The 4 Best Smart Smoke Detectors

Smoke Sensor Type: Photoelectric | Hardwired or Battery Option: Hardwired

The Onelink Safe & Sound is the smoke detector that does it all. In addition to being a photoelectric smoke detector, it is also outfitted with an integrated carbon monoxide sensor, speaker system, and the Alexa voice assistant built right in. It can be linked to various music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, or iHeartRadio, as well as your Amazon Alexa account. This means you have the ability to intelligently manage other smart home devices, stream music, and even do your shopping all through your smoke detector. The Onelink Safe & Sound can also be combined with a compatible existing wired interconnected alarm system.

Getting this unit up and running takes a little more effort because you must link your apps and accounts. And it's by no means inexpensive, though we consider all the extra features and functionalities well worth the investment. If you're an Alexa or Apple HomeKit user seeking an all-in-one smart home solution, the Onelink Safe & Sound is our top recommendation.

Smoke Sensor Type: Split-Spectrum | Hardwired or Battery Option: Both

If your home is already equipped with other Google Nest products, we recommend the Google Nest Protect. This top-tier smart smoke detector features dual sensors to detect both flaming and smoldering fires, as well as an integrated carbon monoxide detector and escape light. The setup is simple and integrates with other Nest devices seamlessly, with convenient features like configuring your heating system to automatically turn off if it detects increased levels of carbon monoxide.

Though it offers lots of functionality, the Nest Protect has a pretty expensive price tag slapped on it. If you combine the cost with the reality that it isn't compatible with other, less expensive alarms you may already own, you might wind up needing to purchase quite a few to set up a multi-alarm connected system. There are also some kinks that should hopefully get sorted out soon with the migration from Nest to Google accounts and the Works with Nest program. The Nest Protect is one of the best smart smoke detectors you can get if you are building a Google smart home or already have other Nest products.

Smoke Sensor Type: Ionization | Hardwired or Battery Option: Battery

The Kidde 21026044 Wireless is a great choice if you looked at the Nest Protect or the Onelink Safe & Sound and decided they were way outside of your budget. While this Kidde model isn't your typical smart smoke detector, we feel it warrants inclusion in this review since it allows you to simply and economically add a wireless interconnected series of smoke alarms throughout your home. This smoke detector is much cheaper than the premium models and allows you to build your system up to 24 devices — 18 of which can initiate the alarm for the whole system. The other 6 devices can be strobe lights or relay modules. Since you don't need to make accounts or download apps to connect, these detectors are simple to get set up.

Compared to other contenders, the Kidde 21026044 has limited features. If an alarm gets triggered, it doesn't send a notification to your phone, and the only way to turn off the sirens is to physically push the button located on one of the alarms. You can get around this by syncing it with a smart smoke alarm listener to add those functions, like the Ring or the Echo Dot using Alexa Guard. For shoppers looking to set up a smart multi-alarm system on a budget, the Kidde 21026044 and a smart listener are your best bet.

Smoke Sensor Type: N/A | Hardwired or Battery Option: Wall plug
If you aren't in a position where you can install a standalone smart smoke detector or don't want to be bothered with mounting one to a wall or ceiling, consider using Alexa Guard through an Echo Dot or other Alexa-enabled smart speakers. Alexa Guard will notify you if your Alexa device hears a smoke, carbon monoxide, or other alarm go off or if it hears glass break. You can then listen to a 10-second recorded clip or drop in on your Echo device to find out what's going on. All you need to do to activate this is say, “Alexa, I'm Leaving” once it's been enabled on your device.

Unfortunately, there are limits to how far Alexa Guard will take you. Since it isn't actually connected to your smoke detectors, you won't be able to hush them from your phone in the case of a false alarm. If your electrical power goes down or your WiFi network loses signal, it won't work either. On your way out of the house, it can also be easy to forget to activate or disable it through your Alexa. However, this is by far one of the cheapest, easiest, and least invasive options that will allow you to remotely monitor the smoke alarms in your home.

Smoke Sensor Type: Photoelectric | Hardwired or Battery Option: Both

If you have an Alexa or Apple HomeKit smart home system and don't need to add another Alexa-enabled speaker to your house, then the Onelink Smart Smoke + Carbon Monoxide is a good option. The cost is a bit less expensive than the Safe & Sound, and it's a good choice if you are shopping on a budget and already have an existing hardwired interconnected alarm system to which you want to add some remote monitoring.

However, it can be a bit harder to use this alarm as a trigger for other events in your smart home, such as turning on the lights in the case of an alarm. The battery-powered version also lacks a night light. You'll want to make sure that your existing non-smart smoke alarm system is compatible to ensure you get the functionality you want, since not all of them will trigger this alarm to send you push notifications in the event of an emergency. With all of these shortcomings in mind, if you're looking for a hardwired smart smoke alarm, the Onelink Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector is a decent budget option.

Smoke Sensor Type: N/A | Hardwired or Battery Option: Battery

If you already have a Ring home security system, instead of having a separate smart smoke alarm, you may want to consider adding the Ring Smart Smoke Alarm Listener. To be clear, this doesn't negate the need for a smoke alarm at all, but it does allow you to add remote monitoring at a much lower cost than pretty much any other option on the market. There are no tools required, so it's straightforward to set up, making it another good choice if you don't want to drill any holes in the wall.

However, you do need to at least have the Ring Base Station for this to function. Also, given that it is only a smart listener, you won't have the option to silence the alarms remotely. It's a great budget option if you already have a Ring system, but it probably isn't reason enough to go out and buy one in the first place.

Why Trust GearLab

We installed these products in a variety of different places to conduct side-by-side testing. We integrated them into various smart home systems, such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa, to try out all their different features and functions. In addition, we rated and compared the amount of time and effort required to install and configure each product and awarded points on their ease of use and different smoke detection abilities.

Our expert smart smoke detector reviewer, David Wise, has been professionally reviewing and testing consumer electronics and smart home products for over four years. He has formal training as a mechanical engineer and is an avid DIYer. He brings this experience to the design and implementation of our side-by-side smart smoke alarm testing process.

Analysis and Test Results

We divided our testing and review process into a series of different ratings, including Ease of Installation and Setup, Emergency Detection, Other Features, and Smart Home Integration. The standout performers in each metric are discussed in the following sections.

Ease of Installation and Setup

The first thing we considered when evaluating performance is the time and hassle it took to install. Right off the bat, the Echo Dot/Alexa Guard and the Ring Smart Smoke Alarm Listener stood out for being particularly easy to set up — even more so if you have already been using Alexa or had the Ring Security System installed. You just need to plug in your Echo Dot and walk through the prompts, then enable the Guard Feature, and you're all set. The Ring Smart Smoke Alarm Listener is similar, as you just need to scan a QR code and do a quick test, and you're finished. However, your Ring Listener will need to be mounted close to your existing smoke alarms.

The Kidde 21026044 also has a straightforward setup since it's not necessary to download any apps or create an account. You'll need to attach the mounting plate with a pair of screws, but all you need to do to configure the interconnected alarm system is pick a combination of the 8 switches on the back. They will automatically link to any other smoke alarm with the same combination selected.

The hardwired smoke alarms, like the Onelink Safe & Sound or the 120 VAC versions of the Nest Protect and the Onelink Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector can take a bit of extra effort to install, particularly if you don't already have wired smoke detectors in place. You will most likely need a professional electrician to run the circuit for you if this happens to be the case. Either way, be sure the power is turned off before installing any hardwired products and follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. Some of these products can even be wired into compatible non-smart interconnected alarm systems, allowing you to add some smart features to an entire system by only replacing a single unit.

The battery-powered versions of the Onelink Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector and the Nest Protect are straightforward to install and set up. However, it does take a little extra time if you need to download the app and create an account on your phone. Once you do that, your phone can usually detect the new device and walk you through the setup process.

Emergency Detection

The Nest Protect has a multitude of sensing capabilities, including a split-spectrum smoke sensor for fast and slow-burning fires as well as a carbon monoxide sensor. The Onelink Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector and the Onelink Safe & Sound both have photoelectric smoke sensors and electrochemical carbon monoxide sensors. Photoelectric sensors are generally better at picking up smoldering fires, where ionization smoke sensors are faster at picking up flaming fires.

The Kidde 21026044 only has an ionization sensor for smoke, so for full protection, you will need to get to make sure you have a separate carbon monoxide sensor. Additionally, the National Fire Protection Association recommends you have both ionization and photoelectric sensors in your home for maximum protection, so consider supplementing your system with separate photoelectric alarms.

Other Features

The wired version of the Onelink Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector, the Nest Protect, and the Onelink Safe & Sound all have an integrated nightlight. We appreciate that you can set the light on the Nest Protect to activate with a motion sensor, instead of staying on all night like the Safe & Sound. The Onelink's light, however, offers you the option of changing its color.

The Onelink Safe & Sound also includes an integrated wireless speaker with the Alexa voice assistant built right in. You can stream music through it or perform other common Alexa tasks, like setting an alarm or timer.

We like that you can hush any false alarms on the Nest Protect or the Onelink models through their respective apps. You can silence all of the Kidde 21026044 interconnected alarms by pressing a hush button on one alarming unit.

Smart Home Integration

One of the benefits of having a smart smoke detector is the ability to integrate it into your existing smart home. Unfortunately, you are a little more limited with these products when it comes to interfacing with third-party products, like Hue Lights or WeMo smart plugs, especially with the end of the “Works with Nest” program and the lack of IFTTT integration for the Onelink alarms. However, this changes all the time, so you should always double-check that you can actually use the smart features you want to before you buy anything.

The Nest Protect connects to the Google Home ecosystem and has a handful of smart functions accessible in the Nest app. For example, you can select certain cameras to start recording and create a clip if the alarm is triggered or have Nest turn off your heating system if it detects elevated levels of carbon monoxide. That is roughly the limit in terms of other functions, at least for the time being.

The Onelink Safe & Sound has all the smart home features an Alexa-enabled speaker would, allowing you to control a myriad of third-party smart items by voice command. It is also Apple HomeKit compatible. The Onelink Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector will connect to both of these home automation systems as well. Still, you are fairly limited if you are trying to set up an alarm to trigger other events. However, you can check the status of the smoke detector by asking Alexa. The Echo Dot will send you a notification through your Alexa app if it thinks it heard an alarm sound, but only if it has been placed into Guard mode.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this review was able to help you identify the perfect smart smoke alarm for your home, whether you are looking for a premium all-in-one smart solution or a basic low-cost listener. Also, make sure to check your local rules and regulations, as well as the National Fire Protection Association guidelines, when it comes to the number of alarms and their placement in your home.