The Best Smart Smoke Detectors of 2023

Ensure your family and your home are well protected with a smart smoke detector.

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Smoke detectors save lives. And thanks to smart technology, smoke detectors are more effective than ever. With a host of integrated smart features, you can easily keep track of your smoke detector on your smartphone, and ensure it's working at optimum efficiency to protect your home.

A regular smoke detector is all well and good, but there are several advantages to going smart and investing in a smoke detector that offers a little more.

For a start, it's all too easy to leave run-of-the-mill smoke detectors unattended or forgotten for months. Who knows if the batteries are still good? Will the alarm still sound in an emergency?

Smart smoke detectors are connected to your home's Wi-Fi, enabling you to check the current status from anywhere using your smartphone. Many smart smoke detectors can perform self-tests and provide you with a diagnostic report via its companion app. These convenient features provide peace of mind and mean you never have to wonder whether your smoke detector is working as it should.

Related: What You Need to Know About Smoke Alarms

With a smart smoke detector, you can receive real-time notifications, alerting you to emergencies or letting you know if the batteries are dying. They can pinpoint the location of the emergency and keep track of current carbon monoxide levels throughout the home. And should there be a false alarm, most smart smoke detectors can also be silenced remotely.

By installing smart smoke detectors at home, you can set up an interconnected network of smoke alarms throughout the household and keep tabs on all of them remotely. And for added convenience, many are also compatible with smart home voice assistants.

If you don't want to replace all your existing smoke alarms with smart upgrades, you might consider a smart listening device instead. Products like the Ring Alarm Smoke & Co Listener or the Adobe Smoke Alarm Monitor can be installed next to your smoke alarm. As their name suggests, these devices 'listen' to your smoke alarm, and when it sounds, they send an instant alert to your phone.

To help you decide what type of smart smoke detector is right for you, check out our recommendations below.

Pros

Cons

✓ Receive instant text alerts

✗ Expensive for a single unit

✓ Remotely silence alarm with smartphone

✓ Identifies source of the emergency

Having been first released back in 2015, the Google Nest Protect has been around for some time already---and it's a testament to its quality that it remains the best smart smoke detector on the market.

This dual-purpose smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector uses a split spectrum sensor to search for smoke produced by fast-burning and smoldering fires. In contrast, its CO sensor automatically scans for traces of this silent killer.

Related: Do Smart Smoke Detectors Expire?

Once installed, Google Nest Protect will automatically monitor your home for smoke and carbon monoxide, and a voice alert will be triggered should anything untoward be detected. By connecting Nest Protect to your Wi-Fi network, you can receive notifications that the alarm is sounding the batteries are running out. With the Google Nest app you can access its smart functions, including the ability to silence the alarm remotely using the App Silence feature.

These nightly diagnostics are handled by Google Nest Protect's 'Nightly Promise' feature, which runs a full set of self-tests at the press of a button. A full report on your device's performance is then delivered via the app. Provided that everything is functioning properly, your Nest Protect will light up in a reassuring green hue, and you can retire for the night, safe in the knowledge that you're fully protected against smoke or carbon monoxide.

With a host of smart features on offer here, plus a carbon monoxide sensor that will last for ten years, there's plenty to justify Google Nest Protect's price tag.

Google's battery-powered Nest Protect alarm detects both smoke and carbon monoxide, offers smartphone or voice assistant control, and automatically interconnects with other Nest Protect alarms.

Pros

Cons

✓ Affordable

✗ No carbon monoxide detector

✓ Can silence alarm via X-Sense app

✓ Can set up multiple users on app

Costing a fraction of the price of many other smart smoke detectors, the X-Sense Smart Smoke Detector is a battery-powered smoke detector with smart features that can be controlled remotely via the X-Sense app. This unit employs a photoelectric sensor to detect slow-burning and smoldering fires and carries a 10-year sensor life.

The X-Sense Smart Smoke Detector does not feature a built-in carbon monoxide detector, but that's to be expected at this price point. Instead, this compact unit provides efficient smoke detection with real-time app notifications for alarms, faults, or low battery warnings. In the event of a false alarm, you can silence the XS01-WX remotely.

Setup is relatively straightforward, and connection to your home's Wi-Fi doesn't require a base station. It's made from fire-retardant ABS material, has a loud 85-decibel alarm, and demonstrates good value for money overall.

This smoke detector is cost-effective enough for several units to be installed around the home and linked together, and it can identify which area of the home fire or smoke has been detected and give you an instant heads-up.

For an additional premium, you can subscribe to the Protect + service, which provides a professional 24/7 monitoring service. Once an alarm is triggered, it sends a message from the monitoring service within three seconds to verify whether there's a real emergency. Verifying the emergency results in a fire truck is immediately dispatched.

But for those that don't subscribe, this is still a reliable and safe smart smoke detector that offers longevity and a bit more relief to the wallet. If you want to enjoy the benefits of a smart smoke detector but don't require all the trimmings of something more elaborate like the Google Nest Protect, the X-Sense XS01-WX Smart Smoke Detector does the job nicely.

The X-Sense XS01-WX smart smoke detector uses a photoelectric sensor to detect slow-burning or smoldering fires. It provides several smartphone features, including the ability to silence the alarm remotely, in a false alarm situation.

Pros

Cons

✓ Can connect with any other hardwired alarm in the home

✗ Expensive

✓ Enjoy all the functionality of Alexa

✗ Additional features arguably not needed unless specifically looking for an Alexa-enabled device

✓ Smoke alarm can be remotely silenced

If you're after a smart smoke detector that pairs with Alexa, the First Alert Onelink Safe & Sound Smart Smoke Alarm is the best out there. It pairs nicely with Alexa-enabled homes and has a built-in omnidirectional Bluetooth speaker for talking to Alexa or playing music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

The smart smoke alarm itself is no slouch, either. This photoelectric smoke alarm and electrochemical carbon monoxide detector can connect with any other hardwired alarm in your house, sending notifications to your phone for any of these connected devices. It comes with a 10-year battery backup and offers additional features through the First Alert Onelinek app.

Using the app, you can receive remote notifications of any emergency in the home, pinpointing the location of said emergency. Additionally, you can track carbon monoxide levels, customize nightlight settings, check battery levels, check alarm self-test results, and more.

In the event of a false alarm, Onelink can be silenced remotely, too. While you're at home, any emergency will trigger voice alerts as well as the loud 85-decibel alarm.

Being an Alexa-enabled device, you can use First Alert Onelink Safe & Sound for hands-free voice calls and messaging or as an intercom between two Alexa-enabled devices inside the home. Its omnidirectional speaker hears your voice commands from any direction, even when there's music playing, and it makes a great addition to any smart home already using Alexa.

For the price, you might want to consider a cheaper alternative unless you're specifically looking to capitalize on the additional Alexa functionality. However, this device makes an excellent addition for anyone building a smart home using Alexa.

First Alert Onelink Safe & Sound is an Alexa-enabled smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector and Bluetooth speaker, designed for omnidirectional audio. Its advanced microphones can hear your voice commands from any direction, even with music playing.

Pros

Cons

✓ Compatible with Google Home and Alexa

✗ No carbon monoxide detector

✓ Will work even during a power outage

✓ Notifies you when it needs to be replaced

When thinking about the best smart smoke detector for Google Home, it's natural to think of Google Nest Protect first and foremost. But oranges are not the only fruit, and the Nest Protect is not the only Google Home-compatible smart smoke detector. So if you're looking for a cheaper alternative, you might want to consider the Kidde Hardwired Smart Smoke Detector instead.

This hardwired Wi-Fi-enabled smoke detector uses photoelectric sensors to detect smoke and fire particles and sends real-time alerts to your smartphone. It issues loud voice alerts and a series of alarms when it detects a threat and will also announce the nature of that threat.

Connecting your alarm to the Kidde app is nice and simple---download the app, scan the QR code on the alarm, and you'll be connected within seconds.

As a Google Home-compatible smart alarm and can therefore be controlled remotely via the Google Home app. As such, you'll be able to perform alarm tests, receive alerts, and silence false alarms with the push of a button or with voice prompts. And for Alexa-enabled homes, this device can also be connected as part of that setup.

The internal sealed battery is good for ten years of use, and your Kidde alarm will even notify you when your unit needs to be replaced. The 10-year lifespan represents good value for money, offering 24/7 smoke protection with a failsafe that ensures it continues to function even during a power outage.

On the downside, this smart smoke alarm is only available as a hardwired model and doesn't contain a carbon monoxide detector. In all other respects, this is an excellent choice of smart smoke alarm from one of the industry-leading brands.

Google's battery-powered Nest Protect alarm detects both smoke and carbon monoxide, offers smartphone or voice assistant control, and automatically interconnects with other Nest Protect alarms.

Pros

Cons

✓ Simple installation

✗ Opting to rename the device during HomeKit configuration can cause issues

✓ Can be placed anywhere

✓ Compatible with HomeKit and Alexa

It's not always easy to find smart devices compatible with HomeKit, and the Onelink Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector is the best smart smoke detector for those using Apple's smart home ecosystem. This battery-powered version can be placed anywhere in the home and doesn't require any hardwiring.

The Onelink is a dual-purpose smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarm and comes with a three-cell five-year battery pack. It works with the First Alert Onelink app and is easy to add to your Homekit setup.

With the app, you can receive emergency alerts directly to your smartphone or tablet and silence the alarm remotely if required. Voice alerts will notify you of danger, specifying the alert's nature and the disturbance's source. Other app-enabled features allow you to review alarm self-test results, check carbon monoxide levels and customize light settings.

Once you have connected your Onelink to your Wi-Fi and HomeKit, it's easy to integrate it with any other HomeKit-enabled devices around the home, sync it with any automated functions already set up, and issue voice commands via Siri.

It can wirelessly interconnect with other Onelink alarms to create a network that can then be controlled via the app. Should one alarm sound, it will then trigger all other interconnected alarms as a failsafe, ensuring that everyone in the home is alerted to the danger and can quickly and safely evacuate.

For smart homes that already operate with HomeKit, this smart smoke detector is worthy of adding to your roster of compatible devices. A hardwired version is also available (costing a little more), but for ease of installation, this battery-powered version could not be simpler to set up.

Need a smart smoke detector compatible with Apple Homekit? he Onelink Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector works with Homekit and provides dependable protection for the home.

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Rob is a freelance writer with a BA Hons Degree in English and Media Studies and a Diploma in Proofreading and Editing. After several years working in the financial sector, Rob decided to pursue his passion for writing and joined MUO as a Buyer's Guide writer in 2022.He has since gone on to write Buying Guides for How-To Geek, as well as sponsored articles for MUO, Android Police, XDA, and Pocket-lint.Rob is passionate about music, movies, gaming, martial arts, and of course... tech.