Battery-powered security cameras are hard to beat if you want easy outdoor installation. But having a battery also means the camera needs solid reliability to make up for the power cord.
Baseus Security, a new security camera brand, isn’t quite there yet. While the Baseus N1 is a pretty average outdoor security camera, it doesn’t do much to set itself apart from similarly priced competitors like Eufy and Arlo. Even its best feature, support for up to 16TB of local video storage, comes straight from Eufy’s manual.
Baseus N1 Security Camera
The Baseus N1 security camera offers good video quality and plenty of local storage. While the camera’s simplicity makes it easy for beginners, it lacks the versatility and reliability of established competitors.
- Battery operated and easy to install anywhere
- Great video quality
- Supports adding up to 16TB of local video storage.
- Slow app that lacks full functionality at first.
- Simple motion detection options
- Poor smart home support
- There is no good way to buy additional cameras yet.
Price, availability and specifications
You can buy the Baseus N1 security camera on Amazon for $200, but I couldn’t find it on sale anywhere else. The kit comes with a Homestation hub and two cameras, which brings the price of a single camera to $100, which is very reasonable for a wireless outdoor security camera.
Unfortunately, Baseus Security doesn’t sell additional cameras yet, so the Homestation’s eight-camera limit is unusable. (Unless you buy multiple sets with extra Homestations.) And despite the N1’s newness, I’ve already seen a $50 discount on Amazon. It’s worth keeping an eye out for promo codes.
What are the good features of Baseus N1?
It can keep up with competing security cameras but it doesn’t outperform them.
One of the first things I noticed about the Baseus N1 was how much it reminded me of the EufyCam 3C. Both cameras feature a bulky wireless design, a flashlight, and a gimbal with expandable storage options. While the Baseus N1’s 2K video resolution isn’t quite as good as the Eufy’s 4K, that was a positive first impression.
The 2K video quality on the Baseus N1 is good, though I wouldn’t say it’s on par with devices like the TP-Link Tapo C510W or Reolink Argus 4 Pro. The picture was good in daylight conditions, with most details clearly visible up to 20 feet away. At further distances, facial features blurred, and text on clothing was blurry.
Performance is a bit worse with night video, but it’s not unusable. I couldn’t get a good image with the built-in spotlight when the subject wasn’t within 10 feet, while the infrared night vision seemed to be a bit better overall.
Local video storage is one of the standout features of the Baseus N1, thanks to expandable storage on the included HomeStation hub. You can add up to 16TB, which is more than just an extra capacity but the same as what Eufy’s recent cameras offer. Expanding storage beyond the hub’s default 16GB is especially useful as you add cameras over time.
Although there is no option to record continuous video, this feature drains the battery of the wireless cameras significantly. Baseus Security made the right decision not to include this feature.
I didn’t spend enough time with the cameras to determine whether they were capable of the full 210 days Baseus Security claims, but the batteries rarely dropped more than one percent during my video tests. The biggest drain on battery life was live viewing.
Read our review
TP-Link Tapo C510W Security Camera Review: Great Outdoor Performance at a Low Price
Outdoor PTZ Camera to Fit Any Budget
While I like how Baseus Security includes a power manager in the settings menu, the 20-second recordings for the Optimum Battery Life option were a bit short for my needs. Fortunately, I used the custom recording switch to increase the clip length to a happy medium that wouldn’t drain the battery too much.
The mounting hardware included in the box made it easy to mount the Baseus N1 using the threaded mounting point on the back of each camera. I prefer this type of connection over a magnetic mount because it is more stable in windy weather or if a bird chooses to perch on the camera.
What’s bad about Baseus N1?
The road to reliability is a tough one.
As with most new security camera brands, testing the Baseus N1 was a mix of patience and frustration. My test unit arrived in early May and offered only partial functionality. Setting up the cameras wasn’t too difficult, and motion capture worked well, but I couldn’t load a live view into the app.
Security camera apps without a live view are practically unusable. You can use the live view screen for manual photo taking, two-way audio, alarms, creating motion detection zones, and setting up privacy zones. Eventually, I learned that the prototype unit was flawed, so Baseus Security sent me a newer production sample.
Oddly enough, the original sample started working the day before I received the replacement. While I did most of my testing on the original sample, I did set up the new cameras to make sure everything was working as intended. Baseus Security is a relatively new brand, so I’m willing to dismiss this issue as just a growing pain as long as it’s not a regular occurrence in future releases.
As for motion detection, the Baseus N1 is fairly simple — it just tracks general movement and human motion. Don’t expect advanced smart detection features that help competitors like Eufy identify vehicles, pets, faces, packages, and voices.
While the Baseus Security boasts smart home integrations with Alexa and Google devices, the camera failed to display a live preview during testing in either app. Likewise, this function didn’t work when I tried to watch a live feed on my Nest Hub smart display. While I like that the Baseus Security offers smart home integration, it’s currently useless.
The company’s massive local storage capabilities make up for the lack of cloud storage. However, some users may feel uncomfortable without an automatic backup to a cloud server in case local storage fails. Baseus doesn’t seem to have any plans for cloud storage yet, but it’s not impossible.
Should you buy it?
The discounted Baseus N1 could be a good alternative to the Eufy and Arlo
Despite my difficult setup experience, I can’t say the Baseus N1 isn’t worth buying. It ticks all the boxes for a good outdoor security camera. The focus on local storage also offers several privacy and practical advantages over cloud storage. However, I wouldn’t buy this camera at its listed price when similar, but more capable, models from Arlo and Eufy cost roughly the same.
Baseus N1 Security Camera
The Baseus N1 offers good video quality and plenty of local storage. While the camera’s simplicity makes it easy for beginners, it lacks the versatility and reliability of established competitors.
Related
Best Home Security Cameras with Local Storage in 2024
Are you uncomfortable when your security camera sends footage to the cloud? Try one of these solutions
