Credit:
Reviewed.com / Camryn Rabideau
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Credit:
Reviewed.com / Camryn Rabideau
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This successor to Nest Protect scores high on usability, app control, and interconnectivity, but it loses points on design and advanced sensing tech. Read More
This smart smoke detector from one of the premier brands in the space works with Ring Alarm systems, sends alerts quickly, and has a loud siren. Read More
The Kidde Smart Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm uses voice alerts, Alexa and Google, and push notifications to quickly alert you when a problem arises. Read More
This smart alarm offers excellent value for its price, featuring interconnectivity and app control. However, it doesn't have UL certification. Read More
Smoke alarms generally have one purpose and that's to alert you of a fire. But did you know that you can make your humble abode even safer thanks to smart smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms? Not only do they send notifications to your phone, but most of them are pretty easy to install, too. Whether it's smart water leak detectors or smart thermostats, turning your living space into a smart home is both safe and convenient.
We put the best smoke detectors and monitors on the market through their paces to find which one you should buy. Google's Nest Protect had been a longtime winner in this guide for best smoke detector and CO monitor, but now that is has been discontinued, we feel that its successor, the First Alert SC5 Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm (available at Amazon for $129.99) delivers in its place as top choice. Between the easy installation and intuitive app, there's a lot to love.
Helpful voice alerts
Works with Amazon Echo and Google Home
Sends alerts right away
Large size
Low cost and strong performance means this is an excellent value
Sleek design
App is easy to use
Interconnectivity and Wi-Fi connectivity (with hub)
Limited smart home support
Protect+ requires a subscription
There are three types of smoke detectors available for purchase: photoelectric, ionization, and dual-sensor. These terms refer to the technology used to sense smoke.
Photoelectric smoke detectors have a light source that’s pointed into a sensing chamber, and when smoke particles enter the chamber, they reflect light onto the sensor, triggering the alarm. This type of smoke detector is more efficient at sensing fires that begin with a long period of smoldering, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
On the other hand, ionization smoke detectors have a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates. This ionizes the air (hence their name) and creates a current that flows between the plates. If smoke particles enter the chamber, it will disrupt the current and activate the alarm. This style of smoke detector will typically sense flaming fires more quickly.
There are also dual-sensor smoke detectors, which use both photoelectric and ionization technology. For comprehensive protection in your home, the U.S. Fire Administration actually recommends dual-sensor detectors, which efficiently monitor for both types of fires.
There’s always a potential privacy risk involved when you use internet-connected devices at home. To help safeguard your smart home, there are some steps you can take. First, look for devices that offer two-factor authentication, which sends a code to your mobile device to verify it’s really you. That way, if someone tries to hack into your account, you will receive an alert and can quickly take care of the problem. Many devices also allow you to activate email or other push notifications in the settings to alert you if someone has logged on.
Additionally, make sure to use a unique, strong password composed of multiple characters, numbers, and letters for each of your smart home accounts. Data breaches feel like the norm as of late, making it all the more important to use different passwords across multiple websites and apps.
When using any devices with smart assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, you can further protect your privacy by regularly deleting your voice recordings and muting the speaker’s mic when it’s not in use.
Looking for more privacy tips? Read our guide to securing your smart home.
To test these smoke detectors, we first installed and synced each device with its app. After the initial setup, we ran a “self-test” on each model and navigated around both the iOS and Android versions of the apps to assess usability.
Finally, we used aerosol-sprayed smoke and tapered candles to set each alarm off. We did this multiple times for every model—once while the phone was connected to Wi-Fi and once when it was not—to see if there was a difference in how quickly notifications were delivered. During these tests, we also evaluated the smart home integration, quality/volume of the alarm, quality of the smartphone notifications, and ease of silencing each detector. Other factors we took into account were interconnectivity, app connectivity, and perceived reliability.
Like most smart home devices, smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors connect to your home’s Wi-Fi and, subsequently, your smartphone. In other words, they go a step further than your traditional smoke alarm. This is the main appeal of smart smoke detectors, but some high-end models include additional “smart” features like voice controls via Alexa, weather updates, voice alerts, customizable night lights, and more.
Monitors essentially “listen” for your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, and if they hear it going off, they send a smartphone notification to let you know. They're typically installed in proximity to your existing smoke detectors—some plug into an electrical outlet while others are battery operated—and they’re connected to your home Wi-Fi network. However, they don’t allow you to silence your smoke alarms and they won’t save you from 2 a.m. low-battery chirps.
Smoke detectors are a perfect example of a device that benefits from smart functionality. Why? Standard detectors have a few major shortcomings, mainly that they’re not all that useful when you’re not home. If your detectors aren’t connected to the local fire department (which most are not) and a fire starts when no one is home, the alarms simply beep away to no avail. Plus, that’s not to mention the dreaded 3 a.m. low-battery chirps—we could all live without those.
Smart smoke detectors solve both these issues, as they send you smartphone notifications when the alarm goes off and give you a heads up when the battery is low. The "smart" functionality can not only give you peace of mind while you're away from home, but it can also save you time and energy when it comes to replacing those pesky smoke alarm batteries. Plus, if you ever burn popcorn and accidentally set off your smart alarm, you can quickly silence the detector from its app, saving you from having to grab a chair and climb up there to manually silence it.
Camryn Rabideau is a full-time freelance writer and product tester with eight years of experience. She's been lucky enough to test hundreds of products firsthand, and her specialties include bedding and pet products, which often require help from her two dogs, three cats, and flock of rambunctious chickens.
Rachel Murphy is Reviewed's home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.
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