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Protecting your home from fire damage and dangerous gases starts with installing the proper detection devices, like smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. These easy-to-install and affordable devices can help you save not only your personal belongings but the lives of your loved ones that live inside the home.
While all smoke detectors and fire alarms are designed to catch high volumes of smoke inside your home, not all models work the same. That’s why purchasing the right smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for your home is important. To help you make an informed purchasing decision, the This Old House Reviews team researched the best smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire alarms on Amazon. Here are our top recommendations.
Top Smoke Detectors and Fire Alarms
While smoke detectors help you protect your home from dangerous fires by sensing the presence of smoke and emitting a warning sound, fire alarms typically work as a group to not only detect a fire but trigger actions to combat it, including contacting emergency services or setting off a sprinkler system. Usually, fire alarms signal a warning sound throughout the home or building as opposed to an isolated room or area. Here are five of the best smoke detectors and fire alarms on Amazon.
First Alert Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector
- $39.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
X-Sense Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector
- $40
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This device is great for homeowners who are looking for an easy-to-read detector, and it comes with all the necessary installation hardware, including a mounting bracket, screws, and anchor plugs.
Kidde Hardwire Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector
- $104
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Additionally, the detector alerts homeowners to fire or carbon monoxide dangers through its LED status light and alarm.
Google Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Dioxide Detector
- $469
Prices taken at time of publishing.
However, this smart device differs from traditional models with its instant mobile notifications that alert you to a fire in your home even if you’re not there. Additionally, the alarm is equipped with voice alerts that let you know where the smoke or carbon monoxide is in your home.
Kidde Battery-Operated Smoke Alarm
- $10.31
- $12.99
- 21% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
What To Consider Before Buying a Smoke Detector or Fire Alarm
Before purchasing a smoke detector or fire alarm, it’s important to understand how each device’s specifications and smoke-detecting sensors affect its performance. Here are some considerations to think about when buying a detector.
Lifespan
Most smoke detectors and fire alarms, including the Kidde Battery-Operated Smoke Alarm and X-Sense Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector, are designed with a 10-year battery life. While hardwired and battery-powered smoke detectors have similar lifespans, battery-operated models may require frequent check-ins to ensure the batteries aren’t dead.
Backup Power
Most smoke detectors and fire alarms are battery-powered or hardwired directly into your home’s electrical system. Typically, hardwiring the alarms calls for electrical expertise, which may require you to hire an electrician to install the smoke detectors. Battery-powered smoke detectors are easier to install because they run off of alkaline batteries and can detect smoke through power outages because they don’t rely on electricity.
Smart Capabilities
Some smoke detectors and fire alarms are equipped with smart features that send custom mobile alerts and communicate with surrounding devices. For example, the Google Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Dioxide Detector sends you a mobile message when it detects smoke or carbon monoxide in your home.
Underwriters Laboratories Listing
The Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is a third-party certification company that has helped develop smoke alarm standards for over 40 years. A UL-certified smoke detector or fire alarm must meet the company’s requirements to receive its stamp of approval. Many smoke alarms, including the First Alert Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector and Kidde Battery-Operated Smoke Alarm, meet UL requirements.
Sensor Type
There are three different types of sensors inside a smoke detector, including a photoelectric sensor, an ionization sensor, and dual-sensing technology.
Photoelectric
A photoelectric smoke alarm uses a light-sensitive sensor and an LED light to detect smoke. The smoke detector’s light sensor can’t pick up the LED light that’s emitted unless there’s smoke in the air, which causes the light to reflect and be picked up by the device’s sensor, triggering an alarm.
Ionization
Ionization fire alarms like the Kidde Hardwire Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector use radioactive material that’s positioned between two electrically charged plates, which triggers air to flow from one plate to another. When smoke enters the detector, this airflow is restricted and triggers an alarm.
Dual sensors
Some smoke detectors, including the X-Sense Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector, use both ionization and photoelectric detectors to sense smoke and trigger an alarm. Utilizing both detection methods helps a device detect a range of fires while providing an alternative in case one method fails.
Top Brands
When it comes to smoke detectors and fire alarms, Kidde and First Alert lead the pack. Check out the history behind each company’s fire detection technology below.
Kidde
Founded over 100 years ago, Kidde is one of the largest fire safety product manufacturers and produces devices like smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. The company’s offerings go beyond just detection, as the company offers equipment like fire extinguishers and escape ladders that can help homeowners after a fire is detected.
First Alert
First Alert is a manufacturer of fire prevention devices and products, including smoke detectors, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, and fire-resistant safes. The company created the first battery-powered smoke detector, which went on to earn a UL listing.
Where To Place Smoke Detectors and Fire Alarms
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) suggests installing a smoke detector in every hallway, level, and bedroom inside your home. The best place to install a smoke detector is on a ceiling, though you can install one on a wall if you position it within inches of your ceiling.
The NFPA recommends placing a carbon monoxide detector in every area you install a smoke detector. It’s important to remember to install carbon monoxide alarms away from flame-producing appliances, as this can trigger a false alarm.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I replace a smoke detector?
Most smoke detectors, including the First Alert Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector, emit a chirp that signals the end of their working life. If you own a model that isn’t equipped with an end-of-life signal, you should replace the entire model after 10 years of use.
How can I tell if there’s carbon monoxide in the house?
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas that can lead to serious health complications and possibly death if exposed to in high quantities. While the gas can’t be detected using taste, smell, or sight, it can cause symptoms like dizziness, shortness of breath, blurred vision, and confusion. A carbon monoxide detector can also detect high levels of carbon monoxide within your home and alert you when this occurs.
What can cause a carbon monoxide leak in the home?
Carbon monoxide is emitted by appliances like boilers and water heaters when their fuel source isn’t burned properly. Additionally, a car’s engine emits carbon monoxide while running, which can lead to health complications or death if you breathe in high levels of carbon monoxide inside an enclosed garage.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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