Smoke detectors are a lot like income taxes: We need to deal with them once a year, not a whole lot of people understand them, and issues with either can be particularly, well, alarming. Simple yet essential heroes of home safety and security, smoke detectors tend to be forgotten until they go off (a good thing) or fail to function in an emergency (a potential tragedy).
The National Fire Protection Association recommends at least one smoke detector for each floor of a home, as well as one in every bedroom.
It’s important to become familiar with the types of detectors, how they operate, and some of the finer points of fire alarm technology. Even if you don’t think you’re in the market for a new model right now, you very well might be after reading this article.
As the first line of defense against a house fire—and, in many cases, a guard against carbon monoxide (CO) as well—smoke detectors protect those in your home 24/7. I personally did hands-on tests with 12 models to help you choose one that you can trust to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your home. The following models made our list of top picks.
While pressing the “test” button is a perfectly fine way for folks to perform once-a-month testing of a smoke detector, a simple button-test cannot tell the whole story of how well a unit will perform. A lot more went into our testing and, as someone who’s spent nearly a decade working with commercial fire alarms, this assignment was right in my wheelhouse.
I installed each of these devices one by one, according to the directions, to determine how easy they were to set up.
I also tested each device by spraying two puffs of canned synthetic smoke—the same type I used when testing fire alarms professionally. I timed each to get a solid sense of how long activation took and then compared the results.
These top picks include photoelectric, ionization, and dual-sensor smoke detectors to suit a variety of different needs. All are quality models currently on the market that I tested personally in the hope that my fair and honest opinions will help streamline your search for the best smoke detector.
Note: All of the following products feature battery operation, making them very easy to install.
They’re also all Underwriters Laboratories (UL)–listed for safety.
I really liked the idea of the Ring Alarm Smoke & CO Listener, as it basically functions as a bridge between a nonmonitored system and a fully connected self-monitored system. However, there are too many shortcomings for me to recommend this device:
It worked OK during testing, but there are too many drawbacks for this device to be practical.
The Kidde P4010LDCS-W smoke alarm was impossible to set up. It is designed to link to the Kidde app via Bluetooth but would not register on any of the devices that I tried, which included two Android phones and an iPad.
I reset it several times using the “Quick Start Guide” and even tried using the QR code through the app (which did not cooperate at all).
I’ve previously found that smart tech is not Kidde’s strong suit. Although I’ve trusted the brand for almost 20 years, only a few of the brand’s smart-enabled devices are ready for practical use.
First Alert’s strobe light smoke alarm was a big disappointment, especially for the cost. My test model didn’t function like it was supposed to. During testing, I could not get the strobe to light. I even checked the directions to make sure that it wasn’t something that I needed to activate or that it only worked during certain conditions, but that wasn’t the case.
This is a device that is supposed to alert hearing-impaired folks to a dangerous condition, and the strobe should never fail.
Even if tested annually, a smoke detector has an operational lifespan of only 10 years. A model older than that should be replaced, regardless of its working condition. To help make an informed decision, learn about the following key features that pop up when considering the wide range of models currently on the market
Battery-operated models, which tend to cost less, are usually stand-alone detectors.
This means an activated smoke detector cannot alarm a monitoring system or other sensors in the home; only the detector in the smoky area will sound an alarm. The exception would be battery-operated models that are part of a home security system.
Hardwired smoke detectors install directly to the electrical system of the home. When one sounds an alarm, typically all of the detectors follow suit. While this may make it harder to pinpoint the unit that actually detected the issue, it alerts everyone in the house to danger, which is undeniably a considerable asset.
Most residential hardwired detectors now use battery backups, so even if the power goes out, the home will still have some fire safety protection—and that’s the best of both worlds.
In commercial applications, things work a bit differently, in that the fire alarm panel will rely on the batteries to keep the alarm system live until the generators kick on or the power comes back.
Briefly touched upon above, interconnectivity refers to smoke detectors’ ability to “talk” to each other, alerting the entire system to an issue. For example, if there were an electrical fire within the car in an attached garage, the entire system throughout the house would activate immediately.
Fires can double in size every 60 seconds, so if residents were sleeping on the other side of the house, they might not hear a stand-alone detector activate in the garage.
Interconnected detectors will make them aware of the issue, potentially before it’s too late.
In a similar circumstance, a car left running in the garage can produce fatal levels of carbon monoxide, which could prove particularly dangerous to folks sleeping in a bedroom above. Smoke detectors with carbon monoxide sensors add another level of safety. While all homes should have carbon monoxide detectors, homes with gas or oil heat and hot water are particularly vulnerable.
Interconnected detectors are often part of a monitored home security system. The great benefit to these systems is they can alert the local fire department, even if no one is at home to make the emergency call.
A carbon monoxide issue could render those inside unable to call the fire department, so the monitoring company can make that call, possibly saving lives.
Quality smoke detectors are UL listed. This certification ensures that the detectors meet UL’s stringent testing requirements. Given the importance of purchasing the best smoke detector system that a household can afford, it’s not worth the risk to install anything that isn’t UL listed.
For those interested in the latest fire safety technology, some detectors do boast smart features. Many of these detectors not only communicate with an overseeing alarm system but also with users’ phones through Wi-Fi.
Some models even allow users to employ any TV remote to mute an activated detector.
There are three main types of smoke detectors: photoelectric, ionization, and dual sensor. While they all do the same job, they go about it differently.
The chamber of a photoelectric smoke detector contains an LED light, which shoots a beam across the chamber, and a sensor that sits approximately 90 degrees from the LED. Under normal conditions, the sensor can’t “see” the LED beam, but when smoke enters the chamber, the light reflects off smoke particulates and the sensor detects the beam.
The instant the sensor detects the beam, the alarm activates. Photoelectric smoke detectors are most effective at detecting smoldering burns—barely burning fires that can, frighteningly, smolder for days before becoming a bigger issue.
Though these detectors employ radioactive materials, alpha rays, and other seemingly sci-fi technology, they operate on a fairly simple premise: A chamber fills with tiny particles called ions, held in place by electrical charges. A sensor in the chamber knows how many ions are contained within.
When smoke enters the chamber, it removes some of the ions, affecting the sensor’s count and sounding the alarm.
Ionization smoke detectors are most effective against fires that are actively flaming.
Just as the category name suggests, these detectors use both types of sensors. There’s no winner in a race against photoelectric and ionization detectors, and they each have their own strengths. The use of both sensor types means faster detection of threats across the range of different materials that could be burning.
Now that you know a bit more about the best smoke detectors, some questions may still pop up. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions, so check below for the information that will clarify your queries.
The U.S. Fire Administration states that you should test your smoke detectors monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends that homes should have smoke detectors installed in every bedroom, a common area outside the sleeping area, and on every level (including the basement and attic).
Smart smoke detectors provide a bit of extra awareness, particularly if no one is at home when the issue occurs. However, they’re not necessarily better. Some would suggest that having a hardwired system tied into a central monitoring service is the best option.
Most smoke detectors feature dual-purpose test and “hush” buttons that will allow the user to test their detector’s functionality but also stop it from sounding an alarm. However, if your smoke detector is simply beeping, it probably just needs a battery change.
Bob Vila has been America’s Handyman since 1979. As the host of beloved and groundbreaking TV series including “This Old House” and “Bob Vila’s Home Again,” he popularized and became synonymous with “do-it-yourself” home improvement.
Over the course of his decades-long career, Bob Vila has helped millions of people build, renovate, repair, and live better each day—a tradition that continues today with expert yet accessible home advice.
The Bob Vila team distills need-to-know information into project tutorials, maintenance guides, tool 101s, and more. These home and garden experts then thoroughly research, vet, and recommend products that support homeowners, renters, DIYers, and professionals in their to-do lists.
Tom Scalisi is a full-time DIY and construction writer for many of the largest websites in the industry, including BobVila.com, This Old House, Family Handyman, and Forbes. He spent years in the fire safety industry, both installing and testing commercial fire alarm and suppression systems.
