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Most smart home devices nowadays are purchased for convenience, connectivity and cool-factor. But when wiring up your house, safety should be a priority over (or along with) with all the smart lights, TVs, remotes and speakers you’re buying online.
That’s where a smart smoke detector comes in. A regular old-school smoke detector, or an ionization-type smoke alarm, contains a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates. The air within becomes iodized, and a current begins flowing between them. Any sign of smoke disrupting the flow of ions triggers the alarm, giving off the screech we’ve all experienced. These traditional ones are known for being quick to alert once a fire is already in full flames.
How Does a Smart Smoke Detector Work?
With a smart (optical or photoelectric) smoke detector, a projected beam of UV or infrared light is constantly keeping an eye on the room. When the detector senses that the light intensity is reduced, primarily from particles of smoke, the sensor is triggered and the alarm is sounded. These types of detectors are more sensitive to the beginning stages of fires, when the slow, smoky smoldering begins, but can also detect flames from a growing fire too.
Some units can also sense when there’s a smokeless fire, from something like alcohol or gasoline, and are capable of detecting carbon monoxide as well – a potentially fatal gas that’s odorless and can appear entirely separate from a fire, due to faulty ventilation from buildup in appliances like gas heaters.
Having a wired-up house full of interconnected detectors has its advantages. Any potential problems with smoke or CO2 can quickly alert you, no matter where you are in the house, and even tell you in spoken words what room it’s sensing trouble in. If you’ve already got a smart-home system in place, such as Alexa or even a home security one like ADT, these can integrate and boost your home’s safety even more.
An app is an almost-always accompanying feature, and gives you a visual, interactive way to manage everything from your device, from current settings to recent flare-ups, keeping you safe and in charge whether you’re home or even on vacation.
We’ve rounded up five of the best smart smoke detectors that can help increase safety for you and your family – no matter how smart your home already is.
