This $87 battery floodlight camera is just what my dark yard needed

Technology

is on sale for $87, a $43 discount.


As a parent and pet owner, I hate to admit that I’m afraid of the dark. While I have a fenced-in backyard, I still dread taking my dog out for his evening potty breaks. My fear worsened one night after spotting several pairs of gleaming eyes in the woods with a flashlight as I strolled through my yard. Sure, they were probably just curious deer wondering what we were doing, but in my head, they were a pack of wolves or monsters like the big bright eyes in the dark caves you’d see in cartoons.

, but neither were bright enough to keep the space evenly lit. That’s how I ended up with Blink’s Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera

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The Blink Outdoor 4 is a unique security camera because it uses two AA lithium batteries as a power source that can last up to two years. This approach means you can add a security camera almost anywhere without worrying about charging it for some time.

Also: I just tested the new EufyCam, and I’m never going back to grainy night vision

For me, the best spot to install the Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera was a post on the deck looking out to the yard. The camera has a 143-degree diagonal field of view, enough to cover the entire fenced area of the yard it was pointed toward.  

Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight camera

Since it’s battery-powered, you can’t set the Blink Outdoor 4 Spotlight Camera to provide ambient lighting, which would drain the batteries in a few days. When you set the camera to record and the lights to turn on with any motion detection, the lights can stay on for as long as five minutes. That’s more than enough for those brief moments of action.

Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera

The downside, however, is that some other features, including person detection, are only available with a Blink Subscription Plan

The Basic Plan supports one device, up to 90 minutes of continuous live-streaming, cloud storage for up to 60 days, person detection, photo capture, video sharing, and rapid video clip access. The Plus Plan allows snooze motion alerts for up to 24 hours, extended warranty coverage, and 10% off Blink devices on Amazon.com.

ZDNET’s buying advice

After using the Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera for almost a year, I am glad to have found a reliable solution to the dark side of my yard. I used the free trial period, so I got to enjoy some of the perks of a subscription, but I’ve been using the camera without the paid plan with the Sync Module since the trial ended.

remains a unique option that doesn’t need to be taken down every three months to recharge, especially if you don’t use it as often as I do or place it right where the sun hits it.

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