Smarter Smoke Alarms

Every year nearly 3,000 people die in home fires, and about two-thirds of the time a nonworking or missing smoke alarm is to blame. People disconnect them, forget to replace dead batteries, or fail to buy enough units: at least one per bedroom and one per floor. But how to choose from the baffling array of models? We sifted through the latest stick-'em-up battery-operated units and found two contenders, both from Kidde, to round out your arsenal. The high-end model cuts down on false alarms and detects carbon monoxide as well as smoldering and flaming fires. The budget one detects flames fast and comes with 10-year batteries for peace of mind. Read on for more on how else they stack up.