video Doorbell, all you have to do is put in batteries, install the app on your phone, and scan the QR code located on the back. The app also guides you through the setup and mounting process, showing you the steps to achieve this.

Also, it’s important to mention that, unlike other Blink cameras, the Video Doorbell doesn’t require a Sync Module to function and can directly connect to your Wi-Fi network. You can, however, use one to store video footage locally, watch live feed from your doorbell at any time, and save battery life. Otherwise, your doorbell will exclusively act as, well, a doorbell.

Blink Video Doorbell Hero-1

Hardwiring your doorbell also lets it stream live video, meaning you don’t necessarily need a Sync Module to do so. However, if you don’t have one and use battery power, the doorbell exclusively works in what Blink calls Event Response mode, which means the camera snoozes itself and only wakes up when the ringer is depressed.

This is a major drawback, in the sense that the camera feature of the doorbell is almost entirely unavailable unless you hardwire it or use a Sync Module, so it’s important to take this into consideration before your purchase.

The Blink app isn’t intuitive, but it does the job. In Event Response mode, it won’t do much and will even ask you to ring the doorbell to apply the settings. When used with a Sync Module or a wired connection, it doubles as a security camera, which you may arm and disarm through the app, either manually or according to schedules.

Similarly, you can watch a live feed of who’s at the door and even set motion zones to be notified when the doorbell senses movement in a specific area. There’s also an option to ask the camera to capture a picture every hour for you to keep track of what happened during the day.

While these features require a Sync Module or a hard wire, there is no need for a subscription to use them. Sadly, the Blink app doesn’t support smarter features, such as person or package detection, but that’s not necessarily a big drawback considering the camera’s price.

As Blink is part of Amazon, you can use Alexa and Echo Shows smart displays to check who’s at your door. However, there’s no integration with Google Assistant, so you’ll have to use another brand if that’s important to you.

When buying a video doorbell, considering its video quality is essential. The Blink Video Doorbell provides 1080p video, which is decent, at least during the day, especially considering most people stay close to the camera when they ring the doorbell. You shouldn’t expect great colors, as the sky highlights are often burned on the pictures, especially on a cloudy day.

There’s not an impressive level of detail either, but it’s sufficient to recognize people and see what happens to your packages, for example. Things are particularly bad at night as the camera faces people directly, as the IR beam is reflected off of their face, making it impossible to tell who’s at the door. When the camera is angled, things aren’t too bad at night, and you can play with the IR settings according to your preferences.

What’s important here is that the Blink Video Doorbell does a good job at what it’s supposed to do: see who’s at your door and possibly keep an eye on your front hard.

In terms of audio quality, things aren’t great at all. First, when someone rings the doorbell, the chime isn’t necessarily loud enough to be heard from across your home. Luckily, your linked smartphones and Alexa devices can let you know someone’s at the door, and Blink Mini cameras can double as chimes. When you start a video call with the doorbell, the microphone constantly picks up static noise, which is a recurring problem with Blink cameras.

You can still hear what people say (albeit not very clearly), with some background noise and a bit of echo. Similarly, they will have a hard time hearing you back, especially if some cars are passing by, even with the volume at full level. It’s really disappointing that Blink didn’t do a better job here.

There’s also worse: The Blink Video Doorbell has a very high lag time when it’s in Event Response mode, both to notify you someone’s at the door and when talking to a visitor. For instance, we measured the lag time at a whopping six seconds between pressing the ringer and receiving the notification. Similarly, it takes about four to five seconds for the video feed to appear, which is enough for the delivery person to walk away.

Worse, there are some occasions when the doorbell just doesn’t notify me at all when someone rings it, making me question its reliability. There’s also a bit of delay when audio is conveyed, which makes for a dreadful experience when trying to exchange more than names.

Things are much better with a Sync Module, which emphasizes the fact that you shouldn’t use the Video Doorbell without it or a wired connection. With both methods, the app sends a simple notification, unlike Ring doorbells, which vibrate as if someone is calling you, making it much harder to miss it when someone’s at your door.

At just $50, the Blink Video Doorbell is very aggressively priced. The Wyze video doorbell costs about the same, but needs to be hardwired. That being said, it has a 3:4 format that lets you view people from head to toe and ships with a chime and a horizontal wedge.

The Ring Video Doorbell costs a bit more, with its $100 MSRP, but it offers more advanced monitoring features thanks to package alerts and person detection. It also doesn’t require a hub and can be battery-powered or wired. Lastly, its quick replies feature lets you play pre-recorded messages to visitors, which is particularly handy if you’re busy or on a call.

The Blink Video Doorbell is one of the most affordable smart doorbells on the market, costing a maximum of $50, considering it often sells for less when on sale. It follows the same mindset as other Blink products: offering reliable cameras for a reasonable price, just like theBlink Outdoor. For this price, it’s fair that it doesn’t provide the best video quality on the market, but its audio is also not great. Worse, it’s too unresponsive to be relied upon, at least when used without a Sync Module or wired connection.

Therefore, it’s worth considering if you already use other Blink products at home and have a Sync Module or don’t plan on using it with batteries. Otherwise, consider buying a slightly more expensive (and more reliable) doorbell, such as the Ring Video Doorbell.

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