The innovative new Blink XT2 wireless smart camera system, tried and tested by Buildingtalk

On Friday, we were fortunate enough to receive the new Blink XT2 wireless smart security camera system from Screwfix.

If you’re not already aware, Blink is an Amazon company that specialises in affordable, wireless home security camera systems.

Blink introduced the innovative new XT2 security camera system earlier this summer and it has since received some great reviews.

The XT2 prides itself on being easy to self-install, very versatile and providing great peace of mind for homeowners.

With features such as infrared HD night vision, 2-way audio, a 2-year battery life, customisable motion detection and live view recording, the camera should make for a great home security kit that suits almost any security needs you might have.

So, of course, when this little box arrived on my desk on Friday I was pretty excited to set it up and see whether it was as good as it sounds.

The box itself comes with 2 Blink XT2 cameras, 1 sync module, 2 AA batteries, 1 mounting kit per camera, 1 user guide, 1 USB cable, 1 power adapter and even a handy little ‘protected by Blink’ sticker for you to put on your window or door.

The first step, before you can do anything with the camera itself, is to download the app and set up an account – all of which was very straight forward and easy to do on my iPhone. The app is available on iOS 10.3, Android 5.0 or Fire OS 5.1, so no matter what kind of device you use, the XT2 should be compatible.

The app then walks you through adding the sync module and cameras to the app with very simple and easy-to-follow instructions.

Setting up the two cameras simply involved inserting two AA batteries in each and syncing them up to the app – all of which was very quick and easy. The whole process of getting the cameras up and working took no more than five minutes from start to finish, making the cameras ideal for those with little time and those that aren’t the most tech-savvy.

Once the cameras were set up, I was surprised by how subtle and unobtrusive they were. With the ability to angle the cameras in whatever direction you need, they also provide a great view of the area you’re wanting to keep an eye on.

My favourite things about the camera are, without a doubt, the fact that you can use the 2-way audio to speak through the camera no matter where you are, the night vision that allows you to keep an eye on what’s going on outside your house even at night, and that the camera can connect up to your Alexa too!

Overall, the app is very easy to navigate around, with handy settings that allow you to block out areas that you’re not interested in watching and providing notifications when motion is detected. The only thing to be aware of is that using the app to watch live feed for extended periods of time will run the batteries down pretty fast – so if you’re looking to make the batteries last, only watch the live feed when necessary!

The Blink XT2 smart security camera system is currently available at Screwfix for £179.99 and you can collect it in as little as 1 minute with Screwfix’s click & collect service.