Best smart smoke detector for the home
Smart smoke detectors don’t just sound the alarm, they also alert your smartphone and more. CHRISTOPHER NULL reports
The concept is simple: A smoke alarm that tells you there’s a fire nearby is a great, but a smoke alarm that tells you there’s a fire no matter where you are is even better. Smart smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are one of the most useful categories of smart home gear on the market, mainly
because they offer a clear advantage over ‘dumb’ versions of the same product. And if you have a second home or travel frequently, the additional peace of mind they can provide is invaluable.
Once installed and powered up, you download the relevant app and connect to the device wirelessly. Then, when the alarm goes off, not only do you receive an audio alert – many include helpful voice instructions instead of just a siren – your smart phone also tells you what the problem is (whether it’s smoke or CO, which alarm was activated, and sometimes even the severity of the smoke). Many smart smoke detectors hook into additional smart home gear and IFTTT, so you can get even more clever by having the lights start flashing if smoke has been detected, for example. Perhaps the biggest benefit of a smart smoke detector: No more
hunting down midnight chirps, since you’ll also get phone-based notifications about dying batteries.
What to look for when shopping
Smoke and CO: Today, you want a detector that handles both smoke and carbon monoxide in a single device. There’s simply no point in forgoing carbon monoxide detection in any smoke alarm you install today, and all the alarms we tested support both types. Note that, as discussed above, smart batteries and smart listeners do not actually detect smoke or CO directly, so you’ll need to ensure the actual alarms in your house do support types of detection if you decide to go that route.
Detector sensitivity and accuracy: It’s very difficult to scientifically test how well a smoke/CO detector does its primary job without actually burning your house down. That said, simulating smoky conditions can reveal a little about how sensitive a detector is. As well, you can consider the general consensus about the underlying technology in a smoke detector. The Nest Protect, for example, uses a photoelectric split-spectrum sensor that is considered superior to the ionization sensor used in many older devices and which is more prone to false alarms.
Notification variety: A loud siren is expected, but voice alerts are quite handy: They not only tell you what type of hazard has been detected, but also alert you to its location and can even tell you how to respond (whether that’s opening a window or calling
911). Colour-coded lights on the alarm itself are another plus. And, of course, speedy push notifications to your phone are a must in the smart alarm space.
Multiple users: Obviously you’re safest if more than one person receives a push alert that there’s a fire in the house. Look for a system that supports multiple users through an invitation system.
Interconnectivity: Some devices support an interconnectivity feature, so if one alarm goes off, all the other alarms in the house will go off as well. This can be a big benefit if you have a very large home and fear you might not hear an alarm going off elsewhere in the house. We didn’t test interconnectivity features since we tested single alarms individually, so check the specs when shopping if this feature sounds useful.
Smart home hub support: If you want to integrate your smoke alarm with the rest of your home, consider whether it is supported by a major smart home hub. The Nest Protect is obviously tied to the Nest ecosystem, but Alexa, SmartThings, and HomeKit options are also available. Note that we had lacklustre results with several of these hooks – and even if you do connect the alarm to your smart home hub, the ultimate usefulness of this connection can be limited.
That said, when paired with a smart thermostat, some smart smoke alarms can trigger the thermostat to shut down your HVAC system, so that smoke isn’t pulled into your ventilation system and circulated all around your home.
Best smart smoke detector Nest Labs Nest Protect
Price: £89 from fave.co/2Bzkht7
The Nest Protect is one of the most mature smart smoke alarms on the market, and it’s a no-brainer of a choice if you want one of the most sophisticated and reliable smart smoke detectors out there. Alarms are varied, integrated lighting is colour-coded based on the type of threat, and the product includes helpful voice alerts when activated. In testing, our phone was alerted almost immediately, and the app couldn’t be simpler to master. If you have additional Nest gear at home--such as a Nest thermostat--things get even savvier, as you can configure the Protect to shut off your ventilation system if it detects smoke, a potential life saver.
At £89, the Nest Protect isn’t cheap, but pricier options are out there. In this case, though, the outlay is worth it.