While it’s something you’ll hope never to use, it can help let you know of smoke and fire in a home before it’s too late.
There are a wide variety of different smoke detectors on the market with different features including smart home technology and carbon monoxide detection.
Here are the best smoke detectors to help protect your home and family.
Q: How Many Smoke Detectors Do I Need in My Home?
The laws regarding smoke detectors in a home vary widely by where you’re located. The best advice is to have at least one smoke detector on every floor of a home, one detector outside a bathroom, and one in each bedroom as well. Smoke alarms should be installed at least 10 feet away from a cooking device like a stove to minimize false alarms. Most importantly, since smoke rises, make sure to mount a detector high on a wall to help detect smoke faster.
In case of a problem, the detector’s voice will tell you what the issue is and where to find it. If the problem is just a little bit of smoke, you can hush the alarm with the companion smartphone app. The detector connects to Wi-Fi so you can see any problems with the app when you’re away from home.
You can also use the app to test all of your Nest Protects with a single tap and then see the results. While you’ll pay a bit more, the smart features on the Google Nest Protect can’t be beaten and make it a top-notch choice.
Apple users should also be happy to hear that with AirPlay 2 compatibility, you can stream music from your device to the detector’s speaker and even use it as part of a whole-home sound system. With the companion app, you can receive alerts when something is wrong, check the status of the backup battery, customize the built-in nightlight, and more.
Another big plus is that the alarm can interconnect with existing hardwired detectors. So when one alarm sounds in a home, all the others will sound. Even though it’s not perfect for every situation and budget, if you’re looking to dive into the world of Alexa and smart home technology, the Onelink Safe & Sound by First Alert is a suitable consideration.
Easily the best app feature is the ability to temporarily silence an alarm caused by nuisances like something burning on the stove. You can also receive notifications on a smartphone if the alarm is ever triggered. The alarm, which sounds at 85dB, continuously checks the battery and Wi-Fi connection and will send a notification if there are ever any issues.
Thanks to the lower price, the X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Detector makes it a great choice to add multiple, app-enabled smoke detectors to a home.
The alarm also works with Samsung SmartThings and Nexia Home Intelligence when connected to a Z-Wave Plus gateway hub. Using a photoelectric smoke sensor, the detector reduces false alarms from cooking or steam from a shower. The alarm features an 85dB horn to inform everyone in the home of a problem.
Especially if you already have a Ring Alarm installed in your home, the First Alert Z-Wave Smoke Detector & Carbon Monoxide Alarm is a great choice to add to a smart home.
A hush button for the alarm allows you to quickly silence nuisance alarms. The built-in LED will flash to indicate its current mode. When smoke is detected, the alarm will also alert you with a voice saying “Fire!” along with three long chirps. If you ever want to add some smarts to the detector, it’s compatible with the additional Kidde RemoteLync Monitor that will send an alert to your smartphone, no matter where you are, if an alarm is ever detected.
You’ll never need to worry about battery changes with the Kidde Smoke Detector. And it offers flexibility to install if your house isn’t compatible with hardwired options.
A single button on the alarm allows you to quickly silence a nuisance alarm or test its operation. If the backup batteries are ever low, you can silence the low battery chirp for up to eight hours.
The battery drawer is easy to access to make the change. If you’re not interested in smart home technology, but still want a top-notch detector, the First Alert BRK 3120B is a great choice for homes with hardwiring.
Using the 360-degree air inlet ring, the detector will take three separate smoke samples from the surrounding air to ensure that the alarm will trigger. The detector uses three AA batteries that can easily be replaced. A test button will allow you to check if the detector is working and reset the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. It’s backed by a three-year free replacement guarantee.
Thanks to a very reasonable price and small footprint, the PetUlove Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector is a great choice to add complete protection to a home.
Q: What Are the Different Types of Smoke Detectors?
There are two major types of smoke detectors—wired and battery-powered. Wired detectors use wiring already present in a home. That means you don’t have to worry about changing batteries. But the big downside is that during a power outage, the smoke detector won’t be working unless it has some type of battery backup.
Battery-powered smoke detectors can be placed anywhere in a home and are perfect for homes without pre-existing wiring. The disadvantage of these models is that you’ll need to worry about changing the batteries when depleted so you will always be protected in case of a fire.
Q: Are Smart Smoke Detectors Worth the Extra Cost?
Just like other devices around your home, smoke detectors have also taken a big leap into the modern age with smart technology. Adding Wi-Fi to a smoke detector offers a number of big advantages. The smoke detectors can be tied into a smart home system and interact with other smart home devices. For example, if the smoke alarm is tripped, you can automatically turn on your lights so you can better see what’s happening or leave the home. Another big plus is that you can interact with the smoke detector using a companion smartphone app and even receive a notification when the smoke alarm sounds when you’re away from home. So while smart smoke detectors might cost more, they are a great tool to add to any modern home.
