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You never know whom your neighbor could be buzzing in—in fact, they might not even know. A security system can also alert you to dangers from fire, flood, and frozen pipes. Since then, one contact sensor has just recently started burning through CR2032 batteries faster than normal. After changing them twice during my most recent testing round, I realized batteries were lasting only about two weeks. Users can pair the Eero 6 Extender with the Ring Alarm Pro for extended Wi-Fi coverage around the house.
The Cove key fob measures 2.5 by 1.5 by 0.5 inches and has arm, disarm, stay, and SOS buttons. The Frontpoint Security system, along with its Interactive Monitoring plan, was our favorite home security system from 2013 to early 2016. Since then, the company has dropped the need for a contract, but the monthly fee is more expensive than that of any of our top picks.
Vivint Home Security System Review: Pro Install vs. DIY
The standard Alarm Security Kit is cheaper than most competitors – yet comes with a base station, keypad, contact sensor, motion detector and range extender. You can buy additional components individually to extend your protection, or purchase one of the larger Alarm Security Kit bundles. Brinks Home Security offers a range of monitored home security solutions that use a range of kit options, mostly based on a smart home control panel, along with various sensors, to work with your smartphone. Additionally, you will generally have to pay some sort of monthly fee if you want to take advantage of a company’s professional monitoring services. Some companies charge as little as $9 per month, although most of our top options start from around $40 per month for basic monitoring. Thanks to the device’s built-in microphone and speaker, you can communicate with someone in your home as you’re viewing their activities.
For starters, the simple fact of having visible security cameras is often enough to deter prospective burglars. On top of this, it’s important to have evidence of break-ins or vandalism if they do occur, both for insurance reasons and to help the authorities catch the perpetrator. The Arlo Pro 4 security camera can work indoors and outdoors, and its bevy of useful security features make it particularly attractive for the price.
How SimpliSafe has held up
The mobile app lets you arm and disarm the system, bypass sensors, view activity, and activate a silent alarm that sends a signal to the monitoring center without alerting anyone else in your home. You can also add users and give them passcodes, but to do things like adjust entry delay times and speaker volume, edit user passcodes, and test and rename sensors, you have to use the touch-screen panel. Like the Eufy kit, the Ecobee Smart Security system lacks several add-ons, notably flood sensors and smoke detection , and the only sirens are on the thermostat (and on the camera, too, but we don’t recommend it). There’s no backup battery, and the optional $10-per-month live-monitoring fee doesn’t include cellular backup. In addition to the network and cellular connections , the base station has a five-hour backup battery, which is 19 hours less than the Ring and SimpliSafe base stations. Unlike the Ring and Abode base stations, SimpliSafe’s provides voice prompts during setup, as well as when the system is arming and disarming.
Wyze disappointed some of its customers in 2021 when its ridiculously cheap cameras got slightly less ridiculously cheap. But at $36, the Wyze Cam, which we gave an 8.5 review score, remains a great budget security camera -- and a great camera, period. There are also plenty of budget-friendly models, and some feature weatherproof design so you can use them both inside and outdoors.
How we tested
SimpliSafe also offers a door lock, which can be locked and unlocked via the app or the included PIN pad that attaches to the outside of your door. SimpliSafe is another easy-to-use DIY security system, with add-ons such as indoor and outdoor video cameras, a doorbell camera, a smart lock, and smoke and other sensors. Its 24/7 professional monitoring fees are competitive with those of other DIY systems, though all of their kits also offer a self-monitoring option. Unfortunately, outside of smart speakers, the only non-SimpliSafe devices it’s compatible with are August locks.
A particularly nice feature is that it also includes a one-touch contact button that your family can push to contact you instantly. Most security cameras will include a small light that will turn on when it's recording, though that may not be a reliable indicator if the camera has been hacked. Others, like Arlo's indoor camera, include design features that make it totally clear when the camera is watching and when it's not. In general, though, devices with physical shields are always a solid option if you're worried about maintaining your privacy. Not all home security systems include CCTV or home security cameras, but we highly recommend choosing one that does.
Cove's exclusive TripleTouch Alarm Response means your emergency is confirmed with help on the way in 30 seconds. Pricing for each kit depends on the features you select, but there's a lot of room for customization so you can really personalize it.
SimpliSafe told us it also shares information with app developers at Google Firebase and the analytics company Heap to keep tabs on the user’s app experience and make improvements. Once you decide which type of system you want, you need to pick what that system will include. Most security companies, whether its kits are DIY or professionally installed, professionally monitored or self-monitored, offer guidance if you’re confused about what to choose. DIY systems are also modular, so you can easily add sensors and devices as you need them—perhaps a camera by the garage, or sensors on the sliding glass door upstairs. In order to review the home security systems listed below, we conducted both in-depth research and hands-on testing.
Cove's exclusive LiveAssist™ calls you through the Touch panel, giving you instant access to a live agent. Additionally, there's a membership plan available which allows you to expand on the basic 24-hours online storage to a 30 or 60-day storage plan, along with the ability to store more video as well as get further discounts at Honeywell. Honeywell Smarthome Security is an all-in-one home security device that is intended to serve as the heart of a smarthome experience.
I’ve also written tech articles for The New York Times, Wired, and Men’s Health, among other publications. Video is recorded for you to view at any time and includes Video Object Detection to record video when a person, car, or animal approaches your home. Great protection against thieves casing homes by walking up to your front step and ringing doorbells to see if you're home. Likewise, view live video and recorded footage at your home through one intuitive app. We also offer HD WIFI Video Doorbells to help you protect your deliveries from "Porch Pirates". The easy to use two-way voice allows you to speak to visitors and all of the video and audio is safely saved to the cloud.
The Ring Alarm Pro base station is also the company’s first to incorporate the features of the Ring Smart Lighting Bridge, a tiny box that can wirelessly connect Ring lights to your home network. We added the Ring Solar Pathlight to our test Ring Alarm Pro system and were able to control the light through the app, create Schedules, and even set an Alexa Routine that would turn on outside lights whenever the system was armed. The Pro plan also enables Ring Edge, a new feature that allows users to store video content locally on a microSD card inserted into the Ring Alarm Pro base station, as opposed to having it in the cloud—which is actually what we recommend. It’s not available on the original Ring Alarm and isn’t compatible with Ring’s Video Doorbell 4, Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, Video Doorbell , or the Stick Up Cam .
The service rep was always polite and asked for a four-digit PIN to keep police from being dispatched. We were able to arm and disarm the Abode system using Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. For Alexa and Google Assistant, you need to speak a PIN, whereas HomeKit requires you to unlock your iPhone. A good example is the Vivint Smart Home Security system, which we’ve reviewed separately and don’t recommend for most people. Before you drill holes in the walls or otherwise mess up your door frame, brick or siding for your home security camera.
Abode offers more smart-home integration than any other security system we tested, which means you can tie it into smart-home devices from different manufacturers. Existing SimpliSafe customers will have to update the cellular module on their base stations before January 1, 2023. We’ve added details about that and Simplisafe’s new Fast Protect features in the review. The $100 Google Nest Cam is not only the most affordable Nest camera yet, but it's also our favorite from the brand. Thanks to the easy setup, the attractive design and, most importantly, the free smart features, it takes the top spot of all Google Assistant cameras. Our sensors work in conjunction with your keypad to alert you in the event someone enters or leaves your home and can even monitor safes and other “NO-NO” rooms or cabinets in your home.
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