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What Is a Smart Smoke Detector?

Smart smoke detectors connect to your home’s wireless network, enabling you to receive alerts on your smartphone or computer in case of a house fire.

“The main benefit is being able to monitor your home remotely,” says Matthew Fix, president of Flow Fire Protection in Fort Collins, Colorado.

While remote monitoring brings a sense of security for those who travel a lot or own a vacation home, smart smoke detectors also make life safer and easier when you’re home. The alarms interconnect, so they can tell you where and what the dangers are. They’re also handy because they can be disabled from your phone, solving the age-old problem of scrambling for a stepladder every time you burn your bagels.

“We live in a crazy connected world,” Fix says. “Using this tech to potentially save lives and property is by far one of the best uses, for sure.”

Features to consider when buying a smart smoke detector include:

• Versatility, since many double as a carbon monoxide (CO) monitor.
• Price, which depending on features can range from $40 to more than $150.
• Ease of installation.
• Remote capabilities from your phone.
• Voice alerts, which can be more effective for children than a siren.
• Notifications of which room the fire (or a high CO level) is in.
• Power source, whether hardwired or battery-operated.
• Connection with other alarms, so if one goes off they all sound simultaneously, giving you the fastest chance at escape.
• Low-battery and malfunction alerts (automatic or manual).
• Automatic emergency contact notification if you don’t respond.
• Brand or compatibility with other smart home technology, as well as integration with smart home systems.
• Compatibility with existing hardwired models. If you’re replacing a hardwired model, typically all detectors in the chain should be the same make and model.
• Third-party certification, such as UL or ETL. “This ensures that the alarm has been tested to the voluntary safety standards,” says Thaddeus Harrington, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Fire sensing methods, whether by ionization, photoelectric or both. “Ionization-type alarms are good at sensing a fast-burning fire, while photoelectric are really good at slower smoldering types of fires,” says Fix. “It’s recommended to have both types in your house.”

Read on for our picks for the best smart smoke detectors.

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Best Overall Smart Smoke Detector: Google Nest Protect

Google’s Nest Protect brings the most comprehensive range of features at $119 per unit. It includes a CO detector and real-time alerts, as well as voice and color-coded signals to identify threat type and interconnected alarms (which don’t require WiFi). It also offers hardwire and battery-powered options, and a Split-Spectrum Sensor that detects both slow and fast-burning fires.

Make sure to use the recommended lithium batteries; standard ones will drain quickly. Note that it isn’t fully integrated with Google Home, which means you’ll probably need to use the Nest app with it instead.

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