Arlo Pro 2 vs Blink XT

We used Security.org to narrow down the 724 million results produced by our Google search for “indoor/ outdoor camera” to a handful of devices. Here, we applied our necessary features test to compare two of the best cameras, the Arlo Pro 2 and Blink XT. Which camera came out on top? Read on to find out!

Design

The Arlo Pro 2 and Blink XT are different in many areas, but one area stood out immediately. The main difference between the Arlo Pro 2 and the Blink XT is the design. The Arlo Pro 2 looks like an actual security camera, similar to the bullet-shaped outdoor cameras we see often, only sleeker. On the other hand, the Blink XT is cube-shaped, almost like a square tile. Let’s see how their design impacted our experience with both cameras.

Arlo Pro 2

The Arlo Pro 2 was about five ounces, which seemed a bit heavy for an object only a few inches tall. This weight gave it a premium feel though. The camera had a shiny white plastic exterior surrounding its reflective black face.

We liked that Arlo Pro 2 worked while plugged into an outlet or using battery power. We appreciated the flexibility, especially for outdoor usage. To take advantage of this flexibility, we regularly moved our Arlo Pro 2 to different spots that recorded our entryway. By rotating the camera through about 4 different spots every few months, we prevented any potential burglars from figuring out its blind spots if they were casing our house. This is a great way to beat burglars at their own game. Of course, we knew that spots requiring the camera’s battery power meant changing out the battery every three to six months.

The Arlo Pro 2 came with a rectangular hub that connected to the Internet through an ethernet cable. In order to work, the camera needed to be placed within 140 feet of the hub.

We were disappointed in the magnetic ball mount Arlo advertised, as it did not deliver on the full 360-degree range of motion Arlo promised.

Overall, we liked the design of the Arlo Pro 2, despite its subtle flaws.

Blink XT

The Blink XT was a simple black cube about three inches tall and wide. Similar to the Arlo Pro 2, the Blink XT used a hub.

Unlike the Arlo Pro 2, the Blink XT operated solely on batteries. The Blink XT website said its battery had a two-year life, but many people complained that theirs only lasted a few months. This unpredictability in the Blink XT’s battery power means you need to regularly check its power levels or you might end up with a dead camera for a few days.

>> Learn More: Blink’s lineup of security cameras includes the Indoor, Outdoor, and Mini

Key Similarities

Both cameras meet or exceed most industry standards. So, they have a good amount of similarities despite being fierce competitors. Here are three key similarities between the Arlo Pro 2 and the Blink XT.

Indoor/ Outdoor

Like we said earlier, both the Arlo Pro 2 and Blink XT worked indoors and outdoors.

Each products’ International Protection (IP) Rating1 told us how weatherproof it was. The Arlo Pro 2 had an IP rating of 65, meaning it was protected from “total dust [and] low-pressure water jets from any direction.” Unfortunately, the Blink XT had no formal IP rating, which made an objective comparison difficult.

Night Vision

We weren’t ecstatic about the night vision on either camera. The good news was both cameras used infrared LED lights, which were completely undetectable by the naked eye, and kept intruders unaware we were filming.

Value/ Convenience

Setting up the Arlo Pro 2 was a breeze. We downloaded the Arlo app, connected the hub to the Internet, and pressed the sync button. Overall, the process took about 15 minutes.

We had some trouble connecting the Blink XT to our Wi-Fi, but other than that, it was easy to set up. We downloaded the Blink app, synced the cameras to the modules, and connected each device to our phones. The entire process took about half an hour.

We thought both cameras were worth buying but knew customers would make final decisions based on their preferences and requirements.

Key Differences

Differences between the Arlo Pro 2 and the Blink XT were significant. While we wouldn’t say one camera was entirely better, there were clear winners for different categories of our necessary features test.

Video

While both cameras offered 1080p HD video quality, that was where their similarities ended. The Arlo Pro 2 zoomed in eight times and had a 130-degree field of view while the Blink XT zoomed in only three times and had a slimmer field of view, at 110 degrees. Although both cameras were given full marks for the video category, the Arlo Pro 2 was clearly the winner.

>> Learn More: See our pick for the Best 4K Home Security Cameras

Audio

At Security.org, we deemed two-way audio a camera necessity almost as soon as it hit the market. Why? It allowed us to communicate with whoever was in the room with the camera, whether it was our mischievous kids or even an intruder.

Unfortunately, the Blink XT did not have two-way audio. For this reason, the Arlo Pro 2 beat the Blink XT in terms of audio.

Storage

When it came to security cameras, storage was essential. If we had an intrusion, we wanted to be able to show the footage of it to law enforcement so they could catch the crook. Personally, we preferred cameras with both cloud and local storage.

We were pumped about the Arlo Pro 2’s local and cloud storage options. Arlo stored our footage for free for seven days. We were disappointed that Blink XT did not have a local storage option. Plus, the cloud storage only held footage for two hours, and there was not even an optional paid subscription available to get more storage.

Clearly, the Arlo Pro 2 took the cake over the Blink XT when it came to storage.

Smart Platform Integration

Again, the Blink XT’s fell short of our expectations, only integrating with Alexa. Plus, we could only use Amazon to arm or disarm the entire system and not specific cameras.

The Arlo Pro 2 went above and beyond with its smart platform integration. The camera paired with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Apple HomeKit, and Stringify. We loved all the options! They put us, the user, in the driver’s seat. For that reason, the Arlo Pro 2 trounced the Blink XT in terms of smart platform integration.

Artificial Intelligence

The term “artificial intelligence” might bring to mind I, Robot, Tron, or even The Matrix. But how was this strange science-fiction-sounding term relevant to our home’s security?

The primary way we’d seen home security cameras use artificial intelligence at the time of our review was through person detection, which was what it sounded like. Person detection allowed cameras we tested to differentiate between our dog, SUV, and Uncle Bob. It meant we received smarter, more specific notifications.

To our dismay, neither the Arlo Pro 2 nor the Blink XT came with any artificial intelligence features. On the bright side, the Arlo Pro 2 did have a paid subscription plan called Arlo Smart Home, which added person detection to the camera. When it came to artificial intelligence, the Arlo Pro 2 trumped the Blink XT’s paid person detection option.

Extras

We also enjoyed the unique features each camera offered.

Arlo Smart Home

It was common for security cameras to come with an optional paid subscription plan. For the Arlo Pro 2, this plan was called the Arlo Smart Home. This added person detection, activity zones, a 911 button, and better notifications.

Activity zones allowed us to designate the most important spaces for our camera to record. This meant that we could mark an area, like a baby’s crib or a window. Then we got specific notifications when there was activity there. We also liked that there was a 911 button in our Arlo app. This button enabled us to connect to law enforcement directly without having to call 911 conspicuously.

Finally, the Arlo Smart Home gave us better notifications. We viewed a screenshot of our live stream from our locked screens, which allowed us to see what was happening with minimal effort.

Arlo Smart Home was priced at only $2.99 per camera per month and even offered a one-month free trial.

Arlo Pro 2 Extras

On a free level, the Arlo Pro 2 had some excellent features. If the camera was plugged in, it could record non-stop for 24/7 if that’s what we wanted. The Arlo Pro 2 also included a siren for scaring away intruders, motion and sound notifications, and geofencing.

If we were looking for a camera with a siren, the Arlo Pro 2 had it going on. The siren was over 100 decibels, and both motion and sound detectors made it very hard for intruders to stay hidden.

Finally, the Arlo Pro 2 came with geofencing. Geofencing meant that we could hook up our cell phones with the camera system. When we were away, the camera automatically armed itself, and vice versa. We no longer had to worry about setting it each time we left our home; the geofencing did that for us.

Arlo Pro 2 App

We were pleased by the Arlo Pro 2 app. This app was where we viewed our live stream, motion, and sound-activated recordings. It also enabled us to access our safety button and change our camera settings.

We liked that the app let us choose between “Best Video,” “Optimized,” and “Best Battery Life.” We saw how each option could be useful for different situations. For example, if we wanted to record our daughter’s birthday party, we chose “Best Video” and got a high-quality record of our celebration. On the other hand, if we want to record wirelessly for a long period of time, we simply put the camera on “Best Battery Life.”

As we’ve mentioned before, we loved getting to customize our experiences, and this app was full of options. Like the camera itself, the Arlo app did not disappoint.

Blink XT Extras

We gave the Blink XT a hard time throughout this review, so we wanted to mention that it redeemed itself when it came to its sensors. Not only did it have motion detectors like the Arlo Pro 2, but it had built-in temperature sensors. Considering the camera worked indoors and outdoors, the temperature sensors were essential to keeping the video display clear.

Blink App

Unfortunately, the Blink app was where things took a turn for the worse. While we thought it was very user-friendly, a few annoying features took away from our experience. The Blink app was where we live-streamed footage and changed our settings.

A considerable drawback of the app was that we couldn’t choose when it recorded. Another issue was the constant pop-ups that appeared while we streamed footage.

Recap

Clearly, the Arlo Pro had many features the Blink XT lacked, like superior video, two-way audio, more storage options, and artificial intelligence. But that didn’t necessarily mean that we thought customers should always buy it instead of the Blink XT.

Make an even more informed decision by reading our full reviews of Arlo Pro 2 or Blink.