BLINK MINI

Offering impressive home security on a budget, this is the best affordable security cam out there

This cutie will keep a watchful eye on your possessions – and isn’t too pricey

£35 amazon.co.uk

If you want a security camera that covers the basics for as little money as possible, Amazon’s Blink Mini is very much the affordable, basic option. But, despite the low price, you get a good deal in terms of features, making it the cheap security camera to beat right now.

Unbox the Blink Mini and it’s clear where some of the cost-cutting has happened: this is a cheap-feeling device dominated by plastic. Adjusting the direction of the camera on its attached stand also feels a bit janky. All that said, it does the job – it at least feels solid.

In terms of audio and video quality, it’s… satisfactory. Footage is crisp and clear in both night and day scenarios. The night vision isn’t especially advanced, but you can easily see what’s happening, even in the pitch black.

Audio is fine too. We like the press-to-talk button that appears inside the app, so you can pass on your encouragements to your pets or children. Our voice sounded clear and loud coming through its speaker, as does audio coming back the other way.

As you’d expect, you can connect it to the Alexa app on your phone. This lets you arm and disarm the camera with a voice command to an Echo speaker or get the live video feed from it up on an Echo Show or a Fire TV display. Pretty useful if you have other Amazon devices. The associated Blink Home Monitor app is basic but capable. Adding a new camera only takes a minute or two, while opening up the live feed and checking in on motion alerts is all very straightforward. You can even set zones in a scene where motion should be ignored (a window onto a busy street, for example).

Like most security cameras, you’ll need to pay to save recordings long-term. One option is the Blink cloud storage service, which is free with your camera until March 2021 and then costs £2.50 a month or £25 a year. The other is via a USB drive and the £50 Blink Sync Module 2 attachment, which hasn’t gone on sale yet. Neither option is particularly appealing.

Is the Blink Mini up to the quality of the best Arlo, Nest and Ring cameras? Of course not – the difference in the build quality, materials and apps are obvious – but then again it does cost a fraction of the price. If you’re looking for an affordable way to get some or all of the rooms in your home kitted out with a security solution, this could well be the way to go.