Intelligent Alerts: Smart Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms for Your Home

Devices that will keep you informed during emergencies and when other problems arise

By John ElliotOriginally Published March 21, 2023

Photo: First Alert

There are a lot of unnecessary alerts our smart devices send us day to day—but when it comes to smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, the more information the better.

Fortunately, intelligent smoke and CO alarms come with an array of instructive (and convenient) features. From phone-based silencing and multi-detector alarm signaling to secondary smart speaker features and unobtrusive battery notifications, today’s smoke and CO alarms are winning combos built to keep you safe and make life just a little easier.

Here are our picks for smart smoke and CO alarms for your home.

Nest

The Nest Protect from Google is like a complete wish list of what you would want from a combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. This square, ceiling-hanging detector is brimming with smart features, including the ability to give you a heads up before going full-alarm mode, so you can check the stovetop and save the pancakes before they become pan-coal. And if the worst should happen, be it a fire or carbon monoxide, the Protect will signal the alarm through every connected detector in your home, as well as sending notifications to your phone, so if you’re out of the home you’ll still be aware of what’s going on. But if it’s all a false alarm, the Protect makes silencing the detectors a breeze as well, with a simple tap in the accompanying app—no need to break out a chair or ladder. The Protect also comes with a 10-year carbon monoxide sensor that silently and regularly tests itself, eschews the battery-dying beeps for a simple phone notification, and includes Steam Check, a custom algorithm paired with a humidity sensor that can distinguish between smoke or a lot of steam.

The Nest Protect is available for $119.

Nest

First Alert

The One Link Safe and Sound is a combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that pulls double-duty—or rather triple-duty. On the safety front, the One Link features First Alert’s trusted technology for smoke and carbon monoxide detection, giving you audible, interconnected warnings throughout your home and useful info directly to your phone, including the type of danger (smoke or CO) and the location of the emergency. Users can also silence and test their One Link via their phone. But the safety features are just the start. The One Link Safe and Sound features high-end audio (speakers and microphone) and Amazon’s Alexa built-in, making it a smart speaker you hang from your ceiling. Want to take a phone call, crisply and clearly and hands-free, on your smoke detector? You can. Want to play a Spotify playlist anywhere you’ve hung a CO alarm? You can. Want to check the weather by simply talking to your ceiling? You can. All that and the One Link provides a customizable nightlight.

The One Link Safe and Sound is available for $224.

X-Sense

On the less budget-breaking end of things, there is the X-Sense SC07-W Wireless Interconnected Combination Alarm, but while the SC07-W may cut the price tag it doesn’t skimp on features. The combo smoke and CO alarm, that looks reasonably futuristic, offers interlinked coverage, meaning if one alarm is going off, then all the alarms will go off, from basement to bedroom. In addition to an audible alarm, the SC07-W also provides visual cues, with the source of the alarm flashing red and the interconnected alarms flashing alternating green and red. The SC07-W also comes with a handy informative LCD screen that allows users to see the exact carbon monoxide PPM in the room, as well as how much battery is left.

The X-Sense SC07-W Wireless Interconnected Combination Alarm is available for $45.

X-Sense

Ring

Perhaps you already have a smoke and carbon monoxide detector set up that you like—but you’re still itching for some smart features. Invest in a Ring Alarm Smoke and CO Listener. The maker of smart doorbells brings their intelligent tech inside with this clever device that sits within six inches of your current smoke/CO detector. When the alarm sounds, the Listener, well, listens and then automatically sends a real-time mobile notification to your phone or other smart device. If you are across the state or even across the world, you’ll receive an instantaneous alert as to where there is an issue in your home.

The Ring Alarm Smoke and CO Listener is available for $34.

Shorthand