Canary Flex Review

Video Review

What It Promises

They say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but reading the Flex’s box is already getting me riled up.

The box promises a number of things, including:

• 1080p HD video for beautiful footage
• Clear audio, whether it is indoor or outdoor
• Wifi setup with no hubs required
• Weatherproofed for outdoor use, and able to withstand snow, rain, heat, or cold
• Magnetic 360-degree swivel base for more viewing flexibility
• HD night vision, for super clear video even in the dark
• Smart alerts so you’ll know when someone enters your home

This all sounds pretty great to me — but let’s take it out of the box and see for ourselves.

First Impressions

At first glance, I’m liking the look of the Flex. With its capsule shape, it resembles a large pill, and it comes in both black and white. I love that the base is magnetic, as it makes secure mounting foolproof. The face of the camera is glossy, while the rest is matte, with a matte backing.

At less than 5 inches tall, this camera blends in perfectly with most homes. If aesthetics are important to you, this camera might be a good option. Whether you want to put it in a formal living room or out by your pool, the Flex won’t be an eyesore. It also weighs slightly over half a pound, which I like because I can easily move it when I want to. Let’s leave the weight-lifting at the gym, shall we?

The speaker is at the top of the camera, while the charging port and Canary insignia are below. The camera has a battery in it and also a charging port. That’s a good thing because the camera can work either wire-free through a charger or plugged in. A single charge allows the camera to go wire-free due to its extended life rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The Canary Flex Camera typically has a battery life of 2 to 3 months under normal use.

The cord-free option is nice for anyone concerned with interior design, while the cord-option works for the Utilitarian more concerned with the Canary Flex Camera’s battery life. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I love flexibility as much as the next person who does not actually practice, but loves the idea of being a yoga person, so the more options, the better.

One thing that is a bit annoying about this camera is that the battery does not have a micro USB cord – you need the Canary adapter. Of course, the Canary Flex comes with the adapter, but if I lose it, I’d have to special order a new one. Poor me, right?

Despite this, I like the design overall and am ready to see how it works.

Necessary Features

Where would we be as a society without some objective standards to adhere by? That’s why I put all of my products through our Necessary Features test, and the Canary Flex is no exception. Let’s see how it stacks up.

Canary Flex Camera Video

At the risk of being called a Negative Nancy, I will say that the video on the Flex is lacking. While it claims that it has 1080p HD for optimal viewing, the camera defaults to 720p, based on the user’s streaming capabilities, and there is no way to change the quality within the Canary Flex app. As 1080p HD is the industry standard, I’m not thrilled with the Canary Flex’s video quality.

Similarly, the field of vision disappoints. At 116 degrees, the Flex has a field of vision 30 degrees narrower than its sister camera, the Pro. While it’s not the narrowest field of vision I’ve ever seen (95 degrees, if you’re wondering), it still does not seem wide enough, particularly for outdoor use.

However, the camera does come with digital zoom, so overall I will give the Flex full marks for video.

Canary Flex Camera Two-Way Audio

The two-way audio on the Flex is crystal-clear, which I love. You’d be surprised how many intruders up and leave the scene when a disembodied voice shouts at them!

Canary Flex Camera Night Vision

I was super impressed by the night vision on this camera. When I tested it out, I could see the scene perfectly, despite the fact that the Flex has fewer infrared LED lights than the Pro.

Additionally, the night vision is automatic, which saves you the trouble of having to manually switch it on and off twice a day. Good outdoor night vision is hard to come by. I’m definitely giving the Flex full marks for this category.

Canary Flex Camera Storage

Like the Pro, the Flex has no local storage options. This is a problem for someone that wants to be in complete control of their footage. What I do appreciate, however, is that the camera offers unlimited livestreaming. If you pay for the membership that I mentioned earlier, you unlock an unlimited saving of clips plus 30 days of cloud storage.

This is a pretty good deal, considering some camera companies charge up to $30 a month for 30 days of cloud storage. Plus, the data is encrypted through the cloud, making it secure. Cloud storage is nice because it is way more secure than local storage — footage can’t be stolen physically or digitally, even if a thief steals the camera itself.

However, like I’ve said before, I’m a man of flexibility. As there is no local storage option, I have to give the Flex half marks on this category.

Canary Flex Camera Smart Platform Integration

I believe it was James Madison who once said “A device is only as good as its smart platform integration,” (a joke, for those of you who lack a finely-tuned sense of humor). For this category, the Flex kills it.

I love that the Canary Flex Camera is integrated with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant because it gives the user the flexibility to choose their preferred platform. Wondering how much battery life you have left? Just ask Google for the Canary’s battery life. Did you remember to plug the camera in before you left the house? Ask Google if your Canary is plugged in. The Internet of Things, in general, makes it super easy to monitor devices, right from the palm of your hand.

The Flex isn’t integrated with Apple Home, but then again, most cameras aren’t either. For smart platform integration, I give the Flex full marks.

Canary Flex Camera Artificial Intelligence

I try not to believe everything I hear, but I’ve heard reports that the Flex does not learn fast enough, making me skeptical of its artificial intelligence capabilities. However, in my experience, I was impressed by the incremental strides that the device takes over time. It’s not immediate, of course, but over time the device learns to detect people and packages precisely to prevent false alarms. I like that the Flex takes the time to learn my habits and adjusts accordingly.

In terms of artificial intelligence, the Canary Flex boasts both person and package detection. While person detection has become a standard for most security cameras of this caliber, package detection is a rarity. I love the idea that my packages are accounted for even if I’m not home when they’re delivered.

It’s also important to note the difference between person detection and facial recognition. Person detection can only tell when a person is in the camera’s line of vision, while facial recognition learns exactly who the person is. This becomes super helpful in identifying who are your friends and family, and who is an intruder. Facial recognition is not super common on comparable security cameras, but if it’s important to you, then the Flex is not for you. Overall, I give the Canary Flex full marks for artificial intelligence.

Canary Flex Camera Value

At $199, this camera is on the expensive side, and that’s not even including the optional membership. No one wants to spend money, of course, but I understand the value in the Canary Flex.

The camera comes with a 1-year limited warranty (when you buy it from Canary and its authorized retailers, of course). I am not super impressed with this warranty, as most people would expect a security camera to last them way more than a year. Ultimately, however, I do believe in the quality of the camera, making the warranty almost a moot point. In addition to that, the warranty doubles to 2 years when you purchase the Canary membership.

Because the camera does have such impressive indoor/ outdoor capabilities, and almost all of the features of the Pro camera, I think it’s worth the price. Full marks for value!

Canary Flex Camera Convenience

Not to brag, but for me, the setup of the Canary Flex Camera took ten minutes. Confession: it wasn’t due to my stellar technical abilities. This camera is just super easy to set up, particularly if you already have the Pro. The majority of the set-up occurs through the Canary Flex app, discussed below.

All you have to do to set up the camera itself is stick it on a flat service and twist it to cover whatever field of vision you would like. Overall, I give the Flex full marks for its convenience.

Canary Flex Camera Mobile App

The mobile app is super user-friendly and has a lot of great features. Where do I begin?

From the Canary Flex app, you can control the siren to scare intruders (or whoever you feel like scaring, although we don’t recommend scaring your loved ones).

You can also arm or disarm the camera, and schedule everything right through your smartphone. The camera has three modes to choose from: away, which will make the camera record when you’re out of the house, home, which will make the camera stop recording, and night, which will make the camera record when you’re sleeping. I like that the camera doesn’t record when you’re home and awake, as it gives the user some much-needed privacy.

The app is where you’ll be able to access the two-way audio, where you can live-stream the footage your camera collects, and where you can alert the proper authorities if you see any crimes. A safety button automatically dispatches your message to authorities, a much better alternative to manually calling 911. Can you imagine if a burglar discovered you as you were telling the dispatcher you were being robbed? Talk about speak of the devil. Again, the two-way audio and the safety button are only available with the Canary membership.

The app also includes a timeline, which basically summarizes what happened during the camera’s recording. This feature would definitely come in handy if, god forbid, you needed to put together a timeline for the police. You can also access easily access Incident Support, a team trained to help you after an incident with your security, through the app.

Comparisons

So sure, the Flex is a great camera. But how does it compare to competitors? As these cameras all have similar features, I’m stacking the Flex up against its sister, the Canary Pro, as well as the Arlo Pro 2 and the Blink Indoor Camera. As they’re all effective security cameras, your choice might have to come down to the nitty-gritty. Let’s dive in.

Canary All-In-One

What better camera to compare the Canary Flex to than the Canary Pro? The main difference between the 2 cameras is that the Pro is only indoor, while the Flex is both indoor and outdoor. Like the Flex, the Pro has great video and audio quality, night vision, smart platform integration, and artificial intelligence. It also comes with a feature that the Flex does not have: HomeHealth technology. HomeHealth technology is a climate monitoring system measuring things like temperature, humidity, and air quality. If that’s important to you, then the Pro might be a better choice than the Flex.

Both cameras lose points for storage, with no local storage options. For 30 days of storage, you have to pay $12.99 a month for a membership. Again, memberships include two-way audio, activity zones, and the Safety button to contact law enforcement. Overall, both products have great value and convenience, but if you’re looking for a camera with indoor and outdoor capabilities, then the Pro isn’t for you.

For more info, check out our full review of the Canary Pro.

Arlo Pro 2

Like the Canary Flex, the Arlo Pro 2 is another great indoor/ outdoor camera. The Arlo Pro 2 has a slightly wider field of view at 130 degrees, 14 more than the Flex. Similarly, while the Flex claims it has 1080p HD while defaulting to 720p, the Arlo Pro 2 consistently uses 1080p HD. The Arlo Pro 2 does lose points, however, on its night vision. If night vision is a priority, then the Arlo Pro 2 is probably not for you.

Storage-wise, the Arlo Pro 2 wins out thanks to its local storage option. Like Canary, Arlo charges a subscription fee for cloud storage.

>> Check Out: Best Security Cameras Without a Subscription

Both cameras are integrated with Amazon and Alexa and Google Assistant, but the Arlo Pro 2 is also integrated with Apple HomeKit, IFTTT and Stringify. If either of these are essential to you, then the Arlo Pro 2 is the way to go.

Both cameras also feature person and package detection – for a price. (You need to sign up for a monthly subscription.) Unfortunately for Canary, Arlo charges way less for the same features. Giving your Arlo Pro 2 A.I. superpowers costs $2.99; giving your Canary Flex the same features costs $12.99.

At the end of the day, both cameras are worth their prices and easy to set up. Overall, I would recommend the Canary Flex over the Arlo Pro 2 due to its excellent night vision, which I believe is an essential quality to any great security camera.

To learn more, check out our review of the Arlo Pro 2.

Blink Indoor

The last camera I’ll be comparing the Canary Flex to is the Blink Indoor, which, like its name suggests, is solely an indoor camera. When it comes to video quality, the Canary Flex wins. The Blink Indoor matches the Canary Flex at 1080p, the industry standard. But it loses out on night vision – the Blink Indoor’s recording didn’t come through as clearly as the Canary Flex’s.

The Blink Indoor does have the Canary Flex beat, however, when it comes to storage. With a $35 Sync Module, you can store your Blink footage locally; Canary doesn’t offer local storage. And if you do decide to purchase cloud storage, you’ll be paying a lot less per month with Blink ($3) than Canary ($13).

As Amazon owns Blink, the indoor camera is only integrated with Amazon Alexa, while the Canary Flex integrates with both Alexa and Google Assistant. If you’re looking for artificial intelligence, the Blink Indoor is definitely not right for you – it has no person detection or facial recognition features. Unless you’re extremely passionate about having a local storage option, I would definitely recommend the Canary Flex over the Blink Indoor camera.

Want more information? Read our review of the Blink Indoor camera.

Recap

Overall, the Canary Flex is a great camera, but it’s not for everyone.

If you require constantly 1080p HD streaming or a field of vision wider than 116 degrees, then this is not the camera for you. If you are a local storage fiend, I will say the same thing: pass on the Flex.

However, if you need a trustworthy indoor/ outdoor camera, the Flex fits the bill. I especially recommend the camera to people who already own the Pro, as these products supplement each other nicely. I love the easy set-up of the camera, plus its integration with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

I think it’s definitely worth it to invest the $12.99 per month of $129.99 per year in the Canary membership. That will get you the 30 days of cloud storage, person and package detection, and the ability to contact a first-person responder through the app. In sum, the Canary Flex is a trustworthy camera that allows you to easily monitor what is going on in or out of your house.

Not sold on the Canary Flex? Read our review of the best home security cameras to find another option.